Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Phone Interview tips for DBAs

You only get one chance to make a first impression. I would think the following tips would be common sense, yet I am surprised every day.
  1. When on a phone interview, don't put the interviewer on hold.
  2. I don't mind calling you on your cell, but if the call drops, you're done.
  3. I know you might be nervous, but don't cut me off in mid-sentence.
  4. When you take my call, don't be driving in a car.
  5. I don't expect you to pick up the phone on the first ring, but please pick it up. If I get your Voicemail, I'll try you again in five minutes. After that, you're on your own.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I sense that there's some recent practical experience behind this posting ...

Speaking of cell phones and practical experience of interviews, another tip is "if your phone rings during an interview, which it shouldn't, then do not answer it in order to explain that you'll call back later, and then ten minutes later do exactly the same thing again because you didn't turn off your phone after the first incident". It might cause embarrassment to the recruitment agent sitting next to you, causing him to offer an apology later to the handsome and intelligent interviewer.

Oh, and enquiring about the religion of your interviewer is also often frowned on, apparantly.

Anonymous said...

You're looking for a new job probably because you really want one. We all have been there. But don't think that you have to take the call right now; it is perfectly fine to say "I'm excited you called but right now is a bad time can we arrange a better time to talk?"

Then arrange one and you be on time,relaxed and prepared.

SydOracle said...

Are we talking about a pre-arranged interview (ie the recipient knows the time you are going to call) ?
If not, I think 4 and 5 in combination is a bit harsh.
Possibly 2 as well. If the DBA is currently employed, the cell may be only way to have a private conversation. If a cell drops out while moving to a private area, that may be unavoidable. But I'd agree once the real interview questions start.

SydOracle said...

PS. Another tip.
Make sure the interviewer can't hear you typing his question into Google :)

Jeff Hunter said...

I'm talking about a pre-arranged interview time.

Jeff Hunter said...

Make sure the interviewer can't hear you typing his question into Google.
Yeah, haven't had that one yet, but I suspect it's coming.

Aman.... said...

Jeff,
I completely agree to all the points. Had a chance when I just got back from a meeting and I had to go for an interview as a candidate,all the time cell was off and that was appreciated by the person over the end.
Than had another, I had to take one interview(a pre-planned) of a gal. First she forgot that there is an interview scheduled for her.Second,she was attending some wedding and she asked me can I call after its over? I had to say no, I can't :-).
Regards
PS: When you will start writing about 11g topics?
Aman....

CarlosAL said...

Here is another one:

"If in toilette, don't flush while speaking."

;-)

Cheers.

Carlos.

Jeff Hunter said...

Carlos, you've got to be sh!tt'n me, that never happened, did it?

CarlosAL said...

>>"Carlos, you've got to be sh!tt'n me, that never happened, did it?"

Yes, it did, but not exactly as you may be thinking:

I once heard a former boss of mine having a phone conversation with a candidate while in the toilette... and, by the way, it was my boss who flushed.

Cheers.

Carlos.

Anonymous said...

Interview question:

What would you do and why if this happened?

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Best rgs
Peter