Interview Questions

[Skemcin]

Here is a position that I am part of the team that interviews candidates:

Customer Service Technical Support SpecialistAre you technology savvy with a customer service background? The Division of Customer Service has an exciting new opportunity for an individual to provide premier service to our members and customers via e-mail and telephone in regards to technical issues with our web sites and electronic products/services (e.g., PDA, CD-ROM, MP3, podcasts, online journals). Ideal candidates will have a high school diploma or equivalent (Associates Degree in Computer Science or related field preferred) or equivalent work experience; at least 2 years experience in external customer technical support/service in a multi-channel environment (i.e., phone and e-mail); experience using and supporting PC & MAC operating systems, web browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox), and Internet security software; must be proficient with HTML and JavaScript; experience downloading and installing PDA software/digital audio and video; and excellent communication (verbal and written), interpersonal, customer service, troubleshooting, diagnostic and PC skills required. Some overtime may be required.

I am going to administer a 5 to 10 minute quiz. Any suggestions for questions to ask would be interesting to hear.Here is an example of one of the questions I am asking (of an beginnger skill level)Identify these abbreviations:cssjsasphtmlxhtmldhtmlcfmxmlxslphpsqlurlsslhttpftpipdnsdsnI have a few intermediate and advanced questions too but I thought I'd pole this community to see I've overlooked something or if there are some questions simply better that those I came up with.The person filling this position is going to be dealing with not necessarily complex problems, but with a collection of integrated sites that is used by the less than savy internet user. So the questions I am asking are a combination of seeing just how technical the person is as well as seeing how they approach a problem.An example of the latter:A member calls and says they type mydomain.com into the internet and the site doesn't come up, but it used to all the time. You asked them to go to google.com to verify their internet connection and even by doing a search. You ask them to type myotherdomain.com in the browser and try from their and everything checks out fine. What could be done (short of going to the person's office) to get them to see mydomain.com? (this is an advanced skill level)Thanks in advance.P.S. If anyone wants to know the answer to the second one, send me a PM.

[justsomeguy]

What type of company is it, and what products or services are they going to be supporting? If you can't name the company, who are some of their competitors? Is there any technical work involved or are they answering questions all day? Are they dealing with programmers in any way, either taking calls from them or working with them? And what does the M in CFM stand for?

[aspnetguy]

I think it means markup...CFML - cold fusion markup language...it is just a short extention like .htm

[Skemcin]

correct on on the CFM - cold fusion markup language.I also have CDML as well in that list.Anyway, the person hired would be dealing with medical professionals who will have few technical skills and very limited experience. Basically, if i went to your house with my laptop and plugged you monitor into my laptop, you would be asking me (while I google something) "oh so my computer is on the internet right now, can anybody get the stuff off my computer?"Most the persons work will be a combination of online support and offline problem research with respect to accessing and using the 13+ websites we have (online journals to online education courses - a wide mix of functionality). That is if a member calls up and says "I can't do this or that but I have to go right now, I need get back in at 5pm" then this person will have to take the limited information and recreate the problem locally and then figure out what is wrong so that it can be reported back the member. Granted, 90% of this is user error - or if I could be as to be so bold to call out my own employer's faulty web design, then I'd do that - cuz its horrible. So that is also part of the problem here - someone who can look past a bad design (unlike me) and rationalize the methodology to the end user to make them understand why they need to go through this hoop or that hoop to do what they want. The only interaction with a programmer would be in the offline problem research - so there is a mix of being able to talk dumb to members but talk smart with programmers.You can trust a surgeon to fix your heart, just don't let them touch your computer.

[Chocolate570]

Here is a position that I am part of the team that interviews candidates:I am going to administer a 5 to 10 minute quiz. Any suggestions for questions to ask would be interesting to hear.Here is an example of one of the questions I am asking (of an beginnger skill level)Identify these abbreviations:cssjsasphtmlxhtmldhtmlcfmxmlxslphpsqlurlsslhttpftpipdnsdsnI have a few intermediate and advanced questions too but I thought I'd pole this community to see I've overlooked something or if there are some questions simply better that those I came up with.The person filling this position is going to be dealing with not necessarily complex problems, but with a collection of integrated sites that is used by the less than savy internet user. So the questions I am asking are a combination of seeing just how technical the person is as well as seeing how they approach a problem.An example of the latter:A member calls and says they type mydomain.com into the internet and the site doesn't come up, but it used to all the time. You asked them to go to google.com to verify their internet connection and even by doing a search. You ask them to type myotherdomain.com in the browser and try from their and everything checks out fine. What could be done (short of going to the person's office) to get them to see mydomain.com? (this is an advanced skill level)Thanks in advance.P.S. If anyone wants to know the answer to the second one, send me a PM.

I could probably apply. If only I had a high school diploma. :)Your questions look pretty good. They should be an accurate assessment of the applier's prowess. :)Except for URL. I never bothered to learn what URL actually stands for. Who would have thought it's uniform resource locater? :/

[Skemcin]

lol - yeah ya always through in a few to have fun. You never really expect someone to get them all, but its interesting to see how people "guess" some of them.Anyway, those are only two questions of the 10 I have. I'm wondering if anyone has something I don't - I don't wanna post the whole quiz.

[justsomeguy]

Hmm, if they have to deal with programmers, there are several important questions to ask.You're in a desert, walking along in the sand when all of a sudden you look down and see a tortoise. It's crawling toward you. You reach down and you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping. Why is that?Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about... your mother.You need to watch for involuntary dilation of the iris, fluctuation of the pupil, blush response... and be careful!

