Interview insight? 1

[Roadbridge]

Got this interview coming up shortly for the position of Inspector/Clerk of Works in a major infrastructural project in Ireland.

Summary of project, one immersed tube tunnel, 15k of motorway with 15no or more bridge structures.
I have worked on all of these type projects in the passed and have a good working knowledge of what is required to carry out these works.

My question to you is, if you were on the panel what type of questions would your ask the applicant?

 

[ctopher]

thread731-144951
Good luck

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 05
AutoCAD 05
ctopher's home site (updated 06-21-05)
FAQ559-1100
FAQ559-716

 

[Heckler]

thread731-140695

If you're interveiwing for a specific job/project I would say any question regarding the technology/ construction processes used would be fair game. If you come up against a question you're not sure the answer don't fake it just tell them you're not sure the exact answer. Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[bandraoi]

funnily enough I used to do a similiar type job myself.
Got the job as a secondment though so I'm not much help on interview questions.

Who are the interviewers - HR types, management types, contractor types, engineer types?

On a project like that in Ireland, there won't be anyone local with all the relevant experience anyway and even abroad it'll be difficult to get someone.

Questions about major problems you've picked up and how you got the other people on the contract to solve them are probably quite likely but I'd guess that some of it will be based on who you know not what you know.

If they know you to work with or people who've worked with a few informal conversations will decide if you get the job or not.

 

[fndn]

Have a seat.
1)What are 3 of your strengths and 2 of your weaknesses.
2)How would you handle a contractor that wants too much hand holding?
3)where do you see yourself in 7 years?
4)why should you be hired for this position?
5)what have you been critized for repeatedly in the past?
6)Draw on a pie chart the percentages of skills needed for this position.
7)Draw on a pie chart the duties you enjoy doing the most.
8)If you were faced with a decision and your supervisor is out of town, how would you progress?
9)why do you want leave your current job?
10)what do you know about us?
11)what job in this field would you not take and why?

Good luck.

 

[GregLocock]

Does that work? seriously? I have never seen so many useless questions.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[fndn]

You sound useless old chap-help him land a job or get out of the way.

 

[Beggar]

Greg, it seems that you routinely lambast this type of questioning.

I'm curious, do you ask non-technical questions during interviews? Presuming so, what kinds of non-technical questions do you ask?

--------------------
How much do YOU owe?

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

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[GregLocock]

I honestly don't know what sort of questions I ask. I chat to people. I don't play mindgames with them (eg q1,5, and to some extent 9). We've discussed these unanswerable questions before, I don't see much virtue in re-hashing old ground.

That list just struck me as bizarre and unhelpful, and was genuinely interested in why fndn thought it was a good list or even helpful to the original poster. However, since he just seems to be trolling rather than being informative I guess we'll never know. No great loss.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[dbooker630]

I have to agree with Greg on the negative questions. I would use 2, 3, 4, 8 and 10. Using the others will get you a lot of rhetoric in return.

 

[Nella95]

To hiring managers: be wary of the experienced intervviewers. If an experienced interviewer gets too many froo-froo - non-substance questions, they'll pretty much write off the proposed company. Don't get me wrong, a few softball, froo-froo questions are imporatant to get the character and such of the interviewee...