Interview Star

Five Tips for Making Star Presentations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:07:00 +0000

One of the most important traits in great leaders is the ability to communicate effectively and clearly, regardless of who your audience is. This includes having a knack for delivering impactful presentations, whether that's on a stage in front of several hundred people, in a board meeting or to a group of staffers. It's a particularly important requirement for CIOs who often have to speak to a diverse set of audiences.

Let's face it, some people simply have a gift for public speaking. There are certain presenters who dazzle, others who stimulate or provoke and still others who move us with their stories and experiences.

But for most of us, public speaking is stressful. We worry about making mistakes, or not being able to engage our audiences or to provide listeners with meaningful content or messages.

From my own experiences and from other speakers whom I admire and have learned from, here are 5 tips for making the most of your public speaking opportunities:

1. Know Your Audience. Before you step onto a stage or into a conference room, know who you're speaking to and try to understand what messages or information matters most to them. If you're speaking at a conference, grill the conference coordinators for information about the makeup of the audience. For instance, will I be speaking in a breakout session to 25 to 30 PMO directors? Or will I be addressing 500 IT procurement managers?
2. Know Your Content. Be prepared that any points you may raise during a presentation may generate questions from a member of your audience who is seeking more specifics. While you shouldn't feel obligated to divulge proprietary information about your organization, it helps to be prepared for all types of questions that may arise. Also, while it helps to support your presentation with research findings and other statistics, don't go overboard. Not only do people not want to hear a laundry list of numbers, but they'll become confused and distracted if you throw out too many figures at once.
3. Be Yourself. Just as everyone has their own unique personality, every presenter also has their own presentation style. Sometimes it takes multiple speaking appearances to determine what style works best for you. A friend of mine who is a regular speaker at IT management conferences has a frenetic, fast-paced approach that many attendees find charming, engaging and downright funny. I also find him to be a delightful speaker, but that's not my style and I'm not going to attempt to force fit it. You have to find a manner that works both for you and for your audience. Don't be afraid to experiment a little. And don't psyche yourself out prior to your presentation. Your audience isn't expecting Jack Welch or Bill Clinton.
4. Interact With Your Audience. This doesn't mean you have to try to come off like a stand-up comic. But I find that audiences typically engage more with speakers who talk to them and not at them. Stop occasionally during your presentation and ask your audience questions. For instance, "By a show of hands, how many of you have struggled with this challenge or related issues within the past year?" Listen carefully to questions posed by members of the audience and try to respond thoughtfully.
5. Do a Post Mortem. Years ago, following one of my first conference presentations, the conference organizer sent us each an audio copy of our respective presentations. Upon listening to it, I was mortified to discover how often I strung together sentences with long "ummms". I was determined not to repeat this and found that with each public speaking opportunity I gradually improved and felt more at ease and it came across through my presentations. It also helps to ask conference producers and peers to critique your performance. What did you like most about my presentation? What could I have done better?

TIPS AFTER THE INTERVIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Even though the interview is over, your work is far from complete...

After each interview mentally review the questions asked by the interviewer and your responses to them. Were you caught “off-guard” by any questions? Could you have answered a question better, in more detail, or in a more focused manner? Quiz yourself after each interview and take notes. This will enhance future interview efforts.
It is advisable to send a thank you letter to the person(s) who interviewed you within twenty-four hours after the interview. It reinforces your interest in the position and can serve as an additional opportunity to separate you from the other candidates by recalling a notable topic or attribute discussed in your interview.

Most employers will tell you when you can expect to hear from them. If you do not hear by that date, it is appropriate for you to call them.

If the employer requests additional materials, such as an application, transcript, or references, send them as soon as possible.

If an employer indicated an interest in pursuing things further with you, but you are no longer interested in the opportunity, inform him/her of that fact as soon as possible.

Here are some things you can do:

Type or handwrite the letter. E-mail is not as personal, therefore it should be used in conjunction with a personal letter. If you absolutely cannot write a letter, an e-mail is better than not following up at all.

The letter should be brief and include the following:

1. Thank the interviewer for his/her time.
2. State the position for which you are applying.
3. Mention something from your interview to remind the interviewer who you are.
4. Describe in one or two sentences why you are the best applicant.

Address it to the recruiter, by name and title

Mention the names of the people you met at the interview.

Send a letter to appropriate individuals you interviewed with (always send to the main interviewer).

Keep the letter short, less than one page.

Mail the letter within 24 hours of the interview.

Thank the interviewer for his/her time.

Send a thank you letter for every interview you go on.

Demonstrate employer knowledge in 2-3 sentences.

Restate employment objective.

Answer the question – “What can you do for them?” based on something specifically discussed during your contact. Use accomplishment/ results statements that demonstrate your ability to meet those needs.

Interview Questions used for Managerial Positions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:15:00 +0000

Opening
Provide job description
Ask for application if one not submitted initially
Introduction and outline format of interview(s)
Overview of unit and campus
Specific Questions:
1. Experience
What one or two things from your prior experience and/or education do you see as being the most relevant and valuable to succeed in this position
What about his particular position and/or unit most interests you?

2. Skills - Planning, Analysis and Organization
Describe your experience with both short and long-range academic planning. Include your role, approach and the challenges you faced.
Describe your experience with facilities and space planning or coordination.
Describe your experience managing multiple long-term projects while meeting immediate demands. What strategies do you use when faced with more tasks than time to do them?
3. Skills - Liaison, Communication, Negotiation, Problem Solving, Decision Making
How will you determine what issues to bring to your supervisor, which to delegate to staff and which to resolve yourself?
Please describe a situation where you resolved complex issues among groups of individual s (perhaps faculty) in which opposing alternatives were proposed by equally strong supporters.
This position requires communication with many different campus units and individuals, inside and outside of the unit. Give examples of strategies you have used to communicate effectively with different levels in an organization.
Can you give us an example of a difficult interaction or conflict you have had with a supervisor or subordinate and how you might handle a similar situation differently (or the same) in the future?
Please give us an example of when you have thought outside the box and any challenges it may have presented.
4. Ladership/Management
What has been your experience in effecting organizational change and how is organizational change most successfully managed?
(Follow up question depending on answer above.) Describe what your strategy has been (or would be as an incoming manager for getting to know individuals, their styles, the various working relationships, the Departments, the work, etc., and how and when you might begin introducing change.
What has been your approach for bringing individuals on board who may be resistant to change?
How do you ensure your staff is clear about which issues warrant your attention, the information you need, and delineation of authority?
Please tell us the number and types of staff you have supervised and what differences, if any would you foresee in managing administrative vs. technical staff?
Because of budgetary constraints, staff workloads are increasing more dramatically than resources, causing morale issues among the staff who do not feel they have enough time to provide the level of support expected, and is also an issue for the faculty who have varying expectations of assistance from staff. What have you done or would you do to improve the situation?
How would you prioritize competing responsibilities, if they came in conflict?
5. Technical Competencies
Describe your own technical computing competency in terms of which applications you use and also ways in which you've introduced new technology or software applications to make your work or the work of others more efficient.
Please describe your financial management experience.
What do you see as the role of a manager in ensuring that appropriate fiscal management (stewardship) is occurring within the unit?
With respect to your writing skills, please describe the types of writing you have done (business correspondence, reports, proposals, etc.), who your audience has been and if you've written primarily under your own signature or others. (Did you bring samples you can leave with us?)
6. Position Specific Questions
It may be that you've already provided sufficient information in these next areas by your earlier responses or on your application; however we wanted to give you an opportunity, if you'd like to expand on your experience in either overseeing or personally providing support in the following areas: (List position specific areas of responsibility, e.g. advising, curriculum and leave planning, academic personnel, development and outreach activities, etc.)
7. Essential Functions
The essential functions of this position include the ability to work extended hours to attend functions or meet deadlines, to travel occasionally, to attend meetings in various locations on and off campus, and to work on a computer for extended periods of time. Can you perform these tasks, either with or without accommodation?
Closing:
Questions or additional comments from the candidate
Follow up questions from the Selection Committee
Timeline to conclude interviews and reference checks and make a hiring decision
Explain who they may be meeting with next

Avoid Unexpected Wardrobe Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:02:00 +0000

You have pressed the suit, coordinated matching accessories, and polished your shoes. You are sure to walk in the door looking like a winner. With 30 minutes to spare, you sit down for your breakfast. Right on cue, you dribble juice down the white shirt and slide your sleeve in the butter. That is just one of many mishaps that can add stress to the big interview day.

Here are some quick tips to save you. Have breakfast in your dressing robe. Don't dress until you are ready to head out the door. Pack these items for wardrobe emergencies:

Safety pins and a mini stapler for torn hemlines.

"Tide to Go" stain remover.

White cloth and a bottle of water works well to remove soil from shoes.

Ladies, an extra pair of hosiery is a must.

Mini sewing kit for popped buttons.

Grooming essentials (mints, comb, tissues, lipstick)

There are many important things to pack, rehearse, and remember for your interview. However, you are judged by your appearance in those early seconds, so make sure you look your best!

