Anna university results

Monday 1 June 2015

109 Interview Questions & Sample Excellent Responses



109 Interview Questions & Sample Excellent Responses

1.  How would you describe yourself? 

Sample excellent response:
My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best financial consultant I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I've prepared myself. I am an undergraduate student in finance and accounting at _________ University. My past experiences have been in retail and higher education. Both aspects have prepared me well for this career. 

2. What specific goals, including those related to your occupation, have you established for your life? 

Sample excellent response:
I want to be working for an excellent company like yours in a job in which I am managing information. I plan to contribute my leadership, interpersonal, and technical skills. My long-range career goal is to be the best information systems technician I can for the company I work for. 

3.  How has your college experience prepared you for a business career? 

Sample excellent response:
I have prepared myself to transition into the work force through real-world experience involving travel abroad, internship, and entrepreneurial opportunities. While interning with a private organization in Ecuador, I developed a 15-page marketing plan composed in Spanish that recommended more effective ways the company could promote its services. I also traveled abroad on two other occasions in which I researched the indigenous culture of the Mayan Indians in Todos Santos, Guatemala, and participated in a total language immersion program in Costa Rica. As you can see from my academic, extracurricular, and experiential background, I have unconditionally committed myself to success as a marketing professional. 

4.  Please describe the ideal job for you following graduation. 

Sample excellent response (equates ideal job with job he's interviewing for):My ideal job is one that incorporates both my education and practical work skills to be the best I can be; namely combining my education in finance with my working knowledge of customer service operations, entrepreneurial abilities, computer skills and administrative skills. I want to utilize my analytical expertise to help people meet their financial goals. This is exactly why I am convinced that I would be a very valuable member of the Merrill Lynch team. 

5.  What influenced you to choose this career? 

Sample excellent response:
My past experiences have shown me that I enjoy facing and overcoming the challenge of making a sale. Without a doubt, once I have practiced my presentation and prepared myself for objections, I feel very confident approaching people I don't know and convincing them that they need my product. Lastly, I like sales because my potential for success is limited only by how much of myself I dedicate toward my goal. If any profession is founded on self-determinism, it surely must be sales. 

6.  At what point did you choose this career? 

Sample excellent response:
I knew that I wanted to pursue information systems technology about my sophomore year in college. It was then that I realized that my hobby (computers) was taking up most of my time. My favorite courses were IT courses. I also realized that I was doing computer-oriented work-study that I enjoyed so much I would have done it for free. 

7.  What specific goals have you established for your career? 

Sample excellent response:
My goals include becoming a Certified Financial Advisor so I can obtain a better working knowledge of financial research analysis, which would allow me contribute to my client base as a better financial consultant since I would have that extra insight into the companies they are seeking to invest in. Also this is the foundation block to advancing my career to portfolio manager or even branch office manager. 

8. What will it take to attain your goals, and what steps have you taken toward attaining them? 

Sample excellent response:
I've already done some research on other workers at Merrill Lynch to see how they achieved similar goals. I know that Merrill Lynch encourages the pursuit and will reimburse for tuition of a graduate degree. I plan on pursuing a MBA to give me an even more extensive knowledge of business and financial analysis. 

9.  What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? 

Sample excellent response:
I believe successful salespeople put forth that extra effort that turns potential clients into first-time customers. Salespeople who attend to the details by doing whatever it takes to win over a prospective customer distinguish themselves from the countless others who don't go to any extra effort. Second, I think that if you label success as an attainable goal, you will never consistently remain successful. You can only succeed if you learn all there is to learn about your product, your competitors, and personal selling. Since this learning process is continuous, it's an unattainable goal. With good reason, salespeople should not consider success an attainable ending point but an objective that will always linger slightly beyond their reach. 

10.  How do you determine or evaluate success? Give me an example of one of your successful accomplishments. 

Sample excellent response:
Last semester I was hired by by university's Council for Student Activities. The group negotiates contracts of entertainers, sets up sound equipment, markets the entertainers to students, and generally decides what kind of programming should be done. When I got hired, I didn't know the first thing about how fill any of those responsibilities. I decided, however, that I wasn't going to fail. Four months later, I have become the Webmaster for the group. I also write our campus newsletter and created Game Night, a student competition of table games. That event yielded the biggest audience ever for a non-concert event. 

11.  Do you have the qualifications and personal characteristics necessary for success in your chosen career? 

Sample excellent response:
I believe I have a combination of qualities to be successful in this career. First, I have a strong interest, backed by a solid, well-rounded, state-of-the-art education, especially in a career that is technically oriented. This basic ingredient, backed by love of learning, problem-solving skills, well-rounded interests, determination to succeed and excel, strong communication skills, and the ability to work hard, are the most important qualities that will help me succeed in this career. To succeed, you also need a natural curiosity about how systems work -- the kind of curiosity I demonstrated when I upgraded my two computers recently. Technology is constantly changing, so you must a fast learner just to keep up or you will be overwhelmed. All of these traits combine to create a solid team member in the ever-changing field of information systems. I am convinced that I possess these characteristics and am ready to be a successful team member for your firm. 