[Skemcin]

I can use these:http://thewavemag.com/pagegen.php?pagename...articleid=25853 in the face to face to see if he is a human and ever watched Blade Runner.:)Here is another question I have:What causes the browser to report these errors codes:404403500401400200408

[vchris]

Here are my answers Skemcin! I think you'll be plaisantly surprised css = Combat Service Supportjs = Jerry Springerasp = Average Selling Pricehtml = How to Make Lovexhtml = Extremely Hot Metaldhtml = Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Languagecfm = Cubic Feet per Minutexml = X-Men Legendsxsl = eXtensible Stylesheet Languagephp = Pseudohypoparathyroidismsql = Specified Quality Levelurl = Upper Range Limitssl = Space Sciences Laboratoryhttp = High-Temperature Thermoplasticftp = Fight the Powerip = Instructor Pilotdns = Do Not Selldsn = Deep Space NineSo when should I expect my pay check?

[justsomeguy]

Maybe a question about how to troubleshoot if a site is showing up using HTTP but not using HTTPS.Or maybe how a single web server with a single IP can host several different sites or domains. I guess the answer is just "host header", but it's good to know.Maybe ask them to give you some examples of web services.Ask them what the pros and cons of using Ajax are versus a normal server-side application.What is DHCP used for?What is Network Address Translation?What is a Domain Controller?Order from slowest to fastest:T1DSLCable56KDS-3What happens when you type a URL into a web browser and hit Go?What do these mean:ROFLLOLOMGWTFIJHAConly the important stuff

[Chocolate570]

Maybe a question about how to troubleshoot if a site is showing up using HTTP but not using HTTPS.Or maybe how a single web server with a single IP can host several different sites or domains. I guess the answer is just "host header", but it's good to know.Maybe ask them to give you some examples of web services.Ask them what the pros and cons of using Ajax are versus a normal server-side application.What is DHCP used for?What is Network Address Translation?What is a Domain Controller?Order from slowest to fastest:T1DSLCable56KDS-3What happens when you type a URL into a web browser and hit Go?What do these mean:ROFLLOLOMGWTFIJHAConly the important stuff

I've been part of more than 20 forums for the last 3 years and I still don't know what IJHAC means. What the heck? O_O

[pulpfiction]

I didnt know what "ROFL" meant, and google gave me the answer now, but for "IJHAC", no sensible result at all....

[reportingsjr]

I Just Hacked A Computer I wouldn't get hired there! I didn't know like 3 or the language abbr. lol.

[vchris]

come on guys I put a lot of time on my definitions. No ones gonna say something about it

[justsomeguy]

I didnt know what "ROFL" meant, and google gave me the answer now, but for "IJHAC", no sensible result at all....

Sorry, that came from a headline on fark.com.

Officer hit in crash caused by text-messaging driver. OMFG IJHAC

Your definitions are very clever vchris, extremely hot metal indeed..

[pulpfiction]

oh so close.... You almost got it all correct, just for these two incorrect ones .... give it another try and fix these two..dhtml = Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Languagexsl = eXtensible Stylesheet Language

[MrAdam]

haha..

WTF is an acronym for obviously "What the ######?" It's used to express surprised disbelief usually at the bizarre excessiveness of a film. Case in point: David Cronenberg's film Crash (WTF?!)

[vchris]

oh so close.... You almost got it all correct, just for these two incorrect ones .... give it another try and fix these two..dhtml = Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Languagexsl = eXtensible Stylesheet Language

I tried my best but it wasn't good enough it seems

[Skemcin]

come on guys I put a lot of time on my definitions. No ones gonna say something about it

I honestly appreciated the effort, but I have to say that I am disappointed that you answered some correct - I mean if you're gonna be a comedian, go all the way.:)html = Howard Make Lunchdhtml = Didn't Howard Make Lunchxsl = eXtremely Sexy LadyWell, I guess that's all I'm gonna get outta this crowd!:-)I'm all set with my quiz and I have two interview Tuesday - we'll see how the candidates do.

[justsomeguy]

I prefer X-ray Space Laser.

[vchris]

OK I'll be honest with you guys. I used an acronym finder but I couldn't find anything for html, xhtml... so I just put the real ones.

[mas_oyama]

I could probably apply. If only I had a high school diploma. :)Your questions look pretty good. They should be an accurate assessment of the applier's prowess. :)Except for URL. I never bothered to learn what URL actually stands for. Who would have thought it's uniform resource locater? :/

lol - yeah ya always through in a few to have fun. You never really expect someone to get them all, but its interesting to see how people "guess" some of them.Anyway, those are only two questions of the 10 I have. I'm wondering if anyone has something I don't - I don't wanna post the whole quiz.

yeah well, for my part, i dont know exactly what most of these abbreviations stands for. but its not only about what does it stand for... its more about what it is! i dont know what php stands for, and i dont care! the fact is that i know what it php, and i'm not bad in developping in php. for my part, i think this is what is important(not the fact that i'm good in php... i mean the fact that i know what it it...). you cant ask for someone to be good in all these languages, but you can ask them to at least know what it is... if you ask someone what is an DNS? and they answer that its an old programming language used in the 70s, there is a problem with that candidate. but if they answer that "it is what translatethe "name" of a website into a ip adress", then i think that it should be good enough... its no big deal if he dont know that it is actually callde a Domain Name Server