When it comes to virtualization software, few names can be compared to VMware in terms of industry dominance. Let’s have a look at VMware interview questions so that you have a better idea of what to expect when interviewing with the company.
The company offers products designed to provide businesses with more efficient utilization of computing resources by facilitating the use of virtual machines by saving energy and space.
Used by data centers and companies around the world, the company offers desktop and server-level virtualization solutions trusted by millions of users due to its innovation, stability, and accessibility, as well as the reputation the company has established for itself.
This reputation is one of the main reasons why thousands of developers, engineers, analysts, and managers around the world apply for jobs at VMware, as the company is sure to provide a valuable professional experience to grow as they provide their expertise to the leading company in the industry.
However, as with most companies with such a reputation, the interview process requires applicants to outshine the opposition to be selected for the position they are applying for.
Simulate your next interview
Prepare for the questions that are really going to be asked in your next interview.
This can be done with a good curriculum, great answers to VMware’s interview questions, good presentation skills, and creating rapport with the person who is taking care of your application process.
If you are reading this article, you were likely already contacted to schedule an interview and have taken the first steps to get that job, as researching and preparing for the interview is one of the most important aspects of any application process. Congratulations!
Doesn’t matter which position you are applying for, we will provide you with VMware interview questions and information on how to answer them so you can get your dream job in this company.
We will be looking at specific questions for different positions but keep in mind that new questions can be asked at any moment, so the most important thing is to be confident!
As there is not a specific answer that is being expected by interviewers, we will not focus on providing you with a script on what you should say but on what you should consider at the time of answering to show that you are the right person for the job.
Let’s jump straight to it!
Get started with Interview School:
VMware Roles and What Questions to Expect
As we already said, VMware is the leading company in the virtualization industry.
This means it has multiple teams working to provide companies and individuals around the world with improved features, bug resolution, security updates, etc…all of which required a team of professionals working together to provide the best software possible.
As such, there are several roles you might be interested in applying for in VMware, each of them with its requirements and interview questions. Let’s talk about some of the roles you might find when looking for a new job in Vmware.
The VMware interview questions you will need to practice will vary based on the job you want, but it is a good idea to identify some of the common things that the company wants to know.
Software Engineer
As a software engineer in VMware, you will be expected to work as part of a team, collaborating not only with them but also with clients. As so, you are expected to have good product instincts, great communication skills, technical fluency, empathy, and curiosity to learn and understand different design values and practices.
Software engineers are in charge of the development of the different products VMware offers its clients and as such, you must be familiar with what virtualization is, its benefits, and how it works to facilitate communication and product development.
Let’s look at some of the common questions you might be asked if applying for this position:
How do you work with a superior that requires you to commit to unrealistic or unobtainable goals? This question is designed to find out how you react to both authority and unrealistic expectations you can’t fulfill. As with all interview questions, there is no “correct” answer, but you should aim to show you have critical thinking and can reach a consensus or propose alternatives to your superiors after making sure you are not misunderstanding their request.
What are the differences between a process and a thread? Sure, you could limit yourself to recite the differences you saw in your computer science resource of choice but that will not show dominate the topic. To do this, make sure to provide specific cases that exemplify not only the differences between the two but also their advantages and disadvantages.
How do you debug a server process which crashes randomly? Writing code is all about getting it to work as well as possible, how does this candidate approach the debugging process? Are you methodical in the way you test your code or just review all of it? Do you run each line after the other until you find it? Let the interviewer know that you have one or more processes of debugging that are both reliable and efficient depending on the scenario.
Tell me about a time when you couldn’t fix your bug. Continuing with the debugging process, this question will allow the interviewer to know how you deal with frustration. Concentrate on reflecting that you can keep a calm head on those situations and are flexible in the way you approach the unresolvable issue ( for example using a different debugging method or getting help from a teammate).
Member of Technical Staff
Members of technical staff in VMware are in charge of optimizing the products provided by the company and as such, required technical knowledge just as software engineers. However, while software engineers will usually be developing software to put in operation, members of technical staff are focused on research/testing to improve it.
To get this position, you will not only need to prove that you can create software that serves its purpose but also able to improve existing software to optimize its performance in different areas. Showing that you think ahead, go the extra millet to increase the quality of your work, and can think creatively on how to approach issues, are important skills for you to highlight.
Let’s look at some of the common questions you might be asked when applying for this position:
What role do you see yourself filling in the team? You probably were not going to answer that but make sure not to say “Member of Technical Staff”. The recruiter wants to know how do you interact with a team. Are you the leader, tutor, brain, debugger, or something else? Make sure to convey that you know your role in a team and directly associate with your strengths, weaknesses, and experience.
How would you store a sparse matrix? These sort of technical questions are designed to test your knowledge of the fundamentals and your approach to their implementation. In the case of sparse matrixes, there are different ways to store them depending on space or time complexity, as well as the language you are using. Make sure that your answer reflects that you understand the concept, the different ways of implementing it, and the advantages of one over the other, as well as that you don’t rush to answer but make sure to understand the requirements of the scenario.
What is the difference between merge sort and quick sort? Another question on the fundamentals that every developer should know. Don’t limit yourself to talking about the worst-case complexity efficiency or what type of sorting mode it is. In what cases would you use merge sort instead of a quick sort? Why (stability, type of variables, size of the data, etc)?