12. What has been your most rewarding accomplishment? 

Sample excellent response:
A recent satisfying accomplishment I was sent to one of our branch banks that was notorious for not growing their loan base. The branch had logged $75,000 in new loans in an 18-month period prior to my arrival. Having a reputation as a "hired gun" when it came to loan production I was successful in the solicitation and booking of $700,000 in my first six months at the branch. 

13. If you could do so, how would you plan your college career differently? 

Sample excellent response:
I wouldn't change anything. All that I have done was a great learning experience that I will carry forward throughout the rest of my life. 

14.  Are you more energized by working with data or by collaborating with other individuals?  

Sample excellent response:
I like the validity of information and also like the energy that comes with working with people. The best thing about working in a group is combining the great minds from different perspectives and coming up with something extremely great, compared with when you're working alone. At the same time, information can generate vitality in the project you're working on. No matter how many heads you've got together, without information, you can't go very far. The perfect situation would be a combination of working with information and people, and I'm confident of my abilities in both areas. 

15.  How would you describe yourself in terms of your ability to work as a member of a team? 

Sample excellent response:
I have had many opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. My tenure as a rower with my college's crew team serves as a good example. I learned a great deal about teamwork while rowing because all the rowers in the boat must act as one, which meant that we incessantly worked to keep each movement in the boat synchronized. On an individual basis, we still worked toward group goals through weightlifting and land-rowing. My experience as a marketing research team leader also helped me to learn the role of "team player." I viewed my position as that of group leader and of group member. I ensured that everyone in the group had equal opportunity to contribute, maintained excellent communication among group members, and coordinated their energies toward reaching our team's goal. 

16. What motivates you to put forth you greatest effort? 

Sample excellent response:
You would think that because I am interested in sales, only financial compensation would motivate me to achieve. Although monetary rewards are important to me, I am driven to succeed internally. More than anything, I want to be respected by my friends and coworkers for being the best at what I do. Whether I am considered to be the best car detailer in my hometown or the best columnist for my college newspaper, I want to be recognized as the best. 

17.  Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you? 

Sample excellent response:
I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other college students who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job -- my attitude for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In college and at my previous jobs, I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become. I think my leadership awards from my college, and my management positions are the result of possessing the qualities you're looking for in an employee. 

18. Would you describe yourself as goal-driven? 

Sample excellent response:
Yes, and I demonstrated my goal orientation as president of the local Jaycees, a community service organization. I am very proud of the fact that I set a goal of signing 50 new members by the end of the year, and I accomplished that. 

19. Describe what you've accomplished toward reaching a recent goal for yourself. 

Sample excellent response:
My first few years in banking had me on the fast track to branch management. I realized at some point along the way that my true passion was in offering financial advice not limited to checking accounts and loans. It was at that point that I made the necessary arrangements to go back to school full-time to pursue my goal, which I am just about to achieve. 

20. What short-term goals and objectives have you established for yourself? 

Sample excellent response:
My short-term objectives are to graduate from the Professional Development Program before the standard two years and begin developing a clientele. As an intern, I prepared ahead of time by studying for the Series 7 and Series 64 exams that constitute a majority of a beginning financial consultant's time. I'd like to make the company that hires me wonder what it ever did without me. 


21. Can you describe your long-range goals and objectives? 

Sample excellent response:
My primary objectives are to learn as much as possible about your company's product offering, organizational structure, and professional sales techniques so that I may become the most productive member of your sales team. 

22. What do you expect to be doing in five years? 

Sample excellent response:
Although it is hard to predict the future, I sincerely believe that I will become a very good financial consultant. I believe that my abilities will allow me to excel to the point that I can seek other opportunities as a portfolio manager (the next step) and possibly even higher. My ultimate goal continues to be -- and will always be -- to be the best at whatever level I am working at within Merrill Lynch's corporate structure. 

23. What do you see yourself doing in ten years? 

Sample excellent response:
Ten years from now I see myself as a successful consultant for a world-class firm like yours. I want to have developed a wonderful bond with my employer I will have proven myself a highly competent systems analyst and will represent my company in helping others find solutions to their informationsystems needs in a professional and timely manner. 

24. How would you evaluate your ability to deal with conflict? 

Sample excellent response:
I believe I am quite good at handling conflict. Working in retail and in the residence halls required that I make many unpopular decisions at times, whether it was terminating an associate or taking judicial action on a resident. Often the person in conflict with me would be upset and sometimes physically outraged. I would always make sure that I fully explained the situation, the policies behind my decision, and why those policies exist. Usually by the end of the conversation, the person could see the other side of the situation. 

