April 13, 2012 at 7:01 am
Who wouldn't want six weeks of vacation, the option to work remotely from home every day, a personal assistant, and a $120,000 salary?
However, if applicants were to write a description of their "ideal job" on their resume, few companies would call them in for an interview.
Likewise, if all applicants were never to apply for a job, simply because the HR director came up with an overly idealistic job description, then the position would never be filled. Honestly, if real life applications don't apply for these jobs, then chances are a candidate with less experience than yourself will probably get hired instead.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
April 13, 2012 at 7:27 am
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
When I used to interview someone, I would ask one unanswerable question
I've done it as well... "how do you detach a Log Shipped tempdb that is in Read Only mode?"
You'll laugh at the answers I got.
Ummm my head just hurt.
However, I've been in a position recently to interview DBA's... this question is going on the list. Just for that reason 🙂
April 13, 2012 at 7:39 am
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
When I used to interview someone, I would ask one unanswerable question
I've done it as well... "how do you detach a Log Shipped tempdb that is in Read Only mode?"
You'll laugh at the answers I got.
I somtimes as the question:
"How much experience do you have writing cursors?"
Of course the answer I'm looking for is an explanation of why and how they avoid writing cursors.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
April 13, 2012 at 7:50 am
GilaMonster (4/12/2012)
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
for your question on the ML pages -> Nasty....do they ever take a guess? 25, 125, 1025? do they ever mention BL mode for ML Pages? would love to hear the candidate answers...Yes, they guess and it's not pretty. Not always ML map, maybe IAM, maybe PFS, maybe GAM. I want to see if they admit they don't know. Honestly, the chance of interviewing someone for a mid-level DBA job that even knows what an allocation pages is is pretty slim
Does being aware of them count? IAM, GAM, and SGAM I was familiar with.... ML I wasn't.... now I've googled it....
Is this something you look at every day? If so.... ugh.... I don't know that I'd want to be running DBCC PAGE all the time and looking at bitmaps for 8-10 hours a day....
April 13, 2012 at 7:52 am
Eric M Russell (4/13/2012)
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
When I used to interview someone, I would ask one unanswerable question
I've done it as well... "how do you detach a Log Shipped tempdb that is in Read Only mode?"
You'll laugh at the answers I got.
I somtimes as the question:
"How much experience do you have writing cursors?"
Of course the answer I'm looking for is an explanation of why and how they avoid writing cursors.
I did that too. 50% of the applicants started talking lovingly about how much they used them.
That 50%, I went through the motions, but the interview was over as far as I was concerned.
April 13, 2012 at 7:56 am
mtassin (4/13/2012)
GilaMonster (4/12/2012)
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
for your question on the ML pages -> Nasty....do they ever take a guess? 25, 125, 1025? do they ever mention BL mode for ML Pages? would love to hear the candidate answers...Yes, they guess and it's not pretty. Not always ML map, maybe IAM, maybe PFS, maybe GAM. I want to see if they admit they don't know. Honestly, the chance of interviewing someone for a mid-level DBA job that even knows what an allocation pages is is pretty slim
Does being aware of them count? IAM, GAM, and SGAM I was familiar with.... ML I wasn't.... now I've googled it....
Is this something you look at every day? If so.... ugh.... I don't know that I'd want to be running DBCC PAGE all the time and looking at bitmaps for 8-10 hours a day....
I think you missed the point of the question. I don't care if they know what an ML page is (the chance is very slim). I want solely to see whether they'll admit they don't know the answer or whether they'll make up some garbage to try and look smart.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
April 13, 2012 at 8:05 am
To the original question: Apply. I've rarely seen a "need a DBA" ad that didn't list impossible, silly, contradictory, or psychotic requirements, and sometimes more than one of those. None of them really need what they ask for. Make it clear during the phone-screen, before you meet them in-person, that "The listing calls for skill in PHP, ColdFusion, Ruby-on-Rails, .NET, C, C++, COBOL, FORTRAN, Assembler, JAVA, Python, and Malboge, so that made we wonder if you're really looking for more of a software dev or more of a DBA. I'm a DBA, not a dev. I know what those languages are, and have some slight experience with Malboge, but not the rest. If that's a show-stopper, we should end off here. What's your take on that?" They'll either let you know that "HR added all that, we just need a DBA", or they'll let you know that it's a deal-breaker, and you won't waste their or your time on it.
On the interview questions, I once had a guy applying for a dev position whose resume read better than mine as a DBA. I asked about that, and the answers made it very clear he would be a better gardener than DBA, because he was really good at spreading BS around thick and heavy. I asked what excited him about working in IT (it's a personality screening test), and his answer was "All the new stuff coming with the new version of SQL Server". I asked which features, and he fumbled around and made some tentative comments about CLR (this was last year, CLR is old news these days), and about "...the thing ... um ... where it ... well, all of them!" Don't be that guy.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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April 13, 2012 at 1:30 pm
GSquared (4/13/2012)
I asked which features, and he fumbled around and made some tentative comments about CLR (this was last year, CLR is old news these days), and about "...the thing ... um ... where it ... well, all of them!" Don't be that guy.
But I am excited with all the new features!
