Technical Round
Technical interviews are mostly held by the tech leads, although project managers are part of the interview sometimes. When I mean technical, it could be for an SAP functional position, ABAP, Basis or other technical positions. Not all types of interviews have all of the following phases. For eg., a full time position or a contract-to-hire will involve more general questions, his/her project/achievement related questions activities etc while a contract position will involve more focussed questions on the module/specifics for which he is recruited for.1.
1. Warm Up
This is just immediately following the initial meet-and-greet and offers for coffee. You will be asked questions mostly on your project history. This phase is to just assess your areas of strength. Do not panic if you are asked questions that are much unrelated to what you might have done in the past or come out-of-the-blue in terms of technology. The interviewer is just doing an initial assessment on where your strengths are and how you might fit the requirements. Sometimes your resume might not be touched either just yet. You will be explained the project scenario, what their short term and long term goals are. Once again the idea is to let you know about the back ground and to prepare you in general on the spate of questions that are going to come your way. Most of the time the people interviewing you would be either a technical lead or the project manager or both. If you are interviewing with a consulting company, sometimes managers from the client side would be present as well. For non-native English speakers, talk slowly and clearly. The process of interview almost always leads to speeding up your words. This needs to be cautiously and consciously avoided.
DOs
Come early to the interview site or to the conference call (if it is a telephonic interview). Try to follow the generic directions and smile a lot. Try to go to the rest room (interviews can last for an hour followed by another round with you sipping coffee/water in between ) required before the interview so that you can concentrate well in the interview without interruptions. Project your actual strengths Have a positive attitude and be very confident even if you are not 100% sure of the technicalities involved. Ask specific questions regarding the project/company that you are sure will project your knowledge in a positive light. Talk slowly and clearly
DON’Ts
After meeting your contact/interviewer outside, do not be on the phone with somebody else at any point before the actual interview has begun. Do not project fake skills in this phase and get into trouble. They might not need them. Do not try to steer the interviewer in the direction you want the interview to go just yet. Do not loose confidence even though you hear or are asked questions on terms that you might not have heard of. Do not get into an argument when asking questions or answering them. Just nod or say “I see” and smile when you find things that are wrong with the project being discussed.
Sample Questions
1. How do you rate yourself in XXX ( An area of an SAP module, sap SAP Pricing)? 2. Have you worked on XXX (An area of an SAP module) or YYY ( A specific business scenario, say data migration of live Purchase Orders )? 3. Give a brief about your experience? ( First and most asked question )
2. Technical Questions
This is the toughest round and what you have been preparing for all along. This round can last pretty long and if you are interviewing for a big company this phase could be done with multiple teams for multiple hours. Normally you will not be asked to come in for a technical round the next day, but during the same day, there could be one round with team A and another round with team B. 80% of the time the focus would be on your resume and the achievements you mention in your resume. The questions would not go much beyond the first and second project unless they find something interesting or something they could relate to in your 5th or 6th project. Also the type of technical questions would depend on if you are applying for a Jr., Mid-level or Sr Consultant position.
1. Prepare your resume well. You are what your resume is. If you can mirror your resume in the interview you are all set. That exactly what the interviewer is looking for. Resume preparation is an art in itself. Spend considerable amount of time tweaking it
2. Prepare your resume for the job. This applies mostly to contract jobs. This might actually sound bad but works out well. Do not present the same resume for all the jobs. Modify it to suit the requirements of the job.You do not have to go over-board with it. See if a couple of modifications here and there might increase your chances. For example, if the job requires that you know “SAP Credit Management” and if you have done credit management (although not your strength) try to expand on it. Try to do some reading if required or brush up your skills on the system. If possible try to dig out your old documents or notes that you might have. This kind of flexibility on your part can go a pretty long way in getting you the right job.
3. How to project yourself -
a. If you are applying for a Jr. Level position, project yourself as a eager enthusiastic and quick learner. Show your aptitude along with your SAP knowledge. They already know that you do not have much skill – They are just looking for somebody who is willing to learn and be flexible enough.
b. If you are applying for a mid-level SAP consultant position, project yourself as a go-to guy for specifics. You are required to solve specific problems. Your technical experience is what is being sought after. Specialization is the key.
c. If you are applying for a Sr. Level position, show your broad exposure and tell them about project experiences, methodologies, (Not just about specific checkboxes). Broad-based exposure is key.
