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  3. The tough interview questions.

The tough interview questions.

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved The Lounge
csharpc++databasesql-serversysadmin
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  • M merridus

    Dalek Dave wrote:

    loudly and slowly

    In the same tone, as an Englishman, you use abroad if you are talking to someone and they have the cheek not to have learnt English?

    - Rob

    B Offline
    B Offline
    Brady Kelly
    wrote on last edited by
    #25

    It is coincidentally a UK based company, Johnson Matthey.

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    • V V 0

      Brady Kelly wrote:

      "What drives you?"

      Challenge, change, the ability to make a difference in the company, ...

      Brady Kelly wrote:

      "Are you a people's person?"

      Are you easey to get along with, what do your colleagues say? If your not that easy, don't worry, most people that are not easy just have a special way of how they like being handled, find out what yours is.

      V.
      Stop smoking so you can: Enjoy longer the money you save. Moviereview Archive

      B Offline
      B Offline
      Brady Kelly
      wrote on last edited by
      #26

      I understood the questions. :doh: They're just difficult to answer, because I seldom need to describe and quantify things that 'are just me'.

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      • D Dr Walt Fair PE

        Brady Kelly wrote:

        "What drives you?"

        Money. What drives your company?

        Brady Kelly wrote:

        "Are you a people's person?"

        Depends on the people.

        Brady Kelly wrote:

        "Help me understand why you said yes."

        Refresh my memory, what was the question I said yes to? Actually I hate it when they start playing those games, so I usually do a pre-emptive strike. Somewhere at the beginning I ask why, since they've already seen my qualifications, do they think I should consider working for them. If they can't give me a good answer, there's no point in going much further.

        CQ de W5ALT

        Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software

        B Offline
        B Offline
        Brady Kelly
        wrote on last edited by
        #27

        Walt Fair, Jr. wrote:

        since they've already seen my qualifications

        Maybe this was the right time to cut them some slack. They had a pro-forma CV drafted by the recruiter, on which I was very surprised to learn that I had begun reading for a BCom Informatics, and stopped at some point. I confidently told them I am only currently (resuming next year) with an LLB, and with my Datametrics (ridiculous name, CS and IS) diploma I require no further education in the IT field. I demonstrated this by giving close-on-textbook answers when asked to describe a queue and a binary tree. I also felt quite chuffed when the bird asked when does one use indexing. Every time you have a primary key of course.

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        • R ragnaroknrol

          Brady Kelly wrote:

          "What drives you?"

          My wife. Duh. You think I drive myself anywhere? That's her job, oh and being pregnant and barefoot. That and the unstoppable homicidal rage quietly evaluating everyone I meet to see if they meet a high enough standard for me to think they deserve to live. Usually HR people are right below rats. I poison rats.

          Brady Kelly wrote:

          "Are you a people's person?

          No, given the opportunity I much prefer the company of chain saws, bone saws and exsanguination machines. Though usually I do want people to be around for this. hmmm... Alright, I am a people's person. They just have to be bound in saran wrap and in a plastic lined room on the table. So what are you doing at, oh, say , seven tonight?

          Brady Kelly wrote:

          Help me understand why you said yes

          Because if I said no you wouldn't give me the job, dolt. Yeesh, you act like you don't do this song and dance with every person and they don't jump through hoops answering how they THINK you want them to so they can get 3 meals a day and a roof over their head. Have you been out there Mr./Ms. HR Person? The market sucks, people are willing to take anything and if this paid well enough I would be willing to chop people into manageable bits for a meat packing plant. Wait, I like doing that. Well, it'd be a bonus. So, you never answered me on what you are doing at seven...

          B Offline
          B Offline
          Brady Kelly
          wrote on last edited by
          #28

          ragnaroknrol wrote:

          The market sucks

          The market here is quite alive and well and signing placement commissions at quite a rate.

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          • B Brady Kelly

            After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

            L Offline
            L Offline
            leppie
            wrote on last edited by
            #29

            Brady Kelly wrote:

            they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc.

            Just reply: "Sorry, I thought this was a development position, I have no experience in HR."

            xacc.ide
            IronScheme - 1.0 RC 1 - out now!
            ((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x))) The Scheme Programming Language – Fourth Edition

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            • B Brady Kelly

              After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

              G Offline
              G Offline
              Gary Kirkham
              wrote on last edited by
              #30

              Brady Kelly wrote:

              What drives you?

              The voices in my head.

              Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit The men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." Me blog, You read

              J 1 Reply Last reply
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              • B Brady Kelly

                After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

                C Offline
                C Offline
                CPallini
                wrote on last edited by
                #31

                Brady Kelly wrote:

                "What drives you?",

                "Nothing drives me, however I usually drive my car." :-D

                If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
                [My articles]

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                • 1 1 21 Gigawatts

                  I find that is the most embarrassing thing about being British. Those Brits that go abroad, only eat English food, and moan when the locals don't speak English. :sigh:

                  "People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs." ~ Anon "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" ~ Albert Einstein Just finished reading: 'The Greatest Show on Earth', by Richard Dawkins; superb book.

                  L Offline
                  L Offline
                  Lost User
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #32

                  I've seen that with people from many countries sadly.

                  Join the cool kids - Come fold with us[^]

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                  • B Brady Kelly

                    After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

                    C Offline
                    C Offline
                    Christian Graus
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #33

                    I did one interview and it was all questions like: tell us about a conflict you had at work, and, if you get told to do something a certain way, and you know a better way, what do you do ? I figured they failed the interview.

                    Christian Graus Driven to the arms of OSX by Vista. Read my blog to find out how I've worked around bugs in Microsoft tools and frameworks.

