December 22, 2009 at 9:41 am
There is a role in my location for a Sql server premier field engineer. Currently i am in application support, meaning im a jack of all trades, but master of nothing.
From what I understand a SQL Premier field engineer goes to customer sites, and using deep knowledge of sql server, figure out issues around performance, architecture, redundancy, backup and pretty much any area sql server covers.
I know at this minute that I am not an expert in any area. I am good at my current job but this would be my ideal job. It would give me an ideal oppertuinity to gain a deeper knowledge of sql server and specialize in a few aresa.
My questions are though:
1. Is this kind of a role only for an expert who can walk into the role and start performing immediately or can someone in my position, who is quite competent in sql server but does not have the full in dept knowledge take on such a position?
2.How does it work in such a position when you are on a client site, and you need assistance from co-workers? Do you just suck it up and attempt to work it out or is there a support network between you and your collegues in this job?
If i apply, i will ask these questions in the interview, but I thought I would look for an early head's up on this forum.
Thanks.
December 22, 2009 at 10:00 am
I'm going to go with, "this is a job title they came up with on their own". You'll have to ask them what level of expertise they are looking for, and in what areas.
If they are truly looking for someone who is an absolute expert in all areas of SQL Server, they may have a problem, because there may be as many as three of those planet-wide, and I think I may be over-optimistic on expecting even that many.
Honestly, from the description given, if you can debug stored procedures and SSIS packages, and can performance tune, you're probably what they're looking for.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
December 22, 2009 at 10:27 am
GSquared (12/22/2009)
I'm going to go with, "this is a job title they came up with on their own".
I'm guessing it's Microsoft. Premier Field Engineer is part of their premier support staff.
If it is Microsoft...
A friend of mine (and the co-lead of the local usergroup) is a PFE for SQL down here. From what he told me of the interview process, and assuming they're looking for the same level, they are looking for mid-upper level skilled. There is massive amounts of training given, but they're not looking for Joe Average there.
When I had problems back at the bank I worked at and couldn't solve them, I would give them to our PFE. If he couldn't solve them, he would look through the internal knowledge base to see if anyone else encountered and solved the issue. They're not expected to work alone but, that said, they should be able to handle common problems without going back to the office and asking around.
That said, give it a try. Nothing to lose by applying. Worst they can say is 'no thanks'
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
December 22, 2009 at 10:37 am
Thanks for the responses guys. Yes, you are correct Gail. Its for position within Microsoft.
As you say, Il give it a go, and let them decide if I am fit for the job.
To give a better desc, here is what they put up in the job spec:
Summary
Global PFE Mission Statement
Premier Field Engineering (PFE) provides technical leadership for Premier customers around the world to promote health in their IT environments through onsite, remote and dedicated support services. As part of Customer Service and Support (CSS), PFE partners with Commercial Technical Support and Enterprise Services to strengthen the Microsoft Services Field Engineering capability worldwide.
Purpose
Premier Field Engineering (PFE) is part of Microsoft’s Services Organisation. PFE provide various services to our Enterprise customers to increase systems availability, resolve critical issues, and ultimately improve the health of our customers’ environments. We work with experienced technical staff to ensure they have the skills to troubleshoot and maintain their solution in line with Microsoft best practices. When things do go wrong we provide rapid on site expertise to resolve critical situations
Premier Field Engineering (PFE) delivers onsite and dedicated services for Microsoft’s Premier customers around the world.
Responsibilities will include
Onsite proactive and reactive services to our Premier customers
Short term engagements through Rapid Onsite Support and proactive engagements (technology workshops & health checks)
Long term engagements with Dedicated Support Engineering
Services delivered by highly skilled engineers with deep technical expertise
Requirements should include
SQL Premier Field Engineers should be experienced in implementing, operating, tuning and troubleshooting enterprise SQL server databases.
While our key relationships are typically with our customers’ 3rd / 4th line infrastructure support teams, platforms Premier Field Engineers will also find themselves working with engineering teams, so need to be confident working at this level.
The Core role requires depth knowledge in a number of the following technologies / areas:
Database administration
Performance Tuning and optimisation
High Availability features and supporting architectures
Scalability features and supporting architectures
Strong troubleshooting skills and experience
Once again, thanks.
December 22, 2009 at 10:42 am
I'd say, just as important as the technical side, is communication skills. If you do get the job, you'll be dealing with big, important clients. They generally call PFEs in when something is broken, when there's a major problem that they can't handle themselves. There will be managers/CIOs who expect the guru from Microsoft to fix the problem NOW and will want good, valid reasons if you can't fix it. You'll also probably be doing training.
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
December 29, 2009 at 8:42 am
my experience with MS is that their people are experts in a small area of the product. if you're a PFE i don't think anyone is going to shoot you for asking for help from an expert in a specific area of SQL server.
March 8, 2010 at 2:54 am
hi Folks. to update and close out this thread, i had 4 interviews in total for this.
1. Tech screening - questions of increasing difficulty to gauge my level of expertise in sql server. Quite basic. If you dont get through this you would not be capiable of the job anyway.
2. HR Type interview - questions like : if you are onsite, and the client wants to move from MS Sql server to oracle, they give justification and it is the right decision, what do you do? Quite tough but interesting.