The questions could vary depending on the style of the interviewer.
Style 1 – Based on your Resume – This is how most of the interviews take place. Since you would have already sent your resume to the team there (they have pre-screened you and said YES for an interview ),they already know that you have the skills required for the job. So its mostly a matter of convincing them that you really have it in you. If you have prepared your resume well, this interview style will really fetch you.
Style 2 – Based on current Project Situation – Some people concentrate on their current project requirements or what they have been doing for the past 1 year. These are actually the toughest questions to answer. It is actually a very bad interviewing style but you just have to take it in stride. These people are the hardest to impress. But remember, everybody who has come to the interview will face the same challenge as you do. It happens very rarely that the candidate being interviewed is very well versed with the specific topics that the interviewer is asking questions on (without referring to your resume.
Style 3 – Management style Technical questions – Sometimes project managers ask technical questions. This could be a tough call. You would have to base your answers by first judging the type of questions that he is asking. Some project managers come from a technical background and ask very relevant technical questions that test specific skills as well as overall understanding. These people cannot be fooled easily and if you have the right skills, these interviews are easy (the key to impress them easily is to explain specific project related incidents and how you have handled them, both from a project management perspective and technical perspective. These folks look mostly for a go-getter attitude). Some project managers come from non-technical background and still do the technical interview. They ask questions that are mostly related to administration (Landscapes, transports), current business scenarios and QA. All they look for is your over all confidence. You just have to say “YES I KNOW” (in other words, sound knowledgeable even on things you might not know) to all their questions because they do not know the answers themselves.
DOs
Concentrate 60% your technical preparation on the first and 20% on your second project. Prepare your resume well and prepare well for it. Be aware of every line of the first 2 pages of your resume. Explain specific instances where you have faced or solved problems. In your project summary try to list specific customization scenarios. Do not just list standard customization scenarios too much.
DON’ts
Try not to say “I don’t remember” atleast to questions in the first project. Do not ever talk too much about standard functionality. This gives them an impression that you are a trainee and have not done much customization.
Sample Questions
1. Technical questions in the subject area of expertise ( Functional/ Technical/Administration/ PM ). 2. How do you solve this scenario? ( They will give you a specific scenario and ask for your approach to solve the problem) 3. Specific customizaion examples (How to set seasonality in credit limit or how to enable line-item level view in G/L master etc)
Management Questions
This phase should actually be a breeze. The key is to understand that the interviewer in this phase WANTS to take you in. It’s yours to loose. This phase could be done by any of the following group of people
Project managers/ Program managers Project sponsors Steering Committee User Community Clients ( In case you are interviewing for a consulting company )
This interview could happen the same day or the next. This phase might or might not happen for contract jobs and even if it happens is more of a formality. But for full time employment, a management round is almost mandatory. This round as you might have guessed it just a matter of showing your soft skills. If you take out all the fluff, it boils down to the following.
1. Do your medium/long-term goals align with what the team/manager/company envisions for a person in that role?
2. Do you have what it takes to work with a team/Users? 3. Are you accomodative?
HR Round
This round applies only to Full-time employees ( Since the contracing company takes care of the contractor’s background). The HR primarily plays 2 roles here.
Investigator – employer history, background verification, criminal history verification etc. Bargain Master – Salary negotiations, relocation allowance, bonus etc. There is a ton of information on the internet on how to face HR rounds and the caveats involved.
Errors got you down? all those who are clueless as to how to fix afcdpsrv.exe error – take the time to read these brief guidelines. Fortunately, with all of the available information on the web, we can all easily fix the majority of pc troubles with little effort. Perhaps you’re working against a deadline and want a fast solution to these irritating problems – make sure you try my quick suggestions.
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An ideal situation is of course a stable pc that doesn’t occasionally “act up” however, computer users everywhere realize that we have to deal with these pc hassles. It isn’t responsible for all your pc’s problems, but likely you’ve become aware that many if not most windows errors can be traced to the registry. An essential part of the windows os, your registry has command of the dozens of settings that are necessary to use both your sw programs and hw devices – bad or damaged settings can cause you all that trouble. Although you have the ability to enter the registry and manipulate it, it is a complicated and risky task; a simple registry scanner can simply and effectively get your registry back on track. In order to use these utilities effectively, try to find one that will do regular automatic scans, so you can bypass more problems down the road.
A fragment of typical registry data might be the following series of characters: 8×00000569 (1000); change just one single character and the result may be errors popping up out of the blue. The installation of these utilities is generally very easy to carry out, but if you ever come across any problems while installing them, try a different one – there are several to choose from. Just bear in mind that windows does not have the power to run perfectly if it is lacking an operational and “clean” registry.
Registry cleaners are definitely the shortest path to fix afcdpsrv.exe error and, as it happens, the least risky when dealing with such a complex and vulnerable system. Being able to examine and fully repair a limitless quantity of registry records in a matter of moments is just one of the great qualities provided by these fixing programs. Something else you might want to try in order to stop these errors is updating your os files, and consequently get rid of problems which are attributable to out of date or damaged files. Nowadays, it’s common for people to understand how their computers work, so it’s only natural for them to want to troubleshoot whatever troubles they might have on their own – why not? Familiarity with the various components of your windows os is a good idea for everyone since it might get you right to the root of your trouble so you’ll be able to handle these issues by yourself.
A book report is another academic paper that is usually part of the requirements for students to pass especially in their English or Literature courses. Here are some tips to make an efficient book report.
Read the assigned book not just once. A book report requires a thorough and intelligent understanding of a certain book. It is suggested to read the assigned book twice or more for you to be able to fully grasp what the book is trying to say and will make your writing smooth-sailing. If there are given guide questions, understand them fully. Sometimes, instructors give guide questions that you need to answer in your book report. Carefully read and comprehend the questions and provide ample answers to them. While reading the book, take down notes. Important information are scattered in the book that may be needed in your report. Jot all what seem to be relevant and use them as sources in the course of your paper writing. If asked to write a standard book report, follow this format: Introduction, a background of the book including the author’s bio, and summary of the book; the Body that includes the details of the book such as the setting, characters, plot, and the main idea of the book; and the Evaluation and Analysis that will gauge your deep understanding of the book. Be consistent. Do not just blurt out ideas and information out of the blue. Stick to your decided theme and structure and that will make your book report clear and easy to comprehend and this will also apply to other future paper writing endeavors.
Mortgage rates have a lot to do with how well the economy is performing. When mortgage rates go up, people can no longer afford to invest money in new properties. This, of course, brings a slow down to the building trade and it also means less money will be flowing through the economy.
On the other hand, when mortgage rates go down, more people are able to buy homes. The further down rates fall, the lower the income needed to buy homes. When homes are being bought, the building trade flourishes and this stimulates the economy in many ways.
Remember high interest rates?
It’s been 20 years since we’ve seen double-digit mortgage interest rates. Going back to the late ’70s and early ’80s, double-digit mortgage rates were the norm. It wasn’t until about 1985 after the Reagan administration had put an end to stagflation and the misery index that haunted the Carter years, that mortgage rates found buoyancy at around 7%.
Since that time, mortgage rates have fluctuated between 9% and about 5.5%. All in all, it has been a long stable interest rate environment that we have enjoyed over these past years.
Higher or lower?
Now, the question is where do interest rates go from here. By reading the charts, we will attempt to predict their future movement, just as if we were reading the commodities charts to get a handle on which way the price of soybeans were headed. Then, we’re going to make a prediction about another commodity that is sure to be shocking!
At this time, it is wise to make a disclaimer. First, no one can truly predict the future and second, any world event can change what the future looks like now in a heartbeat. Also, you can’t overlook the fact these unforeseen world events can happen out of the blue. With that behind us, let’s take a look at charts.
The past 18 years
Throughout the ’90s, interest rates on 30-year fixed mortgages ranged between 9% and 7%. At the time George W. Bush took office, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 8.75 %. From here, it eased downward steadily through the first George W. Bush term. It actually hit a low of 4.75% in late 2003. Here, interest rates ranged between 6.5% and about 5.5% for the next 3 years. This was an uncommonly stable interest rate environment and it was one of the reasons the housing market became red hot, and yes, overbought.
In 2006, the trend broke above 5.5% to about 6.5%, but rates never went any higher. Now, the interest rates are hovering around six percent and trending downward.
