After years in the business, I’ve assembed my tips for the best interview questions for SQL Server DBAs, and tips for people on both sides of the desk.
The Best SQL DBA Questions to Ask in an Interview
- Top 10 Best Questions to Ask a Senior SQL Server DBA – good questions to ask in an interview to find the best candidates.
- Top 10 Developer Interview Questions About SQL Server – the best questions to ask in an interview of a developer who will be storing data in SQL Server.
- The Best DBAs Have Confidence – why DBA job candidates need to be confidently firm.
- Use Brainbench to Augment Your Technical Interviews – why you should test their skills during the hiring process, and how to do it without knowing what a DBA knows.
Some of the best DBAs wear Chucks.
Good Tips for Interviewing Database Administrators
- The Myth of the Perfectly Qualified Candidate – companies look for someone with exactly the right amount of experience – but what kind of employee has it? I explain.
- (SQL Server) Size Matters – how to determine if a DBA’s experience is right for your company.
- Testing DBA Decisionmaking – DBAs need more than just technical skills: they make business decisions all day long.
- Tips for Hiring a DBA – my thoughts after going through the interview process at a few companies.
- Show Candidates Their Work Areas – and watch their reactions. It’ll help you gauge if they’re a good fit for you, plus give you insight about your environment.
Interview Tips for SQL Server DBAs
- Top Ten Questions to Ask at Your Job Interview – avoid taking a crappy job that you’ll regret later!
- How to Get a Telecommuting Job – I’ve been telecommuting off and on since 2000, and I’ve accumulated a set of tips on how to get a remote DBA job.
- Interview Tip: Don’t Stress Out – sometimes the interviewer is pulling a fast one on you.
- Being the Porsche of Job Candidates – you can get a decent job by being a decent candidate, but to get the best jobs, you have to be the best candidate. That means having an online presence.
- Ask for a List of Servers – DBA candidates need to ask as many questions as they answer during the interview.
- Browse All Posts Tagged “Interview Tips”
Kind of a late reply, but I was just in the situation of interviewing a candidate, where I had to recognize, he was not really telling the truth in his CV regarding his SQL Server skills.
So, there’s another tip: Be honest. Always. Don’t tune your CV too much.
You can read the full store here:
http://sqlserver-online.blogspot.com/2010/02/are-you-sql-server-guru.html
Ha! That’s a great story. I’ve been in interviews like that, and I know exactly what you mean.
Thanks, Brent. Actually this also hasn’t been my first time that this happened to me.
So, when you read my blog post, of course I have to ask you this one question: Are you a SQL Server guru?
Well, my business card does say SQL Server Expert….
It took me several months before I could say that with a straight face. I felt really guilty about that, because I always try to hang around smart people so that I can learn more. I look at my peer group, and they’re people who are doing amazing things with SQL Server, so I don’t feel so smart. However, when I travel the country and talk to other DBAs, I can see that I’m probably in the top 1% in terms of skills, so I feel better about calling myself an expert.