VMware Technical Support Engineer II interview questions

I was contacted by a VMware recruiter about a week after submitting my application. There was an initial phone screening with a verbal skills test. I answered a series of questions related to Windows administration, general networking and technology, and a few command line questions. There was some confusing wording on a couple of the questions, but when the recruiter saw that I was getting to the point he gave me little hints to help compensate for it. I only missed one or two of these questions, after which time I was told that a Skype interview would be set up and that I would be contacted with further details. The next day I had an "in-person" scheduled over Skype for the following week. The interview began with an introduction from the hiring manager, followed by questions from two Senior TSE's. Questions were regarding ESXi, vSphere, storage, and network, as it relates to datacenter connectivity and VMware products, particularly. They ranged in difficulty, and when I got to the point where I did not know an answer I would let them know. There were a few about Windows administration, but not many, and a few general questions just to gauge my experience. This process went well and I was able to answer most of their queries without any issue. This took a little over 40 minutes and it was slated for 30. In speaking with the hiring manager, I was told that I should sell myself and let him know just why I was their guy. This was easy since I believe in the company and their products, and had with me a natural enthusiasm from the hiring process as a whole. I was asked questions about customer service and how I had handled accounts in the past, and was also asked how I might be viewed by my current co-workers, boss, and clients. When it was my turn to ask questions, I was sure to hit on every point of interest about the company or culture that I had. I kept a prepared list that I referred to. I was sure to engage the manager in his own realm of expertise so that I could learn more about him and the company. This portion took a little over an hour. The entire interview was scheduled to be an hour and a half, so when the manager had to go it was because of overlapping schedules. I asked if I could follow up and if I had answered everything as fully as I could. I was given an email address and told that I would be in touch with their decision. I also followed up with the recruiter to let him know if they chose someone else that I would still be interested in any other positions they had, be it something suitable for my experience. After about a week and a half I was contacted by a recruiter at the local office where I would be working and was told that I was selected out of the candidates to join the team. I was extended an offer, pending background check. I did try to negotiate salary, but was told that the offer was well thought out on their part based on my experience. I agreed with this (only having asked for a little more out of protocol) and accepted the offer. The background check took about 8 days to complete. It was exactly 4 weeks from the time of the Skype interview to my first day. VMware culture is wonderful and it is truly a great place to work!

The initial interview was over the phone and included a basic technical review, 10 questions I believe. This was followed by two on site interview with two employees and two managers. Within a day or I received an offer and accepted