Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:16:41 -0600
Reply-To: Reeza K <fkhurshed@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From: Reeza K <fkhurshed@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: OT: Is this interview question misleading?
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTi=vt=VX7iwR6FfQmb_c-8G5PdDUC6U6D3Mn9iNk@mail.gmail.com>
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The question seems clear, but programmers aren't always articulate :).
I hate doing interview questions on paper and fortunately the majority of SAS 'tests' I've done have been computer based.
I'd wonder what you were looking for beyond an answer of 6 though? Why you get 6 records?
> Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:58:49 -0500
> From: snoopy369@GMAIL.COM
> Subject: Re: OT: Is this interview question misleading?
> To: SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
> Being on the spot gets my bet. I'm not a regular SQL user for joins, so I
> don't always remember the way SQL does things vs. how SAS does things and
> might have some hesitation (of the "I think it's this, but I don't remember
> for sure") variety [though my initial response was confirmed correct by
> testing]. Someone applying for an ETL position, though, I'd expect would
> get it easily...
>
> I spent some time recently interviewing some folks for SAS expertise
> (specifically) on behalf of another department, and found that people had a
> really hard time answering relatively simple questions, even ones I expected
> them to answer easily based on what else I knew of them. Part of it may be
> that some of the better candidates will do well in front of a PC, when they
> can try things out etc., but when simply talking through a problem don't do
> as well, particularly in less than 15 minutes.
>
> -Joe
>
> On Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 6:38 PM, Sterling Paramore <gnilrets@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> > Dear SAS-L,
> >
> > I've been interviewing candidates for a SAS ETL position. One of the
> > questions I've been using to determine if they know at least the very
> > basics
> > of data manipulation is to ask them the following question. I would expect
> > almost anyone with SQL coding to experience to be able to answer it without
> > hesitation. However, of the 6 candidates I've asked, only one of them was
> > able to answer it exactly without any hesitation or help. I'm wondering if
> > there's something wrong with the way I'm framing the question or something
> > wrong with my terminology that's throwing them off. Most of them have been
> > able to identify the issues with the join, but they usually fumble the
> > specifics. Perhaps it's just being put on the spot that's the problem.
> > Any
> > ideas?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Sterling
> >
> > (the tables are formatted more nicely on the paper I give them with these
> > tables)
> >
> > Claims:
> > Claim_Id Group_Id Paid_Amt
> > 1 A 10
> > 2 A 20
> > 3 B 5
> > 4 C 35
> > 5 D 15
> >
> > Groups:
> > Group_Id Plan_Type
> > A PPO
> > B PPO
> > B HSA
> > C PPO
> >
> > Question:
> > Suppose you have a list of claims in one table and a list of plan types for
> > each group in another, as shown above. You want to associate each claim
> > with the group's plan type and so you perform a left join of the claims
> > table with the groups table by linking on the Group_Id.
> > How many rows would be returned by the left join?
> >
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