Jr sql dba phone interview questions

  • Chicago.

  • Jeff Moden (1/8/2010)


    It's almost impossible for you to "prepare" for questions that people will ask you on an interview. Just be yourself and be 100% honest. "Absolute Honesty" is a highly valued trait in DBA's because if you can't trust the DBA, you need to get rid of him/her. I hired a guy once based on his absolute honesty more than what he knew because I knew he would learn quickly. It was a bit more complex than that, but that's what it boiled down to in that case.

    I totally agree with this.

    I'm in a relatively new job myself; I've been working as a database analyst for less than a year. Most of my previous experience was with OOP (mostly VB and ASP.NET) and technical writing (I'm a techie who happens to know how to write). I had (and still have) a good, but not great, background with SQL.

    After I got the job, I was surprised to learn that I was hired as much for what I didn't know as much as what I did. I admitted that I had some weaknesses, that I wanted to learn, and growth was important to me. Lo and behold, here I am!

    Please post again and let us know how you made out with your interview.

    Good luck!

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  • ddlawal (1/8/2010)


    Chicago.

    Little bit far from my neck of the woods.

    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

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Where are you located Gilamonster?

  • Will do. Thanks

  • Gail calls South Africa home. Can't recall off hand what town (or city).

  • Lynn Pettis (1/9/2010)


    Gail calls South Africa home. Can't recall off hand what town (or city).

    The biggest city south of the Sahara. (not sure if Cairo's bigger or smaller, but it's the only rival on the continent afaik)

    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

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • *deleted. I quoted instead of editing*

    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

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • GilaMonster (1/10/2010)


    Lynn Pettis (1/9/2010)


    Gail calls South Africa home. Can't recall off hand what town (or city).

    The biggest city south of the Sahara. (not sure if Cairo's bigger or smaller, but it's the only rival on the continent afaik)

    Lagos and Kinshasa are listed as being bigger. Cairo is #1 by a bunch. Your weather is probably the best, though. I've lived in Cairo and Port Gentil, Gabon, and have been to Johannesburg. I have no desire to visit Lagos or Kinshasa.

    To the OP, I was able to go those places because I was willing to learn, and worked hard to apply my knowledge to any problem thrown my way. As others have said, be honest. If you are not truthful, you will be found out, and it will not help your career.

  • According to wikipedia (questionable accuracy, I know), JHB is bigger in population, though only just.

    Population

    Cairo: 17,856,000 (Cairo metropolitan area)

    JHB: 10,267,700 (the greater JHB metro area. Same as with London, the 'City of Johannesburg' is relatively small, but the entire urban area around it, up to Midrand, down to Vereeniging, east and west rand is referred to as greater Johannesburg.)

    Kinshasa: 10,076,099

    Lagos: 7,937,932

    Size

    Kinshasa: 9,965 km2

    JHB: 1,644.96 km2 (City of JHB. Size of the metro area isn't listed)

    Lagos: 999.6 km2

    Cairo: 453 km2 (City, Size of the metro area not listed, but likely is huge.)

    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

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

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