ass17 Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 (edited) If you can fire some ideas then it would greatly appreciated. Our Network Manger is leaving soon and I would like all applicants to take a multiple choice test to see what there knowledge is like. So if you have specific questions/answers or key area you would ask questions in that would be great thanks!!! Edited November 12, 2015 by elsiegee40
Muz Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 Good knowledge of DHCP and DNS is a must, along with adequate basic networking knowledge. Depends if you want a 'technical' manager or a people manager...
MatthewL Posted November 10, 2015 Posted November 10, 2015 When you say network manager, is that just for your networks or is that for the whole setup in the school? Simple questions but its where people will trip up.
ass17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Posted November 10, 2015 Thanks, ideally we want both, a technical person who will understand us techies with issues and future projects. And a people person who we can get on with and other members of staff. I suppose what I should do is tailor it to fit what we have and use, like Windows server, VMware, avaya phones, ruckus wifi, OS X, HP switching etc, Google apps & office 365 etc....
ass17 Posted November 10, 2015 Author Posted November 10, 2015 When you say network manager, is that just for your networks or is that for the whole setup in the school? Simple questions but its where people will trip up. Needs to have all aspects of technical that you would expect of an IT Technician, I suppose the title Network Manager, needs to encompass everything so really We are looking for a Technical Services Manager. The manager would not just look after IT services but has to chip in with day to day tech support as the office he/she would live is on another site to where the techies live.
AMLinington Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 7 Layer OSI model. Could also put in a trick question about Layer 8 errors ;-P See if they have a sense of humour... I'd probably ask about SSH and TLS, certificate chain handling, packet sniffing, authentication protocols, best practice where switches and stuff are concerned. That kind of thing.
Oaktech Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Also ask them to speak in depth about something they consider to be an area of expertise, that way you can gauge their level of skill in their area and also an idea of how able they are to communicate with others. As far as complex snap-tests go, ask them to calculate how many addresses are available from a given subnet mask.
CamelMan Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Usual ones are: Tell us about a successful / un successful project DHCP / DNS / AD / ADMT / MDT / SCCM Windows Server requirements How would you deal with this staffing conflict / situation Daily task prioritisation We have problem X (e.g. no internet) how would you solve it Explain RAID # Could dip into other areas (data protection, pupil image use etc) if you wanted less techie skills
ass17 Posted November 11, 2015 Author Posted November 11, 2015 What's the difference between memory and RAM? Your fired! [emoji23]
pete Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Before the interview, review their CV and/or get them to write a paragraph (each) about a handful of projects they've done and use that as a starting point for a technical discussion of what they did, how it went, problems faced. It's really easy to male bovine output your way through a multiple choice, it's much harder if you're being cross-examined by people who've actually done the thing under discussion. Split the knowledge requirements into: "Must know", "should know (or experience with equivalent)", "should quickly pick up" and "would be nice".
Steve21 Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Obviously varies to what you got, but this is what I had when I applied: Describe the difference between a layer 2 and a layer 3 switch? Describe the difference between VDI and session based computing? What factors will affect the performance of VDI desktops? How would you begin to investigate slow VM performance issues? What should the school consider when looking at BYOD? Talk about SCCM? What happens when a server/ DC/ Workstation cannot contact a DC for a period above 2 weeks? What is your experience with Hyper V? Can you discuss the features VMM? What triggers GPO replication? Describe how office 365 can be integrated into a schools network / what are the benefits and considerations? Steve
halbaradkenafin Posted November 11, 2015 Posted November 11, 2015 Ask about Powershell, if they don't know then make sure they are willing to learn. Simple things like how do I find a specific command in Powershell (Get-command)? How do I find out what parameters a command will accept (get-help )?
davyboi Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 How about borrowing some questions from some Microsoft Certification practice exams?
ChristineAndrews Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 You could always ask your current Network Manager to set some questions as he/she will know better than anyone what the work actually involves and the knowledge required to do it
rickjames Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 DHCP, DNS, maybe some subnetting and IPv6 if you're looking at the future? Maybe some stuff about how they'd do a cable run in your premises? Could always throw in something stupid and out of date like IRQ codes, ah.
jinnantonnixx Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 (edited) Also ask them to speak in depth about something they consider to be an area of expertise, that way you can gauge their level of skill in their area and also an idea of how able they are to communicate with others. As far as complex snap-tests go, ask them to calculate how many addresses are available from a given subnet mask. ^^^ This * 1000. Right/Wrong answers to complex questions are fine for an exam, but they will give you no indication to the depth and breadth of a candidate's knowledge. If the candidate is lucky, they will know the answer, if they are unlucky that particular tiny facet will have escaped them. It's far better to give a leading, open question asking them to talk on a particular subject. You as an interviewer should draw them out into points they raise, or don't cover, to discover how well they know the topic. The objective is not to catch them out. That's easy, anybody could do that. The objective is to find the best candidate. As an aside, I went for an interview once and was given an impossible task. I found out later that they weren't looking for the answer, but how you approached the problem and if you went to pieces during difficult times. It was an interesting angle. Edited November 12, 2015 by jinnantonnixx 1
Julian Posted November 12, 2015 Posted November 12, 2015 On a Microsoft network, include something about "Group Policy". What is GPO loopback processing, and when\why would you use it?
gsk Posted November 15, 2015 Posted November 15, 2015 Chew the fat on some recent techno hot topic. Clouds, iPads, Virtualised servers, WiFi, Data protection. Put an opinion across that seems different to theirs, whether you agree with them or not and see what they say. Ask them what they think a reasonable amount to spend on a project would be - IT room, WiFi, set of laptops. Give them half an hour to look into it. See what they come back with, or forget about. I wouldn't get too bogged down with specific technical questions - I would think that you'd want them to be technically able but more important to be able to go and find new information and fit it into your organisation.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now