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Author
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Topic: Rant
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Archy
Pilot
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posted 02-09- 11:21 PM
   
Just had a pre-interview interview for a new job Tuesday. It was to take a written test, and a practical hands on test for a computer support position. Well the written test was fair, tough, but fair(too many NT server questions for me).
The practical test was a joke: You are alloted 45 minute there are 4 tasks, and they really look easy:
1. Create a user account on 1 server machine
2. Mount a share from the server onto machine A.
3. Install Video Card in Machine B.
4. Mount a share from one of the machines on machine C.Sounds easy right! Account creation was pretty easy, and you had to just make sure you put the guy in the right group. Go to mount share on machine A, no net neighborhood, quick check of Cpanel I see the nic is there under other devices, remove it and reboot. Now we need net drivers, hmm there doesnt seem to be any disks, maybe they want me to dl it of the net. Of course to find out what kind of card we have, we need to take the case off, and its a nasty old gateway case that comes off hard.
So I find out what card it is, and go to the 3com site from the server machine(slow, wait)
So I start on task 3, replace video in Machine B, well, again remove case, old card(by the way, Machine B didn't seem to recognize that it had a hard drive from the get go{i turned on all machines right away and noted that). Well, what do ya know, the only video card they left to put in it, was AGP, and the MB only had PCI slots. So thought I would try and get the hard drive going, well cables were all connected good, but bios didnt recognize the drive. There was a replacement drive sitting in the pile of spare parts we were supposed to work from, of course then you have to work the faceplate off of the puter to get the old drive out(not too mention, There is no possibility of getting a new drive ready and NT installed on in in 45 mins hehe). So I prolly could of gone on and done task 4, but I never even looked at machine C. When Im working simultaneously on Machines A and B. Anyways, that whole thing just pisses me off, I DO KNOW PC HARDWARE WELL(been working on them for 10 years now), and I DO KNOW NETWORKING PRETTY WELL(I am the administrator a network of Suns, PC's And Macs, sharing Files and PRinters which I set up myself)(Im not that knowledgeable about NT servers advanced features), And yet in this test I only accomplished 1 task in the alloted time.
Well, just blowing off steam, I need a beer, Guiness, a full pint, make it two. IP: Logged |
nealg
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 01:38 AM
Archy, that blows entire continents worth of chunks!! I think you was robbed...the Network Admins where I work, if anything is done in 45 minutes, it is coffee break. 45 days is more like it....and then they try to do it over the phone, hoping you will have enough knowledge to do it yourself! I always play real dumb ( not that difficult, hehe )...particularly with the female one -  - cause I know they only want to work on the President's machine!! Next round is on me - we can develop a much better test!! Especially after 6 or 12 pints!! ------------------
nealg=FC=
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Katana
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 08:40 AM
Archy,as an ex employer I would say that the practical test would have been more of a do you know what your doing ,rather than a get it done in time test.I pulled those myself for a cupla reasons--how good is the tech--can he hold his composure--has he the initiative to do the jobs that can be done and not waste time on what can't be done--and so on.So don't be down mate think positive and good luck with the position.------------------
Cheers
Kat out
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Hawk
JAG
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posted 02-10- 09:01 AM
Hey Archy, here's a free one on the house but you will have to climb up and get it yourself. Hehe, sorry, couldn't resist.Ok after the free beer could you look at this old pc we got back here in the corner, we need 2,3, and 4 done but you can take all day if you want. [This message has been edited by Hawk (edited 02-10-2000).] IP: Logged |
Himdog
Pilot
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posted 02-10- 11:16 AM
Archy, you'll do fine, don't worry about it. I got a interview this coming Monday too. A Guiness sounds great!!! Hey Hawk give Archy another one on me. Archy if it was a woman doing the interview and you don't get the job, see if you can get her to take the "Bitch Test" and post her score, hehe.
Himdog out. IP: Logged |
Sv
Pilot
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posted 02-11- 11:21 AM
Stupid tests suck (remember all of school?). But in the end it is the employer (or employer's company) that pays for this mistake by hiring a good test taker instead of a good person fro the job.F them, they will pay. Can I have 10 beers please? -Sv IP: Logged |
Archy
Pilot
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posted 02-23- 03:53 PM
What do ya know, I got a call back and an interview which went really well. Come to find out, one of the machines in the practical test had an actual failure with its IDE controller unknown to the test makers. This kinda threw my practical test out of wack as they weren't expecting me to remove the HD.. It should have booted once I set the bios to Autodetect(which I did first thing).
Well see in a week or two if I get offered the job. I told my current boss about the possibility yesterday, he was looking a little worried. IP: Logged |
nealg
Pilot
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posted 02-24- 02:23 AM
YAY Archy!! Pretty cool...they had a boo boo and admitted it. Might end up being good folk to work with ( notice I didnt say FOR, hehe ). Good Luck!! ------------------
nealg=FC=
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