Will I finally learn something new

I also recently applied for a Product Support Intern position in Ericsson recently. It didn’t ask for a lot of technical skills but it surely mentions that a good understanding of Linux, IP, Cloud technologies or Python is an advantage. Of course it is.

Keeping up and polishing the basics is the most important aspect of being a developer. The time when I was working in India as a Java developer, my manager often emphasized how crucial it is to be VERY good with the basics of the technology you are working on/with. Senior developers tend to get their skills rusty in this department… because they have other stuff to attend to.

Therefore I am gonna work on my basics now. Although I am studying cybersecurity, I want to get comfortable with Linux first.

I came across this page: Linux Administration/DevOps Course on Facebook. (It was a sponsored post) Probably the only time I clicked on an actual ad.

Never the less, I registered for it and received an email with links to a portal. I had to do some quizzes. It was actually a really nice experience and the questions were not witless or dull like I have experienced before. I will share about this later and update this post.

updated on September 11 - received a call from NIX too

The selection procedure consisted of a series of quizzes. A total of 6 quizzes. It consisted of the following sections:

• Communication style
• Auxiliary skills
• Cognitive testing
• DevOps / Linux Administration Course – Technical skills
• NIX factor
• Social interaction

Sections

The first two sections were related to the soft skills that are required on the job. I really liked this part because the questions looked like someone put time in making them (or money acquiring these). I was presented with some simple scenarios and was then asked on how I would respond or react in such situations. I didn’t take screenshots of any questions as I was enjoying answering them.

The main aim of these questions is to help the employer judge how the candidates deal with issues or conflicts.

The third section - cognitive testing, included an IQ test. Almost all of them included patterns of shapes where I had to choose the next one that would make the most sense. I like how NIX puts it about the IQ test:

It is only an indicator of one’s ability to quickly recognize the logic behind the task given in the assessment.

That is very true. Some of the questions were pretty easy but few really put me in the thinking soon haha. It was nevertheless very fun to feel your brain machinery working a little overtime. I don’t think you can really prepare for such tests. Maybe there are some standard pattern questions but again, like the previous section, really depends on how you think and concentrate… and find logic behind things.

The fourth section was all about the technical skills. I made a note of the topics from where the questions were asked. They were simple and straightforward but required you to be well aware of the basics in that particular topic. It was objective-type quiz and as far as I remember were multiple-choice questions.

1. Networking and Internet Protocols

• SSH
• Ping command
• iptables
• IPv4 and IPv6
• MAC addresses
• Internet protocols
• DNS
• TCP/UDP

2. Linux Administration and Security

• Linux file permissions
• Linux users and groups
• CLI (Command Line Interface)
• Firewall
• Server authentication

3. Web and Server Technologies

• E-mail protocols
• Web servers
• HTTP status error codes

4. Linux Operating System

• Linux distributions

The last two sections included questions that will help NIX gauge your way of working and how you interact with your customers/co-workers. They are aptly named NIX factor and Social Interactions. They are pretty much self-explanatory. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the questions so can’t share more details. It, most probably, consisted of questions where you had to deal with a situation, or a scenario and you had to choose from the given options.

End of the selection procedure

After I was done with all quizzes, I got an email that expert will evaluate results in more details. They called me today - September 11. The representative was sweet and asked if she could share more information about the course. This online course consists of practical tasks and a candidate must appear for an interview in the end. Sadly, when I shared that I am a student, the rep stated that these courses can only be offered to candidates in case they are ready to join the NIX team as a full-time employee later.

Of course, I will not be able to do that just now. The rep told me to keep up with the updates on the NIX website and apply for the same course after I graduate.

I was a little sad as I really wanted to do this course. But on the information page on NIX, they have shared a neat document that is full of resources for learning DevOps and Linux administration.

Link to the document: Recommended reading for learning Linux/DevOps

I think I will go ahead and start studying from the list. Something is better than nothing!

• I saw the updated post and noticed that the images are nearly impossible to view properly. While they don’t show anything very important, I will take care about this from now on and make sure that they are legible.