Hey everyone! I'm gearing up for the ultimate challenge: a technical interview for a Linux SysAdmin position at a VPN company. I've already made it past the recruiter chat and completed the test task, with some surprisingly positive feedback. Now I'm just trying not to mess up in the tech interview, especially since my current job has me feeling like I'm living in my terminal rather than my actual home. So I'd love some advice from anyone who's gone through a similar process. What can I expect during the interview? Any common pitfalls or tricky questions I should watch out for? Is there anything specific about VPN-related SysAdmin tasks that I should brush up on? I'm open to hearing your insights or even some war stories from your own experiences. And if I land the job, I promise I'll do something in your honor, maybe give a nod to the classic `rm -rf /` in a VM!
3 Answers
If you run into questions you can't answer, it’s totally okay to admit it! Just mention what you do know and offer to follow up later with an email about the things you’re unsure about. If they can't handle someone saying 'I don’t know off the top of my head, but I’ll find out,' then that's probably a sign they're not the right fit for you! Always remember: never apologize for not knowing something!
Expect some serious deep dives into networking topics, troubleshooting skills, and common VPN security issues during the interview. Be honest with them about your knowledge—let them know what you know and what you might need to brush up on. If you pretend to know everything, they’ll expect you to be an expert, even if you aren’t!
Do your homework on the types of VPNs they support. If they’re into Wireguard, knowing that inside out could be super helpful, since it's a pretty cool protocol. On the other hand, if they use IPSec, it’s a good idea to be ready for some complex questions. Also, asking if they use StrongSwan in the backend could definitely earn you some points. Just a heads up though, if they rely on OpenVPN, you might want to tread carefully!
Why is OpenVPN considered a bad option?