Re: [SAGE] Tests for Systems Administrator interviews.

[Steve Willoughby <steve@ichips.intel.com>]

On Wed, 15 Sep 2004, Mark C. Langston wrote:
> I've found interviewers absolutely abhor:
> a)  people who don't remember command names,
> b)  people who don't remember command switches,
> c)  people who don't remember file locations,
> d)  people who answer in general concepts and follow up with, "...and if
> I needed the specifics I'd check the manpages or other documentation,
> because it's been a while since I've done it".
>
> They like even less the answer, "I just don't recall.  But I know where
> to look to find out."

For what it's worth, when I interview new sysadmins, I ask a lot of
specific command-type questions as well as situational problem solving
ones, but I'm hoping to hear someone say *what* they'd do or *where* they
would look to find out something they don't know.  Sooner or later you'll
run into something on the job you don't know off the top of your head,
and I want someone who won't get stuck with a deer-in-the-headlights
look but who knows what resources they have available to get what they
need.

Guess how many times interviews contain this type of exchange:
"What facility or tool could you use to accomplish _X_?"
"I have no idea"
"So, where would you turn to find out?"
"Beats me"
"Any idea where you might look, who you could ask, or what you might
try to find out how to proceed with something like this?"
"... no..."


(Not speaking for, or representing my employer in any fashion; these are
my own disjointed, meaningless ramblings...)
-- 
Steve Willoughby          | "The purpose of IT is to seamlessly and trans-
Intel DPG Eng. Computing  | parently provide the other nine-tenths of the
Application Development   | iceberg for people who need to work with chunks
<steve@ichips.intel.com>  | of floating ice."           --Strata R. Chalup