What should I revise?

vonpik

Hi guys! Now I'm in my last years of studies (Computer-Science) so i decided to apply for some company. I send my resume to few companies and in few days I have a test in one of them. Before question here is job description:

excellent, practical knowledge of C/C++
knowledge of UML
practical knowledge of real time systems
good understanding of TCP/IP protocols

Because I never worked as a programmer in company, and I never had such a test, I'm wondering what should I expect. From C++ is more than likely that there will be: classes, templates, pointers (they didn't wrote about some libraries in job description). What's more from C++? What about UML, TCP/IP and real time systems? What should I revise before the test? Best, Luke.

OriginalGriff

Study the company: find out as much as you can about what they do, and how they do it. What products, competitors? Revision? When you know what they use for what, you should know what parts to revise! It will depend on what they do with C/C++, UML, TCP/IP - if they make routers, then in-depth TCP/IP at the packet level or below could be handy. If they make chat software, then TCP/IP handling classes would be more sensible... Sorry not to be specific, but you need to know as much as you can about what they are going to need before advice can get specific! :laugh: Good luck!

Real men don't use instructions. They are only the manufacturers opinion on how to put the thing together. Manfred R. Bihy: "Looks as if OP is learning resistant."

vonpik

Thanks for message, and wishing me luck! :) It's telecommunication company. They are creating embedded software for real-time systems (vxWork) using wireless connections (LTE, CDMA, 1xAdvanced). Now, do you have idea what they can require?

Keith Barrow

As you are a graduate they'll probably ask you OO stuff (I'm 10 years in and I've never had an interview that didn't:- I suspect it also acts as an idiot filter). More than likely they'll ask you to draw up a UML diagram, possibly as part of a design-a-simple-class structure oo exercise. I'd also review how to implement real time c++ systems, and how c++ uses tcp/ip, as well as the princples of those two things themselves. I second OriginalGriff's comment about researching the company. They always ask "why do you want to work here". The real answer is normally "because you have a job and[ I need one | I hate my current one | it will result in a payrise/better opportunity]" but for some reason you have to jump through this hoop. They'll also probably ask what you know about what the company is/does. I'd also like to add that you should regard the interview as two-way, working for an employer where you don't "fit" is will be bad, so ask questions about how they go about their business (methodolgies / techs used, future plans, potential for career advancement - in a couple of years in your case). This will count in your favour if you do it well, as it will show interest and some ambition, but you have to pitch it right according to each company. [Edit] Oh - and good luck!

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realJSOP

Practical knowledge of C++ - means actual experience beyond more than college course work. Knowledge of UML - means more than being able to say "Yeah, I've heard of that stuff" Practical knowledge of real time systems - there's that pesky word "practical" again Good understanding of TCP/IP protocols - this is probably the ONLY requirement you could fulfill as a result of college course work. If you're not qualified for the job, don't apply for it. You'll end up wasting everybody's time if you falsify your resume in order to get an interview. If you're asking us the questions you're asking, you're probably not going to get the job. I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just not gonna lie to you or give you false hope.

".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997

Maximilien

As john wrote, experience and practical knowledge are hard to "study". But as I understand it, you got called for a "test" by one of those company after you sent them your résumé ? If you did not exgagerate too much about your experience and school result, I would assume that you will be asked "beginner" questions, and probably more school/university level type questions; and that your experience or practical knowledge might not be that important in that particular context. Me think that if you get in there and see that you have absolutely no chance of answering the questions, just quit while you are ahead and stop wasting their time and thank them and leave. You probably got a free pass by a useless recruiting agency that did not check you out before. good luck.

Watched code never compiles.

Henry Minute

So much more eloquent than I could have been.:thumbsup:

Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

Roger Wright

I have to agree with John. Practical knowledge of real time systems can't be acquired in school; it's a specialized field that requires a few years of actual doing to understand. On the other hand, if you've been building embedded computers into your fridge, toaster, and other "dumb" appliances in your spare time from classes, you just might have a chance. :-D

Will Rogers never met me.

Brady Kelly

As someone who is apparently fussy about who I work for, I know one thing, and that is it's important to assess what the test is looking for. I have recently come short by doing too much in such a test, i.e. one tier is almost always enough, and by doing too little, e.g. apparently not cool to have a GroupBy call in an MVC view. Hell, I think grouping for display is quite easily delegated to the presentation code, but each to their own.

PIEBALDconsult

vonpik wrote:

knowledge of

That's a very weak phrase -- I have "knowledge of" swimming, but I'm exceedingly poor in the implementation of it, I doubt even forty years experience doing it poorly is very impressive. I also have "knowledge of" UML, in that I kinda sorta have a vague inkling of what it is in a rather general sense, basically just enough to know I don't want to learn any more about it.

JimmyRopes

Unless you have worked as an intern during semester breaks, or as a volunteer for a non-profit you don't have any pracital knowledge of anything. Having said that consider the interview as a learning experience. Note the questions and learn a good answer. Landing a job is all about answering interview questions. Keeping a job is all about delivering what you said you could. First get the job, then scramble to keep it.

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Maximilien

JimmyRopes wrote:

Having said that consider the interview as a learning experience.

good answer! :thumbsup:

Watched code never compiles.

smcnulty2000

Sounds like Nokia Siemens. What you need to study for the test is probably not what you need for the interview. One of the best parts of this job requirements list; it is short. They have something specific in mind and they aren't looking for a long list of specifications. It's probably some very narrow project that's long-term. The worst part; big companies often like to use a form of standardized test, rather than just interviews, to resolve your placement. So even if the job doesn't require it they might well ask you what an RDBMS is or some sql questions. They might ask you to debug or show the output to a very simple program. They might ask you some basic questions about the difference between Windows and Unix. You're probably stuck working with the knowledge you have. Of course it doesn't hurt to bone up on some things. And it wouldn't kill you to treat this as a practice test. Since this is a test it will probably be in two parts; the first section would then be aptitude/IQ and the second will be domain specific. In that, you might be asked about specific acronyms. It should be mostly book learning rather than real experience. Make sure you know the OSI layer model and can write it out from memory. No serious details, just the order and approximate meaning of each layer. Revise (just guessing): -overloading operators -semaphores (how are they different) -zombie processes in unix -linked lists, trees, and the like -difference between a router and a bridge -pointers, arrays -how is a keystroke interpreted in windows Do not study too deeply into any of these unless you have a lot of time. They probably will want to know if you understand the basics of a lot of things and won't check for depth on too many. Use your testing skills; figure out the rules of the test (mark for wrong answers the same as non-answer or different? How much time to get all the questions done divided by how many questions?) All of the above is based on a lot of assumptions based on your comments to the others, so it might amount to a pile of crap when you walk in to the test. But you asked what we thought, and this is what I think you are headed for instead of a test for the very job for which you are applying. Then you'd want some other set of things for the actual interview. I'd read articles based on your keywords and be able to answer questions about why C versus C++ in embedded systems and things like that. Maybe see if you can get a download of VxWorks and p