August 12, 2011 at 8:52 am
After a 17-year sabbatical to raise my kids, I was asked why I wanted to go back to work and not just stay home. I think my answer was that with my daughter going to college we had additional expenses, but I remember thinking , ‘Doesn’t everyone want to work and get paid for it?’
August 12, 2011 at 9:43 am
tlockwood (8/12/2011)
After a 17-year sabbatical to raise my kids, I was asked why I wanted to go back to work and not just stay home. I think my answer was that with my daughter going to college we had additional expenses, but I remember thinking , ‘Doesn’t everyone want to work and get paid for it?’
well, yes and no; if I could just get the money that would be alright too. Preferred actually.
August 12, 2011 at 11:00 am
One of toughest situations came when I was asked what a particular error code was in Sybase. I tried the usual response "I would refer to the error code manual and attack the problem using documented methods"... The interviewer got really short with me and said that this error happens all of the time at their shop and that I should know what the error number was and have a fix already planned for it. Unfortunately for me, this error never (if maybe rarely) ever happened at the places I had worked. Needless to say, I didn't get the contract, nor did I want the job after hearing they had many errors occuring daily!
August 12, 2011 at 11:39 am
Dude63 (8/12/2011)
One of toughest situations came when I was asked what a particular error code was in Sybase. I tried the usual response "I would refer to the error code manual and attack the problem using documented methods"... The interviewer got really short with me and said that this error happens all of the time at their shop and that I should know what the error number was and have a fix already planned for it. Unfortunately for me, this error never (if maybe rarely) ever happened at the places I had worked. Needless to say, I didn't get the contract, nor did I want the job after hearing they had many errors occuring daily!
Sounds like they were "interviewing" you simply to pick your brains for a free solution for their problem. Obviously, they didn't know the answer either, so you could have made up just about anything....
August 12, 2011 at 11:53 am
J Thaddeus Klopcic (8/12/2011)
Dude63 (8/12/2011)
One of toughest situations came when I was asked what a particular error code was in Sybase. I tried the usual response "I would refer to the error code manual and attack the problem using documented methods"... The interviewer got really short with me and said that this error happens all of the time at their shop and that I should know what the error number was and have a fix already planned for it. Unfortunately for me, this error never (if maybe rarely) ever happened at the places I had worked. Needless to say, I didn't get the contract, nor did I want the job after hearing they had many errors occuring daily!Sounds like they were "interviewing" you simply to pick your brains for a free solution for their problem. Obviously, they didn't know the answer either, so you could have made up just about anything....
I looked it up afterwards and it was one of the corrupt page error messages. Sounds like they had a lot of disk write issues, so you are probably right - they were looking for a solution.
August 12, 2011 at 12:09 pm
J Thaddeus Klopcic (8/12/2011)
Dude63 (8/12/2011)
One of toughest situations came when I was asked what a particular error code was in Sybase. I tried the usual response "I would refer to the error code manual and attack the problem using documented methods"... The interviewer got really short with me and said that this error happens all of the time at their shop and that I should know what the error number was and have a fix already planned for it. Unfortunately for me, this error never (if maybe rarely) ever happened at the places I had worked. Needless to say, I didn't get the contract, nor did I want the job after hearing they had many errors occuring daily!Sounds like they were "interviewing" you simply to pick your brains for a free solution for their problem. Obviously, they didn't know the answer either, so you could have made up just about anything....
I've had that happen once. I was not happy when I figured out what they were doing. Only time ever I've ever done the 'I think we're done, thank you, good bye' in the middle of an interview.
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
August 12, 2011 at 2:10 pm
peterzeke (8/12/2011)
I've never forgetten this question: "What would your enemies say about you?"I vaguely recall my response being one of their expressing envy about my successes.
But, in hindsight, I suppose a better response should have been "Enemies? What enemies?" -- My actual reponse inferred I had enemies, I'm guessing...
"Oh, I don't think they'll be saying much of anything anymore"
August 12, 2011 at 2:54 pm
I like interview questions (both practical and general) that make a candidate walk you through their thinking. A pretty common general one is "tell me about a time you had a conflict with a teammate and how you resolved it". It puts the conversation on them, gets them doing the talking, and can lead to interesting follow-ups. For technical questions you learn a lot more asking someone to talk through solving a problem, then asking a quiz style question.
August 12, 2011 at 3:34 pm
My favorite question to ask at the end of a technical interview that I am conducting is: If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?
The purpose of the question is twofold. First, it will test the quick creative switch in brain. Second, it helps step from a technical to nontechnical interview and allows the candidate to switch gears. I will not ask another technical question after that.
The answers are always interesting.
August 12, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Revenant (8/11/2011)
What's an interview question that has thrown me for a loop?"I see that you have lots of strong points. Can you give me one of your weaknesses?"...
"I get very irritated by stupid questions."
August 12, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I once went to an interview where the interviewer said they were a young, entrepreneurial, startup company, where long hours and late nights were common, and would I be happy with that? I was already used to putting in extra hours at my then current job, but I said I had to collect my kids from nursery a few nights per week. He then got irritated and said "we don't f*** about here and we expect you to just stay late without warning". At that point I lost interest.
It's surprising the number of times I've heard interviewers use bad language. I know things are a lot less formal these days, but there are some things that just shouldn't be said in an interview.
What a joke!
August 12, 2011 at 4:31 pm
What color is your brain?
I said grey This was the question from the group VP. I had already nailed all the technical and soft skill questions, aced the written test (100%) and had the team and dept manager already assuming (and excited) I was their next hire. Didn't get the offer so Brains must not be grey.
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August 12, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Michael Valentine Jones (8/12/2011)
Revenant (8/11/2011)
What's an interview question that has thrown me for a loop?"I see that you have lots of strong points. Can you give me one of your weaknesses?"...
"I get very irritated by stupid questions."
I will use this one next time - thanks!
🙂
August 14, 2011 at 10:45 am
"What are your hobbies? / What do you enjoy doing in your free time? / What blogs do you read?"
Data Enthusiast | @SQLbyoBI | www.opifexsolutions.com
August 14, 2011 at 10:53 am
One guy we interviewed had a rant on his blog complaining that interviewers didn't read his blog! Boy did we have some fun with that one!
Is now the time to turn the thread on its head and ask what question have you asked in an interview that stumped the interviewer?
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