Interview Questions

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 2:24 pm

Hi,

The "one man" radio shop for the County I work for is in the process of hiring another technician. Because I am the "RadioMan" I was put in charge of coming up with some technical questions for the interview portion.

The problem is, I am having a hard time coming up with good questions off the top of my head that will help us choose the right candidate for the job.

We are looking for a technician who can do bench repair and field repair, WILLING to do some installs, preventive maint. and someone who has some trunking experience.

We are 95% VHF conventional but will be switching to a Motorola Type II trunking system by the end of this year (Sheriff Department).

Is there a website you know of that can help me with coming up with some good interview questions? or does anyone have some interview questions that have worked good for you in the past you could share?

Maybe I can make some up using the info on this forum but if anyone can help out I would appreciate the help. Thanks Dave

10-95 · Post by **10-95** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 2:41 pm

Most equiptment in use by a lot of citys seems to have the same problems most of the time. I'd star by taking him out in the shop and give him a few common problems and have him tell you what he would do or how he would go about trouble shooting and repair.

Frank

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 2:56 pm

The "classic" problem is: give the person a 35 watt soldering iron, a lenth of RG8, and a PL259 connector and have them attach the connector. The proper answer is: It requires a soldering iron of much greater capacity, ie; 100 w, than the one you have provided.

Nand · Post by **Nand** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 3:28 pm

RadioSouth · Post by **RadioSouth** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 4:07 pm

Naber or GROL would be a good requirement for starts.

wiliki46 · Post by **wiliki46** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 4:41 pm

In the past couple of years I have taken a class or two on the interview process. Consider asking specific questions. This is the new way of doing interviews. Having yes no type of questions will not give you the information you want. Ask for example,"What was your most recent install and how did it go? " This will answer many questions with one question. You will find out if the applicant can do an install, competancy level, and if they are willing to do an install. If you are not comfortable always ask followup questions. Consider yourself also when asking questions because I am guessing the person will be working with you. "Tell me about a time you had a problem with your co worker?" What did you do to solve the problem?" How was your working relationship afterward?" I hope this helps.

Nand · Post by **Nand** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 4:47 pm

metro121 · Post by **metro121** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 5:36 pm

As stupid as this may sound, take a perfectly good working radio and set it on the bench with a bad fuse. Tell the applicant that you have been working on it for an hour and can't figure out whats wrong and ask him to take a shot at it and see what he does.

Monty · Post by **Monty** » Fri Jun 07, 2002 6:35 pm

HI:

Questions / Answers alone will not aquires a good Tech.

In general, one should ask a varity of questions
centered around ( Your job parameters ) and
should cover a wide specrum of capabilities.

Some should invlove [ Theroy ] general
stuff , like Ohms law, color codes, meter
readings and the like.

Then one should really pay attention to
[ Common-Sense ] issues. If you are hiring
a person to work in a [ Insured facility ] you
would not want to have the type to drill holes
through a floor into a vehicals gas tank.

( Its happened )

General Math questions are a good idea. See if
a prospective employee can multiply percentages
in ( his / her ) head.

All in all, what is most important is the [ Technical Skill ]

Do general stuff, see if the person(s) , applicants
can solder on a PL-259 Connector / BNC's / Type 'N"
male-felmale. See how well they do, and pay attention
to the " extras' ( Did they remove all the solder flux ?)

Did they prep the connector? prep the Soldering tips?
Use solder with Silver Content?

A good test is to see how one does with a [ Mini-UHF ]
connector...You would be amased at the 100's of connectors
I have had to replace / or repair, not to mention the damage
to the radio.

Good Clean Repair Skills are a clue as to how someone
will work out in the Two-Way business....Can't Solder, Can't
Add/Subtract, Can't use Common-Sense, is a good indication
of a fellow who Can't work in the Two-Way business.

I could imagine now a Invoice filled out.

All in all, look for Certifications like [ CET ]. [ FCC Licneses ],
of course any College is ideal, and [ Ham Radio Certificates ]
are pretty fair too.

Any long term experience in the Two-Way world is a
Plus.