Technical Support Engineer
While Software Engineers and Members of Technical Staff apply their technical knowledge to creating software, as a Technical Support Engineer you will be dealing with the human factor. Any issue that the software presents to its users will be addressed by yourself, allowing customers to make use of the solutions they acquire efficiently.
This position not only requires that you have technical knowledge about the product you will be supporting and its related technologies but also have problem-solving and researching skills to find the best solution or answer user inquiries. Prove that you are capable of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and resolve their inquiries, and you will be closer to getting the position.
Here are some of the common questions you might be asked when applying for this position:
Your machine stops recording error logs and it crashed how will you troubleshoot? This question is designed to test your approach to problem-solving in a technical scenario. As the question is pretty general in terms of how you can reply, you want to avoid getting into specifics but discuss your general strategy toward solving problems in which no information beyond the existence of the issue is available.
How would you describe visualization or the cloud to your grandparents? This question is all about how effectively you communicate with people that might not have your technical expertise. The most important thing to keep in mind when answering this type of question is to avoid using technical jargon. By using analogies you can facilitate the explanation process such as by comparing hardware to a car and an OS to the driver.
Two computers on a network can’t share files with each other, list the steps you’d take to resolve this issue? While this question is similar to the first one, in this case, you have a specific issue you must address and as such, your answer should be more algorithmically in nature. Try to provide a specific set of steps you would take to identify the issue, resolve it, and most importantly, prevent the issue from occurring in the future if possible, as providing technical support is as much as preventing issues in the future as to fix them.
Inside Sales Representative
Inside Sales Representatives (ISRs) are the ones in charge of maintaining the relationship with assigned customers, developing account plans to address their needs, and achieve their targets with the assistance of VMware software.
While you certainly need to understand the technical aspects of the software and the requirements of the industry, this role will require you to deal with people in different manners to ensure the satisfaction of users and their acquisition of the right products for their needs.
Showing that you are outgoing, understand other’s needs, can offer the right solution for the right problem, and can work well with internal and external teams, will surely help you during the process.
Let’s take a peek at some sample questions for this position:
What kind of sales experience do you have? While this question seems simple, don’t forget that your interviewer already knows what sales experience you have. This means that you should avoid listing your previous positions but focus on elaborating how that experience improved your capacity to close sales and how those lessons apply to the position you are applying for in VMware.
Who is your favorite comedian? Why? This type of personal question is some of the hardest to answer for most people. You should avoid forcing a connection between your answer and the job position but instead, make your answer an opportunity to comment on your strengths. Do you like political humor because you are analytical and like being up to date with the latest news? Antijokes due to how they subvert the expectations? Do you identify with a specific comedian’s worldview?
Tell me about the last time you competed for something and the outcome. It is easy to go with a time when you won the competition against someone else. However, you need to keep in mind that the outcome of the competition is not the most important piece of information for the interviewer. Focus on providing an example that highlights what your priorities are and what the company can expect from you as being too or not competitive at all can both be a bad thing.
QA Engineer
QA Engineers play a fundamental wrong in the development process in VMware by creating testing strategies and scenarios to make sure the software created by other teams fulfills the business and functional requirements it was designed for.
As such, this role requires the ability to identify potential problems in different products through a creative approach that can be replicated to identify the specific problems causing any issues. When applying for this role, you want to demonstrate you are analytical, methodical, have technical skills, and you can efficiently communicate your findings.
Project Manager
Project Managers are leaders who guide their group by managing the scope of projects, directing their efforts, identifying critical elements in all steps of the development process, and adapting the game plan as circumstances change.
This position requires strong leadership and communication skills, as well as a technical understanding of the products and an understanding of different delivery models. Make sure to show that you are a great communicator, can easily adapt to changing situations, can make a plan and stick to it, and can identify the strengths of team members.
Systems Engineer
Systems Engineers in VMware work with regional account managers to facilitate the selling of VMware’s software by providing technical and IT operation consultancy to clients, as well as recognizing sales opportunities.
The role requires you to have strong knowledge of IT infrastructure and great communication skills to communicate with key individuals in different organizations.
Make sure to prove you can recognize the potential for improvements in IT operations as well as your knowledge of that industry, while also showing that you can recognize and connect with key members of an IT operation.
Start acing interviews:
What Are the Benefits of Becoming a VMware Employee
As you can see, answering VMware interview questions is all about considering the subtext that can be extracted from your answers and the way you provide it, as most of them do not have a correct answer to start with.
This fact is a reflection of the type of mentality that VMware has in regards to how they operate, not only by offering its employees a space to grow personally and professionally but by also subverting the expectations of the industry to innovate.
VMware has won several awards such as the Fast Company Most Innovative Companies, THE JUST 100 by Forbes, and Best Places to Work, due to the range of benefits it offers its employees.
Working for VMware will not only allow you to work alongside some of the top experts in the industry but also with some of the most important companies in the world, which will prove to be useful in expanding your professional network.
Start Practicing Interview Questions Now!
According to Glassdoor, every corporate job attracts 250 applicants on average. Gain an edge over these other applicants by learning from previous interviewees.
Are you the kind of person who aims to innovate, understand the black box, and improve your skills to apply them for the common good? Then VMware might be the perfect place for you!
