nanog mailing list archives
Re: questions asked during network engineer interview
From: Sabri Berisha <sabri () cluecentral net>
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 15:54:40 -0700 (PDT)
----- On Jul 14, 2020, at 1:14 PM, Matthew Petach <mpetach () netflight com> wrote: Hi,
Depending on how the interviewer responds gives me a pretty good idea how much clue the people I'd be working with have, and how well they work collaboratively even with people they don't really know. If they respond well on their feet, and give me better inputs, I respond with a better answer.
This is exactly what I would be looking for when I interview. Make me regret asking the question, and you'll have my vote. I like to work with people that are smarter than me. But I also prefer generic questions that are open to the candidate's imagination. Not so much to make their lives difficult, but to see how they think. For example, I'll draw a small network topology and ask which protocol they prefer (most of the time that's either OSPF or BGP). "Ok, fully configured network, after a power outage the power is back on. Tell me what happens and how routes are exchanged". OSPF areas? EBGP or IBGP? You make it up, whatever you're comfortable with. If they start explaining how R1 starts transmitting hello packets, you know that they think different from someone that starts to explain how R3 and R4 are ABRs. But whatever answer I get, I dig until I get an "I don't know". Like "ok, what information is contained in that hello packet?". Etc, etc. But I expect nobody to know everything, especially not stuff that can be easily googled. I've been on both sides many times, and like other commenters say, an interview goes both ways. Thanks, Sabri
Current thread:
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview, (continued)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Ahmed elBorno (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview William Herrin (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Miles Fidelman (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Michael Thomas (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Joe Hamelin (Jul 14)
- RE: questions asked during network engineer interview adamv0025 (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Matthew Petach (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Michael Thomas (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Miles Fidelman (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Mehmet Akcin (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Sabri Berisha (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Mark Tinka (Jul 20)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Here At InfoChambers (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Andrey Khomyakov (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Greg Skinner via NANOG (Jul 24)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Michael Thomas (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview William Herrin (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview Michael Thomas (Jul 14)
- RE: questions asked during network engineer interview adamv0025 (Jul 14)
- Re: questions asked during network engineer interview William Herrin (Jul 14)