Monty

R F Burns · Post by **R F Burns** » Sun Jun 09, 2002 3:59 am

Ask him/her if he/she has ever touched their tongue to a 9-volt battery to see if it still has a charge in it.

-RFB

N4UMJ · Post by **N4UMJ** » Mon Jun 10, 2002 4:19 am

Well, this is all relevant as I am preparing my resume for a City Radio Shop opening. Everyone wish me luck on this. Can I put down Bat-Labs as a reference?

I have the FCC GROL and Ham Ticket too (This is sometimes a good thing) but I have seen people that posess the GROL that have never picked up a soldering iron. So, the iron test would be a good one if the potential candidate does'nt harm him/herself!

I would think an interviewer would want to consider how well this potential employee gets along with others as wiliki46 stated. Sometimes a person needs to work as a team and be open to solutions or ideas from others.

As for technical content I came across a study guide for Bellsouth Applicants that shows what they look for.

http://www.asisvcs.com/bellsouth/testtips.html

The Basic Electricity and Electronics in it might provide some good general questions. Certainly throw in some questions about "db" gains and losses.

One of my previous interviews involved answering a question about the most likely cause of a failed power supply after being handed the schematic. I would love a hands on interview as I think I would do great in that situation. However, most times it's a one on one talk with another person in mangement that does not know the everyday routine for the position they're hiring.

You may also want to consider the steps the person takes to insure his/ her's and others safety. The drill bit question is a good one. A person that is thinking ahead will avoid those expensive sometimes dangerous mistakes. In my last job working third shift I found I really had to try hard to focus on safety first. Most accidents occurred in the last couple of hours of the nightshift.

Ed
N4UMJ

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Jun 10, 2002 9:40 am

Thanks for all the input! It should help me out greatly. Working in a Government agency means we have a Department called Human Resources or HR (they are EVIL) they make up all the "rules" for questions for interviewing and testing. The new rule is, it can only be a question that has an exact answer. This is making my job harder because people do things differently but it doesn't mean either one of them is wrong. The connect a connector to the cable test might work ok but I do know some mechanics here at work who can do a really nice job installing a connector....but I wouldn't want them repairing radios.

Wiliki46 thanks for your input. I will see if the install question is ok with HR, it may be too broad but it sounds good to me. Yes, I will have to work with the new person and I think we do have some questions pertaining to how well do you work with others but I will have to double check.

I will do some research with the info everyone listed here and maybe someone has something else to add. Thanks again for the help. Dave

P.S. if anyone is interested in applying send me your email address and when the job opens I can send you the info.

Znarx · Post by **Znarx** » Tue Jun 11, 2002 7:38 am

ask yourself this first... am I looking for a technician or an installer.. you can take anyone off the street and teach them to install correctly in a week and yes that does include teaching how to install connectors on cable

Post by **alex** » Tue Jun 11, 2002 7:40 am

Znarx wrote:ask yourself this first... am I looking for a technician or an installer.. you can take anyone off the street and teach them to install correctly in a week and yes that does include teaching how to install connectors on cable

However, getting someone who has the ability to effectivly troubleshoot thier problems before coming to you for help is another skill that you can't develop with one weeks worth of training. Radios aren't always that forgiving, esp. Motorola stuff....

-Alex

Cat_Herder · Post by **Cat_Herder** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 9:38 am

I do admit that placing a known good working radio on the bench and having a blown fuse inline is a good test of the "LOFTSS" principle....
I would ask to see the prospective technician perform a certification test on the equipment *after* locating the blown fuse. That would tell you whether that person can perform A/ reciever testing to manufacturer spec and B/ transmitter testing to manufacturer spec. (I know I know that's time consuming, but....if you're working with equipment that is going to be fielded out where ppl's lives' are on the line...then it pays to make certain that equipment is going to work turn-key...)
my 2 cents...

mear...

2wayfreq · Post by **2wayfreq** » Tue Jun 18, 2002 12:16 pm

hi,
Speaking of NABER and GROL, where would someone go to school for such things? I live in southern calif. I have a BS from DeVRY in telecom but want to get on the radio side..

Interview Questions

Interview Questions

Technical questions to ask in an interview....