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Page47
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
2878 Posts |
 Posted - 2002-05-20 : 16:43:20
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| So you are sitting across the table from Jane Q Manager, being interviewed for a SQL Server position and the time in the interview comes along . . . "So do you have any questions for me?" Interviews are inherently tricky thinks, because ppl are programmed to give you bullsh1t answers to questions. I want to find some ways to get them to tell me the truth about themselves/the place by accident.What are the best questions to ask to find out if this is a place you want to work?I recently interviewed with a firm and spoke first with a "tech lead" and then with his "project manager". So I asked him, "What is Jane Q's style?" . . . then later, when I was speaking with Jane Q, I told her, "when I just spoke with Johnny Techlead, I asked him what was your style ... what do you think he told me?" I could tell a lot from the answers.I've often considered asking a techy "What kind of car do you drive?" and then "If you could have anything as your daily driver what would it be." I would be trying to get a sense of where they set their goals and how they work to achieve them. I've never asked because as I'm always afraid they would be afraid I might go ef up their car or something. (although it would be really cool to go look in their car and see how messy it is). For the record, I ride a Suzuki SV650 and my ultimate daily drive fluctuates between a Ducati ST4s and an Aprilia SL1000 Falco . . . pretty close. To try to get to the same thing, I've taken to asking "How far from your vision of perfect software process is this organization?" . . . 3 out 5 have no clue what I mean by software process . . .I'd love to ask them who owns the Yak, but Rob refuses to tell us.I usually throw in something about "What professional qualities do you find most appealing in your co-workers/the ppl that work for you?" and then try to subtly point to how I have all those qualities . . . I usually get a truck load from that question.SO does anybody have any good 'tricky' questions to ask potential employers?<O> |
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nr
SQLTeam MVY
12543 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 00:47:35
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| I always ask about tea/coffee facilities - tells you a lot about the company and it's attitudes.If it's a coin operated m/c stay clear==========================================Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy. |
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JustinBigelow
SQL Gigolo
1157 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 10:18:06
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| I always like to open an interview with a joke, for example..."What did the fish say when he hit a wall?""Dam"They usually stare at me for a good two or three minutes before calling security.Justin |
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Doug G
Constraint Violating Yak Guru
331 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 15:21:06
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quote:
I always like to open an interview with a joke, for example..."What did the fish say when he hit a wall?""Dam"They usually stare at me for a good two or three minutes before calling security.Justin
 ======Doug G====== |
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MichaelP
Jedi Yak
2489 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 15:41:34
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| Ask about normalization / database design. That seems to be a very weak point for most companies.Michael |
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Page47
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
2878 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 15:43:11
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quote:
Ask about normalization / database design. That seems to be a very weak point for most companies.Michael
so how do you word that as a question to an interviewer?<O> |
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MichaelP
Jedi Yak
2489 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 15:56:19
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| Hmmm....Well I'm not 100% up on the "proper terms" for normalization, but something like:What Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF) is your database in?If they say something like Third Normal Form they are good. If they ask "What is a normal form?" run away!Look here for explanations:http://databases.about.com/library/weekly/aa091601a.htm |
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Page47
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker
2878 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 16:02:46
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MP, that sounds a little direct (plus you might want to look up BCNF  ) . . . but maybe something like "Is there any part of your current schema that needs to be re-designed?" . . . either you can get a sense of the maturity of their design by what things they want to change or you can bet that they don't know what they are doing if they say the schema is fine ...<O> |
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MichaelP
Jedi Yak
2489 Posts |
Posted - 2002-05-21 : 16:20:24
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| Well i should haev edited my post, I did a bit of research (thus the link) just before I posted. Yeah, you should be a little less direct than my "sample question."Maybe something like "Are you familiar with BCNF, and to what degree do you comply with it?"Michael |
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