Interview Tests

[nightowl]

The head is interviewing on Monday for a Trainee ICT Technician and at short notice has asked me to provide either some practicle tasks for the interviewees to do or some written scenarios, for them to answer.

 

Would anyone have any suitable scenario type questions as I've not got much time to organise them and my minds gone blank :?

 

If you have any suggestions please let me know as I'm going loopy trying to do that whilst setting up for English online pilot exams, and KS3 ICT Pilot tests.

 

Thanks

 

Lee

 

[email protected]

[ChrisH]

Try this thread there are suggestions on there.

[marco84]

how about:

 

"a member of staff is logged into a pc, they cannot access the internet or their home folder. How would you go about diagnosing this fault and fixing it?"

 

Obviously then it would be something along the lines of:

1) Check network cable is plugged in

2) Check IP configuration

3) Ping server

Etc etc etc etc.....

 

Or is that too basic?

[nightowl]

That's exactly the sort of thing I need - I know it may seem basic but given the job title "Trainee ICT Technician" I shouldn't get too involved in the whole AD, DNS, DHCP, etc. Basically it's just a test of basic knowledge of computers and networks in general, and also common sense.

 

I have managed to convince the head to move the interviews back a week, so that I can make sure I'm as prepared as the applicants hopefully will be.

 

Again, I'll appreciate any ideas.

 

Thanks.

 

Lee.

[acb_]

In my interview (for ANM post) 18 months ago, and again in a round of ANM interviews 6 months ago, we had a 4 part test:

 

25-odd MCSE level questions administered through Moodle

A 'name the parts' parade of stuff out of the cupboard

Make a patch lead

Fix a computer - for the recent interviews, I had stuck a dud PSU in it and a stick of blown memory (which we kept because it was visibly blown) - I stuck a pile of spares next to it which included the ones they would need and a bunch of red herrings.

[marco84]

Another possible question could be on system beeps. i.e.

 

"Computer boots up, screen stays blank but there are intermittent beeps coming from the system.

What is the most likely cause of this and how would you fix it?"

[RobC]

Another possible question could be on system beeps. i.e.

 

"Computer boots up, screen stays blank but there are intermittent beeps coming from the system.

What is the most likely cause of this and how would you fix it?"

 

A) Large Hammer

B) C4

C) Dynamite

D) Kick It

 

:twisted:

[Netman]

Have just been interviewing for a placement student for next year... here's my 'skills indicator' *GONE NOW

[marco84]

RobC

 

Giving them 4 right answers makes it impossible for any of them to fail.

[Chafftech]

Have just been interviewing for a placement student for next year... here's my 'skills indicator' - they hate it!!

 

Dont want to start an argument, but I really have to disagree with your skills indicator, a lot of the questions are arbitory and give the person an no win situation. Thats not fair on the applicants.

 

I

[beeswax]

If you have any suggestions please let me know as I'm going loopy trying to do that whilst setting up for English online pilot exams, and KS3 ICT Pilot tests.

 

you've answered your own question. get the interviewees to set up KS3 pilot for you.

 

beeswax

[nightowl]

you've answered your own question. get the interviewees to set up KS3 pilot for you.

 

beeswax

 

I think you might be onto something there. That would certainly test them..lol

 

Nightowl

[wesleyw]

I'm not so sure the way they answer them, the order and the reasons for that would at least suggest a certain insight to the way their mind works if its similar to yours you could say they would work well with you if completely different would bring a new view point to the department of course they may just argue with you all day however in most cases a different point of view can be very helpful (Good Cop, Bad Cop?)

 

Wes

[pshuttle]

I recently went for a job interview at a local FE college for the role of an IT Technician in a predominantly Apple mac environment. The job pays very well indeed for a techie job in Lancashire so I was very keen to get it.

 

There were five of us who were shortlisted for interview and the day's testing consisted of:

 

1) A practical test (in this case taking an older iMac apart and fitting new RAM and a new HD). This was carefully watched by a current techie.

 

2) A written test (questions such as whats does DHCP stand for and what does it do? and also questions on star networks and mesh networks).

 

3) A telephone support test (my particular caller had a problem with his network printer).

 

4) Interviews with the principal, network manager and another member of staff. Only TWO of us made it that far, the others had been sent home x-factor style.

 

I felt that the above was a good general combination of tests for candidates to go through and combined with the interview - it should give a reasonable idea as to ability of the candidate.

 

Happily I was offered the job and start on the 20th. Looking forward to the new challenges.

 

I will shortly then be posting from the other side!

 

Pete

[Norphy]

Dont want to start an argument, but I really have to disagree with your skills indicator, a lot of the questions are arbitory and give the person an no win situation. Thats not fair on the applicants.

 

I

 

I agree. The only questions in that test I would use are 3, 5 and 6. Knowing what XP means does not make a good ICT technician (I know it stands for eXPerience by the way). Neither does knowing the release schedule of Windows. The answer to question 4 will be whatever the candidate is strongest at which would be information you get during the interview anyway. With question 7, putting any other answer than D First would make you seem like a completely heartless bastard and I honestly don't see what relevance question 8 has to anything. Why not just put down "What are your hobbies?"

 

In answer to the original question, I would have them create a user in whatever directory service you are running, install a driver or resolve a driver problem for a piece of hardware, troubleshoot a network printer and stuff like that. A written test with technical questions and "What would you do" questions without the injured child option wouldn't hurt either.

[alan-d]

I'm going to be interviewing for a 'Trainee' post shortly - I'm not expecting them to know much about Networks as the idea of the 12 month contract is to give them an overview and hands on experience etc.

 

I'll probably stick to basic A+ type scenarios on a PC - such as a loose memory stick and setting up local user in XP. That type of level should give us an indication of what they know, but more importantly how they tackle it. ie will they give up, ask questions or try and bluff it. I look at the practical tests as a guide to how they would cope under pressure.

 

The full extent of the applicants knowledge can be judged through the interview process.

[TechMonkey]

putting any other answer than D First would make you seem like a completely heartless bastard

 

I thought that was the point, check the interveiwee had the proper attitude to progress the the 'higher' levels of IT Mangership :twisted:

[RobC]

13 Useless Interview Questions

 

For a few things to avoid when interviewing...

[Netman]

Hi guys - no arguments! Was just trying to help the OP out. You may be interested to know I'm ex-police and have had Home Office Investigative training, cognitive interview training and experience... oh, and interrogation training! Most of those questions have a particular use... and you'd be very surprised to know that of approx a dozen Uni students I've interviewed for placement only one knew what XP stood for (and yes, I know that is not a requisite for being a technician - but it's indicative of the general ICT knowledge of candidates!) and only one knew the correct maximum length for cat5 cabling. Anyway, was just posting some examples to give the OP some ideas.... remember I did state these were for a placement - not a technician!!

[NetworkGeezer]

On the otherhand NetMan your questionaire would be useful in finding out how good a feel a candidate had for the world of IT. Faced with a line of A+ certificates you want to know who is the techy and who is merely a respondent to the get rich quick adds beloved of private computer 'colleges'.

[Netman]

Exactamundo geezer - thanks...

As someone else said it ain't necessarily about who is the best techy... I need someone who can deal with difficult teachers, help pupils and buy me nice cakes etc. etc. most of all I need to like them and them me... that way we'll achieve more as a team than 3 excellent techies all pulling in the wrong direction.....

[NetworkGeezer]

Whoops. Sorry NetMan I should have read your post more carefully before duplicating some of your points :oops: