ASP.NET 3.5 Interview questions

TRAPS: When an interviewer presses you to reveal confidential information about a present or former employer, you may feel it’s a no-win situation. If you cooperate, you could be judged untrustworthy. If you don’t, you may irritate the interviewer and seem obstinate, uncooperative or overly suspicious. Top BEST ANSWER: Your interviewer may press you for this information for two reasons. First, many companies use interviews to research the competition. It’s a perfect set-up. Here in their own lair, is an insider from the enemy camp who can reveal prized information on the competition’s plans, research, financial condition, etc. Second, the company may be testing your integrity to see if you can be cajoled or bullied into revealing confidential data. What to do? The answer here is easy. Never reveal anything truly confidential about a present or former employer. By all means, explain your reticence diplomatically . For example, “I certainly want to be as ope...

TRAPS: It’s a shame that some interviewers feel the need to ask this question, but many understand the reality that prejudices still exist among some job candidates, and it’s better to try to flush them out beforehand. The trap here is that in today’s politically sensitized environment, even a well-intentioned answer can result in planting your foot neatly in your mouth. Avoid anything which smacks of a patronizing or an insensitive attitude, such as “I think they make terrific bosses” or “Hey, some of my best friends are…” Of course, since almost anyone with an IQ above room temperature will at least try to steadfastly affirm the right answer here, your interviewer will be judging your sincerity most of all. “Do you really feel that way?” is what he or she will be wondering. So you must make your answer believable and not just automatic. If the firm is wise enough to have promoted peopled on the basis of ability alone, they’re likely quite proud of it, and prefer to ...

TRAPS: If an interviewer has read your resume carefully, he may try to zero in on a “fatal flaw” of your candidacy, perhaps that you don’t have a college degree…you’ve been out of the job market for some time…you never earned your CPA, etc. A fatal flaw question can be deadly, but usually only if you respond by being overly defensive. BEST ANSWERS: As every master salesperson knows, you will encounter objections (whether stated or merely thought) in every sale. They’re part and parcel of the buyer’s anxiety. The key is not to exacerbate the buyer’s anxiety but diminish it. Here’s how… Whenever you come up against a fatal flaw question: 1. Be completely honest, open and straightforward about admitting the shortcoming. (Showing you have nothing to hide diminishes the buyer’s anxiety.) 2. Do not apologize or try to explain it away. You know that this supposed flaw is nothing to be concerned about, and this is the attitude you ...

TRAPS: You want to be a well-rounded, not a drone. But your potential employer would be even more turned off if he suspects that your heavy extracurricular load will interfere with your commitment to your work duties. BEST ANSWERS: Try to gauge how this company’s culture would look upon your favorite outside activities and be guided accordingly. You can also use this question to shatter any stereotypes that could limit your chances. If you’re over 50, for example, describe your activities that demonstrate physical stamina. If you’re young, mention an activity that connotes wisdom and institutional trust, such as serving on the board of a popular charity. But above all, remember that your employer is hiring your for what you can do for him , not your family, yourself or outside organizations, no matter how admirable those activities may be.

TRAPS: This is a tough question because it’s a more clever and subtle way to get you to admit to a weakness. You can’t dodge it by pretending you’ve never been criticized. Everybody has been. Yet it can be quite damaging to start admitting potential faults and failures that you’d just as soon leave buried. This question is also intended to probe how well you accept criticism and direction. Top BEST ANSWERS: Begin by emphasizing the extremely positive feedback you’ve gotten throughout your career and (if it’s true) that your performance reviews have been uniformly excellent. Of course, no one is perfect and you always welcome suggestions on how to improve your performance. Then, give an example of a not-too-damaging learning experience from early in your career and relate the ways this lesson has since helped you. This demonstrates that you learned from the experience and the lesson is now one of the strongest breastplates in your suit of armor. If you are presse...

TRAPS: As in all matters of your interview, never fake familiarity you don’t have. Yet you don’t want to seem like a dullard who hasn’t read a book since Tom Sawyer. BEST ANSWER: Unless you’re up for a position in academia or as book critic for The New York Times , you’re not expected to be a literary lion. But it wouldn’t hurt to have read a handful of the most recent and influential books in your profession and on management. Consider it part of the work of your job search to read up on a few of these leading books. But make sure they are quality books that reflect favorably upon you, nothing that could even remotely be considered superficial. Finally, add a recently published bestselling work of fiction by a world-class author and you’ll pass this question with flying colors.

TRAPS: Skillfull interviewers sometimes make it almost irresistible to open up and air a little dirty laundry from your previous position. DON’T BEST ANSWER: Remember the rule: Never be negative. Stress only the good points, no matter how charmingly you’re invited to be critical. Your interviewer doesn’t care a whit about your previous boss. He wants to find out how loyal and positive you are, and whether you’ll criticize him behind his back if pressed to do so by someone in this own company. This question is your opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty to those you work with.

