had phone interview for a company that seems p rad with their vp of data
they gonna bring me in for in person interviews
i felt unprepared for it, but went okay, made a few small mistakes but nothing major
got email from the guy
As I mentioned, our data analyst team deals with very large data sets, and a strong comfort level in SQL is very helpful. The best way to get better there is simply with more experience with that. If you have a chance to review aspects of SQL in advance of your coming in for an interview, that will likely be helpful too. I also encourage you to think about our business model and to come in with as many pointed questions as possible.
MUST PREPARE!!!!
tips?
also what kind of pointed questions are good questions hmm
What database technologies are they using and why? What are there solutions today and moving forward? Do they have a roadmap around cloud-based processing or integration? What toolsets are they using? How are you creating value with your data, and what is preventing that value from being more widespread?
Study up on best practices around data governance as well as around new data trends. Watch some keynotes from PASS and the Databricks conference to get an idea of what's going on in the data world right now.
Take a look at different database reporting tools. Do they roll their own in SSRS? Or do they have some kind of Business Objects solution or whatever.
Thanks folks, this is helpful. I don't have a ton of database experience, just like, SQL basics
It's a data analyst role. This is a helpful start, I'll look into these things.
So you guys may be aware that I have switched careers and am now working in IT. Namely internal stuff for our company - we handle the AD, and computer management and repairs and software and security... etc etc. I was hired to be the go-to for Macs as they become a standard offering to employees but I do a lot of other stuff too.
I'm sure this is old hat to those of you who have been in IT for years but I've finally gone ahead and created a special folder in my inbox to preserve the real gems we get in our ticketing system.
For instance, the old dude yesterday who is a member of too many UNIX groups but wants to be removed from one that he just isn't a member of. When I asked if he'd recently logged out of his sessions at all, he ignored me. I sent him a screen cap of the list of groups to which he actually belongs and asked him to choose the one that he would like to be removed from, and he ignored that. I also asked how he was generating the list of groups to which he belongs, to which he responded: "I ran the linux command "groups" in a terminal. Is there any other way?"
I'm beginning to understand the jokes people make about linux users.
Oh, or the ticket filed this morning with the following content:
I would like for you to adjust the heat up again for me please. I borrowed [Dude's] desk clock that has a room temperature sensor in it. His office was comfortable at 74.6 degrees. I’ve let the temp sensor sit in my office most of the day now and it has stabilized around 72 – 72.4 degrees. It is still a bit too cold in my office for me. I am having to wear my coat and button it up all the way.
Right, into my new Elegance & Class subfolder you go!
I am cold at anything under 74 degrees if I'm not moving around. For this reason, I keep a light fleece jacket, a hat, a scarf, and several pairs of wrist warmers at my desk.
Cold people can layer up; it's not a new concept.
I'm wearing a jacket right now and am perfectly fine. Without the jacket I'm a bit cold. I can fix the problem so I do; I don't expect others to fix the problem unless the A/C gets turned on again. Then we're gonna have a problem.
So you guys may be aware that I have switched careers and am now working in IT. Namely internal stuff for our company - we handle the AD, and computer management and repairs and software and security... etc etc. I was hired to be the go-to for Macs as they become a standard offering to employees but I do a lot of other stuff too.
I'm sure this is old hat to those of you who have been in IT for years but I've finally gone ahead and created a special folder in my inbox to preserve the real gems we get in our ticketing system.
For instance, the old dude yesterday who is a member of too many UNIX groups but wants to be removed from one that he just isn't a member of. When I asked if he'd recently logged out of his sessions at all, he ignored me. I sent him a screen cap of the list of groups to which he actually belongs and asked him to choose the one that he would like to be removed from, and he ignored that. I also asked how he was generating the list of groups to which he belongs, to which he responded: "I ran the linux command "groups" in a terminal. Is there any other way?"
I'm beginning to understand the jokes people make about linux users.
