Job interview fail!

[tribe1992]

Job Description: Provides first-level IT support to end users. This employee must be able to work independently, problem solve, and prioritize. Requires the ability to interact with all organizational levels, both internal and external, and must be able to work in cross-functional teams towards a desired result.


So I recently had my first tech job interview to be an IT opperations analyst. I earned my AAS in Networking a couple months ago. There were not very many requirements or previous experience needed and is an entry level position. I went into the interview feeling pretty confident but I failed on some of the tech questions he asked me. I was able to define DNS. He asked me if I knew what an OU was and I know I should of know this but I couldnt think on how to describe it. He also asked me if I knew the difference between a distribution group and security group and I had to tell him I didn't know... I wasn't prepared for this interview and feel like an idiot right now. Has anybody else had the same experience? I was expecting more basic troubleshooting questions. Was I wrong to think that?

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Based off the job description it does seem a little vague that they expect you to have Active Directory knowledge, but not entirely unreasonable. Good thing for you is that the questions he asked are pretty easy to learn do a quick AD tutorial and you'll get all the answers.

 

[tribe1992]

Yeah i just wish i would of known all those things before the interview...o well im sure there will be other opportunities.

 

[DistraughtSysop]

Yeah i just wish i would of known all those things before the interview...o well im sure there will be other opportunities.

Interview experience is actually pretty valuable (for yourself, not for a prospective employer), so think of it as a learning experience. Think about how you would answer the questions that you got wrong and you'll be better prepared for your next interview.

While it's fine to not know an answer, sometimes you might also want to mention how you would go about finding the answer, or maybe even speculate on what it could be based on your existing knowledge. Be careful with that, though, some people might take it as you trying to BS your way through it. It looks good if you can pull it off, though.

 

[root]

Don't sweat it, - everyone starts somewhere and mind blanks are fairly common.

I assume that you have searched on google now, but in case you have not:
the difference between a security group and a distribution group is a distribution group can have an email address. (and be used as a distribution list)
otherwise they are both active directory group objects, both can be used to do logon hours folder security access rights etc...
(You could have ten years experience and only used AD for managing file and folder permissions and not know that)

I'm not sure how I'd describe an OU now.
a unit you organise things with.
that's a crappy question, because I know exactly what an OU is, but saying what is it makes no sense, it's entirely ethereal. you may as well just say it's a part of the distinguished name. (then watch the confused look on their face as it turns out that they aren't really sure what it actually is either.)

 

[S0ULphIRE]

I'm not sure how I'd describe an OU now.
a unit you organise things with.
that's a crappy question, because I know exactly what an OU is, but saying what is it makes no sense, it's entirely ethereal. you may as well just say it's a part of the distinguished name. (then watch the confused look on their face as it turns out that they aren't really sure what it actually is either.)

Seems a perfectly valid question to me, otherwise you may as well add "vlans" or "partitions" to your "don't ask me what this is" list

An OU is is a logical group of objects (including potentially other OUs) that you can apply rules or actions to via GPOs.

 

[krazyq]

Dude I've frozen in some interviews and my mind has gone blank even when I knew the answer and figured it out after.
I use the failed interviews as practice.
Don't give up, keep applying and keep going for interviews.
When you think you messed up the perfect job, the next one might be better.
You'll keep getting better.

 

[root]

but there's the issue...

I get that's the intent of the question, it's a unit you organise things in.
like a box you could put accounts or computers in, or other boxes that themselves may contain computers accounts groups etc...

but technically/fundamentally it's not. it's only a part of an LDAP string...

Things aren't in a container, they only have that "container" as a function of their distinguished name.
two computers in the same OU are defined by:
DN="uid=pc1,ou=computers,dc=doman,dc=local"
DN="uid=pc2,ou=computers,dc=doman,dc=local"

It's not like the builtin objects OU and computers OU have some kind of different database or different table.

that's why its a bad question, if you answered is precisely right, the interviewer would think that you were wrong.

 

[carnageX]

Yes but when giving a definition, you're not supposed to use the word(s) you're defining, in the definition .

 

[S0ULphIRE]

that's why its a bad question, if you answered is precisely right, the interviewer would think that you were wrong.

The interviewer is asking about it on a conceptual level, and you're trying to only give him the most literal answer you can. If you're going to insist on him asking "What is an OU used for" before you'll say anything other than "part of a distinguished name" then you won't win many points with him I'd bet lol

It's like answering "what is an IP address" with "a block of numbers"