TRAPS: A tough question if you’ve been on the beach a long time. You don’t want to seem like damaged goods. BEST ANSWER: You want to emphasize factors which have prolonged your job search by your own choice. Example: “After my job was terminated, I made a conscious decision not to jump on the first opportunities to come along. In my life, I’ve found out that you can always turn a negative into a positive IF you try hard enough. This is what I determined to do. I decided to take whatever time I needed to think through what I do best, what I most want to do, where I’d like to do it…and then identify those companies that could offer such an opportunity.” “Also, in all honesty, you have to factor in the recession (consolidation, stabilization, etc.) in the (banking, financial services, manufacturing, advertising, etc.) industry.” “So between my being selective and the companies in our industry downsizing, the process has taken time. But in the end, I’m convinced that w...

TRAPS: The interviewer is trying to find out, “How desperate are you?” BEST ANSWER: Prepare for this question by thinking of how you can position yourself as a desired commodity. If you are still working, describe the possibilities at your present firm and why, though you’re greatly appreciated there, you’re looking for something more (challenge, money, responsibility, etc.). Also mention that you’re seriously exploring opportunities with one or two other firms. If you’re not working, you can talk about other employment possibilities you’re actually exploring. But do this with a light touch, speaking only in general terms. You don’t want to seem manipulative or coy.

TRAPS: This question tests whether you’ve done any homework about the firm. If you haven’t, you lose. If you have, you win big. BEST ANSWER: This question is your opportunity to hit the ball out of the park, thanks to the in-depth research you should do before any interview. Best sources for researching your target company: annual reports, the corporate newsletter, contacts you know at the company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles about the company in the trade press.

TRAPS: This is often asked by an experienced interviewer who thinks you may be overqualified, but knows better than to show his hand by posing his objection directly. So he’ll use this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he or she is looking for something other than the position at hand. BEST ANSWER: The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering, being sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with sincerity, why each quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to you. Remember that if you’re coming from a company that’s the leader in its field or from a glamorous or much admired company, industry, city or position, your interviewer and his company may well have an “Avis” complex. That is, they may feel a bit defensive about being “second best” to the place you’re coming from, worried that you may consider them bush league. This anxiety could well be there even though you’ve done not...

TRAPS: One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along. Or they could be trying to gauge your level of ambition. If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you someday hope to win, you’ll sound presumptuous. If you’re too vague, you’ll seem rudderless. BEST ANSWER: Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term commitment…that this position entails exactly what you’re looking to do and what you do extremely well. As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job at hand with excellence, future opportunities will take care of themselves. Example: “I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to my next position. Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking for and what I am very well qualified to do. In terms of my future career path, I’m confident that if I do my work ...

TRAPS: The employer may be concerned that you’ll grow dissatisfied and leave. BEST ANSWER: As with any objection, don’t view this as a sign of imminent defeat. It’s an invitation to teach the interviewer a new way to think about this situation, seeing advantages instead of drawbacks. Example: “I recognize the job market for what it is – a marketplace. Like any marketplace, it’s subject to the laws of supply and demand. So ‘overqualified’ can be a relative term, depending on how tight the job market is. And right now, it’s very tight. I understand and accept that.” “I also believe that there could be very positive benefits for both of us in this match.” “Because of my unusually strong experience in ________________ , I could start to contribute right away, perhaps much faster than someone who’d have to be brought along more slowly.” “There’s also the value of all the training and years of experience that other companies have invested tens of thousands of dollar...

TRAPS: Believe it or not, this is a killer question because so many candidates are unprepared for it. If you stammer or adlib you’ve blown it. BEST ANSWER: By now you can see how critical it is to apply the overall strategy of uncovering the employer’s needs before you answer questions. If you know the employer’s greatest needs and desires, this question will give you a big leg up over other candidates because you will give him better reasons for hiring you than anyone else is likely to…reasons tied directly to his needs. Whether your interviewer asks you this question explicitly or not, this is the most important question of your interview because he must answer this question favorably in is own mind before you will be hired. So help him out! Walk through each of the position’s requirements as you understand them, and follow each with a reason why you meet that requirement so well. Example: “As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someo...

TRAPS: Beware – if you are unprepared for this question, you will probably not handle it right and possibly blow the interview. Thank goodness most interviewers don’t employ it. It’s normally used by those determined to see how you respond under stress. Here’s how it works: You answer an interviewer’s question and then, instead of asking another, he just stares at you in a deafening silence. You wait, growing a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as Mt. Rushmore, as if he doesn’t believe what you’ve just said, or perhaps making you feel that you’ve unwittingly violated some cardinal rule of interview etiquette. When you get this silent treatment after answering a particularly difficult question , such as “tell me about your weaknesses”, its intimidating effect can be most disquieting, even to polished job hunters. Most unprepared candidates rush in to fill the void of silence, viewing prolonged, uncomfortable silences as an invitation to clear up the previous answer ...

