Mark I work in SNS. I joined a few months back. My interview experience was totally different than what you're describing. In fact their interviews were the most technical I had seen in my life. What I was not happy about is that they took forever to get back to us.
Also from what I've seen so far and heard from people here, the environment is very highly technical all over the company. They don't believe in non-tech management, all the way up to the CEO, something that is even criticized by some. I haven't yet seen anyone who has any free time on their hands either. I wish I had some myself :) But again I'm in one part of a 80,000+ employee company, so I don't really know how things are elsewhere in the company. I agree with Howard, interviews are supposed to test other areas of a person's skills in addition to the technical background. However, techies (and I'm one) always dread those interviews. Good luck Tarek -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Howard C. Berkowitz Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2002 10:48 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: My interview story [7:40553] >Why would you want to work for a place with such stupid >interviews in the first place? If they select their employees >based on how they play "Stranded in the Desert" or whatever the >heck that was, then it's probably best you don't work there. >I'm sure the management there is awful. > >Stuff like that is a sure sign their managers have too much >time on their hands, and there's almost nothing worse than a >clueless manager with too much time. > >Someone needs to send those managers a Dilbert calendar! > >I'm sorry to hear it didn't go well, but you should forget >about them and move on to a better company. > >John I have a friend that used to work in Schlumberger as a technical patent paralegal, and she loved the place. Don't know how typical her experience or yours is, but I can check with her to see if this is anything she's heard. I'm not totally opposed, incidentally, to tests like that IF THERE IS ALSO SOLID TECHNICAL INTERVIEWING, and the job needs good communications skills (the introduction) and possibly the ability to handle multiple items under stress (the desert). I do believe when you play with peoples' heads like this, it's only fair that the interviewers explain what they were trying to learn. When I'm interviewing people, I suppose I ask some questions that are intended to help me learn the way the candidate thinks. For example, once we've talked a bit and I have a pretty good knowledge of their background, I pose a problem to them that I'm fairly sure they can't answer. I tell them that I don't expect them to give me a correct answer, but to explain to me how they would approach getting information and coming up with a solution. That tells me a couple of things -- are they willing to say "I don't know," and "But this is how I'll find out." I also tend to ask "ok, tell me what you do that's weird. In this business, there has to be something." Again, it tests flexibility and communication. > > > >---- On Thu, 4 Apr 2002, Mark Zhang ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) >wrote: > >> hi,everybody,I have a interview appointment at 9:00 AM. >> The position is Network Engineer in SNS(schlumberger network >solutions >> sector).But I falled,at least i think so. >> At first,every candidater have a chance to intraduce oneself >for 1 >> minute in >> English.Then every 5 person get a group to play a game named >Desert >> Survive.Game as this:Just image you and some people lose in a >deep >> desert by >> an airplane problem,so plz list the most important thing to >the lest >> from 15 >> tools you could use,first time by your own choose,the second >by your >> group. >> Maybe I do not show good in the self-introduce,then I paly >the game,I >> choose >> more close to the expert answer the my group,but the >schlumberger do not >> think I as the right person they are looking for. >> what a pity!I experienced in Motorola and a network >company,have design >> a >> large scare voip network include about 40 nods,familiar with >Cisco,But >> why?Just because a lose in the game? >> >> B.RMark Zhang >> >> >> --------------------------------- >> Do You Yahoo!? >> Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=40563&t=40553 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
