Technical Questions

Interview Questions

Technical Questions

Technical Lead Round Interview Questions and Answers

Technical Questions

This is the toughest round and what you have been preparing for all along. This round can last pretty long and if you are interviewing for a big company this phase could be done with multiple teams for multiple hours. Normally you will not be asked to come in for a technical round the next day, but during the same day, there could be one round with team A and another round with team B. 80% of the time the focus would be on your resume and the achievements you mention in your resume. The questions would not go much beyond the first and second project unless they find something interesting or something they could relate to in your 5th or 6th project. Also the type of technical questions would depend on if you are applying for a Jr., Mid-level or Sr Consultant position.

1. Prepare your resume well. You are what your resume is. If you can mirror your resume in the interview you are all set. That exactly what the interviewer is looking for. Resume preparation is an art in itself. Spend considerable amount of time tweaking it

2. Prepare your resume for the job. This applies mostly to contract jobs. This might actually sound bad but works out well. Do not present the same resume for all the jobs. Modify it to suit the requirements of the job.You do not have to go over-board with it. See if a couple of modifications here and there might increase your chances. For example, if the job requires that you know "SAP Credit Management" and if you have done credit management (although not your strength) try to expand on it. Try to do some reading if required or brush up your skills on the system. If possible try to dig out your old documents or notes that you might have. This kind of flexibility on your part can go a pretty long way in getting you the right job.

3. How to project yourself -
a. If you are applying for a Jr. Level position, project yourself as a eager enthusiastic and quick learner. Show your aptitude along with your SAP knowledge. They already know that you do not have much skill - They are just looking for somebody who is willing to learn and be flexible enough.
b. If you are applying for a mid-level SAP consultant position, project yourself as a go-to guy for specifics. You are required to solve specific problems. Your technical experience is what is being sought after. Specialization is the key.
c. If you are applying for a Sr. Level position, show your broad exposure and tell them about project experiences, methodologies, (Not just about specific checkboxes). Broad-based exposure is key.
The questions could vary depending on the style of the interviewer.
Style 1 - Based on your Resume - This is how most of the interviews take place. Since you would have already sent your resume to the team there (they have pre-screened you and said YES for an interview ),they already know that you have the skills required for the job. So its mostly a matter of convincing them that you really have it in you. If you have prepared your resume well, this interview style will really fetch you.
Style 2 - Based on current Project Situation - Some people concentrate on their current project requirements or what they have been doing for the past 1 year. These are actually the toughest questions to answer. It is actually a very bad interviewing style but you just have to take it in stride. These people are the hardest to impress. But remember, everybody who has come to the interview will face the same challenge as you do. It happens very rarely that the candidate being interviewed is very well versed with the specific topics that the interviewer is asking questions on (without referring to your resume.
Style 3 - Management style Technical questions - Sometimes project managers ask technical questions. This could be a tough call. You would have to base your answers by first judging the type of questions that he is asking. Some project managers come from a technical background and ask very relevant technical questions that test specific skills as well as overall understanding. These people cannot be fooled easily and if you have the right skills, these interviews are easy (the key to impress them easily is to explain specific project related incidents and how you have handled them, both from a project management perspective and technical perspective. These folks look mostly for a go-getter attitude). Some project managers come from non-technical background and still do the technical interview. They ask questions that are mostly related to administration (Landscapes, transports), current business scenarios and QA. All they look for is your over all confidence. You just have to say "YES I KNOW" (in other words, sound knowledgeable even on things you might not know) to all their questions because they do not know the answers themselves.

DOs
* Concentrate 60% your technical preparation on the first and 20% on your second project.
* Prepare your resume well and prepare well for it.
* Be aware of every line of the first 2 pages of your resume.
* Explain specific instances where you have faced or solved problems.
* In your project summary try to list specific customization scenarios. Do not just list standard customization scenarios too much.

DON'ts
* Try not to say "I don't remember" atleast to questions in the first project.
* Do not ever talk too much about standard functionality. This gives them an impression that you are a trainee and have not done much customization.

Sample Questions
1. Technical questions in the subject area of expertise ( Functional/ Technical/Administration/ PM ). 2. How do you solve this scenario? ( They will give you a specific scenario and ask for your approach to solve the problem) 3. Specific customizaion examples (How to set seasonality in credit limit or how to enable line-item level view in G/L master etc)

(Continued on next question...)