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SQL Programmer Analyst

  • August 22, 2011 at 7:26 am

    #1371396

    Ninja's_RGR'us (8/22/2011)

    Grant Fritchey (8/22/2011)

    If you do a little searching, I posted the questions I used to ask on phone interviews, if you think that will help. But the in person interview... I guarantee, you can get almost anyone to the point where they're saying "I don't know" or they start BSing. The measure is, how long does that take.

    I smell a few nice stories in there... if you can take 5 to share a few ;-).

    It's no secret, even the monsters that seem like they know everything like Gail or Jeff, have areas where they haven't worked, so you just ask enough stuff and eventually you'll find that. That's also why I like to do tag team interviewing. Have two or three other team members in the interview, everyone going at the same time. You not only get to find that "I haven't a clue" level easier because you've got more brains in the room, but you also get to see how the individual interacts with your team. I love those interviews when they're going well. It's fun. I don't when they're going badly because we're required to spend a certain amount of time with the individual for legal reasons. I've done them where I end up doing all the talking and it turns into an impromptu user group session.

    I usually brought in our BI brain a hardware brain and a developer. Guaranteed, one of them is going to hit the "I don't know" mark.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • August 22, 2011 at 9:55 am

    #1371504

    I was mostly self-taught for a long time in my career (17 years as a database developer before I started college). The biggest thing that got me gigs (or didn't) was that I was honest with the interviewer about concepts I didn't know or was fuzzy on.

    That being said, if you do get the gig, you better learn those areas you're fuzzy on. Always push yourself to get out of your comfort zone and learn.

    You will have the opportunity to learn something new every day (I still do)... take those opportunities. The day you decide you know "enough" is the day some hungry kid will take your job.

    Good luck on the interview.

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