Weirdest interview question?
-
I guess I'd think helper tables might be a design weakness. I'd probably counter and ask them if there was something particular they needed. Lots of places I'm weak now because I don't exercise the T-SQL, but if I spent more time doing CTEs, I'd be up to speed in a week or two.
-
What is it about these panels asking you for your weaknesses?
How well do you think it would be received if you replied with: "What are your weaknesses as a manager?" or "Do you think that you will have problems trying to decide a suitable candidate for this role and will just pick anyone to get the process over and done with?"
This is where I come back to my latest pet-hate: IT Recruiters and the STUPID questions they ask. The problem is that panels are now, seemingly, trying to be too smart for their own good and want a DBA to have skills from areas that aren't relevant (and a few more skills over that) and then want the prospect to think: "Gee, this is such a great company! I have all these skills and are an industry professional and they want to pay me peanuts. I think I will allow them to continue to treat me like a fool in this manner by accepting their pathetic terms and conditions."
Of course I have to avoid my natural instincts of delivering a response along the lines of the MAD Magazine, Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions (showing my age here
"What is your greatest weakness?"
"I cry during sex.... and come too soon."
(as an example
)Don't ask a question in which there is ambiguity as you *may* not like the answer.
A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
-
I agree Matt. Another one I hate is along the line of "What would be your favorite company to work for be like?"
I mean, WTH? I don't think answering "one that I never have to do anything and pay me twice what I am worth" is a good answer.
Of course usualy those questions come when they do the HR phone screening. Which is why I normally try to go trough a GOOD recruiter that has a working relationship with a company. Skipping over the HR phone call is a good thing....
-
Actually I think the weakness is a good question. Some of the others are inane. I try to ask questions that make you think, mostly so I can try to understand you as a person, the answer isn't relevant. It's how you came to the answer.
I think one of my biggest assets is I know what I don't know. Less true with 2005 since I haven't spent as much time working directly on it, but overall any question I know immediately a few things:
1. I know it backwards and forwards. Maybe not like the developer at MS or one of the really smart guys (Ben-Gan), but better than most people.
2. I know enough to get by, know where to get more info, confident I can work with it.
2. I know a little, but can find the answers.
3. I know little to nothing and am not sure where to go directly, but I know someone I can call.
That's pretty much it. I can answer every question that way. No need to fake it or lie. I don't know, I say it.
Weaknesses? Not on time. You need someone to punch a clock? I'm not the guy. Going to arrive at work in some 30 minute window most every day, sometimes be late.
I don't dress up. You want suit and tie? either I work at home or don't work for you. No sense in arguing the point. Maybe it's a weakness, but it's me.
Don't like micromanaging, a few other things. I work hard, get the job done, I'll tell you when I don't like something, etc., but I can be a pain and I tend to work my way.
Everyone has weaknesses. We all balance out somehow, so if we do some things really well, we have other shortcomings. The technical stuff is easy to fix. The non-technical, social, personality stuff is hard. If you're a pain to deal with, a perfectionist, a slob, whatever, it's a weakness in a team IF the team goes the other way. It's worth exploring.
Not a recruiter, though. They're just a matchmaker, and usually a bad one. That's stuff for the people you're working with.
-
The problem I have is that I can think of answers very quickly - but they are rarely along the lines of the answers that the interviewer is hoping to receive as many are seemingly incapable of "...thinking outside the box..." (as many manager are wont to say).
I never lie in an interview and I never fudge my CV - this automatically puts me at a disadvantage behind those who do practice these 'techniques'. What I think of that they obviously don't is I consider the consequences of being caught out and then having the employer say: "Well, if you lied about *this*, what else have you lied about?" whereupon they start questioning your legitimate skills and qualifications.
It just seems sometimes that someone who is honest, trustworthy and does the right thing (things I would consider ESSENTIAL for the role of a DBA) gets the shaft and will miss out - even if the other person does tell a few white lies. Lies are lies and are NOT something a person in the trusted role of DBA should be willing to participate.
Maybe that could come under the 'weakness' section? "I lie on my CV so that I can fool you into thinking that I'm better than I really am and subsequently obtain a role which I don't deserve!"
Then again, here I am talking about dishonesty on the part of the applicant when there is more than enough dishonesty from the interviewing panels who often have no hassles in treating the potential employee like a fool with some of the stories they tell.