Reading the charts
The technical trader, that is, one who trades commodities by reading charts, would certainly believe interest rates, since they are heading downward, would have to once again test the low of 4.75%. It will be important to see if a double bottom is made at 4.75%. If this bottom is made, interest rates will go up.
Because of underlying fundamentals of the market, for instance the Fed trying to lower interest rates to stimulate the housing market, it seems much more likely interest rates will break through the 4.75% low once they arrive there. If they do, a new downward trend will be on the way. Just how much lower interest rates could get, is anybody’s guess. However, it certainly isn’t out of the question we could see 4% 30-year fixed mortgage rates sometime before this downward trend ends.
4%!
Historically speaking, 4% is a very low interest rate, but at this time it truly looks like we are much more apt to see 4% than a higher number, like 7%. So, for what it’s worth, this is my prediction. We will see the interest rate on a fixed 30-year mortgage somewhere down around 4% before an inflationary aspect of the economy takes over.
Where you think this inflationary aspect will come from? Well, here is another prediction and you may find it more astounding than the first one!
The impossible dream
It’s all over for the crude oil rally. Crude oil is overbought! There is no reason for crude oil to be trading above $100 a barrel. Like the tech stock boom of the ’90s and the housing market bubble of a couple years ago, it is a rally that cannot be sustained forever!
It’s anybody’s guess as to what the true market value of crude oil is right now. However, to think it is somewhere between $50 and $60 a barrel would be logical. However, when prices fall they tend to go through the true market value before they float back up to it.
If this crude oil market bubble burst follows the same modus operandi normal market bubble bursts follow, I can’t see why it is impossible to see $35 a barrel crude oil again; at least for a little while.
What would this mean for the price of gas? Maybe $1.49 a gallon? Well this may seem totally out of whack with what we’re hearing constantly coming from our news reports day and night, don’t think it can’t happen.
Back to reality
Certainly, there will be a time when $100 will not be too high a price for a barrel of crude oil. There will come a time when $3.50 is not too much for a gallon of gas. However, the charts are telling us that time is not here yet.
So, cheap gas, like the JFK, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush tax cuts will stimulate the economy, and like the Bill Clinton Tariff agreements, it will make the cost of living lower which will make more goods affordable to the public. These things, though healthy for the economy, will bring on some inflation and this will break the interest rate downtrend.
I know these predictions seem pretty goofy and maybe they are! Still, my strategy is to believe they will happen and if they don’t, at least I’ll be happy believing them for now. Then again, if they do happen, we’ll all be happy!
Do you really know who you’re chatting with online? How about the names on your AOL buddy list? Or the friends on your Myspace page. Who are these people? You can find out who they are with a professional reverse email search.
We all have online friends, people we chat with. People that pop up out of the blue on our Myspace page or Twitter. Maybe they turned up on an email loop and now they fwd those annoying chain letters. After a while we forget they are there or where they came from. Sort of like a new couch in your living room. At first you might bump your shin a few times but after a while you forget its even there.
What if that new Myspace friend is an ex boyfriend or girlfriend spying on you under a new identity. What if it’s a former coworker or tenant that has a grudge against you and they are quietly sitting back gathering information to use against you in the future.
What about the person you are chatting with on that dating site? Are they really a cute blond living nearby just dying to meet you or are they some guy in an Internet cafe in Nigeria trying to dupe you out of cash?
Right now some creepy stalker could be spying on your every move and you would not know. In fact you could be confiding your deepest secrets to an ex wife or ex husband that is impersonating someone else via a social network or dating site.
If you find yourself asking these questions then a reverse email search and Internet investigation is what you need. You can easily find out the real name and address for just about anyone on the Internet. It does not matter if they have created a fake Myspace account or use a free anonymous email account. A professional can find out who they are.
You can find their identity, their location, the dating sites they joined and even if they visit escort services.
Everyone would agree that information is power and it’s foolish to let your guard down especially in a situation like a chat room where people routinely use anonymous screen names. If you have a funny feeling about someone or think someone is spying on you it’s probably true.
You can ease your suspicions and get the answers you need by using a reverse email search or dating service search. There are many Internet investigators that can help you but be sure to check out their reputation by doing an online Google search to see if they are an expert in email tracing.
Copyright (c) 2008 Ed Opperman