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:14:00 +0000

This is the new fifith episode of PHP Interview preparation Questions with answers. Check out this collection of PHP Interview Questions with simplified Answers.

How can we extract string 'abc.com ' from a string http://info@abc.com using regular expression of php?
What is the difference between the functions unlink and unset?
How come the code works, but doesn’t for two-dimensional array of mine?
How can we register the variables into a session?
What is the difference between characters \023 and \x23?
With a heredoc syntax, do I get variable substitution inside the heredoc contents?
How can we submit form without a submit button?
How can we create a database using PHP and mysql?
How many ways we can retrieve the date in result set of mysql using php?
Can we use include ("abc.php") two times in a php page "makeit.php"?

How can we extract string 'abc.com ' from a string http://info@abc.com using regular expression of php?

We can use the preg_match() function with "/.*@(.*)$/" as 
the regular expression pattern. For example: 
preg_match("/.*@(.*)$/","http://info@abc.com",$data);
echo $data[1];

What is the difference between the functions unlink and unset?
unlink() is a function for file system handling. It will simply delete the file in context. 

unset() is a function for variable management. It will make a variable undefined.
How come the code works, but doesn’t for two-dimensional array of mine?
Any time you have an array with more than one dimension, complex parsing syntax is required. print "Contents: {$arr[1][2]}" would’ve worked.
How can we register the variables into a session?
session_register($session_var); 

$_SESSION['var'] = 'value';
What is the difference between characters \023 and \x23?
The first one is octal 23, the second is hex 23.
With a heredoc syntax, do I get variable substitution inside the heredoc contents?
Yes.
How can we submit form without a submit button?We can use a simple JavaScript code linked to an event trigger of any form field. In the JavaScript code, we can call the document.form.submit() function to submit the form. For example: 
How can we create a database using PHP and mysql?
We can create MySQL database with the use of mysql_create_db($databaseName) to create a database.
How many ways we can retrieve the date in result set of mysql using php?
As individual objects so single record or as a set or arrays.
Can we use include ("abc.php") two times in a php page "makeit.php"?
Yes.For Previous Parts click below links

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 4
PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 3
PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 2
PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 1

IT Careers Guidance From Interview Star

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:34:00 +0000

With computers and Internet becoming an integral part of our personal and professional lives, IT Careers have gained immense popularity over the past few years. Though some believed that there would be a slump in the IT field, it continues to grow, and offers job opportunities to people who have the right skills and training.

Information Technology occupations touch nearly every field in every part of the country and by that sheer presence itself offer innumerable job openings.

To become a part of the IT sector, you can choose from an array of paths. However, it is good to have general and specific skills along with formal training in IT related subjects. A certification or a Bachelor’s degree will ensure you find the correct niche for yourself in this sector. Certain personal qualities, like problem-solving capabilities, attention to detail and logical outlook are important if your choice is an IT Career. A strong foundation in Mathematics during High School is also an added asset for jobs in the IT industry.

Types of IT Careers and description

Broadly IT careers can be classified into the following types: Computer and Information Research Scientists, ComputerHardware Engineers, Computer Software Engineers, Computer and Information Systems Managers, Computer Programmers, Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts, Computer Systems Analysts, Database Administrators, Network and Computer Systems Administrators and Computer Support Specialists. The option of courses is huge and armed with correct advice and information one can choose the right subjects to pursue any of these careers.

Most IT jobs involve putting in at least a 40 hour work week. Sometimes, you may have to work in the evenings as well as weekends depending on the job you are holding, essentially to meet deadlines or solve any unexpected problems.

The level of stress can be high in certain positions in the IT field, mainly because of the stress of meeting goals with tight budgets and short deadlines.

STAR Interviewing Response Technique for Success in Behavioral Job Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:35:00 +0000

One strategy for preparing for behavioral interviews is to use the STAR Technique, as outlined below. (This technique is often referred to as the SAR and PAR techniques as well.)

Situation or Task	Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, not a generalized description of what you have done in the past. Be sure to give enough detail for the interviewer to understand. This situation can be from a previous job, from a volunteer experience, or any relevant event.
Action you took	Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the focus on you. Even if you are discussing a group project or effort, describe what you did -- not the efforts of the team. Don't tell what you might do, tell what you did.
Results you achieved	What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Interesting Career Quotes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 14:29:00 +0000

Career Quotes

“Superior men and women trust themselves at a deep level. They are very sensitive to what feels right.” –Brian Tracy

“We move toward a kind of defining presence because, through our passions we are utterly present.” –Greg Levoy

“There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love; there’s only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.” –Wayne Dyer

“Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation of all abundance.” –Eckhart Tolle

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” –Julia Child

“Just as the master musician may cause the most beautiful strains of music to flow forth from the strings of a violin, so may you arouse the genius which lies asleep in your brain.” –Napoleon Hill

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement nothing can be done without hope or confidence.” –Helen Keller

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful.” –Herman Cain

“A career is born in public, talent in privacy.” –Marilyn Monroe

“Life is a process. Enjoy it.” –Stevie Puckett

“Burnout doesn’t happen when you are working long hours on invigorating activities.” –Marcus Buckingham

“As you become more clear about who you really are, you’ll be better able to decide what is best for you the first time around.” –Oprah Winfrey

“Follow your bliss.” –Joseph Campbell

“And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” –Marianne Williamson

Good Interview Questions To Ask

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:59:00 +0000

Most interviewees spend time thinking about and preparing for the questions they will be asked in a job interview and how they should answer.

What very few jobseekers spend time thinking about is the questions which they should ask in an interview!

But if you want to be one step ahead, you must.

In this article we'll tell you why and give you some good questions to ask.

Why Do I Need To Ask Good Interview Questions?
Always have at least one good interview question to ask your interviewers.
Why?
Because if you have no questions, your interviewer may think either of the following:

That you think you already know everything there is to know about the company or position (which of course you can't, since you don't already hold the job).

That you are not that serious about the position, since you have no questions for them, thus displaying a lack of interest.

You don't want your interviewer to think either of these things which is why you should have at least one good interview question to ask your interviewer.
If you're at a loss for ideas, here are a few good interview questions to ask:

Good Interview Questions To Ask

What are the organization's plans for the future?

What is the primary focus of the company this year?

What do you like best about working for this company?

What would the company describe as its strengths?

How would you describe the culture of this company?

Other than those we have already talked about, what are the duties entailed by this position?

What do you project in terms of growth for this role in the future?

How many others in the company perform the same role?

How have the duties of this position evolved over time?

What will training be like? Will it be purely on the job?

How long is it typically before new hires are fully prepared for their duties?

Who will perform my training? Will it be a colleague who has filled this position previously?

What opportunities exist for advancement within the company?

Does this company actively promote the development of staff?

How have you personally progressed in this company?

By what criteria will my performance be measured?

Are there incentives for good job performance?

How often will my job performance be assessed?

You'll notice that a fair number of these questions are addressed to the interviewer personally. Don't be shy about asking them. As well as offering you useful insights into the company, they demonstrate your interest in the interviewer as a person and an employee. This helps to establish a rapport with your interviewer.
And finally, you should neither ask no questions nor too many questions. Keep your questions to those which will affect your choice of whether or not to accept the position should you be offered it. Ask no more than 5 questions -- less if time is at a premium.

Behavioral Interviews Explained

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Most interviewees spend time thinking about and preparing for the questions they will be asked in a job interview and how they should answer.

What very few jobseekers spend time thinking about is the questions which they should ask in an interview!

But if you want to be one step ahead, you must.

In this article we'll tell you why and give you some good questions to ask.

Why Do I Need To Ask Good Interview Questions?

This part of the job interview is one which many jobseekers look forward to with unalloyed dread.Behavioral interviews are nonetheless something to which jobseekers will have to become accustomed, so commonplace are these questions in the job interview process now.
In a behavioral or situational interview, you can expect to be tested on your relevant skills as well as your knowledge and the way that you react to the situations which arise commonly in the workplace.
You'll have to provide detailed examples from your work history of how you have dealt with these sorts of issues in the past.
Your interviewers will have criteria in mind for the job and will have used this criteria to create the questions to ask interviewees. Your interview answers will tell them whether or not you are a good fit for the job opening.
It goes on the assumption that if someone worked well in given situations in the past, they will be able to do so again in the future.
Keep reading to discover some of the job interview questions you are likely to be asked in a behavioral-type job interview.

Common Questions in Behavioral Interviews
A behavioral or situational interview actually presents jobseekers with the opportunity to sell themselves to the interviewer. There will be questions along the lines of "Give me an example of a time when you..." or "Tell me about a time when you had to handle a situation like... How did you resolve the issue?"
You will more than likely have several different situations you can use from your work history. Maybe there was an instance where you simply did not get along with a colleague or worked with two people who did not get on with each other. Perhaps you've had to pull all-nighters to meet deadlines or have had to deal with a displeased customer and address their concerns in order to retain their business.
If this is your first ever job interview, you will not have any work experience to draw from to give good answers but you can always use examples from your academic career or personal life if they will work to illustrate the point you are trying to make to the interviewer. For instance, you can use academic deadlines to make a point about work-related ones, working on group projects in school in the place of group projects in the workplace and so on.

