The Interview
You could be forgiven for thinking that this blog was about a single job application. Meh.
After spending what was obviously way too much time deciding what to wear, I was by far the best dressed person on the entire floor. Even the receptionist (who was male with a slightly British accent, and who referred to a bunch of flowers that had been delivered as a 'leviathan' - which was enough to make me want to say "Does it say Dublin on my application? It's supposed to say Sydney!") was wearing a t shirt. I felt particularly self conscious in my shirt and tie.
The first interview went fine. I was asked a single SQL question, which was trivial in the extreme, and I almost second guessed myself looking for the trick. Then something of a puzzle about dropping marbles. Not sure how much I can legally say about that, or indeed any of the experience - I did sign a very long and complicated document, which I have to admit I didn't read it it's entirety. In any case, I didn't actually have to solve the differential equation, which I was happy about.
So that was OK. Then came the second interview, and I'm afraid that I panicked at the first technical question. The interviewer sat there, staring slightly past me, as I dug my grave deeper and deeper, getting more and more flustered. In the end, it took me over half an hour to solve a problem which he'd introduced as "a relatively easy one", and even then only after some prompting.
If we got to any of the 30% "organisational fit" questions that were supposed to be asked, I didn't recognize them for what they were. Perhaps I'd spent way too long on the last technical question - I was there for over two hours, all up.
So that's what's going on there. Life post to follow, as soon as I get one.
posted by Escheresque at 11:27 pm
3 Comments:
Sweetheart, that sounds gruelling... how horrid! I am sure that your perception of the situation is far more pessimistic than the reality (the fancy way of saying it's probably not as bad as you think), as I know that you are a highly intelligent, skilled, capable, insightful, innovative, creative person and any company that doesn't realise this is not doing themselves any favours. I'd hire you in a flash!
*hugs*
I understand from their jobs site that Google Sydney are hiring at the moment as well... :)
I'd guess from the little you are allowed to say about the interviews (which I completely understand and promise not to ask for any more) that the 'fitting in' questions are sneakily hidden under the technical ones, and it's about noting what topics you get enthusiastic over, and if you enjoy puzzles and that sort of thing.
Don't fret too much about problems with technical questions - not everyone can know everything, and there's no reason they should expect that. Remember, you have skills they want, or you wouldn't have gotten that far through the process.
That sounds really patronising now I read back over it, but I promise I didn't mean it to be, and I can't seem to phrase it better so I'm going to post it anyway. I should also add that even if you have stuffed it up completely (which I'm sure you haven't) we all still like you and this only means we'd get to keep you a little longer.
I'll stop there because I've been quite long winded (or whatever the equivalent is in typing) enough already tonight. Do let me know if you find out how the possibly mythic thing called 'a life' can be obtained.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, guys! We'll just have to wait and see what happens. They've all gone fairly well, up until that last one, so I'm not too concerned about it yet.
And if this one doesn't go through, I've got another applications on hold with the same company, so maybe I'll do better with that one.
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