Yesterday I went for my first interview at a small web based start-up.  I have been working for 6 years now for a large company as a software engineer.  It is time for me to move on, and that is why I went looking for something new.

The company that I interviewed with currently has 18 employees.  I felt like I met all of them yesterday!  I was asked technical questions by 4 different engineers and general questions by the HR manager.  The people there seemed a little bit like a small family.   They were all very nice and made me feel welcome.

Given that I have not job searched in awhile, I spent quite a few nights preparing for the interview.  I went over a ton of questions on this site, and I must admit that I was asked a few of them.  Just the process of going through the questions helped me prepare and get in the mindset of being drilled in a interview. 

Now we will just see if I hear back from them!  Even if I don’t, it was good to get out there an interview.  I certainly won’t be hesitant to interview more. 

   Del.icio.us     Digg 

At the end of almost every job interview you will be given an opportunity to ask your interviewer questions. When this time arrives, you have to ask at least one question. This will show your interviewer that you are serious about the interview and truly interested in working for their company. If the employer has given you literature about the organization before the interview, they expect you to read it and formulate questions about it. Be sure not to ask obvious questions that could have been answered by reading the brochures or looking at the company’s website. This wastes the interviewers time and does not speak well of you. It is also important to NEVER ask questions about salary, stock options,benefits or vacation/holiday schedules at this time. You should also avoid asking personal questions or any questions that are not directly related to the job. Here are some questions to consider:

* What are the day-to-day expectations and responsibilities of this job?
* Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?
* What are the most difficult problems that this jobs entails?
* How will my leadership responsibilities and performance be measured? And by whom? How often?
* Why is this position available right now?
* Can you describe the company’s management style?
* Can you discuss your take on the company’s corporate culture?
* Does the organization support ongoing training and education for employees to stay current in their fields?
* What do you think is the greatest opportunity facing the organization in the near future? The biggest threat?
* How is this department perceived within the organization?
* What are my options for advancement?
* Is there a formal process for advancement within the organization?
* What are the traits and skills of people who are the most successful within the organization?
* What would you most like to see done in the next 6 months?
* What changes do you envision in near future for this company?
* What is the organization’s policy on transfers to other divisions or other offices?

   Del.icio.us     Digg 

This is one of the most visited questions on our site. It has been reported by many readers to have been asked at Microsoft, as well as a few other smaller companies. Have you heard it before? Let us know!

You have to get from point A to point B. You don’t know if you can get there. What would you do?

   Del.icio.us     Digg 

Someone recently forwarded us a link to this article. It features “brainteasers” and analytical interview questions that are commonplace at the world’s leading technology companies like Google and Microsoft. Here at AceTheInterview, we have been featuring these questions for the past 8 years. We started with some insider insight into the Microsoft’s interviewing process, and that led to even more great sources to interviewing at Amazon, Google, and some of the other best high-tech companies out there. Over the years we have developed quite a collection, and the mainstream media is just getting around to covering this!

One of the most common analytical questions that we have had posted for years is “Why are manhole covers round and not square?” This has been a popular question on our site and it has over a dozen posted answers for such a simple question. This just goes to show that these questions can have a lot of different answers. The companies who are hiring are not looking for one correct answer, but rather if the interviewing candidate can make good educated guesses and if they can show their creativity. Complicated mathematical calculations are not needed, so put the pen and pencil away and think outside the box.

Over the next few days we will be showcasing some of the most popular analytical questions from our site. Please let us know what you think!

Question #1: How many golf balls can fit inside a school bus?

   Del.icio.us     Digg