Advice for a phone interview (desperately need a job) - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 01:14:53 am
content: I'm having a phone call with a company for a full-time job. I'm in desperate need of work and this is a huge opportunity. Student loans are barking up my ass and I really need income to support myself.I only possess an Associate's degree from an ABET accredited college and I've taken Junior level courses, but my knowledge and experience far exceeds many Bachelor's degree graduates. I had to drop out of my Junior year because of medical reasons (although, I look like a typical dropout on paper). I'm very familiar with LTSpice, Altium Designer, and relatively competent at MATLAB. I'm a quick learner with lab equipment and I've prototyped/debugged many SMD circuits. I'm excellent at soldering. Although I haven't sold anything, I am a co-founder of a start-up company and I have some prototype PCBs and software to show.My writing abilities far exceed my verbal abilities, but I'm enjoyable to work with.Does anyone have any advice on what could make me more appealing for hire? Should I speak a lot about the questions they ask, or give brief answers? I'm in the process of researching the company. I could talk their ear off about certain topics, but is that more annoying or appealing?Thank you very much!The job description from Allegro is:What You Will DoAs a Design Engineer, you will design, evaluate, analyze and debug integrated circuitry for hardware systems. You will determine the best design and simulation practices, analyze and implement behavioral models to explore design tradeoffs and select integrated circuit architectures and component sizes based on analysis of specifications. You would quickly assume ownership of derivative products.Experience & Education RequirementsThe successful candidate will possess a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (including coursework applicable to analog integrated circuit design, strong theoretical background in circuit analysis, microelectronic devices and signal processing) plus a minimum of 2 years experience designing integrated circuits. You must also have the following:Experience with schematic entry and layout software, integrated circuit modeling, and circuit simulation using SPICE-like simulators.Excellent communication, documentation, problem-solving and analytical skills.Familiarity with laboratory procedures and basic electronic lab equipment, such as oscilloscopes, voltmeters, and soldering equipment.Familiarity with UNIX-based operating systems. Familiarity with any of the following software tools is beneficial: Cadence Analog Design Environment, Verilog, Verilog-A, MATLAB, Simulink, and LabVIEW.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 01:33:12 am
content: I'd emphasize on the projects you have designed and built yourself.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:01:24 am
content: Try to be open and honest and demonstrate you know your stuff by being able to talk knowledgeably about the subject with direct reference to your own experience and projects you have worked on. Avoid the temptation to bluff or be vague in areas you are weak in. Just be up front and say, "I don't have direct experience of that subject, but..." and explain what you do know that could make up for it or how you could reliably learn what is needed.When I'm interviewing I get particularly bothered by vagueness and indirectness. It sets off my bullshit meter. Be prepared to go into detail, but avoid the temptation to ramble on and on. Speaking twice as long does not make you twice as convincing.In one recent interview, we asked the candidate, "What do you think about X?", where X was something we use. The reply was, "Well, frankly, I don't think X works very well." We smiled, and chalked up one mark to the candidate, because the answer was somewhat accurate and refreshingly candid.

author: ignator
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:32:59 am
content: A phone interview will suck if your talking to someone from human resources that has an underwater basket weaving degree. So let's hope it's with the hiring manager, that knows the domain knowledge of the products. If this is the case, being very interested in how the product(s) work. They want curious technical people. Ones the indicated a bottomless pit of curiosity. They will determine if your questions are of ignorance, or curiosity. Your questions and answers will determine the outcome. Ask what they want your part to be in the whole design, development, life-cycle process to be.If all goes well you should get a plant interview, or an offer.Good luck.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 02:37:07 am
content: Research the company, and its beginnings. Get an idea of their products, revenues, profits. If your boss is a corporate crawler, he's may be more interested in hiring someone who make him look good in a corporate sense.

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 03:21:57 am
content: The phone call will be with the Design Engineering Manager, which is thankfully not HR! Thanks for the tips. I'll keep checking back.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 03:54:05 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 22, 2013, 03:21:57 amMy phone interview a year and a half ago for my current job was interesting. I was told he would call me at 11:00AM so I took an early lunch at my current job and drove to a gas station parking lot and sat there staring at my phone.At precisely the time it ticket from 10:59:59 to 11:00:00 it rang. I had my interview and felt almost like I was talking to a cyborg. Just question, after question with no emotion or indication of anything. I once said it was like talking to a cyborg. And then suddenly he said "That's all the questions I have, we'll let you know in a few days" and promptly ended the call. It was precisely 11:30AM.I ended up getting the job but it was an interesting experience to say the least. Apparently our manager hates interviews so he goes into cyborg mode so they person won't be very conversational.

author: moepower
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 06:56:39 am
content: Also, if they ask you a question you don't know, don't try to make up the answer on the spot. Admit to them you don't know, but make a suggestion as to how you would go about seeking out the answer (no, not using google).