25.  Have you ever had difficulty with a supervisor or instructor? How did you resolve the conflict? 

Sample excellent response:
Yes, I had an incident with my Spanish professor. I turned in an essay that she said was too good to be mine. I was honest with her; I told her that I had a native speaker review the essay, but he made very few corrections. However, I had broken the Golden Rule of Spanish Composition -- the essay must not even touch the hands of a native speaker. To prove to her that I was capable of producing an essay that exceeded her expectations of a non-native speaker, I offered to re-write another essay in her office. I earned an A-minus. 

26.  Tell me about a major problem you recently handled. Were you successful in resolving it? 

Sample excellent response:
While working at K-mart, I was one of three people to work in the electronics department. One day upon arriving at work, I was told the district manager was coming the next day to do a store inspection. The two other people who worked in electronics were both over 55. Neither could lift heavy objects, and one refused to work at all. As a result, the electronics department was usually left to me to keep stocked with product and kept in order. I had about five hours of work time to get the entire department in order. Those five hours passed around, and there was still a substantial amount of work to be done. I asked the store manager if I could stay and work after hours while the overnight stockers were there. He said that because of the employment budget, he could not let me. So I was faced with bringing the entire store's rating down or not getting paid. I worked without pay, and three hours later, the department was in tip-top shape. The electronics department got a score of 95 out of 100. 

27. Would you say that you can easily deal with high-pressure situations? 

Sample excellent response:
Yes. My past experience as an Administrative Coordinator required me to deal with many serious situations since I held emergency on-call duties as a supervisor. One example was when I was called by a Resident Assistant to deal with an attempted suicide on her residence hall floor. The situation required that I think clearly and quickly in this life-and-death situation. I had to weigh the many tasks that needed to be completed. I had to assign RAs to call 911, make sure that EMS could get into the locked building, while at the same time applying first aid, and ensuring that the rest of the residents on the floor were OK. I also had to make sure the privacy of the resident in need was respected. I basically prioritized and dealt with each task by its importance. I delegated responsibility to RAs for things that they were capable of handling because I could not physically be in many places at once. Once the resident was taken to the hospital, I was responsible for paperwork and follow up to make sure the staff members, residents, and the resident-in-need adjusted back to "normal" life. I know this is an extreme example not found in the financial consulting field; however, it shows just how well I can deal with extreme pressure. 

28. What quality or attribute do you feel will most contribute to your career success? 

Sample excellent response:
My greatest strength is my flexibility. I have learned that work conditions change from day to day and throughout the day, as well, no matter where I have worked in the past. I also have realized that certain projects require individual attention and others involve a teamwork approach. These are just a few examples of the changes that happen in the financial consulting field, as you are well aware. My flexibility to adapt to the different demands of the job has allowed me to surpass my supervisor's expectations. 

29. What personal weakness has caused you the greatest difficulty in school or on the job? 

Sample excellent response (shows how he recognized his weakness and worked to improve):
My greatest weakness had been delegation. I would take it upon myself to do many small projects throughout my shift as a manager that could have been done by others in an attempt to improve my workers' efficiency. Once I realized that I was doing more work than the other assistant managers, and they were achieving better results, I reevaluated what I was doing. I quickly realized that if I assigned each person just one small project at the beginning of their shift, clearly state expectations for the project, and then follow up that everything would get done, and I could manage much more efficiently and actually accomplish much more. 

30. What were your reasons for selecting your college or university? 

Sample excellent response (tells how education specifically will benefit the employer):
My college has always had a reputation as having an excellent accounting department, so I knew that if I enrolled there, I would achieve first-class preparation for my chosen career field. It is also a highly accredited school known for satisfying employers with the preparation of its graduates -- that's why companies like yours recruit at my school -- the school produces top graduates. The school offers an excellent liberal-arts background, which research shows equips graduates with numerous qualities, such as versatility and strong critical-thinking skills. Finally, having visited the campus before enrolling, I knew that the business school emphasized group projects. During my four years in the school, I participated in more than 35 group projects, which taught me invaluable teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills. 

31. If you could change or improve anything about your college, what would it be? 

Sample excellent response:
My major department had a wonderful internship program, and I was able to complete three valuable internships with my department's guidance. Some other departments in the business school don't have internship programs that are as strong as my departments. I'd like to see all the departments have strong internship programs so all my school's business grads would have the same opportunities that I had. 

32. How will the academic program and coursework you've taken benefit your career? 

Sample excellent response:
As you will note on my resume, I've taken not only the required core classes for the finance field, I've also gone above and beyond by double majoring in accounting. I doubled majored since I knew that the financial consulting field requires much knowledge of portfolio analysis and understanding of the tax laws. I believe that my success in both areas of study have specifically prepared me for this area. But it's not just taking the classes in these two areas that allow me to offer Merrill Lynch clients more. I minored in Spanish to understand the growing Hispanic clientele in the Central Florida area, which, as you are well aware, is a growing source of revenue for the industry. If you like, I can elaborate on other aspects of my education further. 

