Typical Access Interview

[ArizonaGal]

Hi, I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this question.

I consider myself a decent Access/Visual Basic programmer and I went on an interview today with a major IT company. The position was for an Access Programmer to be able to create some kind of program that the Marketing Department could use to help configure the software package their customers can use based on their needs.

One of the first things the interviewers did was give me a PC and ask me to program something for them! I was not expecting this. I explained the concept that I would use cascading drop down boxes to drill down the the level of detail that Marketing could use and they wanted me to program this on the spot!

Is this something I should expect in interviews? I pulled up a few examples of code using Google and explained how I would use similar code to do this but I hate programming while-you-wait. I couldn't do it on the spot. It would have taken too long and I hate for people to be watching me while I try to work.

What do my fellow Access Programmers think? Is this to be expected? I was expecting them to show me code or even a program and ask me what it's doing or ask how I would troubleshoot something but they kept on insisting that I program an example for them.

Maybe I should get out of the programming business if this is the way it is?

Thank you.

 

[MarkK]

They know you don't have time to complete it, they want to see your process, and how you handle the stress. Also your default coding style, like I'd commonly take an OOP approach to problem solving and start writing the classes I'd think I'd need. Some employers would like that, some not, but you want to work with people who code like you anyway, so be yourself is the main thing in my book. Show what you know, show your best, and if they don't choose you, ask them where you fell short, in their opinion, so you have the option to focus your growth.

 

[AnthonyGerrard]

A practical is OK - they should have left you alone to do it though. Standing over you seems harsh.

 

[nanscombe]

I guess it would be one way to judge whether you knew things by heart, from years of experience, or simply went off to Google, or the Help facility, and plagiarised example code.

You'd probably only have to go to Subroutine or Function level for some of the controls and put a remark in (something else that would most likely be seen as desirable). I didn't for years as I was a lone programmer but picked up the habit when I started working with others.

Any use of naming conventions could be examined, as could your use of Macros (I don't tend to), VBA, queries etc.

When starting a new system there were times when I used to find it was easier to "knock up" a partially functioning prototype, to demonstrate screens and control layout, than draw it on a piece of paper.

Coming from a Helpdesk background the "Standing over" part of it probably wouldn't bother me so much because when people used to ask me about things I would either talk them through what to do, and why, or often I take the pilot seat as it were and demonstrate it to them.