So I have an interview....

[SockHaser]

The first question was if you can get the file size of an uploaded file with javascipt. I said I wasn't sure, but you could use js to send a request to a server side script and then return the data that way, which I think was an okay answer but I couldn't answer their question.

Then they asked how I would duplicate a MySQL database with SQL and my brain just quit on me and I had nothing to say :\

It only lasted like 20min which could be a bad sign.

 

[Chapbass]

The first question was if you can get the file size of an uploaded file with javascipt. I said I wasn't sure, but you could use js to send a request to a server side script and then return the data that way, which I think was an okay answer but I couldn't answer their question.

Then they asked how I would duplicate a MySQL database with SQL and my brain just quit on me and I had nothing to say :\

It only lasted like 20min which could be a bad sign.

No worries man. I once totally nailed a phone interview, they flew me out to Texas (from Chicago) to do an interview in person. Hotel, food, chauffeur at the airport, etc. Yeah, I woke up the morning of the interview with my brain in a total cloud. Talk about one of the shittiest interviews in existance. They were pretty pissed .

At least you got some good interview time, interview etiquette, and now next time you'll be more prepared and focusing on the difficult stuff instead of how many copies of your resume to bring .

 

[SockHaser]

Rofl yeah. I just with they were more specific with their job posting. They listed everything under the sun even though when I got there they said it would be 95% web dev stuff. If I knew that I wouldn't have spent so much time trying to brush up on all the other stuff they filled their listing with and focused on the web dev stuff, which I like the most and do the most anyways.

 

[zinfamous]

see, see? that's why you whip out the dong in those situations.

 

[SockHaser]

see, see? that's why you whip out the dong in those situations.

I was so nervous I forgot the back up plan

 

[SockHaser]

Also, just a quick question to anyone that might know. Is it normal to ask something fairly specific about a programming language or tech process in an interview? Like I was expecting more open ended questions like "if you needed to validate a users file to ensure it is withing acceptable size range and not reload the page how would you go about it?" rather than someone more specific that I haven't ever needed to use before.

 

[CountZero]

Also, just a quick question to anyone that might know. Is it normal to ask something fairly specific about a programming language or tech process in an interview? Like I was expecting more open ended questions like "if you needed to validate a users file to ensure it is withing acceptable size range and not reload the page how would you go about it?" rather than someone more specific that I haven't ever needed to use before.

In my experience for tech interviews (though not in IT/software) both detailed and general open ended questions are the norm. Some interviewers prefer one type or the other. Usually when I use a detailed question I care less about perfectly right answer and more about the approach to solving the issue. If you say I don't know and don't inquire or try in any way then that is a huge red flag. If you say I don't really remember but maybe if you do X or Y that might work, etc that's what I want. I want to see your thought process, as an engineer you will be solving things you haven't seen before so being able to reason out approaches is key. General questions I just use for opening to gauge general comfort level with stuff and because they tend to be easy it (I hope) puts the interviewee at ease.