Oh, or the ticket filed this morning with the following content:
I would like for you to adjust the heat up again for me please. I borrowed [Dude's] desk clock that has a room temperature sensor in it. His office was comfortable at 74.6 degrees. I’ve let the temp sensor sit in my office most of the day now and it has stabilized around 72 – 72.4 degrees. It is still a bit too cold in my office for me. I am having to wear my coat and button it up all the way.
Right, into my new Elegance & Class subfolder you go!
I am cold at anything under 74 degrees if I'm not moving around. For this reason, I keep a light fleece jacket, a hat, a scarf, and several pairs of wrist warmers at my desk.
had phone interview for a company that seems p rad with their vp of data
they gonna bring me in for in person interviews
i felt unprepared for it, but went okay, made a few small mistakes but nothing major
got email from the guy
As I mentioned, our data analyst team deals with very large data sets, and a strong comfort level in SQL is very helpful. The best way to get better there is simply with more experience with that. If you have a chance to review aspects of SQL in advance of your coming in for an interview, that will likely be helpful too. I also encourage you to think about our business model and to come in with as many pointed questions as possible.
MUST PREPARE!!!!
tips?
also what kind of pointed questions are good questions hmm
What database technologies are they using and why? What are there solutions today and moving forward? Do they have a roadmap around cloud-based processing or integration? What toolsets are they using? How are you creating value with your data, and what is preventing that value from being more widespread?
Study up on best practices around data governance as well as around new data trends. Watch some keynotes from PASS and the Databricks conference to get an idea of what's going on in the data world right now.
Take a look at different database reporting tools. Do they roll their own in SSRS? Or do they have some kind of Business Objects solution or whatever.
Thanks folks, this is helpful. I don't have a ton of database experience, just like, SQL basics
It's a data analyst role. This is a helpful start, I'll look into these things.
The office has office dogs!
For data analyst role, look into database and information management concepts, as you will need to know potential impacts from things like data grain mismatches, duplication of data, nullability, how to clean data to fix all the previous items mentioned etc.
A lot of data is not actually looking at data, but rather the processes that create and update it and how they work, as once you understand the flow and the change agents, you can eliminate any potential issues through appropriate processes on the data.
Speaking of switching vendors, we keep switching sign post vendors and the old one keeps buying out the people we switch to.
You're being vendor-stalked?
Our post company currently gets the job done pretty fast for a decent price, but they aren't always the most friendly on the phone, and their website totally sucks, so adjusting orders is a pain. This is why we've switched before, but no matter where we go, we just end up with their crummy website and customer service again.
and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
but they're listening to every word I say
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
My office says 72, but that's only where the thermostat is. We keep the heat kind of cranked up since the windows are so drafty.
and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
but they're listening to every word I say
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Erin The RedThe Name's Erin! Woman, Podcaster, Dungeon Master, IT nerd, Parent, Trans. AMABaton Rouge, LARegistered Userregular
Ugh. God dammit. Deep breaths.
Medical just sent us this long ranting email complaining about the way the software is currently working.
We paid to have all of the inmate transfers entered into system a automatically pull into system b and update their location for proper scheduling of medical stuff.
The problem with that is that the system doesn't know who at the new facility to assign all the existing requests to, so it just goes to the first name on the list for the facility. The medical folks wanted to be able to customize that part, but it would require some coding on the vendor's end so they quoted us a 2200 dollar price tag for two man days of coding.
We have 10,000 of credit for programming days which we have yet to use because medical is so wishy washy on everything.
We get the email complaining about how the whole process should be automated and that it is absolutely ridiculous that it isn't and that the software is garbage and so on and so forth. We reply back that we have been bringing the solution up to medical every meeting they've discussed it since MARCH, and tell them that the cost to have the change implemented will be 2200 and come out of our 10k of free money. She proceeds to go ballistic and demand a meeting with them first thing in the morning tomorrow.
