Telephone Interview

Furton

Furton

Furton

Soldato
Joined
9 Aug 2003
Posts
2,715
Location
Liverpool
I've got a telephone interview on Thursday and I've never had a "proper" one before, i.e. the others were just to make sure I could actually hold a conversation e.t.c. However this time I'm applying for a graduate scheme as a Surveyor and they've asked me to prepare the following.

The interview will consists of discussing and verifying your application form as well as answering some spatial awareness puzzles and accessing your computation skills.
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I'm confident on everything except for the spatial awareness. Has anyone ever had spatial awareness puzzels, what sort of questions should I expect?
 
Afraid I can't help with the spatial awareness question, but a good tip I found is to stand up.

If you're sitting down in a nice comfy chair then you might relax too much and won't sound or feel confident.
It should also help you with the puzzles.
 
I never knew what one was till now, and my brain hurts already.

Get a headset, having your hands free helps with puzzles I've heard, just fiddling with thin air makes you think better or...something
 
Maybe they will tell you to go on a website? Or maybe you're looking at the wrong thing :p Or maybe it's generic info that they use for regular and telephone interviews?

Or maybe they have infiltrated your house and have set up various spacial awareness puzzles.
 
agree with stand up, get a headset.
have water to hand. remember to give plenty of verbal nods
 
I've just run three phone interviews with candidates in India. Jeeees that was a struggle. Good candidates though, but hard to understand and I'm used to Indian accents from my everyday work.
 
Wear comfortable clothing, possibly barefoot. Headset on, GLASS NOT BOTTLE of water nearby, and test your headset before the interview with a friend to make sure you are crystal clear.

And don't slurp the water!
 
What is the world coming to.. a telephone interview? Puzzles? :confused:

Personally i'd say to them if you don't have the time to see me in person then you can stuff yourself.. yes?.. yes.
 
2StepSteve said:
What is the world coming to.. a telephone interview? Puzzles? :confused:

Personally i'd say to them if you don't have the time to see me in person then you can stuff yourself.. yes?.. yes.
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eh?
whats wrong with telephone interviews?
 
Well it is one thing having a conversation on the phone and both parties inquiring which could lead onto an interview. But a telephone interview with puzzles.. it sounds like a Guess Who game followed by a game of battleships.. E3.. MISS!
 
2StepSteve said:
What is the world coming to.. a telephone interview? Puzzles? :confused:

Personally i'd say to them if you don't have the time to see me in person then you can stuff yourself.. yes?.. yes.
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Nearly all large grad scheme roles use them, HP, Wella, IBM, L'oreal, Marks and Spencer to name but a few..
 
Right, I've managed to get two example questions, however I can't get the answer close enough to be considered an estimate

Q1

A friend of yours is thinking of building a new workshop in his garden. They have asked you to give them a rough estimate of how much the concrete for structural foundations will cost based on your understanding of building projects. The extension will have four external walls with a floor plan of 5m x 4m and one internal wall that dissects the width of the building (all walls require a foundation). If you work on the understanding that the foundations will be 500mm wide and 1000mm deep, and concrete costs £70/m3, roughly how much should your friend budget for the cost of the concrete?

(N.B. Your answer should be in the form of a simple estimate only and take no more than three minutes to complete. Only base your answers on the information provided and do not make any other assumptions.)
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Q2
Your friend has asked you again to estimate how much it will cost to put in five windows around the workshop, one large window in the end wall and two smaller windows along each external side wall (2.5m x 1.5m and 1.5m x 1.5m respectively). Each window will have a timber frame and mullion (vertical dissection) (£8/m), two panes of clear glass (£80/m2) and a cill (£20/m). Roughly how much should your friend budget for the construction of the windows.

(N.B. Your answer should be in the form of a simple estimate only and take no more than three minutes to complete. Only base your answers on the information provided and do not make any other assumptions.)
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How would other people go about solving them questions?
 
Q1 is £770 I think.

Total length of walls is 22m, multiply that by width of 0.5m = 11m^2, multiply that by depth of 1m = 11m^3. 11 x £70 = £770. Or £805 if the internal wall is across the 5m section, is length or width specified first?

Q2 large window has a perimeter of 8m, smaller ones are 6m. 8m + 2 x 6m = 20m, 20 x £8 = £160.

large window, 2.5m x 1.5m = 3.75m ^ 2
smaller window 1.5 x 1.5 = 2.25m ^ 2

3.75 + 2.25 x 2 = 8.25m^2

8.25 x £80 = £660.

Cill (goes at the bottom of the window right?)

2.5m + 1.5m x 2 = 5.5m

5.5m x £20 = £110.

£110 + £660 + £160 = £930
 
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