Stupid and/or Obscure Technical Interview Questions

[slimdave]

I'm looking for questions that I can put to interviewees that will piss them off or make them feel stupid. The aim is that if i decide half way through a technical interview that they're not going to get the job, i need some of these to continue with.

So far, I've got ...

i) What language is PL/SQL syntax based on (answer ADA, as discussed in the forums a while ago. This I would classify as a stupid interview question.)

ii) How do you populate a number column with a value of positive or negative infinity? (answer, you have to import it from an Oracle 5 database. This would be an obscure question)

Well you see the pattern. There's a real answer, but who gives a crap about it?

Anyone else got any?

[adewri]

Well you could ask them what the following hexa values stand for in the trace files

/* 0x01 = typed table, 0x02 = has ADT columns, */
/* 0x04 = has nested-TABLE columns, 0x08 = has REF columns, */
/* 0x10 = has array columns, 0x20 = partitioned table, */
/* 0x40 = index-only table (IOT), 0x80 = IOT w/ row OVerflow, */
/* 0x100 = IOT w/ row CLustering, 0x200 = IOT OVeRflow segment, */
/* 0x400 = clustered table, 0x800 = has internal LOB columns, */
/* 0x1000 = has primary key-based OID$ column, 0x2000 = nested table */
/* 0x4000 = View is Read Only, 0x8000 = has FILE columns */
/* 0x10000 = obj view's OID is system-gen, 0x20000 = used as AQ table */
/* 0x40000 = has user-defined lob columns */
/* 0x00080000 = table contains unused columns */
/* 0x100000 = has an on-commit materialized view */
/* 0x200000 = has system-generated column names */
/* 0x00400000 = global temporary table */
/* 0x00800000 = session-specific temporary table */
/* 0x08000000 = table is a sub table */
/* 0x20000000 = pdml itl invariant */
/* 0x80000000 = table is external  */
/* 0x00000001 = deferred RPC Queue */
/* 0x00000002 = snapshot log */
/* 0x00000004 = updatable snapshot log */
/* 0x00000008 = context trigger */
/* 0x00000010 = synchronous change table */
/* 0x00200000 = table had rowmovement */

[onlysimon]

start jogging on the spot, then invite the interviewee to join you. Take em through a workout - pressups & stuff, till they make excuses & leave.

[Mr.Hanky]

Ask them if they mind working third shift? That'll weed out about 70% right there.
Tell them they have to be on pager support indefinatly.

I'll think of more later.

MH

[slimdave]

Originally posted by Mr.Hanky
Ask them if they mind working third shift? That'll weed out about 70% right there.
Tell them they have to be on pager support indefinatly.

I'll think of more later.

MH

... and no remote access, even for 3am callouts.

But then if they don't mind working third shift, that just tells you they're either ...

i) a loser with no friends or life outside work, or ...
ii) desperate for any work at all

... so if they agree then you just kick their ass out anyway.

[slimdave]

Originally posted by onlysimon
start jogging on the spot, then invite the interviewee to join you. Take em through a workout - pressups & stuff, till they make excuses & leave.

.. or start slowly stripping down to your underwear, while keeping the interview going as if everything was normal.

[Tarry]

You have this thing with strippin', dontcha?
But I won't say a word

[Mr.Hanky]

Originally posted by Tarry
You have this thing with strippin', dontcha?
But I won't say a word

That's why he works from home, he's naked at all times.

FrEaK!



MH

[adewri]

Slimedave do you have a webcam may be we can broadcast you over here

[jovery]

Originally posted by adewri
Slimedave do you have a webcam may be we can broadcast you over here

Amar,

Why exactly do you want to see slimdave naked?