To yell at them over the thing that we just told her. The thing that IT and the vendor have been waiting for them to actually say yes to.
Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I cannot sleep unless it's pretty cool temperature-wise and I'm having an ongoing issue with my roommate where she turns the AC off or way WAY up
I'm like girl I know you're from Texas and I'm not but you can fucking layer, and unless you want me to rock around ass naked ALL THE TIME we are going to need to compromise at 68-70 degrees here
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Odd question. One of our business partners at work is a large oil company and gives out branded swag during the year. Pens, those dashboard sticky pads, stressballs, etc. Today I came in to some cool stuff, including what appears to be an 11x17 mouse pad. What is the purpose of a mouse pad that large?
Odd question. One of our business partners at work is a large oil company and gives out branded swag during the year. Pens, those dashboard sticky pads, stressballs, etc. Today I came in to some cool stuff, including what appears to be an 11x17 mouse pad. What is the purpose of a mouse pad that large?
Drafting? I'd have to have a fuck-off huge monitor to want to use that, though.
Medical just sent us this long ranting email complaining about the way the software is currently working.
We paid to have all of the inmate transfers entered into system a automatically pull into system b and update their location for proper scheduling of medical stuff.
The problem with that is that the system doesn't know who at the new facility to assign all the existing requests to, so it just goes to the first name on the list for the facility. The medical folks wanted to be able to customize that part, but it would require some coding on the vendor's end so they quoted us a 2200 dollar price tag for two man days of coding.
We have 10,000 of credit for programming days which we have yet to use because medical is so wishy washy on everything.
We get the email complaining about how the whole process should be automated and that it is absolutely ridiculous that it isn't and that the software is garbage and so on and so forth. We reply back that we have been bringing the solution up to medical every meeting they've discussed it since MARCH, and tell them that the cost to have the change implemented will be 2200 and come out of our 10k of free money. She proceeds to go ballistic and demand a meeting with them first thing in the morning tomorrow.
To yell at them over the thing that we just told her. The thing that IT and the vendor have been waiting for them to actually say yes to.
Burn it down. I'm done. People are hell.
Medical are a bunch of prima donnas. They don't care about policy, have taken over entire rooms before, and are generally a pain in the ass. I can generally tell who's Medical around here because of the way they consider everything to be about them. If there's people waiting to get out of a sally port and they're waiting to go in they'll barge right in as soon as that gate opens wide enough and everyone better get out of their way.
Odd question. One of our business partners at work is a large oil company and gives out branded swag during the year. Pens, those dashboard sticky pads, stressballs, etc. Today I came in to some cool stuff, including what appears to be an 11x17 mouse pad. What is the purpose of a mouse pad that large?
I worked for a firearm manufacturer for a period of time and we gave away lots of those sold as both mousepads and benchmats. No idea what an oil company might consider them for.
Any particular resources you'd recommend, or is googling gonna get me what I need
you mention they're into travel - research travel data stores/interfaces etc. and go from there. In general terms, make sure you know principles around keys, indexing and SQL optimization (basically read query plan, apply stats/index). Also key is the principles around star schemas, modern database design, as well as the disruptive forces of NoSQL and cloud processing. While it sounds complex, it all boils down to - get data, work data, output data. Just the where and how changes.
+1
Options
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I cannot sleep unless it's pretty cool temperature-wise and I'm having an ongoing issue with my roommate where she turns the AC off or way WAY up
I'm like girl I know you're from Texas and I'm not but you can fucking layer, and unless you want me to rock around ass naked ALL THE TIME we are going to need to compromise at 68-70 degrees here
Yeah, get nekkid. If she don't like it she can turn the thermostat down.
I cannot sleep unless it's pretty cool temperature-wise and I'm having an ongoing issue with my roommate where she turns the AC off or way WAY up
I'm like girl I know you're from Texas and I'm not but you can fucking layer, and unless you want me to rock around ass naked ALL THE TIME we are going to need to compromise at 68-70 degrees here
Yeah, get nekkid. If she don't like it she can turn the thermostat down.
68-70 is super warm. I sweat sleeping in those temps under normal covers.
fighting with vendors because they change their processes, but don't tell us. but you see, they did tell us. they sent us an email. only that email was to an account that was disabled when all our systems were moved to the new servers and nobody mentioned the disabling to us, or the vendors.
fighting with the same vendor because they fucked up a customer's install/connection by their tech completely not doing a step of the process. We tell them to go fix it, they say "no, you have to fill this form out first", which would charge the customer. We say "no, you fucked up go fix it," they say, "no, you have to fill out this other form first", which would charge our company. We say, "no, seriously, you fucked up. go fucking fix it at no charge to us or the customer," and they say "well you see, this is the standard process now as of 1 December and you got an email about it so no." And I go FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF. and then place the second form that they asked for and we'd better not get fucking charged for it.
Fighting with the same vendor (surprise surprise) because they are incapable of critical thinking skills. If you start a new process, don't inform us, we figure it out on our own, jump into the process and then ask for clarifications of situations outside of the process that haven't been thought of, or covered, DON'T fucking respond to us and say 'you should be following the process'.
Seriously.
Don't set up a spreadsheet you're going to send to us weekly, forget to send it to us, finally send it to us when we ask your third tier manager about what the fuck is going on, and then constantly refer to that spreadsheet for any queries. Especially when the order in question isn't on the fucking spreadsheet because it was placed with you after the spreadsheet was fucking generated.
Me: Can we have an update about this? customer is advising X
Them: Please refer to your spreadsheet for all information regarding these types of orders.
Me: This order is not in the spreadsheet, it's too new.
Them: Well of course it's not in the spreadsheet, this order was created after the spreadsheet was generated.
Me: ... i am going to kill you through the computer screen
And then, on top of all of this, this SAME VENDOR came into the office today to bring us Pizza and beer as a "thanks for working with us all year" thing. And they even managed to screw THAT up.
They ask, which of these 3 companies would you like pizza from? We all unanimously say "pizza C! It's the best pizza!" So they go and order from Pizza company A. Which has shit pizza, strange combinations and is just all around gross (I'm likely to be lynched and not welcome as a Kiwi for saying that but ohwell it's true). And then on top of that, they didn't order a single pizza for our vegetarian people. Which is maybe 1/4 of the people who were being given pizza. No. They got potato wedges.
Just.
FUCK. THIS. DAY.
Oh, why dont' we get another vendor? Because we can't. They are the only ones in the majority of the country and if we have any hope of actually surpassing or challenging the big companies, we have to use this vendor.
But, on a positive note, our company is tracking on budget, and hey, our ARPU and EBITDA look great (I dont know what the fuck those are, stop talking in acronyms and synergy and not making any sense, I have work to do you big suit who couldn't even be bothered to introduce yourself to us when you were hired by our corporate masters).
*deeeeep breath*
And then I was making dinner and the pot slipped and I ended up spilling like half the pasta into the sink because it was either that or spill it on myself and just.... I want chocolate.
EBITDA is a real thing though.. it's not made up at all
Posts
Thanks folks, this is helpful. I don't have a ton of database experience, just like, SQL basics
It's a data analyst role. This is a helpful start, I'll look into these things.
The office has office dogs!
I'm wearing a jacket right now and am perfectly fine. Without the jacket I'm a bit cold. I can fix the problem so I do; I don't expect others to fix the problem unless the A/C gets turned on again. Then we're gonna have a problem.
but they're listening to every word I say
You're being vendor-stalked?
Jeez that's at the upper edge of my comfort zone.
Are you a lizard person?
Damb lizard people.
For data analyst role, look into database and information management concepts, as you will need to know potential impacts from things like data grain mismatches, duplication of data, nullability, how to clean data to fix all the previous items mentioned etc.
A lot of data is not actually looking at data, but rather the processes that create and update it and how they work, as once you understand the flow and the change agents, you can eliminate any potential issues through appropriate processes on the data.
Our post company currently gets the job done pretty fast for a decent price, but they aren't always the most friendly on the phone, and their website totally sucks, so adjusting orders is a pain. This is why we've switched before, but no matter where we go, we just end up with their crummy website and customer service again.
but they're listening to every word I say
Any particular resources you'd recommend, or is googling gonna get me what I need
but they're listening to every word I say
Medical just sent us this long ranting email complaining about the way the software is currently working.
We paid to have all of the inmate transfers entered into system a automatically pull into system b and update their location for proper scheduling of medical stuff.
The problem with that is that the system doesn't know who at the new facility to assign all the existing requests to, so it just goes to the first name on the list for the facility. The medical folks wanted to be able to customize that part, but it would require some coding on the vendor's end so they quoted us a 2200 dollar price tag for two man days of coding.
We have 10,000 of credit for programming days which we have yet to use because medical is so wishy washy on everything.
We get the email complaining about how the whole process should be automated and that it is absolutely ridiculous that it isn't and that the software is garbage and so on and so forth. We reply back that we have been bringing the solution up to medical every meeting they've discussed it since MARCH, and tell them that the cost to have the change implemented will be 2200 and come out of our 10k of free money. She proceeds to go ballistic and demand a meeting with them first thing in the morning tomorrow.
To yell at them over the thing that we just told her. The thing that IT and the vendor have been waiting for them to actually say yes to.
Burn it down. I'm done. People are hell.
I'm like girl I know you're from Texas and I'm not but you can fucking layer, and unless you want me to rock around ass naked ALL THE TIME we are going to need to compromise at 68-70 degrees here
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Drafting? I'd have to have a fuck-off huge monitor to want to use that, though.
yes well I'd feel sorry for you if I hadn't spent the whole day melting down into a puddle of greasey sweat
Medical are a bunch of prima donnas. They don't care about policy, have taken over entire rooms before, and are generally a pain in the ass. I can generally tell who's Medical around here because of the way they consider everything to be about them. If there's people waiting to get out of a sally port and they're waiting to go in they'll barge right in as soon as that gate opens wide enough and everyone better get out of their way.
that is a long interview
oh lawd
Which intelligence agency are you applying for.
but they're listening to every word I say
it's just a startup that does ad / e-commerce stuff related to travel
Just rocked the face off a phone interview.
They want to meet for the face to face right as my plane home for the holidays takes off.
Practice your handjob technique for DW. Also, gin up some detached retina paperwork.
but they're listening to every word I say
and all of a sudden shriek ASK IS NOT A NOUN
and then throw myself out a window
That's a pretty big ask.
FUCK YOU.
I worked for a firearm manufacturer for a period of time and we gave away lots of those sold as both mousepads and benchmats. No idea what an oil company might consider them for.
Not bad apart from where you throw the wrong guy out of the window
Yeah my first interview here was a phone interview with two people
Then my in-person was four hours long and I met and was interviewed by the whole department basically
Then I waited two weeks and had another in-person
Then I had a meeting with the department head over coffee
Then I was hired yay!
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
but neglected to tell people that meant it was over as of December 1st.
I'm out. Going home. Fuck this place.
you mention they're into travel - research travel data stores/interfaces etc. and go from there. In general terms, make sure you know principles around keys, indexing and SQL optimization (basically read query plan, apply stats/index). Also key is the principles around star schemas, modern database design, as well as the disruptive forces of NoSQL and cloud processing. While it sounds complex, it all boils down to - get data, work data, output data. Just the where and how changes.
Yeah, get nekkid. If she don't like it she can turn the thermostat down.
68-70 is super warm. I sweat sleeping in those temps under normal covers.
edit for the non-technical crowd: the rule basically made it so that the firewall didn't even exist.
EBITDA is a real thing though.. it's not made up at all