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:14:09 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 22, 2013, 01:14:53 amThe only thing I can suggest is because this is a phone interview and you can't see/interpret body language, you may want to ask questions or use phrases like ...Would you like me to elaborate ?Can I take 5 minutes to talk about this or would you like me to be brief?How much detail would you like to hear?Usually the above can be sensed when you see the interviewer, but you are talking into a phone with no feedback whatsoever.PS. Go to the bathroom before and have a big glass of water readily available.Turn off all distractions.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:24:19 am
content: Another helpful hint. Don't use your full real name on web forums that can be easily googled by your potential boss.

author: moepower
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:26:50 am
content: Furthermore on that point about not being able to see them, sometimes you get cross-talk, that is 2 people who start talking at once. If that happens, I simply say "sorry, go ahead", or just "go ahead please". It seems obvious, but I know some people who just continue talking when that happens and trample on the other speaker. It is just a minor courtesy thing, and it is quite common in radio conversations.

author: Codemonkey
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:37:57 am
content: I don't mean to offend, but the skills you list (LTspice, SMD assembly etc) vs the skills they require (IC modelling) don't match at all. Playing about with LT spice is a different world to modeling bits of an IC. I'd be more concerned about do you really have the required skills to do the job ? They're looking for an IC designer with experience, and from the terms mentioned, I'm guessing someone who's worked in a big organisation as maybe a team leader doing mixed signal IC design.I've worked with mixed signal IC designers who who wouldn't know one end of a soldering iron from the other, but they didn't need to, they were seriously clever people though (I'm not an IC designer, wish I was smart enough!).

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 10:37:40 pm
content: Valid comment, haha.Quote from: Stonent on November 22, 2013, 07:24:19 am

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 10:39:08 pm
content: The engineering manager forwarded the job information to a previous professor. They want a person who was recently/is a student.Quote from: Codemonkey on November 22, 2013, 07:37:57 am

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:38:27 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 22, 2013, 10:39:08 pm

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:50:47 am
content: I think there is a lot of good advice here, having confidence is important and yes if you don't know something, just be honest. No one person knows everything about everything.One thing that you need to do is also understand connections to the company. If you know someone who is linked to the hiring manager like your professor, make sure that you also ask them to give your endorsement.Finally the one very important thing for a interview that I didn't see mentioned is to make sure that you have a list of questions for the interviewer. If you get them to take the whole time then you are doing great.Good luck and please update the forum with results

author: envisionelec
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 03:59:26 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 22, 2013, 01:14:53 amThe issue at stake here is whether your "knowledge and experience" really does exceed their requirements. A phone interview is a weed-out. Just be brief and answer the questions. If they want to know more, they'll schedule a personal interview.I was able to demonstrate my knowledge by sending a portfolio to my prospective employer which contained actual products designed, marketed and sold. Then during the personal interview, I asked for a couple case studies where I could offer my solution on-the-spot. They gave me one that, I learned later, took them two weeks to solve and gave them a similar solution in 30 seconds. I demonstrated that I could think on my feet and give them useful answers quickly.I had similar knowledge at age 24, but I lacked actual long term experience. Try getting a lower level job as a technician for a large company for a few years to really learn how screwed up corporations are. It will give you a whole new appreciation for the work.You gotta dig the trenches before building the walls if you don't plan to go back to school. See my "I Quit" thread for more information on my story.

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 27, 2013, 11:07:16 pm
content: It went pretty well. He gave me a circuit problem over the phone, which is not the most ideal situation. I didn't ace it, but he may have just wanted to see how I work through it, since it was a configuration I've never seen before. Now we wait..

author: moepower
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 30, 2013, 02:16:55 am
content: What was the circuit problem he gave you?

author: MacAttak
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 30, 2013, 03:27:34 am
content: Proper interview etiquette would be tonotdisclose the details of the problem he was asked to solve. In an interview, there is an assumed confidentiality by both sides.How awkward would it be if that interviewer happened to do a web search on the OP's name? I'm guessing "Randall W. Lott" is probably his real name, and with EEVBlog so high in google rankings, a cursory background check would show the candidate sharing interview details in public. That would probably not be a good thing in the eyes of the prospective employer.

author: Randall W. Lott
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 08, 2013, 10:39:53 pm
content: I agree. I don't believe that it would be appropriate for me to share the details of the problem.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 09, 2013, 12:23:27 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 22, 2013, 01:14:53 amDepends entirely upon the interviewer, but in my experience, talking their arse off is much better than being a yes/no answer person. Go off on tangents, show them you know stuff in a broad range of areas.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 09, 2013, 12:26:36 am
content: Quote from: Randall W. Lott on November 27, 2013, 11:07:16 pmYes, it usually make no difference if you get the right answer, it's designed to test your ability to handle a new problem you haven't seen before. And any good interviewer knows that interviews can be stressful, so it's not expected you'll come up with the right answer immediately under that pressure.That is why as an interviewer I've always like the broad questions, like giving someone a board and asking them to tell me anything they can about it. That ease the pressure of getting the "right answer", and they open up more.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 09, 2013, 12:29:58 am
content: Quote from: lgbeno on November 23, 2013, 03:50:47 amBut not dumb arse honest, by just saying "I don't know". Say instead "I'm not sure, but I can find out pretty easily by checking blah blah" or something similar.Know how and where to find information is an important skill in it's own right.

author: ejeffrey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 09, 2013, 06:14:28 am
content: Quote from: EEVblog on December 09, 2013, 12:26:36 amThis. When I have interviewed people, I don't expect them to get everything right. Actually, I hope that they don't. If they get the problem right off the bat, it probably means they have seen it before and I didn't pick a good question. I want to see A) how they think about a new problem, and B) that they don't get panicked or defensive when they are asked to do something they don't know.

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:11:26 am
content: So how did the interview go? Did you get the job?

author: june
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: January 22, 2014, 03:21:10 am
content: I think the most important thing for a phone interview is to keep confident.