Recruiting Software Testers – My experiences as an interviewee

In the last 4 years, I have undergone some job interviews as interviewee. Some interviews had gone well and I cleared. Some interviews did not go well and I failed to clear. In this post I am going to share my interview experience with two companies as both companies took my interview in a very different manner.

Sometime back I gave interview in a CMMi level company and in a Non-Cmmi level Company. I passed interviews of both companies but i joined none of these. I like the way the Non-Cmmi level Company took my interview. But I was disappointed with the way – the CMMi level company take my interview.

When I was interviewed by Non-Cmmi level Company:
After I reached their office, within 10 minute a Sr. person came to me, gave me laptop on which a sample application was installed. He asked me to find some types of bugs in the application and report them in excel or word document

I found the bugs and reported them. The Sr. guy evaluated my reports with his manager and after half an hour he informed me that I cleared first round.

After that I underwent two managerial/technical rounds and one HR round. In managerial/technical rounds they asked me some questions on real time scenarios like – what if any functionality is not documented? How you will proceed? Etc.

I managed to answer those questions and I got the offer. I was very happy.

When I was interviewed by Cmmi level Company:
After I reached their office, I waited for around one hour and then a Test lead came for first round of interview.

[The thoughts mentioned in blue came into my mind when I was being interviewed. But I did not expressed my thoughts in front of interviewers as I want to clear the interview]

Round 1 – 30 min aptitude test. I managed to clear the test.

Questions asked to me in CMMI company – Round 2:

1. What is the difference between smoke/sanity testing? [My thoughts – why he is asking this question? Is he fool or trying to make me fool?]
2. What are the various types of risk as per ISTQB syllabus? [My thoughts – I really don’t care for the types of risks and I don’t care what ISTQB says]
3. What are the various components of a test plan? [My thoughts – Is test plan an electronic circuit which have components?]
4. Client server application concepts. Plus few more questions like – the testing process you followed in your company.

I managed to answer all the above questions and clear the round 2.

Questions asked in CMMI Company – Round 3 (taken by a manager):

1. What is the difference between Waterfall and V model? [My thoughts -If I answer this question, then does it mean that I am eligible for your company?] [The manager and I had around 20 min debate on both models].

2. One puzzle – Interviewer said that he will ask only one puzzle. I answered the puzzle within 30 seconds. He said you answered in 30 seconds so now I will ask one more puzzle. 🙁

3. How you find bugs in bugzilla using the search? [My thoughts – The concept of every bug tracking tool is same. Is there anything special in bugzilla? Instead of asking for effective bug reports he is asking how to find bugs in bugzilla]

4. What are the benefits of using traceability matrix?

Round 4 – Managerial round.

Round 5 – HR round and after a week I got the offer letter.

 

I was happy that I got another offer letter but on the same time I was disappointed with the way the company took my interview. Answering the above questions and got job in a CMMI level company does not mean that you are expert in testing.

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I know my experience is less and I should not advice managers. But still I would like to suggest you to go thru http://www.kaner.com/pdfs/JobsRev6.pdf before recruiting testers..