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Kirt Blattenberger Post subject: Interview Experiences Posted: Mon
Jul 16, 2007 4:00 pm Site Admin Joined: Sun Aug 03,
2003 2:02 pm Posts: 308 Location: Erie, PA Greetings:
In my latest "Kirt's Cogitations" article, I discussed some of the
issues involved with interviews, from both the employee's and the employer's
perspective. You can read it here: In it, I included a couple
examples of situations I have encountered over the years, and more will
be added to the list in this thread after a few of you contribute your
experiences. In looking through some of the other postings here on the
Employment Fourm, there is a wide variety out there - some humorous,
and some downright enraging. Please use this thread to post some
of the interview questions you have asked or had to answer during your
career. Please do not mention the names of people or companies. We will
appreciate anything you care to offer. Thanks. _________________
- Kirt Blattenberger RF Cafe Progenitor & Webmaster
Top FL Techie Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007
8:35 am Captain Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 8 I had an interview a couple years ago and all the people
I talked to except my manager were engineers. My handle here is FL Techie
for a reason - I'm a technician not an engineer (althoughI'd like to
pay of one). Most of the guys acted like I was an engineer looking for
a job and were kind of disgusted when I couldn't answer their questions.
It felt like they were purposely trying to make me feel like an idiot.
They wasted a vacation day for me. I never even contacted the place
once I finally got out the door. That was a very unfair thing they did
to me. ...FL Techie Top jaslovkel Post
subject: Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:26 am Captain
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:27 am Posts: 11 Location: Dallas,
TX I interviewed with a major company a few years ago for an IC
Design internship position. It was supposed to be my first interview
with them and so it wasn't going to be quite as in depth as they would
have liked. I submitted my resume to them but was rejected for the interview.
I was a little in shock because at the time I had a 4.0 GPA after 2
years of graduate school. The night before the interview, I was contacted
by their HR and they basically said how much they were looking forward
to meeting me and talking about potential opportunities . . . blah,
blah. I informed them this was news to me since they rejected me for
an interview, but they assured me this was a mistake. I then scheduled
the interview and asked what the interview would cover (technical, behavioral,
combination, etc.). The HR person told me it would be a 30 minute behavioral
interview. I show up 15 minutes early to the interview and they
immediately have me fill out 30 pages of paperwork which they say was
"necessary" interview material. Before I finish, I am whisked away to
my first interview. When I questioned why this was my first interview,
they said I would be having another interview after this one was complete!!??
I was baffled. The next hour was brutal because the interviewer basically
tried to show me how smart he was rather than finding out if I was suitable
for the position . . . much the same as the next interview. After speaking
with other interviewees and some of my professor's and friends at other
universities, I realized that this company was not for me and I really
did not appreciate the 30 minute behavioral interview which turned out
to be a 90 minute dissertation defense. Top Ralph
Zappa Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:30 am Lieutenant
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2003 6:43 pm Posts: 3 Location: U.K.
Hello All, While I have have the good fortune (sometimes
not so good) to have worked for the same company for over 15 years,
there is one particularly memorable interview experience from my university
senior year. Two interviewers ask me to work the same circuit equation,
and both had agreed upon the same wrong answer prior to my having arrived.
The first fellow seemed to delight in my "wrong" answer, that is until
I demonstrated that in fact I was correct. He took it well, surprisingly,
and the remaining time with him was comfortable. The gent he handed
me off to was not warned of the mistake and he gleefully pointed out
his superior knowledge when I again answered the question incorrectly.
I never challenged him, figuring the better reward would be to let him
be told of his ability to play the buffoon in front of an ignorant school
boy. Needless to say, I searched elsewhere for employment. Cheers
Ralph Top Cube Slave Post subject: Posted:
Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:10 pm Captain Joined: Tue Jun
06, 2006 10:10 am Posts: 5 Great article Kirt. I interviewed
a couple months ago for an IC designer position and most of the time
was spent talking about general topics on simulation and testing. No
equations to work out or drawing of block diagrams or anything like
that, I was surprised to be honest. It seems the company had already
decided that they wanted me prior to the onsite. I ended up not taking
the offer they made not because of anything they did or did not do,
I just decided that I generally did not feel comfortable with the environment.
You've probalby hac that feeling that things just did not feel right.
Again nothing bad about the people or company, it just feel like me.
The HR guy was a little perturbed, but the section manager completely
understood and thanked me for my forthrightness. Top
Ted Cline Post subject: Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:35 pm
Lieutenant Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:25 am Posts:
2 If you want to see real-time interview data, look at the Qualcomm
thread on this forum (Employment). There must be a couple hundred posts.
In a nut shell, Qualcomm must be an arrogant bunch, but they get away
with it - must be a really great place to work. I wouldn't fit there
- could live under the pressure to perform to such a high level all
the time. Gald some of you can though. Now back to me nap
Posted 11/12/2012
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