July 31, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Except for one or two answers I think most of the suggestions are missing the boat so to speak.
From Webster Standard Dictionary
Analytical
3: skilled in or using analysis especially in thinking or reasoning
Analysis
1: separation of a whole into its component parts
To be Analytical is NOT asking them to develop a query using Inner or Outer joins, it is NOT asking them to how to select the TOP (x) from a list.
It is presenting them with a problem and then letting them list the steps they would take to solve the problem. Lets make it simple. The problem "How would you import data from a series of flat files". I would then say that the answer that shows if they are analytical or not would be some what like.
1. Determine the number / size of files to be imported.
2. Determine the frequency of importing hourly/daily/monthly per individual imported file..
3. Determine which tables the files are to be imported into, and are the tables all in a single database or multiple databases / are their multiple servers holding the databases. Are all the servers SQL Server or are they mixed SQL Server / Oracle / MySQL etc.
4. Determine the constraints on the various columns in the various tables.
5. Determine how to handle items that do not match the constraints.
6. Determine what version of the Server is being utilized.
and last but not least.
7. Determine who to refer to for guidance in answering the above items item by item.
Now that is an analytical mind at work and notice there is not a question involving T-SQL.
August 1, 2008 at 8:06 am
Here is another puzzle:
There are 10 stacks of coins. Each stack contains 10 coins. All coins look same. All coins weigh 0.1 lb in 9 stacks but in one stack all coins weigh 0.2 lb.
You can pick up as many coins from as many stacks but you are allowed to measure weight only once.
How you will figure out which stack contains coins with 0.2 lb weight?
Good luck.
Hint: There is no catch, answer is very logical
If you want to know answer then please email me at: Oklahoma Agarwal at Gmail dot com.
August 1, 2008 at 8:13 am
Are you sure you can only weigh them once?
I can do it with two weigh in's but not 1 🙁
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Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Henry Huxley
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August 1, 2008 at 8:20 am
Ok Got it 🙂
I'll drop you an email now
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Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Henry Huxley
:w00t:
Posting Best Practices[/url]
Numbers / Tally Tables[/url]
August 1, 2008 at 9:09 am
michael.agarwal (8/1/2008)
There is no catch, answer is very logical
It's only a good question if you can be sure that the person has never heard it before. Any question that has a specific correct answer isn't a good test since you can't be sure they hadn't heard about it before either online or from another candidate that you previously interviewed.
A general question that requires the candidate to ask for more specific information is best. It doesn't even have to be about SQL to demonstrate their analytical thinking. One that sticks in my brain is: Design a house. What they don't know, but need to find out is that the house is for a giraffe and will be built on an island where it is flooded by two feet of water for half the year and the only building material readily available is mud.
If they don't ask the right questions to design a house that fits the requirements, can they design software to fit your requirements?
August 1, 2008 at 9:50 am
Steven Cameron (8/1/2008)[hrDesign a house. What they don't know, but need to find out is that the house is for a giraffe and will be built on an island where it is flooded by two feet of water for half the year and the only building material readily available is mud.
That's obviously an infringement on the environment of the endangered aquatic giraffe (subaqueanum camelopardalis) and your company should be ashamed to be so environmentally hostile.
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"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
August 1, 2008 at 10:06 am
Hi all,
The one I have come across before, is for a candidate to explain how they would design a system or what they would look out for when designing a system that works with travelling on the tube (metro rail)
it's not a bad one either
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Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas Henry Huxley
:w00t:
Posting Best Practices[/url]
Numbers / Tally Tables[/url]
August 1, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Take one coin from stack 1, two coins from stack 2, three coins from stack 3, etc. Weigh them and do the math. The amount over 5.5Lb. will tell you the stack that weighs .2Lbs - if the stack weighs 5.8 Lbs then stack three has the .2Lb coins.
August 1, 2008 at 3:25 pm
jcrawf02 (8/1/2008)
Steven Cameron (8/1/2008)[hrDesign a house. What they don't know, but need to find out is that the house is for a giraffe and will be built on an island where it is flooded by two feet of water for half the year and the only building material readily available is mud.
That's obviously an infringement on the environment of the endangered aquatic giraffe (subaqueanum camelopardalis) and your company should be ashamed to be so environmentally hostile.
my thoughts exactly! what a bigot!
🙂
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elsasoft.org
August 1, 2008 at 3:33 pm
jcrawf02 (8/1/2008)
That's obviously an infringement on the environment of the endangered aquatic giraffe (subaqueanum camelopardalis) and your company should be ashamed to be so environmentally hostile.
So, if the applicant is good, he would want to order an environmental impact study.
August 1, 2008 at 6:28 pm
michael.agarwal (8/1/2008)
Here is another puzzle:There are 10 stacks of coins. Each stack contains 10 coins. All coins look same. All coins weigh 0.1 lb in 9 stacks but in one stack all coins weigh 0.2 lb.
You can pick up as many coins from as many stacks but you are allowed to measure weight only once.
How you will figure out which stack contains coins with 0.2 lb weight?
Good luck.
Hint: There is no catch, answer is very logical
If you want to know answer then please email me at: Oklahoma Agarwal at Gmail dot com.
Heh... and the dummy might still not know how to strip the time from the date or how to even get the bloody date out of the system never mind how to write a trigger. 😛
Don't fool around with such questions on an interview for someone hiring in that's supposed to know SQL. Stick to the subject and remember... you're not trying to show how smart you are... you're trying to figure out if they know SQL well enough for you to hire them to satisfy the need you have for someone that knows SQL. 😉
--Jeff Moden
August 1, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Jeff Moden wrote:
Don't fool around with such questions on an interview for someone hiring in that's supposed to know SQL. Stick to the subject and remember... you're not trying to show how smart you are... you're trying to figure out if they know SQL well enough for you to hire them to satisfy the need you have for someone that knows SQL.
I absolutely agree. If you want to play super-Mensa games, go ahead, but it doesn't seem to be a rational approach for selecting a productive teammate.
April 3, 2011 at 2:18 am
john.arnott (8/1/2008)
Jeff Moden wrote:Don't fool around with such questions on an interview for someone hiring in that's supposed to know SQL. Stick to the subject and remember... you're not trying to show how smart you are... you're trying to figure out if they know SQL well enough for you to hire them to satisfy the need you have for someone that knows SQL.
I absolutely agree. If you want to play super-Mensa games, go ahead, but it doesn't seem to be a rational approach for selecting a productive teammate.
Hi,
I agreed with you. Thanks for sharing. It make me to think about some things for my ideals. I'll share soon again.
If you want to do more info, you also visit at: Analytical interview questions
Rgs
April 3, 2011 at 4:44 am
Please note: 3 year old thread.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
April 3, 2011 at 10:23 am
GilaMonster (4/3/2011)
Please note: 3 year old thread.
It doesn't matter on such timeless subjects.
--Jeff Moden
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