33. Which college classes or subjects did you like best? Why? 

Sample excellent response:
My favorite classes have been the ones pertaining to my major, which is marketing. These classes have laid the groundwork for my career in marketing. They have also taught me skills that I can bring to my employer, ranging from communication skills to interacting with others. 

34.  Are you the type of student for whom conducting independent research has been a positive experience? 

Sample excellent response:
Yes, I love it. I thoroughly enjoyed my senior research in college while many others in my class were miserable. I was never tired of learning more about my topic and found it exhilarating to be researching something that had not been studied before. 

35.  Describe the type of professor that has created the most beneficial learning experience for you. 

Sample excellent response:
My favorite professors were the ones who gave me hands-on learning experiences that I can apply to my career. Any person can make you memorize the quadratic equation, but someone who can show you how to use it, and why, were the professors I liked. I liked teachers who realized that sometimes there is more than one answer and everyone thinks differently. 

36. Do you think that your grades are a indication of your academic achievement? 

Sample excellent response:
I have focused much of my energy on work and obtaining real-world experience. I commend my classmates who have earned high GPAs, but I also feel it's important to be well-rounded. In addition to work experience, I participated in sports and extracurricular activities in school. These activities taught me leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. Sometimes my heavy load has not allowed me to keep up with some of my studies, but I have learned an enormous amount that I can apply in my future industry. As you will discover if you talk to my supervisors, my ability to work effectively is much more reflective of my future potential than is my GPA. 

37. What plans do you have for continued study? An advanced degree? 

Sample excellent response:
I plan to continue my education for the rest of my life. In any technologyrelated field, keeping up to date through continuing education is of the utmost importance. Continuing education can include on-the-job training, courses sponsored by the employer, and courses taken in new technologies as they emerge. I plan to be not only a career employee but a career student so that I can be the best information systems analyst I can be. I will ensure, however, that any education I pursue not only doesn't interfere with my job or the company's policies, but will enhance my value as an employee. 

38.  Before you can make a productive contribution to the company, what degree of training do you feel you will require? 

Sample excellent response:
My background has been focused on preparing me for the financial consulting industry, so I can be productive right away. I already have obtained the educational credentials and skills to allow me to become an immediate asset to Merrill Lynch. After interning for a semester, I am well aware of the shared beliefs of the organization and its corporate values. I already have a very good working knowledge of the financial consulting business. I am confident of my ability to get up to speed quickly in any assignment with which I'm not familiar. 

39. Describe the characteristics of a successful manager. 

Sample excellent response:
A successful manager should have the vision and capabilities to formulate strategies to reach his or her objectives and communicate these ideas to his or her team members. In addition to serving as a positive role model for coworkers, successful managers must also be capable of inspiring others to recognize, develop, and apply their talents to their utmost potential to reach a common goal. These are the traits I hope to demonstrate when I'm a manager. 

40. Why did you decide to seek a position in this field? 

Sample excellent response:
I want to work in the marketing and PR industry because ever since I took my first marketing course in college, I have felt very passionate toward the industry and cannot imagine myself doing anything else. 

41. Tell me what you know about our company. 

Sample excellent response:
You're large and respected worldwide. You're both a clinical and teaching hospital. Over the last 60 to 70 years you've produced award-winning research. In reviewing your Web site, I've familiarized myself with many of your corporate goals and objectives. 

42. Why did you decide to seek a position in this company? 

Sample excellent response:
I am convinced that there would be no better place to work than Accenture. You are the top consulting firm in the United States. You provide your employees with the tools they need to stay competitive and sharpen their skills while working in an open, team-based environment. I am also aware that you provide a mentor for all new employees, and I would embrace any opportunity to work with a mentor and eventually become one myself. 

43. Do you have a geographic preference? 

Sample excellent response:
Although I would prefer to stay in the Mid-Atlantic area, I would not rule out other possibilities. 

44.  Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located? 

Sample excellent response:
Just a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend several days in your community, and I fell in love with it. I love the fact that you have a thriving riverfront. I'm impressed with the many cultural opportunities here -- opera, theater, art, and independent films. I've also already become a fan of the Saints and the other sports teams based here. I have conducted significant Internet research on this city, so I am quite comfortable with your location. 

45. Would it be a problem for you to relocate? 

Sample excellent response:
I'm open to opportunities within the company; if those opportunities involve relocation, I would certainly consider it. 

46. To what extent would you be willing to travel for the job? 

Sample excellent response:
I am more than willing to travel. I understand the importance of going above and beyond the call of duty to satisfy customer requests is sometimes required and that Merrill Lynch's customer focus belief means that travel is expected in some circumstances. I am willing to make this commitment to do whatever it takes to develop that long-term relationship with a small business or client. It is only through this relationship that loyalty can be maintained and financial gains and growth can occur for both the client and Merrill Lynch. It is my understanding from other financial consultants that I have interviewed at Merrill Lynch that this occurs maybe one or two times a month. 

