Let's practice

Discussion in 'Employment & Jobs' started by Shepherdess, Sep 19, 2007.

  1. Shepherdess

    Shepherdess Bit Poster

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    Yesterday I was at the interview that included a short test. I think it went quite well but I got one question wrong: how do you flush DNS? (I mixed nslookup and flushdns commands and came up with something rather bizarre :D ).

    Anyway, you've all probably been to some assessment tests, could you give ONE question from them and a correct answer to it to give other people the idea of what kind of questions they can expect.

    BTW, the correct answer is: ipconfig /flushdns in Command Prompt
     
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  2. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    I actually attended an application process for an apprenticeship several years back. They made us all sit aptitude tests (on the premise that, of the 5 candidates, anyone passing would be invited to interview). The test introduced a very basic, imaginary programming language and asked you to make programs with it (initially it was all "whats the missing step in this routine" kind of thing, progressing eventually into "program this").

    The interview for this job asked me to program some stuff in VB.net. Being short on time i didnt need to program it, just describe how i'd do it.

    The first one was a routine to echo out a certain phrase if the number was divisable by 5, another for 3, and a combination when its divisable by both 5 and 3.

    The answer on that one, is to use the Mod function to determine if its divisable (Mod will tell you the remainder so, if the result is 0 then its exactly divisable). But my manager was saying that heaps of people try to come up with really complex functions to determine if its divisable.
     
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  3. GiddyG

    GiddyG Terabyte Poster Gold Member

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    Several years back? My God! You're only 24! Lol... 8)

    Anyway... you never said if you got the job... :rolleyes:
     
  4. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    I didnt get that job in the end, no. Got invited to interview, but they didnt feel i was suitable.
     
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  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Press down on the little handle. If it doesn't flush, jiggle the handle a little bit. :p

    I've taken some assessment tests... and you can betcha I've given some pretty good ones as well. :twisted: MUUUUhahahaha!!!
     
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  6. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    I don't think I will apply for that job at Boson then...

    And now, :stpd , sorry, meant this one :offtopic

    I have never had assessment questions, but when I applied for my first line role, I had an unexpectedly indepth conversation about their LAN/WAN configuration - so I would say to make sure you are comfortable using technical jargon in 'under pressure' conversations.
     
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  7. Shepherdess

    Shepherdess Bit Poster

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    Then give us one of your killer questions that nobody could answer :biggrin
     
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  8. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    42.

    sorry, just trying to answer Mikes question.
     
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  9. Shepherdess

    Shepherdess Bit Poster

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    Are you suggesting that unsuspecting candidates go for a test to Michael's company only to be faced with THE Ultimate Question? :blink :biggrin
     
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  10. Fergal1982

    Fergal1982 Petabyte Poster

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    With Mike? you never know....
     
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  11. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    ...THAT was an assessment question, whether you know it or not... ;)
     
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  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I actually have given questions for which there is no correct answer... but there's usually no wrong answer either. In those instances, I'm interested in seeing HOW you think, not WHAT you know. Assessment questions aren't all about your knowledge...

    ...the most "killer" questions are questions you don't even realize you're being asked. 8) Wish I could give you an example... but it often happens on the spur-of-the-moment during the interview.
     
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  13. BosonMichael
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    That'd earn you +1 point on my scorecard. 8)
     
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  14. Arroryn

    Arroryn we're all dooooooomed Moderator

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    One good assessment-question-that-isn't-a-question is, at a certain level, the following:

    I have watched soooo many people fail on that.
     
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  15. BosonMichael
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    That's most *definitely* one... and QUITE relevant to what we do at Boson.

    So what's your answer? Keeping in mind that this is the interview-three-years-before-the-interview... :twisted:
     
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  16. GiddyG

    GiddyG Terabyte Poster Gold Member

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    If I can come into the conversation at this point... aw, go on, let me! I would ask the question 'how did the company/individual itself get to the point that quality versus meeting deadline became an issue?' :twisted:
     
  17. tripwire45
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    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    It happens all the time. Where I work, the Project Managers submit a bid to a customer in terms of how much a project with cost in time and money. Once the bid is accepted and the contract signed, both parties are bound by it. The problem arises if the customer didn't give us an accurate estimate of how much work there really is or if the Project Manager thought they needed to "low ball" the bid to get the job.

    I've seen writers almost kill themselves trying to meet unreasonable deadlines while not only working on the content but learning the customers style requirements and document management tools.
     
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  18. BosonMichael
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    Because the writer goofed off and didn't get the work done. How would you respond to that, writer? :twisted:

    Sorry, couldn't resist. :p
     
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  19. BosonMichael
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    Sounds like you've been there, done that. Amen, bro.
     
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