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                    • B Brady Kelly

                      After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

                      J Offline
                      J Offline
                      Jorgen Sigvardsson
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #34

                      They're probing to see if you will bend over for all their wishes, including unpaid overtime every week.

                      -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

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                      • B Brady Kelly

                        I understood the questions. :doh: They're just difficult to answer, because I seldom need to describe and quantify things that 'are just me'.

                        J Offline
                        J Offline
                        Jorgen Sigvardsson
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #35

                        I agree. I find it uncomfortable talking about myself (the real me) with someone I have just said "Hello, can I work for you?" to. It's not like the employer and employee is going to marry and build a family.

                        -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

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                        • G Gary Kirkham

                          Brady Kelly wrote:

                          What drives you?

                          The voices in my head.

                          Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit The men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." Me blog, You read

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          Jorgen Sigvardsson
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #36

                          Hotel California in reverse?

                          -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

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                          • D Dalek Dave

                            I have a smattering of many languages, so I am not too bad, but I was in Greece and overheard an English couple asking for the toilet. The Bar Owner, who did speak some English, pointed to a sign and said it was "Over there". Their response? "Well, that sign that says Toilet doesn't look right, I know it is in foreign gibberish, but it has too many letters to even stand for TOILET" I hid my head in shame and apologised for my countrymen as I left!

                            ------------------------------------ In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms. Stephen J Gould

                            O Offline
                            O Offline
                            Orlin Georgiev
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #37

                            Dalek Dave wrote:

                            it has too many letters to even stand for TOILET

                            That's strange, the dictionary says that in Greek it is "τουαλέτα" (pronounced toualeta) which is just 2 letters longer.

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                            • C CPallini

                              Brady Kelly wrote:

                              "What drives you?",

                              "Nothing drives me, however I usually drive my car." :-D

                              If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                              This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
                              [My articles]

                              M Offline
                              M Offline
                              ManicQin
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #38

                              CPallini wrote:

                              "Nothing drives me, however I usually drive my car."

                              In Russia! Car drives you!

                              C 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                                They're probing to see if you will bend over for all their wishes, including unpaid overtime every week.

                                -- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit

                                I Offline
                                I Offline
                                IncredibleMouse
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #39

                                Where do I vote yes/up to the previous comment? He's got a ringer.

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                                • M ManicQin

                                  CPallini wrote:

                                  "Nothing drives me, however I usually drive my car."

                                  In Russia! Car drives you!

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  CPallini
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #40

                                  ManicQin wrote:

                                  In Russia! Car drives you!

                                  In Russia vodka drives you! :-D

                                  If the Lord God Almighty had consulted me before embarking upon the Creation, I would have recommended something simpler. -- Alfonso the Wise, 13th Century King of Castile.
                                  This is going on my arrogant assumptions. You may have a superb reason why I'm completely wrong. -- Iain Clarke
                                  [My articles]

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • M merridus

                                    Dalek Dave wrote:

                                    too many letters to even stand for TOILET

                                    Haha, after all, every language is just made up of anagrams of English words. :laugh:

                                    - Rob

                                    L Offline
                                    L Offline
                                    Lilith C
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #41

                                    Even Interlac and Kryptonian are letter by letter translation of English words. The only exception is Klingon.

                                    I'm not a programmer but I play one at the office

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                                    • B Brady Kelly

                                      After being asked some very basic stuff about C# and SQL Server, even some basic C++ stuff, they hit me with tough ones, like, "What drives you?", "Are you a people's person? Help me understand why you said yes.", etc. My last three, sparse, interviews were more technical grillings, which I find easy. I supposed I'm just not used to this.

                                      C Offline
                                      C Offline
                                      CDMTJX
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #42

                                      >"What drives you?" Paychecks. :cool:

                                      1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • D Dalek Dave

                                        Brady Kelly wrote:

                                        "What drives you?"

                                        My conviction that I am clever enough to get a job where I never need to ask that question?

                                        Brady Kelly wrote:

                                        "Are you a people's person?

                                        No, that would be schizophrenia, I am a People Person, singular.

                                        Brady Kelly wrote:

                                        Help me understand why you said yes

                                        [loudly and slowly as if speaking to a retard] Because that is what I believe [/loudly and slowly as if speaking to a retard] Should help any future interviewers!

                                        ------------------------------------ In science, 'fact' can only mean 'confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.' I suppose that apples might start to rise tomorrow, but the possibility does not merit equal time in physics classrooms. Stephen J Gould

                                        C Offline
                                        C Offline
                                        CalvinHobbies
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #43

                                        Dalek Dave wrote:

                                        Brady Kelly wrote: "What drives you?" My conviction that I am clever enough to get a job where I never need to ask that question? Brady Kelly wrote: "Are you a people's person? No, that would be schizophrenia, I am a People Person, singular. Actualy, Dave's answer for "People's person" is perfect and right on the money. It shows your not just some technical Borg atomiton . My favourite question (and it was too true at the time that I left college) was " I get people from all over and universities, what makes you different coming from college?" my answer; "Nothing except 3000 less dept, better waste line, and I think for my own with hands on experience." this was for a Technical support position. I did end up getting the job :p Keep in mind the recruiters get people coming from all over with different alphabet soups, and papers yet all capable to do the job like a roll of TP. What can and could come down to is "how you fit in" to their culture and styles. are you a people person with flare, or are you just tank at getting things done ( both can be positives and bad). Soft skills are just as important as our technical. Kinda makes me want to write a code project easay on it :)

                                        ///////////////// Groucho Marx Those are my principals, if you don't like them… I have others.

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