TRAPS: Never badmouth your previous industry, company, board, boss, staff, employees or customers. This rule is inviolable: never be negative. Any mud you hurl will only soil your suit. Especially avoid words like “personality clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others which cast a shadow on your competence, integrity, or temperament. BEST ANSWER: (If you have a job presently) If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present post, don’t be afraid to say so. Since you have a job, you are in a stronger position than someone who does not. But don’t be coy either. State honestly what you’d be hoping to find in a new spot. Of course, as stated often before, you answer will all the stronger if you have already uncovered what this position is all about and you match your desires to it. (If you do not presently have a job.) Never lie about having been fired. It’s unethical – and too easily checked. But do try to deflect the reason from you personally. If your f...

TRAPS: There are some questions your interviewer has no business asking, and this is one. But while you may feel like answering, “ none of your business,” naturally you can’t. Some interviewers ask this question on the chance you admit to something, but if not, at least they’ll see how you think on your feet. Some unprepared candidates, flustered by this question, unburden themselves of guilt from their personal life or career, perhaps expressing regrets regarding a parent, spouse, child, etc. All such answers can be disastrous. BEST ANSWER: As with faults and weaknesses, never confess a regret. But don’t seem as if you’re stonewalling either. Best strategy: Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you practice regularly for healthy human relations. Example: Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you. Then say, “You know, I really can’t think of anything.” (Pause again, then add): “I would add that as a general management ...

TRAPS : Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview. PASSABLE ANSWER: Disguise a strength as a weakness. Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength.” Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is transparent to any experienced interviewer. BEST ANSWER : (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications. Example: “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position, I believe I' d make an outstandin...

TRAPS: This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don't want to come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble. BEST ANSWER: You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this. Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements. You should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM. Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose those achievements from your list that best match up. As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable ...

TRAPS : Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters. BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting. So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal. To do so, make you take these two steps: 1. Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company) 2. As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more comp...

Class: Class is concrete representation of an entity. It represents a group of objects, which posses similar attributes and behavior. Provides Abstraction and Encapsulations. A category name that can be given to group of objects of similar kind. Object: Object represents/resembles a Physical/real entity. An object is simply something you can give a name. Object Oriented Programming: is a Style of programming that represents a program as a system of objects and enables code-reuse. Encapsulation: Binding of attributes and behaviors. Hiding the implementation and exposing the functionality. Abstraction: Hiding the complexity. Defining communication interface for the functionality and hiding rest of the things. In .Net destructor can not be abstract. Can define Either Finalize / Destructor. For Destructor access specifiers can not be assigned. It is Private. Overloading: Adding a new method with the same name in same/derived class but with different number/types of parameters. Implements ...

ADO.Net Components: Connection, Command, DataReader, DataAdapter Differentiate between DataSet and RecordSet: 1) DataSet is entire relation DB in memory. Table/Relation/Views While RecordSet is representation of Table. It do not contain information on relationships, Constraints, Keys. 2) DataSet is designed to work in disconnected mode. 3) There’s no concept of cursor-types in a DataSet 4) DataSet has no record pointer. 5) You can store many edits in a DS and write them in Original DataSource in a single call. 6) DataSet internally represents data with XML and can be serialized. Thus you can easily retrieve data from a DB and then write directly to XML file or reverse. DataSet is always disconnected? True What is advantage of DataReader over DataSet? DataReader is readonly stream of data returned from the DB as the query executes. It contains one row of data at a time and is restricted to forward-only. Supports to a access multiple result sets but only one at a time a...

Different Types of Caching? Output Caching: stores the responses from an asp.net page. Fragment Caching: Only caches/stores the portion of page (User Control) Data Caching: is Programmatic way to Cache objects for performance. Authentication and Authorization : Authentication is identifying/validating the user against the credentials (username and password) and Authorization performs after authentication. Authorization allowing access of specific resource to user. Different Types of Directives : Page, Register, Control, OutputCache, Import, Implements, Assembly, Reference Difference between Server-Side and Client-Side : Server-Side code is executed on web-server and does not transmitted to client, while client-side code executed on client(browser) and is rendered to client along with the content. Difference Server.Transfer and Response.Redirect : Both ends the processing for the current request immediately. Server.Transfer start executing the another reso...

.Net Framework : Is an environment that facilitates Object Oriented Programming Model for multiple languages. It wraps OS and insulates Software Development from many OS specific tasks such as file handling, memory allocation & management. It has two main components CLR and .Net Class Libraries . CLR : Common Language Runtime . It is heart of .Net Framework. Core of CLR is it’s execution engine which loads, executes and manages the managed code that has been compiled to Intermediate Language (MSIL). CTS : Common Type System . It defines the common set of types that can be used in different languages regardless of OS and hardware. Each language is free to provide/define it’s own syntaxes. CTS defines that how types are declared, used and managed in runtime. Most important addition is runtime support for cross language integration. It does: Establishes a Framework Provides Object Oriented Programming Model Defines set of rules that language must follow...