Tips on Writing a Resignation Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:29:00 +0000

If you're leaving your job, you're probably eager to get on your way. After all, it's the end of the old and beginning of the new. But before you walk out the door, consider writing a resignation letter.

A resignation letter serves two purposes:

1. It gives your employer formal notice that you are leaving your position

2. Your resignation letter is a way for you to stay on good terms with your employer. Even if you can't wait to leave your job, you may need your employer's help in the future with references, contacts, or information. If this is the case, a tactful and professional resignation letter is an investment in your career and worth the effort it takes to write.

Here are some tips to help you write a good resignation letter.

Be Brief and to the Point

A good resignation letter is brief and to the point. All you need to include is the fact that you're leaving and the effective date of your resignation.

But while writing a resignation letter, you may also want to thank the employer for the opportunity to work for the company and perhaps offer your help with the transition. While a thank you and an offer to help are optional, your letter may appear short and rather abrupt without them.

Sign your letter, and that's all you need to do.

Options for Writing a Resignation Letter

Depending on the circumstances of your resignation and your relationship with your employer, you may choose to write a more informative resignation letter. For example, if you would like to keep in touch with your employer, include that in your letter along with your contact information.

Or you may want to tell your employer why you're leaving, even though you're not obliged to do so. Only use a 'resignation-with-reason' letter for positive reasons. Unless you're intent on burning your bridges, are not using your employer for a reference or don't care about your professional reputation, don't use your resignation letter to air grievances.

Email or Snail Mail?

Whether you send an old-fashioned letter or an email depends largely on the culture of your organization. If your company conducts human resources business electronically, an email may be appropriate. However, if your employer does not rely heavily on electronic communication, you may want to write a standard letter. The information you include stays the same, whichever method you use.

Telephone Interviews Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:15:00 +0000

Many employers conduct telephone interviews to screen candidates for basic qualifications. It is also an alternative when it is not practical to invite an out-of-area candidate to the office.

Telephone interviews can be challenging because it is more difficult to gain rapport with the interviewer because you cannot see the interviewer's non-verbal reactions and cues. Conversely, the interviewer cannot see your enthusiastic expressions or professional appearance. This places all the weight on your phone manners, clarity of speech, voice tone and the content of your answers.

Here is a quick tip list for excelling at a telephone interview:

Treat the phone interview as you would a face-to-face interview.
Select a quiet, private room with a telephone in good working condition.
Conduct a mock telephone interview with a friend to gain feedback on your voice quality and speech.
Before the interview, prepare talking points for the call including value you bring to the company and specific questions.
Arrange the following items: your resume, cover letter, copy of application if you submitted one, highlights of corporate information and brief talking points.
Dress in business attire.
Breathe deeply and relax. Speak slowly, clearly and with purpose.
Smile, it changes your speech and the person on the other end can sense it.
Write down the full names and titles of each call participant.
Take notes when appropriate.
Be courteous and try not to speak over the interviewer. If you do, apologize and let the interviewer continue.
Support your statements with detailed examples of accomplishments when possible. It is easy for someone to get distracted on a phone call, so paint a vivid picture to keep the interviewer interested.
Explain any pauses in your speech to ponder a question or take notes.
If you think of a question or comment while the interviewer is speaking, jot a note on your talking points list, so you remember it later.
During the interview, if the interviewer inadvertently answers a question from your prepared list, cross it off. If you forget and ask it, it will seem as if you were not listening.
Offer to provide additional information or answer other questions.
Use your talking points list of specific skills and accomplishments; cross them off as you work them into the conversation. At the end, if you have some uncrossed items, you might say something like, "I thought you might be interested to know I led a major conversion project, quite similar to what you are planning. I managed a $2.5 million budget and completed it 45 days early, saving over $48,000."
Before ending the call, be sure you know the next step in the process, and offer to provide any additional information needed.
Do not hang up until the interviewer has hung up.
Promptly send a formal follow-up / thank you letter, just as you would for a face-to-face interview.

Microsoft Job Interview Secrets

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:51:00 +0000

If you have been selected to have a Microsoft job interview, congratulations. Microsoft is one of the most prestigious and successful companies in the world, and only considers the very top candidates for positions with the company.

Just the fact that you have been given an opportunity to come speak about a position, means that you must be an exemplary candidate. To fully take advantage of this opportunity, however, you will need to prepare yourself for interviewing the Microsoft way. To summarize, Microsoft looks for candidates who have both strong skills in their specialties and the ability to work well with the rest of the highly accomplished Microsoft staff. Typically, interviewers will quickly ascertain that candidates have the technical and experience background necessary, then move onto the more subjected areas of the interview.

Consequently, to prepare for the Microsoft job interview, you should do the preparation needed to address both the technical job skills that you bring to the position, but also your ability to work and lead within a team. Consequently, your first course of action should be research and investigation of what Microsoft is looking for in the position. At the very minimum, you need to be completely aware of what the daily duties of the job are, both formal and informal. You should also be aware of what results the employee is expected to produce, and as much about what the target department and team values in a coworker as possible. When you have a sense of what Microsoft is looking for, your next task is to be able to persuasively pass yourself off as that using your experience, background, qualifications and achievements.

More Microsoft Job Interview Advice

Interviewers move quickly in a Microsoft job interview, so you should practice giving these answers as rapidly and efficiently as possible. When you can, be sure to tell your story with a situation, action and result that matches well with the requirements of the target job. This allows the interviewer to imagine you performing those actions in the Microsoft environment and to be successful in it. If you have difficulty doing this initially, you might want to practice answering these job interview questions a couple of times, especially if you can videotape yourself doing so. That allows you to develop the natural and organic habit of turning questions into answers complete with examples.

One eventuality that you will need to prepare yourself for in a Microsoft job interview is the case study. Many times the Microsoft interviewer will begin the interview with a test case, and ask you to perform the kind of task that the target job has to do. There is not much that you can do to prepare for the specific task, but the test is designed to get as sense of your process and work decisions. Spending some time thinking about how you would do the sorts of tasks that the target job is responsible for, and reviewing the best and most effective way of accomplishing those tasks can help you handle this portion more comfortably.

Let the Recruiters Recruit You

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 15:49:00 +0000

Professional employment recruiters can open the door to your next career. First you need to understand their role and how you fit in. Many people misunderstand the recruiter's position and this can lead to a frustrating experience.

Recruiters generally make their living from a commission or retainer fee paid by hiring companies. Don't be mistaken in thinking they are working to find you a job. The hiring company is their top priority. At the same time, they need qualified candidates. The trick is for your résumé to be at the right place at the right time.

Recruiters are extremely fast paced, busy people. The faster they fill a position for their client, the faster they get paid, and the happier their client will be. So, you don't want to waste their time. Here are a few more tips to make the recruiter more inclined to recruit you.

Select recruiters who work in your target industry, job level and geographic location.
Send your résumé along with an email/cover letter to your target recruiters. Clearly define your career goal. Use the same professional style and tone that you would use when addressing a prospective employer.
Don't expect a recruiter to help you edit your résumé or provide career training. You should have everything lined up before you present yourself to them.
If you do not hear back from a recruiter it simply means that at this time they do not have a position for which you are suited. Please don't pester them asking why they have not called, or when they will send you out on an interview. This could be a real turn-off for a busy recruiter.
If you don't hear from a recruiter, send a follow up letter/email and current résumé in 3-4 months. You can state in your letter, "Attached is an updated version of my résumé for your file."
If the recruiter's office requests additional information, respond quickly. It is not unusual for a recruiter to follow up with a request for salary history.
At all times demonstrate professionalism, good temperament, and flexibility. Recruiters want to be proud of the candidates they send for interviews.

We hope you follow these hints. No more chasing down recruiters asking for a shot at an interview. Instead, the right recruiter will be recruiting you for the right job at the right time.

Building Relationships with Recruiters

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:36:00 +0000

Today’s highly competitive job market requires you to employ various strategies when conducting a job search. One such method is partnering with a recruiter which can help maximize your efforts. If you have never built an effective relationship with a recruiter, it is not too late to start. Before you jump out there and start calling or emailing every recruiter listed on the Internet, here are some quick facts you should know about recruiters and their daily job responsibilities:

• They spend about four to five hours a day on the phone
• They make contact with about 500 people every week
• They can receive anywhere from 500 to 1,000 emails every    day
• They rely on their network for current industry information and    market trends
• They are compensated for finding the right candidate for their    client (companies)

Now that you have a mental picture of a recruiter’s daily challenges, here are some highly recommended strategies you should use in order to get a recruiter’s attention.

Have specific job targets

Recruiters are usually specialized by industry and/or function. For example, a recruiter may only work with healthcare professionals while another may specialize in placing Executives in all industries. A recruiter’s primary goal is to make a placement, so if you are unclear about your job targets or you are open to any opportunity that comes up, a recruiter is probably not your best option.

Have a well-defined message

Whether your first contact with a recruiter is by telephone or by e-mail, you must be able to quickly articulate your core competencies and qualifications, describe the value you bring to the table and provide evidence of your career achievements. Prepare and practice your 30-second elevator pitch.

Develop a comprehensive resume

Regardless of what highs and lows your career progression may have taken, recruiters need to know the details about every position you held even the ones that only lasted three months. While you may choose to minimize employment gaps on the resume you send directly to employers, you need to be upfront and honest with the recruiter about everything. Your resume should have the dates for every position (starting and ending) and the graduation years in the education section despite your age. Top tier degrees should be listed on the first page of the resume and use a bulleted format to highlight your quantifiable accomplishments. Tip: If you are concerned about revealing too much, you can create a separate resume that is just for recruiters only.

Use a table in the cover letter

When responding to a listed advertisement, inserting a table with two columns in a cover letter will allow the recruiter to quickly scan the document and decide whether you are match. Use one column to list the job’s required experience and qualifications and list your corresponding qualifications in a second column. With over 500 candidates competing for the recruiter’s attention, don’t leave anything to chances.

Develop compelling subject line

A compelling subject line message will increase your chances of getting the recruiter to open your e-mail right away. Use something to make an immediate connection - if you were referred by someone or met the recruiter recently at a networking event, put that in the subject line.

Think twice about e-mail blasts

Technology can be both your friend and enemy in your job search. The high volume of email received by recruiters has prompted high levels of email filtering and bulk mail settings. While you may have the opportunity to send your resume and cover letter to 500 recruiters, there is no guarantee that it will be seen. In addition, there are some recruiters may choose to ignore resumes sent through bulk mail as they view the candidates as being unfocused.

Be honest

There are consequences to lying, omissions and misrepresentations made to a recruiter. First of all, a majority of recruiters use Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and other business and social networking sites to learn more about candidates. Consequently, being dishonest and hiding critical facts are the fastest ways to ruin a relationship with a recruiter.

Have something to offer

A relationship with a recruiter is like any other relationship and there needs to be equal give and take. If you have qualified contacts, industry insights or current market news that the recruiter can use, be the first one to offer a helping hand - you will reap the benefits in the long run.

Fire-Proof Career Tactics 4 u

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:34:00 +0000

We've heard it before, "Things have changed. Job security no longer exists." Have we modified our work philosophy to meet this challenge? What can we do to not only survive but prevail in this environment?

We can change the way we look at our relationships with our employers and how we define ourselves. We must realize that we are in control of our career. Consider ourselves independent contractors, and our employer is our biggest client. How does that feel?

With this mentality we know we must take care of our chief customer, and we know we must continuously improve ourselves so we are competitive in the market. Listen to how workers with the new attitude sound.

Taking care of our chief customer...our employer

We are reliable. We're at work everyday. We get our work done on or before deadlines.

We look good. We dress professionally and are meticulously groomed. Our employer is proud to present us to new clients and guests.

We are great communicators. We are accurate, persuasive, energetic, and concise writers and speakers.

We're open minded. We're ready to listen to others ideas and techniques. We're flexible enough to change our minds.

We follow instructions. We work within the company policies and procedures. We act with honesty and integrity.

We leave our personal problems at home. When we are at work, we are 100% focused on our company's goals.

We are cooperative. We never say, "That's not my job."

We solve problems. Rather than bringing problems to our manager's door, we solve problems for our managers.

We can take criticism. We solicit feedback and appreciate criticism because it is a great way to learn how we can improve.

We're excellent planners. We use documentation and measurement to plan and process work.

Taking care of our personal business...our career

We understand our market. We keep up with industry trends so we plan to be where it is heading, not where it has been. We learn about tangential industries should opportunities in our immediate industry dry up.

We are life-long learners. We are always expanding our knowledge and our skill base. We are familiar with the latest Web sites regarding business, our industry and ancillary industries. We are fluent with the latest software and take advantage of the latest technologies.

We build and maintain a powerful network. We belong to associations and after-work groups. We stay connected and are continuously broadening our network. We support our peers.

Are our ready to adopt the new work philosophy? If you do, you'll become indispensable to your current employer and extremely valuable in the market place.

What Not to Say in the Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:39:00 +0000

The interviewer is examining the candidate for the following criteria:

Qualified to do the job
Willing to do the job and advance corporate goals
Able to fit in with the current corporate culture

There are some things you can say that could knock you out of the running. The following statements send an alarm to the interviewer that you may not meet one of the above criteria.

Negative comments about your current or past employers and co-workers.

No good can come from talking down your past employers. You run the risk of seeming like an employee that may be a "management problem."
Requests for special hours or equipment unless you have a handicap that necessitates special accommodations.

If you are asking for special treatment during the interview, one can only imagine your requests once you're comfortably hired. Can you say, "High maintenance?"
Avoid initiating salary discussions or making demands in the early interview stages.

Let the prospective employer initiate salary discussions. It is OK to give a range, or to ask what they feel the range is for the position. However, it can be a turnoff if you are the one to initiate the subject of salary.
Asking about vacation days, sick days or holidays.

This can be a turnoff because you may seem more interested in time off rather than the job itself. Would a hardworking, dedicated employee be more focused on days off or doing a good job?
Don't give a list of the things you won't do.

Telling an interviewer that you don't answer phones, or file, or work overtime is another alarm. Make sure you apply for positions that are appropriate for you, and understand that there will always be tasks that are not enjoyable.
Asking, "What is it your company does again?"

Take the time to know about the company before you interview.
"I don't know, I just saw your ad and I thought I'd give this a try."

Yes, candidates really say this. Always prepare yourself. If you don't know why you are there, or how this position fits in with your goals, maybe you should not be there.
"I don't have any negative points."

In an interview, you may be asked to list your negative qualities. Have at least one ready, and more importantly explain how you are working to improve it. Another angle is to explain how it is negative and also positive. For example, "Once I start a project I throw myself into it and sometimes neglect personal obligations. I have to keep myself in check to avoid burnout."
Avoid argumentative statements.

Remember you want to be liked and fit in. If you are hired you will have plenty of time to learn their business and make suggestions. The interview is not the time to argue and force your opinions.
No whining or complaining.

Leave your personal problems at home. Present yourself as a strong, capable person that can overcome setbacks and challenges.
Do not make dishonest or misleading statements.

The truth tends to come out at some point. The old adage "Honesty is the best policy" applies here.
It goes without saying that slang and expletives should not be used.

Derogatory remarks about a particular gender, race or nationality are out of line.

How to Give and Take Criticism

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 15:38:00 +0000

Perhaps the two toughest things we do are to give criticism and to receive criticism. We should examine both sides of this dynamic exchange because if we are committed to our careers and those of our staff, we will find ourselves on each side of the conversation. These pointers will make the conversation more effective.

Select a Good Time

Always conduct a feedback session in private. Never conduct it when the person is too stressed to really hear what you are saying. If it is urgent, ask the person to 'take five' and come back to meet with you.

Remain Calm

If you are upset about an error, don't have the meeting while you are upset. Take a walk and have the discussion when you are calm. During the meeting, no matter what is thrown at you, remain calm. If it gets out of control, stop the meeting and set a time to continue.

Send a Clear Message

Don't beat around the bush. Be precise; let them know exactly what is not working and your suggestion for improvement. Have notes handy with specific details. Always criticize the behavior, not the person. Make sure the receiver understands completely by asking them to paraphrase or soliciting questions or comments from them. Once the other person participates in the conversation, you'll be able to tell if they understand the issue and your motivation for the meeting.

Start and Finish

Some people say to start and finish with positive comments. However, if your positive comment is about good work, your critical message may get lost in the midst of the positive notes. Instead, start with a positive comment such as, "I care about your success, and the success about our department. That is why I wanted to meet with you." End with, "I am hoping we can work together to improve XXX and XXX will be much better because we addressed this together today."

Check with Human Resources

If you are unsure if your criticism is appropriate or legal, consult your Human Resources Manager. In general, stick to job performance issues -- duties and tasks the employee has the ability to improve.

Don't Be Repetitive

Don't hammer them over the head again and again. Make your point and move on. Conversely, if you feel your critic or manager is becoming repetitive. Maybe it is because they are nervous, or maybe they are not sure they're getting through to you. Try saying, "I am glad you came to me and I understand."

When You are Receiving Criticism

If your critic is not tactful, focus on the issue. If you are faced with an angry manager, be strong and cut through the noise for the underlying message.

Don't argue with the criticism. Accept it for the information submitted. Think about it after the meeting. If you feel it was untrue, schedule a follow up meeting. Often the shock of the message can evoke an emotional response. It is better to collect your thoughts and schedule a second meeting.

Be sure to tell the critic that you appreciate his interest. Letting down your guard invites a relationship of mutual trust and sharing. Candid feedback helps us grow. We may be off track a bit and a little criticism can steer us in the right direction.

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 16:02:00 +0000

This is the new fourth episode of PHP Interview preparation Questions with answers. Check out this collection of PHP Interview Questions with simplified Answers.

How To Protect Special Characters in Query String?
Are objects passed by value or by reference?
What are the differences between DROP a table and TRUNCATE a table?
What are the differences between GET and POST methods in form submitting, give the case where we can use GET and we can use POST methods?
How do you call a constructor for a parent class?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ERRORS IN PHP?
What’s the special meaning of __sleep and __wakeup?
How can we submit a form without a submit button?
Why doesn’t the following code print the newline properly?
Would you initialize your strings with single quotes or double quotes?

How To Protect Special Characters in Query String?

If you want to include special characters like spaces in the query string, you need to protect them by applying the urlencode() translation function. The script below shows how to use urlencode():

print("");
print("

Please click the links below"
." to submit comments about FYICenter.com:
");
$comment = 'I want to say: "It\'s a good site! :->"';
$comment = urlencode($comment);
print(""
.""
."It's an excellent site!
");
$comment = 'This visitor said: "It\'s an average site! :-("';
$comment = urlencode($comment);
print(""
.''
."It's an average site.
");
print("");
?>

Are objects passed by value or by reference?

Everything is passed by value.

What are the differences between DROP a table and TRUNCATE a table?

DROP TABLE table_name - This will delete the table and its data.

TRUNCATE TABLE table_name - This will delete the data of the table, but not the table definition.

What are the differences between GET and POST methods in form submitting, give the case where we can use GET and we can use POST methods?

Anwser 1:

When we submit a form, which has the GET method it displays pair of name/value used in the form at the address bar of the browser preceded by url. Post method doesn't display these values.

Anwser 2:

When you want to send short or small data, not containing ASCII characters, then you can use GET” Method. But for long data sending, say more then 100 character you can use POST method.

Once most important difference is when you are sending the form with GET method. You can see the output which you are sending in the address bar. Whereas if you send the form with POST” method then user can not see that information.

Anwser 3:

What are "GET" and "POST"?

GET and POST are methods used to send data to the server: With the GET method, the browser appends the data onto the URL. With the Post method, the data is sent as "standard input."

Major Difference

In simple words, in POST method data is sent by standard input (nothing shown in URL when posting while in GET method data is sent through query string.

Ex: Assume we are logging in with username and password.

GET: we are submitting a form to login.php, when we do submit or similar action, values are sent through visible query string (notice ./login.php?username=...&password=... as URL when executing the script login.php) and is retrieved by login.php by $_GET['username'] and $_GET['password'].

POST: we are submitting a form to login.php, when we do submit or similar action, values are sent through invisible standard input (notice ./login.php) and is retrieved by login.php by $_POST['username'] and $_POST['password'].

POST is assumed more secure and we can send lot more data than that of GET method is limited (they say Internet Explorer can take care of maximum 2083 character as a query string).

Anwser 4:

In the get method the data made available to the action page ( where data is received ) by the URL so data can be seen in the address bar. Not advisable if you are sending login info like password etc. In the post method the data will be available as data blocks and not as query string in case of get method.

Anwser 5:

When we submit a form, which has the GET method it pass value in the form of query string (set of name/value pair) and display along with URL. With GET we can a small data submit from the form (a set of 255 character) whereas Post method doesn't display value with URL. It passes value in the form of Object and we can submit large data from the form.

Anwser 6:

On the server side, the main difference between GET and POST is where the submitted is stored. The $_GET array stores data submitted by the GET method. The $_POST array stores data submitted by the POST method.
On the browser side, the difference is that data submitted by the GET method will be displayed in the browser’s address field. Data submitted by the POST method will not be displayed anywhere on the browser.
GET method is mostly used for submitting a small amount and less sensitive data. POST method is mostly used for submitting a large amount or sensitive data.

How do you call a constructor for a parent class?

parent::constructor($value)

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ERRORS IN PHP?

Here are three basic types of runtime errors in PHP:

1. Notices: These are trivial, non-critical errors that PHP encounters while executing a script - for example, accessing a variable that has not yet been defined. By default, such errors are not displayed to the user at all - although you can change this default behavior.

2. Warnings: These are more serious errors - for example, attempting to include() a file which does not exist. By default, these errors are displayed to the user, but they do not result in script termination.

3. Fatal errors: These are critical errors - for example, instantiating an object of a non-existent class, or calling a non-existent function. These errors cause the immediate termination of the script, and PHP's default behavior is to display them to the user when they take place.

Internally, these variations are represented by twelve different error types

What’s the special meaning of __sleep and __wakeup?

__sleep returns the array of all the variables than need to be saved, while __wakeup retrieves them.

How can we submit a form without a submit button?

If you don't want to use the Submit button to submit a form, you can use normal hyper links to submit a form. But you need to use some JavaScript code in the URL of the link. For example:

Submit Me

Why doesn’t the following code print the newline properly?

Because inside the single quotes the \n character is not interpreted as newline, just as a sequence of two characters - \ and n.

Would you initialize your strings with single quotes or double quotes?

Since the data inside the single-quoted string is not parsed for variable substitution, it’s always a better idea speed-wise to initialize a string with single quotes, unless you specifically need variable substitution.

For Previous Parts click below links

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 3

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 2

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 1

http://interviewstar.blogspot.com/2010/08/php-interview-questions-with-answers.html

Follow Up After a Job Interview Secrets

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:11:00 +0000

To guarantee that you make the most of your job interview, you should master the secrets of how to follow up after a job interview. Though most people assume that there is nothing that they can do to help their chances after the job interview is over, this is not exactly correct.

For most positions, especially positions with multiple candidates, the decision to hire or not hire does not come immediately after the interview. Instead the hiring decision makers get together at some point, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the various candidates and make a decision on who they hire. Sometimes, if there have been complications in the company, such as difficulty scheduling the discussion or confusion about budgets and projects, this conversation at the company may not happen for weeks or months.

You need to have a strong plan for how to follow up after a job interview because you do not want to simply disappear and wait around during the days, weeks or months before the company decision makers finally make their final hiring decision. During that time the company will be seeing other candidates. If you are not around or otherwise reminding the company of how good you are, those new candidates will be fresher on the decision maker's minds and get the job offer. For your job interview follow up strategy, the first stage is the thank you letter after the job interview. In this letter, you should tell the interviewer a number of items. First that you appreciate the interview, that you are still interested in the job, why you are a great fit, and that you are available for another interview whenever the interviewer would like.

More Follow Up After Job Interview Strategy
Additionally, your follow up after job interview letter should have an extra element that the other thank you letters the interviewer receives do not. A good addition is an informational gift. This is a piece of knowledge or information that you believe that the interviewer will appreciate based on your conversation with him or her. This could be a website, an attached article, a list of restaurant names or contact details for a person or organization the interviewer would appreciate getting to know. The letter should also let the interviewer know what he or she said to inspire you send this gift.

Adding the informational gift to the follow up after job interview letter accomplishes a couple of tasks. In the first place, it allows the interviewer to know that you are different from the other candidates and hopefully remember you positively. Second, it teaches the interviewer to read and value the communications that you send him or her. Most of the thank you letters that the interviewer receives are all about the candidate. What the candidate wants, why the candidate is a good fit, what the candidate wants to do next. By contrast, your letter is about yourself but also about the interviewer and what he or she would be interested in. When he or she receives this, he becomes more likely to read or pay attention to follow up communication from you. This is important because you will need to continue respectfully following up with the employer until you have either been hired or officially eliminated from the job consideration.

Keyword: follow up after a job interview

Tips to Pass a Phone Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:46:00 +0000

Learning how to pass a phone interview is an important career-building skill. Especially in this economy, every job interview counts - and more and more employers are doing phone interviews so that nobody needs to bear travel and food expenses of a physics interview. Phone interviews require a slightly different set of interview skills than face-to-face interviews. Here is a beginner's guide to phone interview techniques that will help you have a successful job interview.

Read More

C++ Interview Questions and Answers Part (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:12:00 +0000

Check out this collection of C++ Interview Questions and Answers.This is the new series on C++ Interview Questions and Answers from very basic level to expert level.This is second first episode of a series.

What is an orthogonal base class?
What is a container class? What are the types of container classes?
How do you write a function that can reverse a linked-list?
What is polymorphism?
How do you find out if a linked-list has an end? (i.e. the list is not a cycle)
How can you tell what shell you are running on UNIX system?
What is Boyce Codd Normal form?
What is pure virtual function?
Write a Struct Time where integer m, h, s are its members
How do you traverse a Btree in Backward in-order?
What is the two main roles of Operating System?
In the derived class, which data member of the base class are visible?
How do you find out if a linked-list has an end? (i.e. the list is not a cycle)
What is the difference between realloc() and free()?
What is function overloading and operator overloading?
What is the difference between declaration and definition?
What are the advantages of inheritance?
How do you write a function that can reverse a linked-list?
What do you mean by inline function?
Write a program that ask for user input from 5 to 9 then calculate the average

What is an orthogonal base class?

If two base classes have no overlapping methods or data they are said to be independent of, or orthogonal to each other. Orthogonal in the sense means that two classes operate in different dimensions and do not interfere with each other in any way. The same derived class may inherit such classes with no difficulty.

What is a container class? What are the types of container classes?

A container class is a class that is used to hold objects in memory or external storage. A container class acts as a generic holder. A container class has a predefined behavior and a well-known interface. A container class is a supporting class whose purpose is to hide the topology used for maintaining the list of objects in memory. When a container class contains a group of mixed objects, the container is called a heterogeneous container; when the container is holding a group of objects that are all the same, the container is called a homogeneous container.

How do you write a function that can reverse a linked-list?

Answer1:

void reverselist(void)
{
 if(head==0)
  return;
 if(head-next) 
//if head->next ==0 should return 
head instead of 0;
return 0;

{
node* prev = head;
node* curr = head->next;
node* next = curr->next;

for(; next!=0; )
{
curr->next = prev;
prev = curr;
curr = next;
next = next->next;
}
curr->next = prev;

head->next = 0;
head = curr;
}

return head;
}

What is polymorphism?

Polymorphism is the idea that a base class can be inherited by several classes. A base class pointer can point to its child class and a base class array can store different child class objects.

How do you find out if a linked-list has an end? (i.e. the list is not a cycle)

You can find out by using 2 pointers. One of them goes 2 nodes each time. The second one goes at 1 nodes each time. If there is a cycle, the one that goes 2 nodes each time will eventually meet the one that goes slower. If that is the case, then you will know the linked-list is a cycle.

How can you tell what shell you are running on UNIX system?

You can do the Echo $RANDOM. It will return a undefined variable if you are from the C-Shell, just a return prompt if you are from the Bourne shell, and a 5 digit random numbers if you are from the Korn shell. You could also do a ps -l and look for the shell with the highest PID.

What is Boyce Codd Normal form?

A relation schema R is in BCNF with respect to a set F of functional dependencies if for all functional dependencies in F+ of the form a->b, where a and b is a subset of R, at least one of the following holds:

* a->b is a trivial functional dependency (b is a subset of a)
* a is a superkey for schema R

What is pure virtual function?

A class is made abstract by declaring one or more of its virtual functions to be pure. A pure virtual function is one with an initializer of = 0 in its declaration

Write a Struct Time where integer m, h, s are its members

struct Time
{
int m;
int h;
int s;
};

How do you traverse a Btree in Backward in-order?
Process the node in the right subtree
Process the root
Process the node in the left subtree
 What is the two main roles of Operating System?
As a resource manager
As a virtual machine
In the derived class, which data member of the base class are visible?
In the public and protected sections.
How do you find out if a linked-list has an end? (i.e. the list is not a cycle)
You can find out by using 2 pointers. One of them goes 2 nodes each time. The second one goes at 1 nodes each time. If there is a cycle, the one that goes 2 nodes each time will eventually meet the one that goes slower. If that is the case, then you will know the linked-list is a cycle
What is the difference between realloc() and free()?
The free subroutine frees a block of memory previously allocated by the malloc subroutine. Undefined results occur if the Pointer parameter is not a valid pointer. If the Pointer parameter is a null value, no action will occur. The realloc subroutine changes the size of the block of memory pointed to by the Pointer parameter to the number of bytes specified by the Size parameter and returns a new pointer to the block. The pointer specified by the Pointer parameter must have been created with the malloc, calloc, or realloc subroutines and not been deallocated with the free or realloc subroutines. Undefined results occur if the Pointer parameter is not a valid pointer.
What is function overloading and operator overloading?
Function overloading: C++ enables several functions of the same name to be defined, as long as these functions have different sets of parameters (at least as far as their types are concerned). This capability is called function overloading. When an overloaded function is called, the C++ compiler selects the proper function by examining the number, types and order of the arguments in the call. Function overloading is commonly used to create several functions of the same name that perform similar tasks but on different data types. 
Operator overloading allows existing C++ operators to be redefined so that they work on objects of user-defined classes. Overloaded operators are syntactic sugar for equivalent function calls. They form a pleasant facade that doesn't add anything fundamental to the language (but they can improve understandability and reduce maintenance costs)
What is the difference between declaration and definition?
The declaration tells the compiler that at some later point we plan to present the definition of this declaration.
E.g.: void stars () //function declaration 
The definition contains the actual implementation.
E.g.: void stars () // declarator
{
for(int j=10; j > =0; j--) //function body
cout << *;
cout << endl; }
What are the advantages of inheritance?
It permits code reusability. Reusability saves time in program development. It encourages the reuse of proven and debugged high-quality software, thus reducing problem after a system becomes functional.
How do you write a function that can reverse a linked-list?
void reverselist(void)
{
 if(head==0)
  return;
 if(head->next==0)
  return;
 if(head->next==tail)
 {
  head->next = 0;
  tail->next = head;
 }
 else
 {
  node* pre = head;
 node* cur = head->next;
 node* curnext = cur->next;
  head->next = 0;
  cur-> next = head;

  for(; curnext!=0; )
  {
 cur->next = pre;
   pre = cur;
   cur = curnext;
 curnext = curnext->next;
  }

  curnext->next = cur;
 }
}
What do you mean by inline function?
The idea behind inline functions is to insert the code of a called function at the point where the function is called. If done carefully, this can improve the application's performance in exchange for increased compile time and possibly (but not always) an increase in the size of the generated binary executables.
Write a program that ask for user input from 5 to 9 then calculate the average
#include "iostream.h"
int main() {
int MAX = 4;
int total = 0;
int average;
int numb;

for (int i=0; i<< 
 "Please enter your input between 5 and 9: ";
cin >> numb;
while ( numb<5 || numb>9) {
cout << "Invalid input, please re-enter: ";
cin >> numb;
}
total = total + numb;
}
average = total/MAX;
cout << "The average number is: "
      << average << "\n";
return 0;
}

.Dot Net Interview Questions with Answers Part (2)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:05:00 +0000

This is the second part of Dot Net Interview Questions with Answers from basic level to expert level.Give your feedback in comments..

Creating a Key Pair?
What is the difference between "using System.Data;" and directly adding the reference from "Add References Dialog Box"?
What is GAC?
What is a Metadata?
What is managed code and managed data?
What is .NET / .NET Framework?
What is Reflection?
What is "Common Type System" (CTS)?
What is "Common Language Specification" (CLS)?
What is "Common Language Runtime" (CLR)?
What are Attributes?
What are the Types of Assemblies?
What is an Intermediate language?
ASP.NET Authentication Providers and IIS Security
What is the difference between ASP and ASP.NET?
Using COM Component in .Net
What is an assembly?
What is a Web Service?
webFarm Vs webGardens
What is the difference between a namespace and assembly name?

Creating a Key Pair?

You can create a key pair using the Strong Name tool (Sn.exe). Key pair files usually have an .snk extension. To create a key pair At the command prompt, type the following command:

sn k

In this command, file name is the name of the output file containing the key pair. The following example creates a key pair called sgKey.snk.

sn -k sgKey.snk

What is the difference between "using System.Data;" and directly adding the reference from "Add References Dialog Box"?

When u compile a program using command line, u add the references using /r switch. When you compile a program using Visual Studio, it adds those references to our assembly, which are added using "Add Reference" dialog box. While "using" statement facilitates us to use classes without using their fully qualified names.

For example: if u have added a reference to "System.Data.SqlClient" using "Add Reference" dialog box then u can use SqlConnection class like this:

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection

But if u add a "using System.Data.SqlClient" statement at the start of ur code then u can directly use SqlConnection class.
On the other hand if u add a reference using "using System.Data.SqlClient" statement, but don't add it using "Add Reference" dialog box, Visual Studio will give error message while we compile the program.

What is GAC?

The global assembly cache stores assemblies specifically designated to be shared by several applications on the computer. You should share assemblies by installing them into the global assembly cache only when you need to. Assemblies deployed in the global assembly cache must have a strong name. When an assembly is added to the global assembly cache, integrity checks are performed on all files that make up the assembly. The cache performs these integrity checks to ensure that an assembly has not been tampered with, for example, when a file has changed but the manifest does not reflect the change. Use a developer tool called the Global Assembly Cache tool (Gacutil.exe), provided by the .NET Framework SDK or Use Windows Explorer to drag assemblies into the cache. To install a strong-named assembly into the global assembly cache At the command prompt, type the following command:

gacutil I

In this command, assembly name is the name of the assembly to install in the global assembly cache.

What is a Metadata?

Metadata is information about a PE. In COM, metadata is communicated through non-standardized type libraries.

In .NET, this data is contained in the header portion of a COFF-compliant PE and follows certain guidelines;
it contains information such as the assembly’s name, version, language (spoken, not computera.k.a., culture), what external types are referenced, what internal types are exposed, methods, properties, classes, and much more.

The CLR uses metadata for a number of specific purposes. Security is managed through a public key in the PE’s header.

Information about classes, modules, and so forth allows the CLR to know in advance what structures are necessary. The class loader component of the CLR uses metadata to locate specific classes within assemblies, either locally or across networks.

Just-in-time (JIT) compilers use the metadata to turn IL into executable code.

Other programs take advantage of metadata as well.

A common example is placing a Microsoft Word document on a Windows 2000 desktop. If the document file has completed comments, author, title, or other Properties metadata, the text is displayed as a tool tip when a user hovers the mouse over the document on the desktop. You can use the Ildasm.exe utility to view the metadata in a PE. Literally, this tool is an IL disassembler.