47. Which is more important to you, the job itself or your salary? 

Sample excellent response:
A salary commensurate with my experience and skills is important, but it's only one piece of the package. Many other elements go into making up a compensation package, but more importantly, it's critical to me to enjoy what I'm doing, fit into the corporate culture, and feel I'm making a genuine contribution. 

48. What level of compensation would it take to make you happy? 

Sample excellent response:
I am not depending on money to make me happy. What makes me happy is having a satisfying job that provides challenge and new situations daily. 

49. Tell me about the salary range you're seeking. 

Sample excellent response:
I am sure that I am the candidate you are looking for. If you feel the same, the I'm sure your offer will be fair and commensurate with the value I can bring the company. 

50.  Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way? 

Sample excellent response:
Recently my company asked for bids on a phone system for our new college campus. Two companies came in very close with their bids, and most of my department wanted to go with a vendor that we have used in the past. After I looked over the proposals, it was clear that this was the wrong decision. So, I talked individually with each member of our staff and was able to change their minds and get the best product that would save money and provide the highest quality. 

51.  Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation. 

Sample excellent response:
When I was a resident assistant at my college, a student I did not know asked me if he could use my phone to call another room. Although I did not know the student, I allowed him into my room. He used the phone and in the course of his conversation, he stated that he had just come from a fraternity party and was high from taking some drugs. Well after his conversation, I had to enforce the student conduct code by writing him up. He became very hostile towards me and would not give me any identification or information. I stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving. I noted the serial numbers on his keys, so when the situation got to the point where I felt unsafe, I allowed the him to leave. I still preformed my job without jeopardizing my or his physical welfare. 

52.  Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem. 

Sample excellent response:
I had a client come into the bank where I worked and request a $5,000 personal loan to "pay off some bills." In the customary review process, I determined that what was really needed was a $25,000 debt-consolidation loan. Rather than giving the customer a "quick-fix" to the problem, I logically solved the problem in a way that was in the best interest of both the bank and the client. 

53.  By providing examples, convince me that you can adapt to a wide variety of people, situations and environments. 

Sample excellent response:
I've shown my ability to adapt by successfully working in several very different jobs. For example, I lived with a native family in Costa Rica. I worked as a nanny for a famous writer in Cape Cod. I was responsible for dealing with Drug Court participants. And I catered to elite country-club clientele. I did it all well and had no trouble adapting. 

54.  Describe a time when you were faced with problems or stresses that tested your coping skills. 

Sample excellent response:
Arriving at the language school I was attending in Costa Rica in the middle of the night with very minimal Spanish-language skills, I found my way to a very small town with no street addresses or names and found my temporary residence. I was scared, but I handled the situation very well, very calmly. In very stressful situations, I am always the one in the group to stay calm and focused. My friends, family, and professors have always said that I am an oasis of calm in a storm. 

55.  Give an example of a time in which you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision. 

Sample excellent response:
This happens often in the IT industry, but one recent example was when we had a core backbone switch die. It died at the worst possible time -- during exams -- as they always seem to do, and I needed to get it back up and running quickly. I analyzed the logs and system status, and using my previous experience to make some quick decisions that rectified problem and got the equipment back up only minutes later. 

56.  Describe a time when you had to use your written communication skills to get an important point across. 

Sample excellent response:
As an Administrative Coordinator, I had a staff of 27 students. Having such a
large student staff, all working different shifts and having varying class schedules, meant that meetings could not be held with everyone at one time. I needed to communicate with everyone about important policies and information often, so I came up with the idea of designing a Web page for my staff with written announcements. Each Desk Assistant was required to check the Web page daily at the beginning of his/her shift. I also sent email communications by a distribution list that allowed each Desk Assistant to keep informed about anything. The one situation that stands out in my mind is a last-minute summer camp that decided to come in a day early with only one day's notice. I had no staff scheduled to check in the camps or to organize the keys. I posted an update to the Web page and sent an email. Within four hours, I had the following day completely staffed and desk assistants there to organize

57.  Give me a specific occasion in which you conformed to a policy with which you did not agree. 

Sample excellent response:
When I worked at Home Depot as an assistant manager, I was always looking for way to boost my employees' morale. Unloading trucks is a very routine and physical job and can become very boring and exhausting, so to improve the unloaders' attitude toward their duties and make the best of the situation, I put a radio in the receiving dock. It worked; however, the district manager did not approve of the radio in the workplace even though it did not interfere with any set policy of company objectives. The radio was also out of any areas where customers would hear the music. I did not agree with my DMs decision to remove the radio; however, I understood his point of view once he explained it to me and promptly complied to his request. The employees were not happy that their radio was gone, so I found an alternative method of reward and morale boosting by implementing a program in which we provided lunch for the unloaders from any restaurant of their choice if they unloaded the trucks faster than normal. This program succeeded by increasing their unloading time from 2 1/2 hours to only 1 1/2, a savings in payroll of 8 percent of sales for that shift. 

