job interview question

[pontifex]

If you're going into a job interview and the interviewer asks "how are your IP skills?", what exactly are they asking about?

 

[SirChadwick]

Google.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1779

 

[FreshCrabLegs]

Interpersonal Communication skills?

 

[James Bond]

Edit: What IT job are you applying for? The question is broad, but could definitely be narrowed down depending on what sort of job you're interviewing for.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: SirChadwick
Google.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1779

let me narrow it down a bit. this was for a tech support type position.

 

[OCGuy]

It means if he gives you an IP, do you know how to use a locator and tell him the city.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: SirChadwick
Google.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1779

nice link

and i think that if you dont know how to answer that, you probably dont have any

 

[spidey07]

Do you have working knowledge of the IP protocol and it's related protocols. That's what it means.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: SirChadwick
Google.

http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1779

let me narrow it down a bit. this was for a tech support type position.

maybe he meant "can you deal with subnetting and not fuck it up?"

 

[SirChadwick]

OP, I think you're overthinking here... just maybe.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

 

[NuroMancer]

I agree it probably based on the IP Protocol.

The only other applicable thing I can think of would be in regards to intellectual property?

Don't be afraid to clarify the question imho.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: SirChadwick
OP, I think you're overthinking here... just maybe.

maybe i am but when they say IP skills, isn't that a bit broad? like i said in a previous post, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside. i don't know how to configure a switch or router beyond one you would use in your home.

this is what the interviewer told me as to why they didn't select me "your experience with IP troubleshooting, Desktop systems (XP and Linux), and router experience was not as deep as others".

I don't have any experience with Linux, but I have tons of experience with XP so I don't get that comment.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

 

[OCGuy]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

TWSS

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

TWSS

Haha. She did say that.

 

[MBony]

Originally posted by: FreshCrabLegs
Interpersonal Communication skills?

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

tech support

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

tech support

If it's basic tech support they will just want to know that you understand the basics of IP addressing and IP communication. So when a customer calls up and their IP is 10.10.10.5/24, you will understand WHY they can't communicate with the 192.168.100.0/24 devices.

I doubt they are wanting subnetting and specific protocols.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

tech support

If it's basic tech support they will just want to know that you understand the basics of IP addressing and IP communication. So when a customer calls up and their IP is 10.10.10.5/24, you will understand WHY they can't communicate with the 192.168.100.0/24 devices.

I doubt they are wanting subnetting and specific protocols.

i understand that part. i guess maybe i didn't express it well enough or understand the question well enough in the interview then. i guess i'll have to ask them to clarify what they mean if this happens in the future.

 

[manlymatt83]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: James Bond
If you have no idea what they mean, then your answer should be: "Not so hot"

thats basically what i said. i take it to mean configuring routers\switches and like wan type stuff.

i mean, i know how to troubleshoot connectivity issues within the LAN and maybe to where the the connectivity stops to the outside.

What position?

tech support

If it's basic tech support they will just want to know that you understand the basics of IP addressing and IP communication. So when a customer calls up and their IP is 10.10.10.5/24, you will understand WHY they can't communicate with the 192.168.100.0/24 devices.

I doubt they are wanting subnetting and specific protocols.

Actually, if you bridge them together....

 

[pontifex]

sometimes i get confused by things too, like they'll ask a question about something and i'll not understand what they mean and i'll answer that i don't know, but then i realize that i did know what they meant, i just used a different term for it or maybe i didn't know the term at all, but actually did know how to do what they asked.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: pontifex
sometimes i get confused by things too, like they'll ask a question about something and i'll not understand what they mean and i'll answer that i don't know, but then i realize that i did know what they meant, i just used a different term for it or maybe i didn't know the term at all, but actually did know how to do what they asked.

Yeah, missed opportunities during interviews can be detrimental. On a question like that they should have (IMO) been more specific. Don't be afraid to ask for some clarification or an example.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: pontifex
sometimes i get confused by things too, like they'll ask a question about something and i'll not understand what they mean and i'll answer that i don't know, but then i realize that i did know what they meant, i just used a different term for it or maybe i didn't know the term at all, but actually did know how to do what they asked.

Yeah, missed opportunities during interviews can be detrimental. On a question like that they should have (IMO) been more specific. Don't be afraid to ask for some clarification or an example.

This is very important.

If you don't understand have them clarify or give them an example of it that you know and branch out from there.

If you know then give them an example. Examples are what the interviewers want. They don't care if you know this or that, they want examples of how you know it and example of your 'working knowledge'. Not stuff you wrote down on your cv that says you know this.

Koing

 

[EMPshockwave82]

If it's basic tech support skills they could be meaning as simple as 127.0.0.1 tells you what? If someone gives you 169.254.x.x what does that mean?

It depends on how basic the job is. Poorly worded question IMO. I would have said something like, "That's a broad scope. Can you narrow down what type of IP skills you are referring to." If they can't narrow it down then they are going as basic as possible. If they can narrow it down then you know what you're up against.