A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
-
I once was interviewed for the wrong job - the manager had the wrong rec and wrong resume in front of him, but it had my name on it. After a few very off questions, I asked him if I could see the resume he was looking at. When I told him that wasn't mine he got pissed off and told me any moron that couldn't sen dthe correct resume wasn't even worth interviewing and got up and walked out. I did not get that job (thankfully).
The strangest question I had been asked (right after the manhole one) - "if you stacked quarters from this table to the moon, how much would that cost?"
I had already answered three or four of this guy's inane questions so I basically laughed that one off and asked if he had anything about my work habits, technical skills or management style I could answer. And I got the job.
BUT, the strangest moment ever in an interview .. I am talking to a manager and he is asking really good questions and I seem to be answering well. Then he asks me if I have anything else to add. Now, it had been pouring down rain for the last 4-5 days, and we are talking Southern storms. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this long drip come from the ceiling and land 1/2 inch away from a very expensive flight computer (for the USAF C-130 aircraft). I looked up and saw the bulge forming and the water mark spreading. I jumped up and around his desk and grabbed the flight computer out of the way JUST as the whole corner of the ceiling came down and poured water on the interviewer and his desk and the table where where the computer had been.
I totally got that job (they made an offer that afternoon) and entered into company lore the same day.
-
The weirdest interview I was ever on was for an on-campus job at a prestigious college in the US (that's as close as I want to say, because if I state the school, chances are this person is still there). I came into the office, and sat down in front of the head of the Guidance office. The first question she asked was:
"Do you have a brother?" I answered yes, because I do.
Question 2:
"I just got a gllimpse of your right hand - do you know you're psychic?"
I didn't know how to answer that one, so I just smiled.
She then said, "You know, I have a good feeling about you. Your aura is very comforting." And she hired me on the spot.
Hey, it's better than asking "here's a problem we're having with our SQL server, what would you do about it" and then, after explaining what to do, you don't get hired because all they were looking for was some free consulting.
-
I can assure you that se was not kidding. I know a few people like this and their intuition are more than dead on. If you got the job, it's because it was for yours and her best interest... nothing weird about this
. -
I had one of those too
Although it was a psych test. Thinks like. "If you had to kill one, but only one, would you kill a baby, or a kitten" When it was over they told me I should be in sales
-
Perhaps that explains the loan crisis
-
The reason a manhole is round has nothing to do with the difference of pressure comared to a square.
It's because a round manhole cover won't falldown the hole it is put over - no matter how it is turned or rotated. This is simply because there is no way for the manhole cover to be taken off and then put down the hole.
If the manhole cover is square, then the cover could be taken off turn on it's side and then turned again so that it can be dropped down the hole.(diagonally)
It has nothing to do with how structurally sound a circle is compared to a square. I can't believe that no jumped on this one. I mean come on, aren't we all suppose to be engineers here?
Live to Throw
Throw to Live
Will Summers -
Spot on, Will, that's the answer my interviewer was expecting two weeks ago - even though round manhole covers are rare over here in the UK - in fact I'm not sure I've ever seen one outside a movie.
ChrisM
“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail ShawFor fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden -
But does the manhole knowledge say anything about the person? It could be trivia, read on a board like this, learned in engineering class, etc.
-
OK.... let's deconstruct what you've asked:
Source:
1. trivia - implies that the person pays attention to details, no? and will absorb information that may not seem immediately relevant to the context being worked on, so memory is functional. Implies learning skills, no?
2. read on a board like this - presumably, they also read the technical meat on boards like this. that's good, no?
3. learned in engineering class - then they're educable because at least they learned SOMETHING. maybe they learned something about the matter at hand, as well?
Now, how much weight to ascribe whatever answer is given to the question, or what the source of the information was, is a much different question.
Is the horse dead yet? Can we stop beating it now?
-
Neigh, lad.
“Write the query the simplest way. If through testing it becomes clear that the performance is inadequate, consider alternative query forms.” - Gail ShawFor fast, accurate and documented assistance in answering your questions, please read this article.
Understanding and using APPLY, (I) and (II) Paul White
Hidden RBAR: Triangular Joins / The "Numbers" or "Tally" Table: What it is and how it replaces a loop Jeff Moden
Viewing 15 posts - 46 through 60 (of 65 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply