My favourite question - because you need pretty much only this one to occupy the entire interview:
"Over there on the far wall is a 6x6m white board. Assuming the space is an 'Oracle database', start filling the blanks in terms of memory, disks, files, caches, buffer etc with all the connecting lines. Start broadly and continue generating more and more levels of detail until you want to stop or we want you to stop. We want to know your favourite and least favourite bits" At the end you have a remarkable insight into: - their knowledge on oracle database + instance - their ability to convey information. We had one guy who drew a great level of detail but literally spent 50 mins with his back to us drawing with not a single word, after which he sat back down. - their ability to do it in front of a small audience (which I think is critical for a DBA - we don't want "sit-in-the-corner-saying-nothing-zombies") - their pet peeves, for example, they'll be describing temp tspace and might throw in a "man, i hate it when smon takes forever to clear up space" or something to that effect - their priorities (if they spend half an hour on the spin_count parameter then maybe their barking up the wrong tree) - their honesty (one key element I look for is some point where they say "I *DONT KNOW* how this bit relates to this bit) It is also very controllable - you can gently nudge them from one section of oracle to another - they might be describing redo logs and you can throw in "so how would they get from here to a standby?" etc etc. It normally works very well - although on one occasion we asked this of a candidate and he burst into tears and ran from the room :-( I went home feeling guilty...which eventually transformed itself into a sadistic and maniacal grin :-) Cheers Connor --- Rachel Carmichael <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > you should come out of lurk mode more often -- those > are GOOD questions > and I'm going to add them to the standard list :) > > > --- Grant Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Rachel Carmichael[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > wrote: > > > >this goes back to a thread from maybe a year > ago... what sort of > > > >questions do you ask on interviews. > > > > > > > >I may ask other questions based on what we are > specifically > > looking for > > > >or building off something the interviewee says > but I always > > include the > > > >following questions: > > > > > > > >1) what was your worst nightmare as a DBA and > how did you resolve > > it > > > >2) what are you most proud of doing > > > >3) how do you learn new things about Oracle > > > > > > > >gee, not ONE multiple choice question among > them! > > > > > [stops lurking for a change] > > > > I always throw in > > > > "What do you like most about Oracle?" and "What do > you > > hate/find-frustrating > > about Oracle?". Most can answer the first, but > you can often get a > > good > > idea of what people have (or haven't!) experienced > with their answer > > to the > > second. > > > > Ciao > > Fuzzy > > :-) > > > > [goes back to lurking] > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > "Woo Hoo!" - H. Simpson > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > The contents of this post are my opinions only > > If swallowed seek medical advice > > > > (Apologies for the excess signature) > > This email message (and attachments) may contain > information > > confidential to > > TOWER Software. If you are not the intended > recipient you cannot > > use, > > distribute or copy the message or message > attachments. If you are > > not the > > intended recipient, please notify the sender by > return email > > immediately and > > delete all copies of the message and attachments. > Opinions, > > conclusions and > > other information in this message and attachments > that do not relate > > to the > > official business of TOWER Software, are not given > or endorsed by it. > > -- > > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: > http://www.orafaq.com > > -- > > Author: Grant Allen > > INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 > FAX: (858) 538-5051 > > San Diego, California -- Public Internet > access / Mailing > > Lists > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an > E-Mail message > > to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of > 'ListGuru') and in > > the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB > ORACLE-L > > (or the name of mailing list you want to be > removed from). You may > > also send the HELP command for other information > (like subscribing). > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup > http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com > -- > Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: > http://www.orafaq.com > -- > Author: Rachel Carmichael > INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: > (858) 538-5051 > San Diego, California -- Public Internet > access / Mailing Lists > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an > E-Mail message > to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of > 'ListGuru') and in > the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB > ORACLE-L > (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed > from). You may > also send the HELP command for other information > (like subscribing). ===== Connor McDonald http://www.oracledba.co.uk http://www.oaktable.net "Remember amateurs built the ark - Professionals built the Titanic" __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.com -- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com -- Author: =?iso-8859-1?q?Connor=20McDonald?= INET: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Fat City Network Services -- (858) 538-5051 FAX: (858) 538-5051 San Diego, California -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists -------------------------------------------------------------------- To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from). You may also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).