What is managed code and managed data?

Managed code is code that is written to target the services of the Common Language Runtime.
In order to target these services, the code must provide a minimum level of information (metadata) to the runtime.
All C#, Visual Basic .NET, and JScript .NET code is managed by default.
Visual Studio .NET C++ code is not managed by default, but the compiler can produce managed code by specifying a command-line switch (/CLR).
Closely related to managed code is managed data--data that is allocated and de- allocated by the Common Language Runtime's garbage collector. C#, Visual Basic, and JScript .NET data is managed by default.
C# data can, however, be marked as unmanaged through the use of special keywords.
Visual Studio .NET C++ data is unmanaged by default (even when using the /CLR switch), but when using Managed Extensions for C++, a class can be marked as managed using the __gc keyword. As the name suggests, this means that the memory for instances of the class is managed by the garbage collector.
In addition, the class becomes a full participating member of the .NET Framework community, with the benefits and restrictions that it brings. An example of a benefit is proper interoperability with classes written in other languages (for example, a managed C++ class can inherit from a Visual Basic class).
An example of a restriction is that a managed class can only inherit from one base class.

What is .NET / .NET Framework?

It is a Framework in which Windows applications may be developed and run. The Microsoft .NET Framework is a platform for building, deploying, and running Web Services and applications. It provides a highly productive, standards-based, multi-language environment for integrating existing investments with next-generation applications and services as well as the agility to solve the challenges of deployment and operation of Internet-scale applications. The .NET Framework consists of three main parts: the common language runtime, a hierarchical set of unified class libraries, and a componentized version of Active Server Pages called ASP.NET. The .NET Framework provides a new programming model and rich set of classes designed to simplify application development for Windows, the Web, and mobile devices. It provides full support for XML Web services, contains robust security features, and delivers new levels of programming power. The .NET Framework is used by all Microsoft languages including Visual C#, Visual J#, and Visual C++.

What is Reflection?

It extends the benefits of metadata by allowing developers to inspect and use it at runtime. For example, dynamically determine all the classes contained in a given assembly and invoke their methods. Reflection provides objects that encapsulate assemblies, modules, and types. You can use reflection to dynamically create an instance of a type, bind the type to an existing object, or get the type from an existing object. You can then invoke the type's methods or access its fields and properties. Namespace: System.Reflection

What is "Common Type System" (CTS)?

CTS defines all of the basic types that can be used in the .NET Framework and the operations performed on those type.
All this time we have been talking about language interoperability, and .NET Class Framework. None of this is possible without all the language sharing the same data types. What this means is that an int should mean the same in VB, VC++, C# and all other .NET compliant languages. This is achieved through introduction of Common Type System (CTS).

What is "Common Language Specification" (CLS)?

CLS is the collection of the rules and constraints that every language (that seeks to achieve .NET compatibility) must follow. It is a subsection of CTS and it specifies how it shares and extends one another libraries.

What is "Common Language Runtime" (CLR)?

CLR is .NET equivalent of Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It is the runtime that converts a MSIL code into the host machine language code, which is then executed appropriately. The CLR is the execution engine for .NET Framework applications. It provides a number of services, including:

- Code management (loading and execution)
- Application memory isolation
- Verification of type safety
- Conversion of IL to native code.
- Access to metadata (enhanced type information)
- Managing memory for managed objects
- Enforcement of code access security
- Exception handling, including cross-language exceptions
- Interoperation between managed code, COM objects, and pre-existing DLL's (unmanaged code and data)
- Automation of object layout
- Support for developer services (profiling, debugging, and so on).

What are Attributes?

Attributes are declarative tags in code that insert additional metadata into an assembly. There exist two types of attributes in the .NET Framework: Predefined attributes such as AssemblyVersion, which already exist and are accessed through the Runtime Classes; and custom attributes, which you write yourself by extending the System.Attribute class.

What are the Types of Assemblies?

Assemblies are of two types:
1. Private Assemblies
2. Shared Assemblies
Private Assemblies: The assembly is intended only for one application. The files of that assembly must be placed in the same folder as the application or in a sub folder. No other application will be able to make a call to this assembly. The advantage of having a private assembly is that, it makes naming the assembly very easy, since the developer need not worry about name clashes with other assemblies. As long as the assembly has a unique name within the concerned application, there won't be any problems.
Shared Assemblies: If the assembly is to be made into a Shared Assembly, then the naming conventions are very strict since it has to be unique across the entire system. The naming conventions should also take care of newer versions of the component being shipped. These are accomplished by giving the assembly a Shared Name. Then the assembly is placed in the global assembly cache, which is a folder in the file system reserved for shared assemblies.

What is an Intermediate language?

Assemblies are made up of IL code modules and the metadata that describes them. Although programs may be compiled via an IDE or the command line, in fact, they are simply translated into IL, not machine code. The actual machine code is not generated until the function that requires it is called. This is the just-in-time, or JIT, compilation feature of .NET. JIT compilation happens at runtime for a variety of reasons, one of the most ambitious being Microsoft's desire for cross-platform .NET adoption. If a CLR is built for another operating system (UNIX or Mac), the same assemblies will run in addition to the Microsoft platforms. The hope is that .NET assemblies are write-once-run-anywhere applications. This is a .NET feature that works behind-the-scenes, ensuring that developers are not limited to writing applications for one single line of products. No one has demonstrated whether or not this promise will ever truly materialize.

CTS/CLS

The MSIL Instruction Set Specification is included with the .NET SDK, along with the IL Assembly Language Programmers Reference. If a developer wants to write custom .NET programming languages, these are the necessary specifications and syntax. The CTS and CLS define the types and syntaxes that every .NET language needs to embrace. An application may not expose these features, but it must consider them when communicating through IL.

ASP.NET Authentication Providers and IIS Security

ASP.NET implements authentication using authentication providers, which are code modules that verify credentials and implement other security functionality such as cookie generation. ASP.NET supports the following three authentication providers:

Forms Authentication: Using this provider causes unauthenticated requests to be redirected to a specified HTML form using client side redirection. The user can then supply logon credentials, and post the form back to the server. If the application authenticates the request (using application-specific logic), ASP.NET issues a cookie that contains the credentials or a key for reacquiring the client identity. Subsequent requests are issued with the cookie in the request headers, which means that subsequent authentications are unnecessary.

Passport Authentication: This is a centralized authentication service provided by Microsoft that offers a single logon facility and membership services for participating sites. ASP.NET, in conjunction with the Microsoft® Passport software development kit (SDK), provides similar functionality as Forms Authentication to Passport users.

Windows Authentication: This provider utilizes the authentication capabilities of IIS. After IIS completes its authentication, ASP.NET uses the authenticated identity's token to authorize access.

To enable a specified authentication provider for an ASP.NET application, you must create an entry in the application's configuration file as follows:
// web.config file

What is the difference between ASP and ASP.NET?

ASP is interpreted. ASP.NET Compiled event base programming.
Control events for text button can be handled at client javascript only. Since we have server controls events can handle at server side.
More error handling.

ASP .NET has better language support, a large set of new controls and XML based components, and better user authentication.

ASP .NET provides increased performance by running compiled code.

ASP .NET code is not fully backward compatible with ASP.

ASP .NET also contains a new set of object oriented input controls, like programmable list boxes, validation controls. A new data grid control supports sorting, data paging, and everything you expect from a dataset control. The first request for an ASP.NET page on the server will compile the ASP .NET code and keep a cached copy in memory. The result of this is greatly increased performance.

ASP .NET is not fully compatible with earlier versions of ASP, so most of the old ASP code will need some changes to run under ASP .NET. To overcome this problem,

ASP .NET uses a new file extension ".aspx". This will make ASP .NET applications able to run side by side with standard ASP applications on the same server.

Using COM Component in .Net

As most of you know that .Net does not encourage the development of COM components and provides a different solution to making reusable components through Assemblies. But, there are a lot of COM components present which our .Net application might need to use. Fortunately, .Net provides an extremely simple approach to achieve this. This is achieved by using ‘Wrapper Classes’ and ‘Proxy Components’. .Net wraps the COM component into .Net assembly technically called ‘Runtime Callable Wrapper’ or RCW. Then u can call and use your COM component just as a .Net (or C#, if u are using C#) Assembly.

What is an assembly?

An assembly is the primary building block of a .NET Framework application. It is a collection of functionality that is built, versioned, and deployed as a single implementation unit (as one or more files). All managed types and resources are marked either as accessible only within their implementation unit, or as accessible by code outside that unit. .NET Assembly contains all the metadata about the modules, types, and other elements it contains in the form of a manifest. The CLR loves assemblies because differing programming languages are just perfect for creating certain kinds of applications. For example, COBOL stands for Common Business-Oriented Language because it’s tailor-made for creating business apps. However, it’s not much good for creating drafting programs. Regardless of what language you used to create your modules, they can all work together within one Portable Executable Assembly. There’s a hierarchy to the structure of .NET code. That hierarchy is Assembly - > Module -> Type -> Method." Assemblies can be static or dynamic. Static assemblies can include .NET Framework types (interfaces and classes), as well as resources for the assembly (bitmaps, JPEG files, resource files, and so on). Static assemblies are stored on disk in portable executable (PE) files. You can also use the .NET Framework to create dynamic assemblies, which are run directly from memory and are not saved to disk before execution. You can save dynamic assemblies to disk after they have executed.

