CNC interview questions

You're kidding, right? A good interviewer will grill you regarding CNC operations, and may very ask you development type questions. Be prepared to talk about OMW, OCM, spec files, security, upgrades, web solution, architecture, performance, reading log files, etc. My last interview they handed me a debug file and aske me for the solution. I was also give a logic test to assess how I tackle an issue, not neccessarily come up with the correct answer. You will be assessed on you confidence level of addressing issues, not neccessarily the correct answer, as solutions vary between releases. No offense intended, but since you felt the need to aske this question, I wouldn't hire you. A good CNC person would already know.
 
Are you looking for suggestions to help you prepare for an interview ? Or are you looking for suggestions for Interviewing candidates ?

If you're a CNC person - then you really shouldn't need preparation. You should be confident in your abilities.

However, if you're a CIO or a manager in charge to try and hire a CNC guy - then heres some pointers.

CNC Administrator (Junior Level, ~$80k fulltime)
1. What does "CNC" stand for? Can you spell CNC ?
2. What is your experience on ________ platform/DB ?
3. Whats a pathcode ?
4. Whats a role ?
5. Describe the procedure for setting up a user ?
6. What is an ESU ? What is an ASU ? What are the differences ?
7. Explain how the Data Dictionary works
8. What is OCM ? How does OneWorld use it ?
9. What is a Server Map ? What is the difference between a Server Map and System ?
10. What is OMW ? What controls it ?

CNC Administrator (Senior Level, ~$120k fulltime)
All the above plus :
1. Have you experience on other platforms/DB ? If so, what do you feel are the differences between platforms/DB ?
2. What is the difference between a partial package, a full package and an update package ?
3. What is the "bootstrap" process for a OneWorld Fat Client startup
4. What is a kernel and a listener ?
5. How do you interface to Oneworld from an external application ?
6. What are the levels of communication from a Java Application Server through to OneWorld ? How does this differ from a Win32 Client?
7. Explain the differences between the W and J environments
8. What are the deployment differences between Interactive Versions and Batch Versions ? Why is there a difference ?
9. Explain the procedure for changing a deployment server
10. Explain a process to troubleshoot a performance issue with a UBE

CNC Implementor (Consultant level)
All the above plus :
1. Explain briefly the installation process
2. Explain briefly an upgrade procedure
3. What is the difference between a data-only upgrade and a full upgrade ?
4. Explain briefly a platform migration process
5. How does the publisher/subscriber process work ?
6. What is the three-tiered architecture ? What is a virtual 3 Tier and how does it compare against a physical 3 Tier ?
7. Briefly explain a disaster recovery strategy
8. What is the difference between network latency and network bandwidth ? How do either affect JDE ?
9. What is a "closed" security model ? How does it differ from an "open" security model ?
10. Explain non-replication

These are pulled from the top of my head, and I've tried to keep them platform independent. Obviously an interviewer will also add specific platform-dependent and database-dependent questions. They'd also be interested in knowing correct answers to architecture questions that they use or are interested in. A good CNC interviewer would probably also throw in a couple of development questions and functional questions as well, depending on the level of expertise they were looking for.

Also, the above questions could have multiple good answers - it would be important to the interviewer to see HOW the candidate answers - not necessarily whether their answer matches the interviewers answer. A very confident CNC specialist should be able to identify what alternative answers are available to the above questions.

I've been known to run CNC Training Workshops from time to time (!) - and in that workshop I usually have a "final exam" - something that JDE doesn't do in their training agendas. In that final exam, I expect my passing students to receive a certain passing average - and I've never seen below 70% after a two week course. Believe me, my exam questions ain't easy !

When I was at JDE - I was asked to create a "certification" procedure for OneWorld CNC consultants and to oversee the JDE Certification for CNC. This was a relatively shortlived process at JDE (it pretty much died just after I left), but while it lasted, it really identified the wheat from the chaff ! Its a pity that Oracle don't have a similar procedure.

Anyway - others might certainly have different questions - but you should be able to gauge your experience based on answering the above set of questions !
 
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Hi
What are the interview questions asked for JDE CNC?

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1- Can you do 432 things at once, keeping track of them all, ensuring that each and every item gets the highest priority and is finished before lunch while essentially working as a software beta tester for Denver?

2- Can you do #1 with 1,000 users calling you to asking what their password is?

3- Can you do #'s 1 and 2 while a project manager is screaming at you?

4- Do you like dark, cold server rooms?
 
Here we go again...another 5 star thread
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oooh - I love it ! Top 10 CNC interviewee questions !

ok - let me add a few !

10 - can you be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ? Can you work over Christmas ? How about New Years ?

9 - can you provide functional, technical AND development skills to help us implement ? We're paying $50,000 a year by the way

8 - can you work in an environment where we don't provide a high-enough computer access to do your job ? Its just that we're a bit worried about our system administrators' job security....

7 - can you re-write JDE code ? We've had an issue for the past 11 years that JDE can't resolve...

6 - can you make our users happy ?

5 - can you make our CEO happy ?

4 - Can you make JDE work just like our old system ?

3 - Can you get us live with no budget ? We blew our money on a big-6 consulting firm that had never done an implementation before.

2 - Can you work with this outsourced group that doesn't speak english and is in charge of all our support and development ?

And the number 1 asked interview question for CNC consultants ?

1 - Can we hire you direct ?
 
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Here we go again...another 5 star thread
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I gave it a one. It's got a good beat, but it's tough to dance to. I do like the snarky questions from Jeff and Jon though....
 