58.  Give me an example of an important goal which you had set in the past and tell me about your success in reaching it. 

Sample excellent response:
As a senior in high school, my goal was to attend college and play college golf. But I was nowhere near the player I needed to be to play or even get on the team. So over that summer I worked on my golf game to the point where I won almost every tournament I entered. I spent every hour I had during the day to make myself a better all-around player. I eventually walked on my freshmen year and was exempted from qualifying because I played so well in my first outing. 

59. Describe the most significant or creative presentation that you have had to complete. 

Sample excellent response:
The most significant presentation I have ever had to present was at a national research symposium. I was presenting research I had completed on digital analysis of mammograms and had to present to a panel of more than 100 judges who were at the top of their field. I focused on the research, which could sell itself, and just let the information flow. It went over very well, and I received many more invitations to present the research, including on national television. 



NETWORK ESSENTIALS FUNDAMENTALS OF NETWORKING

network essentials
fundamentals of networking

Objectives                                                                    
The objectives of this chapter are to familiarize with the following: -
i)                 The LAN components
ii)               Repeater
iii)             Hub
iv)             Bridge
v)               Router
vi)             Gateway
vii)           Understand the Networking
INTRODUCTION
Information does not exist in a vacuum. Just as the need to share in formation between desktop computers in an office has forced the proliferation of LANs, the need to share information beyond a single workgroup is forcing the adoption of LAN-to-LAN links, host gateways, asynchronous communication servers, and other methods of communicating with other systems.
LAN COMPONENTS
Local Area Network is a high speed, low error data network covering a relatively small geographic area. LAN connects workstations, peripherals, terminal and other devices in a single building or other geographically limited area. LAN standard specifies cabling and signaling at the physical and data link layers of the OSI model. Ethernet, FDDI and Token ring are widely used LAN technology. In LAN technology to solve the congestion problem and increase the networking performance single Ethernet segment is to divide into multiple network segments. This is achieved through various network components. Physical segmentation, network switching technology, using full duplex Ethernet devices, fast Ethernet and FDDI available bandwidth may be maximized.
REPEATERS
Repeaters are devices that amplify and reshape the signals on one LAN& pass them to another. A repeater forwards all traffic from one LAN to the other. Repeaters are usually used to extend LAN cable distances or connect different media type.
Repeaters connect LANs together at the lowest layer, the Physical layer, of the OSI model. This means that repeaters can only connect identical LANs, such as Ethernet/802.3 to Ethernet/802.3 or Token Ring to Token Ring.
 














Fig. 1
Two physical LANs connected by a repeater become one physical LAN. Because of this, the proper use and placement of repeaters is specified as part of LAN architecture’s cabling parameters.
HUB
As its name implies, a hub is a center of activity. In more specific network terms, a hub, or concentrator, is a common wiring point for networks that are based around a star topology. Arcnet, 10base-T, and 10base-F, as well as many other proprietary network topologies, all rely on the use of hubs to connect different cable runs and to distribute data across the various segments of a network. Hubs basically act as a signal splitter. They take all of the signals they receive in through one port and redistribute it out through all ports. Some hubs actually regenerate weak signals before re-transmitting them. Other hubs retime the signal to provide true synchronous data communication between all ports. Hubs with multiple 10base-F connectors actually use mirrors to split the beam of light among the various ports.
Passive Hubs
Passive hubs, as the name suggests, are rather quiescent creatures. They do not do very much to enhance the performance of your LAN, nor do they do anything to assist you in troubleshooting faulty hardware or finding performance bottlenecks. They simply take all of the packets they receive on a single port and rebroadcast them across all ports--the simplest thing that a hub can do.
Passive hubs commonly have one 10base-2 port in addition to the RJ-45 connectors that connect each LAN device. 10base-5 is 10Mbps Ethernet that is run over thick-coax. This 10base-2 connector can be used as network backbone. Other, more advanced passive hubs have AUI ports that can be connected to the transceiver to form a backbone that may be more advantageous.
Most passive hubs are excellent entry-level devices that can be used as starting points in the world of star topology Ethernet. Most eight-port passive hubs are cheaper.
Active Hubs
Active hubs actually do something other than simply re-broadcasting data. Generally, they have all of the features of passive hubs, with the added bonus of actually watching the data being sent out. Active hubs take a larger role in Ethernet communications by implementing a technology called store & forward where the hubs actually look at the data they are transmitting before sending it. This is not to say that the hub prioritizes certain packets of data; it does, however, repair certain "damaged" packets and will retime the distribution of other packets.
If a signal received by an active hub is weak but still readable, the active hub restores the signal to a stronger state before re-broadcasting it. This feature allows certain devices that are not operating within optimal parameters to still be used on your network. If a device is not broadcasting a signal strong enough to be seen by other devices on a network that uses passive hubs, the signal amplification provided by an active hub may allow that device to continue to function on your LAN. Additionally, some active hubs will report devices on your network that are not fully functional. In this way, active hubs also provide certain diagnostic capabilities for your network.
Active hubs will also retime and resynchronize certain packets when they are being transmitted. Certain cable runs may experience electromagnetic (EM) disturbances that prevent packets from reaching the hub or the device at the end of the cable run in timely fashion. In other situations, the packets may not reach the destination at all. Active hubs can compensate for packet loss by re-transmitting packets on individual ports as they are called for and re-timing packet delivery for slower, more error-prone connections. Of course, re-timing packet delivery slows down overall network performance for all devices connected to that particular hub, but sometimes that is preferable to data loss--especially since the re-timing can actually lower the number of collisions seen on LAN. If data does not have to be broadcast over and over again, the LAN is available for use for new requests more frequently. Again, it is important to point out that active hubs can help you diagnose bad cable runs by showing which port on your hub warrants the retransmission or re-timing.
Intelligent Hubs
Intelligent hubs offer many advantages over passive and active hubs. Organizations looking to expand their networking capabilities so users can share resources more efficiently and function more quickly can benefit greatly from intelligent hubs. The technology behind intelligent hubs has only become available in recent years and many organizations may not have had the chance to benefit from them; nevertheless intelligent hubs are a proven technology that can deliver unparalleled performance for LAN.
In addition to all of the features found in active hubs, incorporating intelligent hubs into your network infrastructure gives you the ability to manage your network from one central location. If a problem develops with any device on a network connected to an intelligent hub, it can easily identify, diagnose, and remedy the problem using the management information provided by each intelligent hub. This is a significant improvement over standard active hubs. Troubleshooting a large enterprise-scale network without a centralized management tool that can help you visualize your network infrastructure usually leaves you running from wiring closet to wiring closet trying to find poorly functioning devices.
Bridges
Bridges connect LANs together at the Data Link layer of the OSI model. Specifically bridges connect at the Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layer of the Data Link layer, and are often referred to as MAC-layer bridges. In the past, Novel incorrectly referred to Net Ware routers as bridges.

