CCNP - interview Q's

Author

interview Q's

CHUD

2002-03-28, 12:59 pm

Hi All -

I have an interview for a Network Engineer position next week with a very large company. This is the job I want BADLY!!

I have been reading over all of my material, notes, doing practice labs for the heck of it, and doing the usual interview prep.

My question to you is what interview Q's are you usually hit with for a typical Network Engineer position? I have had these types of interviews in the past, and I want to be able to answer the majority of the Q's they throw at me. I realize that I will not be able to answer *everything* they throw at me....

...feel free to post any Q's you've had in the past that you werent expecting, or you might think is vital!

I'm sure this will be helpful to ALL of us!!!!

Thanks,

Chud

haseeb_eng

2002-03-28, 2:59 pm

If you want to make a sandwich and you don't know how to make it what you will do ?

know difference between E1 , T1 (this question they usually ask)

difference between SDH & ATM ?

difference between x.25 & frame-relay ?

And if they ask you anything which you can't answer properly or don't know then say " i had studied it , i have not done it but i can do it " but don't say that you don't know .

Good luck

Justin2112

2002-03-28, 5:09 pm

I, too am in the interview process - made it past the first interview, now I've been called back for a second one.

I'll share with you my experience. Your interview is likely to be a mix of standard " HR " questions and tech questions. I interviewed with a panel, 2 techs, one HR person. If you are comfortable with your Cisco/Network knowledge, focus on what you have to offer the company. I mean, your whole premise should be: " If you hire me, you get this ____________, ( fill in the blank with your qualifications ) You want to work on differentiating yourself from you competitors. What makes YOU unique ? Why would they want to hire you ? Focus on those things too.

For the particular position, I was asked what I felt I could bring to the company, what I have to offer them. The tech questions were along the lines of CCNP and CCNA basic knowledge -

You will also want to find out with whom you are interviewing. Is it an HR person, or the IT manager , or both.

Finally, you will want to research the company you are interviewing with. I created a whole notebook for mine. From the research, draw a few intelligent questions to ask at the end of the interview, when they say " Do you have any questions for us ? " Rather than ask, " What's my bonus structure ? " Think of a question that could involve future mergers, or aquisitions, or possibly IT plans or their network layout. It show exteme interest on your part and the interviewers will pick up on that.

Most importantly. Visualize yourself delivering the PEAK PERFORMANCE and that you already have the job. Put your mind in the right space and you will score the job !!!

PEACE !!!!1

-Justin

chunder

2002-03-29, 12:31 am

get ready for some personality questions as well. i have gotten jobs because i seem to know a little and am also personable (IMHO)

. i can get along well with all types of people and try to present that in the interviews so they can see it up front.

watch for questions like: "what's your biggest weakness?", "if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?" what they want to see is that you are a real human, have feelings, know your short-comings and understand yourself as a person. don't tell them they you wish you could change your height. don't tell them your biggest weakness is you like chocolate too much. dig deep inside yourself and tell them something real, something TRUE!

it works, i just started new my job this monday. i beat 2 people who were on their 3rd round and i got my resume in just before the 3rd round. i had one interview and then an offer. one of the people i beat i had actually met once and had TONS of respect for. when i heard i beat him, i was amazed cuz i know he's got all kindsa skillz. came down to me being a real person with skillz.

good luck.

Hippo

2002-03-30, 5:08 am

In separate interviews;

1. After I had demonstrated every ability to do the job required and enthused about how much I liked it and I was looking forward to working for Company ABC, they hit me with, "Would you do this job if the salary was lower than the one on offer?". I made a polite excuse and left.

2. Final question from the interview panel, "What inspires you?" I was stumped. All the way home I thought about it, suppose they had said. ' who inspires you?', it may have been easier to come up with an answer.

Didn't get either position.

Hippo

chodan

2002-03-30, 10:14 pm

I was asked the question
what 3 things about yourself would you change.
I said "sometimes I work too hard, and sometimes I expect to much from myself, and told them I couldn`t think of anything right away for the third one.
Both things I said could be taken as good traits for an employee but could also be problem personal traits, It must have been the right answer cause I got the job.

My technical interview consisted of OSI questions IP stack questions and frame relay and ATM question.

Sea Dragon

2002-04-01, 11:18 am

"The usual interview prep"

What does this mean?
I understand that I should know something about the company. But arbitrary questions on various technologies can be sobering. Interviewing is an art, can some one explain this art. I have been employed for many years, but I am going to be stepping into the cold water of the intangibles soon. Need help

chodan

2002-04-01, 8:26 pm

quote:
Originally posted by Sea Dragon
"The usual interview prep"

What does this mean?
I understand that I should know something about the company. But arbitrary questions on various technologies can be sobering. Interviewing is an art, can some one explain this art. I have been employed for many years, but I am going to be stepping into the cold water of the intangibles soon. Need help

I think doing a check on the company.
If they have a web site go to it.
See what kind of work they do, even if its somewhat unfamiliar to you you can bone up on it a little, don`t tell them you know something you don`t, but you can show you understand the theory behind their technology.

Don`t criticize any part of their setup in the technical interview, the guy who set it up may be the interviewer.
Don`t criticize any former employer, if they ask why you are no longer there just say "I`d rather not discuss them if you don`t mind, all I can say is we parted on amicable terms":translation= we were both sick of each other

If they have a mission statement read it and try to get a feel for it, you may be able to use it in the interview "be subtle though"

you don`t want to quote it to them.
If you know some employees who work there get a feel from them what the interviewer is like.
And Go with your gut.

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