3. Roleplay - Interviewer's took the role of a nasty company director and Head of IT who own a system that is using sql server 2000, no patching procedures, no source control, and it is my job to convince them why they should upgrade to sql server 2005/2008, implement a patching process, my ideas on this and why they would benifit from source control
4. More technical questions. really tough technical questions in other fields such as sharepoint, active directory, office tools and other MS Products.
It ended up that I didnt get the role as i didnt know enough about things like share point and active directory. The job is for a SQL PFE, but im told that if your on-site, and the sharepoint server goes down, you have to be able to roll up the sleeves and get stuck in, or if a high ranking member of the client company is having excel issues, you have to be able to step in and help out. This applies to all MS technologies you may encounter.
Knowing this totally changed the role and made it undesirable for me. i applied for a sql role, not a sharepoint/active directory/MS Office/ jack of all trades role. Due to finding out this, i am ok with not getting the job and would prob have turned it down due to the levels of pressure vs rewards of the job ( this is not sour apples, i really would have made this decision regardless).
This proves to use the interview process as not just your opportunity to prove you can do a job, but two way process to also allow you to find out more about the role that was not in the spec, info that potentially might change your views of the role. I have learned to interview the company, as much as they interview me.
It was a great experience doing the interviews though, one of the tougher ive done and am glad to have gone through it. Thanks for all your advice folks.
April 22, 2010 at 9:00 am
I've done about 3 interviews with MS for the position of PFE - SQL. They have now invited me to the assessment day. I haven't received a written confirmation with details yet. So i just want to start preparing myself for the same.
1. Will there be another technical interview or exam on that day.
2. What actually happens on the day? e.g. written exams, presentations etc..
3. The below question has already made me nervous. I would struggle with this one. How did you answer this one.
HR Type interview - questions like : if you are onsite, and the client wants to move from MS Sql server to oracle, they give justification and it is the right decision, what do you do? Quite tough but interesting.
Many thanks.
May 16, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Hello all
My interview process just started for SQL PFE role and I was told I will be having two technical phone screens in next two weeks
can u share ur experience about the level of technical questions and the main areas they focussed on
appreciate ur help
- chaitanya
May 17, 2010 at 3:37 am
My interview process consisted of 4 interviews:
1. Technical Screening.
This was a confrence call with an existing SQL PFE where I was given questions on all areas of SQL. nothing crazy. things like how to defrag indexes, how to use DBCC CheckDB, partitions, basic specifics on agent jobs, replication, mirroring and a few other things.
Next set of interviews were 2 weeks later, 3 interviews over the course of a day:
2. HR Style interview.
The manager of the PFE team in my region, and an account manager. Not technical, and more an interview to find out what kind of person i am, in relation to Microsoft. Questions like "You are a PFE on a customer site. The customer wants to install Oracle DB Server instead of SQL. You question their reasoning for the decision and find it to be sound, making Oracle a good choice. As an MS employee, do you agree with their decision to go with oracle for their DB needs, or push SQL Server regardless?" . Tough questions really. I tried to answer them truthfully and honestly.
3. Role Play style interview
The PFE team manager and two PFE's take on the role of a Director, IT Manager and analyst in a customers organization. I have done a reveiw of their system and found they are using a very old version of SQL, no patching solution and have very lax security. It is my job to convince them why it is in their best intereste to upgrade.
The PFE guys really get into the role in this one and become quite nasty, looking on me as if im only out to get them to upgrade so that i can make a quick buck. I have to give them answers, on the spot detailing why i advise they should upgrade.
What they are also looking for here is truthfullness. If you dont know the answer to a question, dont bluff. tell them you will look into it, check with your team and get back to them. The point here is that you cant know everything, and you need to have the ability and foresight to utilize other team members skills. very tough interview.
4. Technical Ability
This was very tough. it was 90+ minutes of question after question on the inner workings of SQL, querying, replication, mirroring, clustering, jobs, error reporting, analysing, etc etc.
There was also a section on Active Directory, sharepoint and a few other MS Enterprise products, the reason being that when on a customer site, you are the Microsoft go to guy. you need to be familiar with all products, even if you are only an expert in SQL. I did not like this aspect of the role, as when you are getting this specialized in sql server, you are limited in how much time you can spend on obtaining deep knowledge of other applications. You are becomming a jack of all trades again, which is not something i expect from such a role.
In the end, i did not get the position, the reason being that i was not familiar enough with clustering, and i did not have enough knowledge of sharepoint and other apps.
I really enjoyed the interview process though, and found it very educational. Remember to treat it as a two way process, as you are interviewing them and finding out about the position also. It was only in the last interview i found out that i needed to know a good deal on other applications, and knowing this, i dont think i would have taken the job even if offered it as this increases the pressure to levels im not comfortable with. Would not have found this out if i didnt question them on it.
I cant really get more specific than this as id have many pages of questions and my answers. you should have enough to work with here.
Hope this helped. Best of luck in your interview. let us know how you get on.
May 17, 2010 at 10:01 am
Thanks a lot for your time sharing this information
I will do my best and update the thread once done with interviews
Regards,
Chaitanya
August 10, 2010 at 8:42 am
Hi did you had any success on this?
Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply