Snappy Interviews: 100 Questions To Ask Oracle Dbas [Paperback]

Christopher Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2008

The questions in this guide have been selected using this framework: (1) Questions should reflect understanding of concepts (2) Questions should reflect actual hands-on experience (3) Questions should not be based on memorization of arcane names or syntax (4) Questions should reflect issues seen by the majority of DBAs of that skill level. The intent of the questions is that most DBAs, for a given skill level, can successfully answer most of the interview questions. Naturally, no one person could be expected to flawlessly answer all of the senior-level questions. Even the most adept DBAs have some areas of weakness. In order to test the fairness of the questions, I asked numerous DBAs, from different backgrounds and companies, to review the questions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Chris Lawson is an Oracle Performance Consultant and Oracle “Ace” who lives with his family in Dublin, California. He is the author of The Art & Science of Oracle Performance Tuning, available on Amazon. Chris’ web site is: www.Oraclemagician.Com. In his spare time, Chris enjoys golf, choral singing (bass), and throwing frisbees to Morgan (the border collie).

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace; 1ST edition (January 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434826201
• ISBN-13: 978-1434826206
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Part of a solid foundation for any DBA interview, February 9, 2008

By 

Antony Fewster (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Snappy Interviews: 100 Questions To Ask Oracle Dbas (Paperback)

This is a great interview reference for both candidates and interviewers. It provides a structured framework for assessing technical proficiency not only in asking how, but more importantly - why. The questions are without ambiguity, and give opportunity for a candidate to demonstrate their knowledge without the need to interpret the question.

For intermediate & experienced DBA's I would recommend partnering these questions with real life scenarios, along the lines of the following "describe a specific situation when insert_issue_here , what was the problem, the resolution, steps to avoid in future" etc. More often than not, a candidates assessment of an issue can be more important than their ability to resolve from memory.

Chris has taken the leg work out of the interview process - how often do interviewers (DBA's & managers!) think of questions on the spot? This book offers some great Q&A, allowing the manager and team can pick a select few, and be consistent and objective in the process.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good book for both the interviewer and the candidate, March 6, 2008

By 

William E. Moller (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Snappy Interviews: 100 Questions To Ask Oracle Dbas (Paperback)

I have been an Oracle DBA consultant since version 7 and have found that a book like this is really needed. On job interviews my clients usually ask questions that are too easy and don't assess my skills or I get arcane trick questions where the interviewer is trying to impress me with his knowledge. Neither of those approaches will tell them what I can do. Most of the material out there about how to interview Oracle DBA's is based on theory and doesn't assess a job candidates real skills. I tried answering all the questions in this book and certainly didn't know all the answers but felt it was very fair and would quickly show the difference between someone who had read a few books and someone who had real world experience. The questions are well written and the answers focus on real world solutions. I have to admit I learned quite a few new things. I plan to use the book primarily to help me create a structured plan of the areas I need to go back and study. I will also keep it handy and use it when asked to interview Oracle DBA candidates. It will provide an impartial way to compare the candidates skills and improve the quality of the recommendations I make.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good way to prep for an interview, February 20, 2009

By 

Girlgeek (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snappy Interviews: 100 Questions To Ask Oracle Dbas (Paperback)

I just spent some hours prepping for an interview with a "Snappy Interviews". It was a BIG help. Going through the book really helped remind me of what I know. No, it is not a book to learn Oracle from. It is a book to help you put together answers on areas of Oracle that you know. It is a book that points out the areas that you need to sharpen up your answers.
It sure felt good to feel prepared for the interview.