 













Fig. 2
This diagram shows a typical multi-protocol remote bridge application.
Bridges connect similar or identical LANs. Bridges can be used to connect Ethernet/ 802.3 to Ethernet/ 802.3, 10-Mbps Ethernet/802.3 to 1-Mbps Star LAN, 4-Mbps Token Ring to 4-Mbps Token Ring, or 4-Mbps Token Ring to 16-Mbps Token Ring. Like repeaters, bridges can be used to connect LANs using different media (10BASE-T to 10BASE5, for example).
Bridges are transparent to the network-layer protocols (such as IPX and IP) being used on the network.  Two networks connected via a bridge are physically separate network, but logically a single network. This means that a network’s cabling rules apply to each individual network, not both collectively, but Network-layer protocols will address the bridged network as if they were one.
Bridges segment traffic by only forwarding traffic that is addressed to stations on the opposite side of the bridge. This means that bridges do not forward local traffic. This can considerably reduce overall traffic in a multi-LAN inter-network.
Transparent Bridges
The type of bridges used for Ethernet/802.3 LANs is called a transparent bridge. This is because the existence of the bridge is transparent to workstations, file servers and other network devices. The bridge performs all the functions necessary to route traffic between bridged networks.
Transparent bridges keep routing tables of physical addresses of network devices and forward traffic based on the locations of the particular network device to which packets are being sent. Early bridges required the system administrator to manually build the routing tables. Current bridges automatically learn station addresses and build the routing tables and are sometimes referred to as learning bridges.
Spanning Tree Algorithm
Transparent bridges to not allow redundant paths. By using a scheme called the Spanning Tree Algorithm, however, alternate paths are allowed. In simplest terms, the Spanning Tree Algorithm ensures that only one bridge path between any two networks is active at a time. If a bridge path fails, another bridge path (if it exists) will automatically be activated. Not all bridges support the Spanning Tree Algorithm, and although Spanning Tree Algorithm is now part of the IEEE 802 specifications, not all bridges that support the Spanning Tree Algorithm conform with the IEEE specifications.
Source Routing Bridges
Although transparent bridging can be used with Token Ring Networks, IBM has promoted another bridging method called source routing. With source routing, the bridge does not keep track of the route by which packets are sent. Each network node that initiates communication with another node across one or more bridges must keep track of the route used. Unlike transparent bridges, source routing bridges allow redundant paths.
To establish a route, the station initiating communication broadcasts a discovery packet, which makes its way through the Network’s source routing bridges. The discovery packet keeps track of the bridges it crosses on the way to the destination. Depending on the configuration of the bridges and the method used to send the discovery packet (the description of which is beyond the scope of this book), the discovery packet will arrive at the destination via one or more routes, meaning one or more copies of the discovery packet will be received at the destination.
The destination returns its response(s) using reverse addressing, meaning it uses each discovery packet’s list of crossed bridges, in reverse order, to return its response(s). If the initiating station receives responses via more than one route, the first response received establishes the route to be used.
ROUTERS
Routers connect LANs at the Network layer of the OSI model Routers connect LANs that use the same Network-layer protocol, such as IPX-to-IPX and IP-to-IP. Because routers operate at the Network layer, they can be used  to link dissimilar LANs, such as ARCNET, Ethernet, and Token Ring.
 













