Hi,

I'm actually going to an interview today with one of the larger city banks and I'd like to give you my take on the receiving end of the interview game.

Yes I do agree that people who claim to have years of experience should know the fundamentals but is that really how we measure a resource. I’m no DBA but I do have a good idea of the difference between a char and a varchar but I couldn’t give you a text book answer of the top of my head. In fact, in many an interview I’ve made that school boy error of over selling myself and then having to guess at an answer hoping you know just abit more than the guy asking the question.

I know its wrong but being put under pressure that your not accustomed to sometimes causes us to do stuff we wouldn’t in a normal work environment. We are human and do get things wrong.

I really think IT interviews do need to look closer at more social aspects like the ability to own issues and work in a less than ideal environment. Coincidentally, in my experience of interviewing I’ve often found that people that come across as not totally confident and don’t have all the answers often do better. They are just people that have the right team fit and show a willingness to learn. I’ve always believed you can learn and teach technical skills but it’s much more complicated changing personalities and attitudes.

Thanks,

Chris.