What is a Web Service?

A web service is a software component that exposes itself through the open communication channels of the Internet. Applications running on remote machines, on potentially different platforms, can access these components in a language and platform-independent manner. A Web Service is a group of functions, packaged together for use in a common framework throughout a network.

webFarm Vs webGardens

A web farm is a multi-server scenario. So we may have a server in each state of US. If the load on one server is in excess then the other servers step in to bear the brunt.
How they bear it is based on various models.
1. RoundRobin. (All servers share load equally)
2. NLB (economical)
3. HLB (expensive but can scale up to 8192 servers)
4. Hybrid (of 2 and 3).
5. CLB (Component load balancer).
A web garden is a multi-processor setup. i.e., a single server (not like the multi server above).
How to implement webfarms in .Net:
Go to web.config and Here for mode = you have 4 options.
a) Say mode=inproc (non web farm but fast when you have very few customers).
b) Say mode=StateServer (for webfarm)
c) Say mode=SqlServer (for webfarm)
Whether to use option b or c depends on situation. StateServer is faster but SqlServer is more reliable and used for mission critical applications.
How to use webgardens in .Net:
Go to web.config and Change the false to true. You have one more attribute that is related to webgarden in the same tag called cpuMask.

What is the difference between a namespace and assembly name?

A namespace is a logical naming scheme for types in which a simple type name, such as MyType, is preceded with a dot-separated hierarchical name. Such a naming scheme is completely under control of the developer. For example, types MyCompany.FileAccess.A and MyCompany.FileAccess.B might be logically expected to have functionally related to file access. The .NET Framework uses a hierarchical naming scheme for grouping types into logical categories of related functionality, such as the ASP.NET application framework, or remoting functionality. Design tools can make use of namespaces to make it easier for developers to browse and reference types in their code. The concept of a namespace is not related to that of an assembly. A single assembly may contain types whose hierarchical names have different namespace roots, and a logical namespace root may span multiple assemblies. In the .NET Framework, a namespace is a logical design-time naming convenience, whereas an assembly establishes the name scope for types at run

PHP Interview Questions with Answers Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:48:00 +0000

This is the third episode of PHP Interview Questions with answers. Check out this collection of PHP Interview Questions with simplified Answers..

How do you pass a variable by value?
WHAT IS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE FUNCTIONS STRSTR() AND STRISTR()?
When are you supposed to use endif to end the conditional statement?
How can we send mail using JavaScript?
What is the functionality of the function strstr and stristr?
What is the difference between ereg_replace() and eregi_replace()?
How do I find out the number of parameters passed into function9. ?
What is the purpose of the following files having extensions: frm, myd, and myi? What these files contain?
If the variable $a is equal to 5 and variable $b is equal to character a, what’s the value of $b?
Write a query for the following question

How do you pass a variable by value?

Just like in C++, put an ampersand in front of it, like $a = &$b

WHAT IS THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE FUNCTIONS STRSTR() AND STRISTR()?

string strstr ( string haystack, string needle ) returns part of haystack string from the first occurrence of needle to the end of haystack. This function is case-sensitive.

stristr() is idential to strstr() except that it is case insensitive.

When are you supposed to use endif to end the conditional statement?

When the original if was followed by : and then the code block without braces.

How can we send mail using JavaScript?

No. There is no way to send emails directly using JavaScript.

But you can use JavaScript to execute a client side email program send the email using the "mailto" code. Here is an example:

function myfunction(form)
{
tdata=document.myform.tbox1.value;
location="mailto:mailid@domain.com?subject=...";
return true;
}

What is the functionality of the function strstr and stristr?

strstr() returns part of a given string from the first occurrence of a given substring to the end of the string. For example: strstr("user@example.com","@") will return "@example.com".
stristr() is idential to strstr() except that it is case insensitive.

What is the difference between ereg_replace() and eregi_replace()?

eregi_replace() function is identical to ereg_replace() except that it ignores case distinction when matching alphabetic characters.

How do I find out the number of parameters passed into function9. ?

func_num_args() function returns the number of parameters passed in.

What is the purpose of the following files having extensions: frm, myd, and myi? What these files contain?

In MySQL, the default table type is MyISAM.
Each MyISAM table is stored on disk in three files. The files have names that begin with the table name and have an extension to indicate the file type.

The '.frm' file stores the table definition.
The data file has a '.MYD' (MYData) extension.
The index file has a '.MYI' (MYIndex) extension,

If the variable $a is equal to 5 and variable $b is equal to character a, what’s the value of $$b?

100, it’s a reference to existing variable.

Write a query for the following question

The table tbl_sites contains the following data:

---------------------------------------
Userid sitename country
---------------------------------------
1 sureshbabu indian
2 PHPprogrammer andhra
3 PHP.net usa
4 PHPtalk.com germany
5 MySQL.com usa
6 sureshbabu canada
7 PHPbuddy.com pakistan
8. PHPtalk.com austria
9. PHPfreaks.com sourthafrica
10. PHPsupport.net russia
11. sureshbabu australia
12. sureshbabu nepal
13. PHPtalk.com italy

Write a select query that will be displayed the duplicated site name and how many times it is duplicated? …

SELECT sitename, COUNT(*) AS NumOccurrences
FROM tbl_sites
GROUP BY sitename HAVING COUNT(*) > 1

ORACLE Interview Preparation Questions with Answers (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 12:10:00 +0000

Check out this collection of ORACLE Interview Preparation Questions with Answers .This is new series of ORACLE ORACLE Interview Preparation Questions with Answers from very basic level to expert level..

What are the components of physical database structure of Oracle database?
What are the components of logical database structure of Oracle database?
What is a tablespace?
What is SYSTEM tablespace and when is it created?
Explain the relationship among database, tablespace and data file.
What is schema?
What are Schema Objects?
Can objects of the same schema reside in different tablespaces?
Can a tablespace hold objects from different schemes?
What is Oracle table?
What is an Oracle view?
What is Partial Backup ?
What is Mirrored on-line Redo Log ?
What is Full Backup ?
Can a View based on another View ?
Can a Tablespace hold objects from different Schemes ?
Can objects of the same Schema reside in different tablespaces.?
What is the use of Control File ?
Do View contain Data ?
What are the Referential actions supported by FOREIGN KEY integrity constraint ?

What are the components of physical database structure of Oracle database?

Oracle database is comprised of three types of files. One or more datafiles, two are more redo log files, and one or more control files.

What are the components of logical database structure of Oracle database?

There are tablespaces and database's schema objects.

What is a Tablespace?

A database is divided into Logical Storage Unit called tablespaces. A tablespace is used to grouped related logical structures together

What is SYSTEM tablespace and when is it created?

Every Oracle database contains a tablespace named SYSTEM, which is automatically created when the database is created. The SYSTEM tablespace always contains the data dictionary tables for the entire database.

Explain the relationship among Database, Tablespace and Data file.?

Each databases logically divided into one or more tablespaces one or more data files are explicitly created for each tablespace

What is schema?

A schema is collection of database objects of a user.

What are Schema Objects?

Schema objects are the logical structures that directly refer to the database's data. Schema objects include tables, views, sequences, synonyms, indexes, clusters, database triggers, procedures, functions packages and database links.

Can objects of the same Schema reside in different tablespaces.?

Yes.

Can a Tablespace hold objects from different Schemes ?

Yes.

What is Oracle table?

A table is the basic unit of data storage in an Oracle database. The tables of a database hold all of the user accessible data. Table data is stored in rows and columns.

What is an Oracle view?

A view is a virtual table. Every view has a query attached to it. (The query is a SELECT statement that identifies the columns and rows of the table(s) the view uses.)

What is Partial Backup ?

A Partial Backup is any operating system backup short of a full backup, taken while the database is open or shut down.

What is Mirrored on-line Redo Log ?

A mirrored on-line redo log consists of copies of on-line redo log files physically located on separate disks, changes made to one member of the group are made to all members.

What is Full Backup ?

A full backup is an operating system backup of all data files, on-line redo log files and control file that constitute ORACLE database and the parameter.

Can a view based on another view?

Yes.

Can a Tablespace hold objects from different Schemes ?

Yes.

Can objects of the same Schema reside in different tablespaces.?

Yes.

What is the use of Control File ?

When an instance of an ORACLE database is started, its control file is used to identify the database and redo log files that must be opened for database operation to proceed. It is also used in database recovery.

Do View contain Data ?

Views do not contain or store data.

What are the Referential actions supported by FOREIGN KEY integrity constraint ?

UPDATE and DELETE Restrict - A referential integrity rule that disallows the update or deletion of referenced data. DELETE Cascade - When a referenced row is deleted all associated dependent rows are deleted.