Fig. 3
Two networks connected via a router are physically and logically separate networks. Network-layer protocols have their own addressing scheme separate from the addressing scheme of MAC-layer protocols. This addressing scheme may or may not include the MAC-layer addresses of the network cards. Each network attached to a router must be assigned a logical identifier, or network address, to designate it as unique from other physical networks.
For example, NetWare’s IPX routers (NetWare file servers or external NetWare routers using ROUTER.EXE) use each LAN card’s MAC-layer address and a logical address for each network assigned by the router installer.
A router can support single or multiple Network-layer protocols. Net Ware 2.2 File servers and Net Ware external routers, for example, only support NetWare’s IPX protocol. NetWare 3.11 file servers. Routers on the other hand, can route IPX, IP and Apple Talk, if the proper routing software is loaded into the file server. Dedicated routers from Proteon, Cisco, Welfleet, and others can route a number of different protocols.










 









Fig. 7.4




Like bridges, routers only forward traffic addressed to the other side. This means that local traffic on one LAN will not affect performance on another. Again, like bridges, routers can be proprietary devices, or can be software and hardware residing in a general purpose computer, such as a PC.
Like transparent bridges, routers maintain routing tables. A router’s routing table, however, keeps track of network addresses and possible routes between networks, not individual node addresses. Using routers, redundant paths between networks can be established, and traffic will be routed between networks based on some algorithm to determine the best path. The simplest routers usually select the path with the fewest number of router hops as the best path. More intelligent routers consider other factors, such as the relative response times of various possible routes, when selecting the best path.
Because routers operate at the network layer, they can connect dissimilar types of LANs, such as ARCNET and Ethernet. LAN cards using different frame types, such as 802.3 and Ethernet II, can co-exist on the same LAN cable, but are actually separate logical networks. A router can connect two or more such logical networks.
Routing is more complex than bridging, and, all other things being equal, routers are somewhat slower than bridges. Routers usually do not provide the extensive filtering capabilities that some bridges do. Another downside to routers is that there are few standards, so different vendor’s products may not inter operate. Routers do provide better network segmentation than bridges, however, so that things like broadcast packet storms will not affect an entire inter-network.


GATEWAYS
A gateway is a fundamentally different type of device than a repeater, bridge, router, or switch and can be used in conjunction with them. A gateway makes it possible for an application program, running on a system, confirming to network architecture, to communicate with an application program running on a system confirming to some other network architecture.
A gateway performs its function in the Applicatio0n layer of the OSI model. The function of a gateway is to convert one set of communication protocols to some other set of communication protocols. Protocol conversion may include the following:
·         Message Format Conversion- Different networks may employ different message format, maximum message size, or character codes. The gateway must be able to convert messages to appropriate format, size and coding.
·         Address translation- Different networks may employ different addressing mechanism and network address structures. The gateway must be able to interpret network address in one network and convert them into network address in other network.
·         Protocol conversion- When a message is prepared for transmission, each layer adds control information, unique to the protocol used in that layer. The gateway must be able to convert control information used by each layer so that the receiving system receives the control information in the format it expects. Services affected may include message segmentation and reassembly, data flow control, and error detection and recovery.
Network Service Types
There are two types of Network Services one is known as Connectionless (or Datagram) and the other is Connection-Oriented (or Virtual Circuit).
·         Connectionless Service
In connectionless service the end node transmits with every piece of data the address to which the data should be delivered. Every piece of data called packet is independently routed, so the network can't guarantee that all the packets will reach the destination in the transmitting order since the packets can be delivered through more then one path.
·         Connection-Oriented Service
In connection-oriented service the end node first informs the network it wishes to start a conversation with another end node, the network sends it's request to the destination that accepts or rejects the request. If the destination refuses, connection fails, otherwise connection is established.
Connection-Oriented service usually has the following characteristics:
·         The network guarantees that all packets will be delivered in order without loss or duplication of data.
·         Only a single path is established for the call, and all the data follows that path.
·         The network guarantees a minimal amount of bandwidth and this bandwidth is reserved for the duration of the call.
·         If the network becomes overly utilized, future call requests are refused.
Following are few examples of applications, which need the connection-oriented service or connectionless service.

  • File transfer and remote terminal protocols will not tolerate loss of data, and require the packets to remain ordered. This kind of application dictates a connection-oriented service.
  • Electronic mail do not requires that packets remain ordered. Speech conveying systems can tolerate a modest percentage of lost packets. In packet voice, receiving delayed packets is actually useless. This kind of application dictates connectionless service.