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
April 13, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Koen Verbeeck (4/12/2012)
Just show interest and explain how you would catch up in the other area's.
+1
I've always been impressed by candidates who took it upon themselves to learn a new feature or technology to improve their skillsets. Make sure they know that you're willing to work hard to learn and improve, even if it's on your own time. I was always more willing to hire someone who was a habitual learner rather than someone who thought they already knew it all. 🙂
April 13, 2012 at 2:46 pm
To my dismay, I used to be an IT Recruiter before seeing the pearly white light of database development. If you happen to be going that route (i.e. through a staffing agency), here is what THEY look for.
1) Recruiters usually have a plethora of unqualified candidates. Some don't have a single skill on the job description and still apply. Granted whichever candidate is most qualified and professional ends up getting the interviews and job, but applying never hurts (unless it's so blatant that it's not your job title, like applying for a sys admin job when you're a florist).
2) Repeating what was said before, job descriptions are a wish list, and few companies really so obstinate as to not interview (or likely hire) someone who is lacking a few skills. It's an interesting paradox, but the best developers are never looking for jobs for very long. Companies know this.
3) Spend time on your resume and how you come across. You're better off wearing dress clothes to an interview and a clean well formatted resume, even if you're applying for a job where the dress code is "sandels optional".
4) With recruiters, be patient with them, and understand their standpoint. Typically they can hardly spell SSIS, let alone tell you what the difference between a foreach container and a lookup transformation are. They're pretty much just looking for someone who can communicate well, present themselves well, and show some proof they do in fact know what they're talking about. If you choose to work with recruiters, build a good relationship with them, and they will treat you like gold.
Again, this is from a Recruiter stand point, not a technical interview stand point with clients. Without doubt, some aspects change at that stage, but many facts still apply. Qualified candidates are hard to come by, and companies are always on the lookout for talented people. The more talented you are, the more lenient they will be if you don't have the skills they're looking for. So apply to anything that catches your eye. The worst they can say is no.
April 15, 2012 at 11:41 pm
Some really good advice here. Very glad I started this thread 🙂
April 16, 2012 at 4:27 am
+1 Thanks for all the hints/tips
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April 16, 2012 at 4:56 am
Gabe T. (4/13/2012)
4) With recruiters, be patient with them, and understand their standpoint. Typically they can hardly spell SSIS, let alone tell you what the difference between a foreach container and a lookup transformation are.
No kidding. I actually put the words SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), etc. on my resume when I was last job hunting because it was quite obvious to me that half the job descriptions didn't know what SSRS actually was given that many of them listed SSRS and SQL Server Reporting Services as two separate items.
I thought knowing, and showing that I knew on my resume would earn me bonus points. And how it did! I got a call from a recruiter who wanted to interview me solely based on the fact that I knew what the acronyms meant. The kicker? The recruiter had no idea that SSRS was Reporting Services (this is when it first came out for SQL 2000). People were putting SSRS on their resumes because it was a keyword in the job description, not because they had any experience.
And the recruiter didn't even know that SSRS did not come with SQL 2000, that it was developed after 2000 had been out for a while, and that it required a separate install disk / file, which had to be ordered separately. After interviewing me and finding out that information, I'm pretty sure he suddenly dropped a lot of would-be recruits from his list.
Knowing a new "technology" in SQL Server was what got me my current job, despite my lack of skill with DTS and more advanced components. Even though I admitted to only playing with SSRS at home and never developing real business reports with it, I was the only recruit interviewed for my current job that had ever touched SSRS. 10 minutes after I walked out of the building, my contract firm told me I was to show up Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. prepared to work.
April 16, 2012 at 6:40 am
GilaMonster (4/13/2012)
mtassin (4/13/2012)
GilaMonster (4/12/2012)
Henrico Bekker (4/12/2012)
for your question on the ML pages -> Nasty....do they ever take a guess? 25, 125, 1025? do they ever mention BL mode for ML Pages? would love to hear the candidate answers...Yes, they guess and it's not pretty. Not always ML map, maybe IAM, maybe PFS, maybe GAM. I want to see if they admit they don't know. Honestly, the chance of interviewing someone for a mid-level DBA job that even knows what an allocation pages is is pretty slim
Does being aware of them count? IAM, GAM, and SGAM I was familiar with.... ML I wasn't.... now I've googled it....
Is this something you look at every day? If so.... ugh.... I don't know that I'd want to be running DBCC PAGE all the time and looking at bitmaps for 8-10 hours a day....
I think you missed the point of the question. I don't care if they know what an ML page is (the chance is very slim). I want solely to see whether they'll admit they don't know the answer or whether they'll make up some garbage to try and look smart.
No I got the point of the question.... I tend to consider myself something in the Journeyman class of this stuff....
So when I see you throw out a question like this... I'd expect that you'd expect a Sr DBA to work on these sorts of things.
Sorry if I created confusion
April 16, 2012 at 6:54 am
mtassin (4/16/2012)
So when I see you throw out a question like this... I'd expect that you'd expect a Sr DBA to work on these sorts of things.
No, I don't. Not unless the person is looking for a job within the SQL Server storage engine team. It (and the various other 'unanswerable questions') are purely to see if someone can admit that they don't know something.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
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