I am really worried that any of you guys might end up interviewing me someday. Really. Interviews are a great way of succinctly assessing ability and knowledge, but only if you're ready to get to the meat of what you want.
Here's the thing -- I'm an instructional technologist, so I'm always thinking about how people learn about technology, and how best to move information around regarding technology. So maybe it's easier for me to get to the heart of interview questions by breaking down possible questions into categories . . .
First: Identify what it is the candidate will really be doing for the organization. Is this someone who should be able to turn everything around for the better? Is this person just supposed to fill the shoes of someone who's leaving? Is it a new position? Is this someone you're setting up to take the blame when that domain controller you've been nursing along for months finally tanks? Ask questions with the context in mind.
Second: Consider the level of knowledge that is required for the job, and ask the highest level questions first. Here's how learning works --
** The lowest level would be facts (list the components of OSI model)
** Next would be concepts (what are the characteristics of ethernet versus FDDI)
** Then there are relational rules (how do you know when to back up your account database) and procedural rules (list the steps you follow for a Win2K deployment)
** And finally there is problem solving (apply what you know about disaster recovery and backup plans in telling us how you would react to a long-term power outage.)
So when you're interviewing a potential sysadmin, start with some of the how-well-will-you-fit-in questions, and then follow up with questions appropriate to the level of knowledge you expect them to use on the job . . . and, oh by the way, you might be prepared to answer all of those questions yourself. Makes it easier to turn an interview into a conversation, and I really think conversations will tell you more about a technologist than your standard grilling of the suspect.
Slashdot Mirror
I am really worried that any of you guys might end up interviewing me someday. Really. Interviews are a great way of succinctly assessing ability and knowledge, but only if you're ready to get to the meat of what you want.
Here's the thing -- I'm an instructional technologist, so I'm always thinking about how people learn about technology, and how best to move information around regarding technology. So maybe it's easier for me to get to the heart of interview questions by breaking down possible questions into categories . . .
First: Identify what it is the candidate will really be doing for the organization. Is this someone who should be able to turn everything around for the better? Is this person just supposed to fill the shoes of someone who's leaving? Is it a new position? Is this someone you're setting up to take the blame when that domain controller you've been nursing along for months finally tanks? Ask questions with the context in mind.
Second: Consider the level of knowledge that is required for the job, and ask the highest level questions first. Here's how learning works --
** The lowest level would be facts (list the components of OSI model)
** Next would be concepts (what are the characteristics of ethernet versus FDDI)
** Then there are relational rules (how do you know when to back up your account database) and procedural rules (list the steps you follow for a Win2K deployment)
** And finally there is problem solving (apply what you know about disaster recovery and backup plans in telling us how you would react to a long-term power outage.)
So when you're interviewing a potential sysadmin, start with some of the how-well-will-you-fit-in questions, and then follow up with questions appropriate to the level of knowledge you expect them to use on the job . . . and, oh by the way, you might be prepared to answer all of those questions yourself. Makes it easier to turn an interview into a conversation, and I really think conversations will tell you more about a technologist than your standard grilling of the suspect.