LMAO!!!

Don't forget the standard tag:

No H1-B Visas, please...
 
and the punch line always includes: Can you do it in an hour with no risk!
 
My favorite.
It's 5 minutes before you leave (you are already 1 1/2 hours late) and we need to get a project into Production. . .
Tonight, oh, and it needs to be a full package. . .
Oh, and the Scheduler has jobs running all night so just kind of squeeze it in. . .
Oh, and it has to be done and ready for business by 2:00am. . .
Oh, and there are 32 Citrix servers and 6 Application servers to deploy it to.
Oh, and we really haven't had time to finish the testing yet.

Yeah, it is kind of like changing a tire on a car. . . .
While it is rolling down the freeway.

Ya gotta love this job, cause the money doesn't even cover vacations, what with the padded rooms and extremely long-sleeve jackets and all.

And to think it all started many years ago, with that dang Atari! I should have taken up auto mechanics then at least I could throw a wrench around once in a while.

But we do need to know if you need this for an upcoming interview and are you hiring or looking?
 
LOL. Late to party as always.

Jon's list above was pretty serious. There were a few questions that I had no clue on. Oh well. Just when I start to think I am getting good, the Jon's and Jeff's of the world send me back to reality. Jeff, you heading out to Quest this year?
 
Pay me $100 and I'll send you the answers....

hee hee

none of those questions should really prove to be a problem to someone working as a CNC person - we're actually in the midst of hiring someone at my customer, and you wouldn't believe the types of people that claim they can do CNC and have sent through their resumes. Might as well send through CNC Machinists !!!! Its pretty amusing being an interviewer for a change !

What I'm expecting, however, is for someone to use this list and ask ME the questions in an interview one day. That'll be a laugh.

Yo, Sarovb - could YOU answer any of the questions ? Without going to the manuals ?
 
I know the feeling...I pull off a McGyver-like rescue to get a process going to make the month-end cutoff, and I'm feeling pretty tough, like I can drive the lane and jam it. The I see those questions, and I feel the "VOIT" tattoo as I eat the ball...
 
Robert - been watching a lot of the NCAA finals? That's a heck of a sports ananlogy.

Personally I can answer all of the JR and SR questions and about half of the Consultant questions. To be honest, I can't see some of those questions as being realistic in an interview, at least not one that last 30 to 60 minutes. Much of that info would come from references or authored white papers. No offense Jon.

I was involved in the interview process here recently. Don't know if it's a company thing, or a new hot HR trend, but the interview was "speed dating" style. Each interviewer (there were six) got a 15 minute window before taking the candidate to the next person. Funny thing is, it's effective. I knew within two minutes all I needed to know about the person. We had one guy show up 45 minutes late to the interview. For that turkey, the interview was over before it started....
 
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LOL. Late to party as always.

Jon's list above was pretty serious. There were a few questions that I had no clue on. Oh well. Just when I start to think I am getting good, the Jon's and Jeff's of the world send me back to reality. Jeff, you heading out to Quest this year?

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Hey Jose, just keep in mind that I make most of this stuff up as I go along, so folks like you (and my customers) think I know what I am doing. :)


I won't be going to Quest this year, I fear that you guys will drink me into a stupor and what little CNC is left in my brain will get burnt up.
 
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Personally I can answer all of the JR and SR questions and about half of the Consultant questions. To be honest, I can't see some of those questions as being realistic in an interview, at least not one that last 30 to 60 minutes. Much of that info would come from references or authored white papers. No offense Jon.


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Oh man, you'd think I'd ask ALL those questions ? I'd probably ask maybe one or two !

Non of the questions will work out whether someone is really adept at problem solving under pressure - which is what us CNC people are really good at (I hope). Thats what I really look for in a person - but the guy DID ask for some CNC questions, and hopefully I scared him away from wasting someones time. Answering questions and finding solutions to issues you've never even heard of - thats what a true CNC person should be able to cope with, and I don't think that this guy really knows anything about that. Its a rare commodity.

We all started somewhere. I just find that the best people who are CNC guys are the ones that have been grounded with in-depth support experience - for example, supporting Windows or Networking. If you read my resume, you'll find I used to manage the dealer floor network at Kleinwort Benson (a merchant bank). Believe me, thats a stressful IT position ! Especially when we're talking Windows 3.0 and 3.1 era !

What I find recently are OneWorld or even World developers who think they can become CNC guys. A lot of them seem to have done a lot of EDI and conversion work. This is a bad trend - what makes someone with that background seriously think they have the aptitude to work as a solo CNC guy ?

Yeah, sure - they are good "junior CNC administrator" types - but c'mon, taking over a 300 user OneWorld site solo ? I don't think so.

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interview was "speed dating" style. Each interviewer (there were six) got a 15 minute window before taking the candidate to the next person.

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That works. Its usually no more than 15-20 minutes for me too - incredible that you expect to find someone who'll work within a group for the next 4-5 years or so from an interview that lasts less than 20 minutes !

If they're late for an interview, they're not committed - so yes, they're a dead duck.
 
Jon,
Our CNC people like your post very much.
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I started a new post of "Interview questions for developers". Since you worked on certification program when you were in JDE, would you please post your opinion on that thread? Thanks.
 
Hi Jon,

I'm just curious what you're basing those salary
figures on? Is that a total compensation package or
just salary? Is that what you can get in a specific
geographical region of the country or a market
average?

Thanks,
 
Salaries vary considerably across the country. I think John's numbers may be based on some of his clients in the areas where the cost of living is a little higher.
 
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