InterSystems Product Specialist Interview Questions
& Process

I had to do an online technical test and a personality questionnaire first. After that, I had a skype call with an HR specialist to discuss the role and my background. It felt pretty good, I thought the online test was easy and talking to HR was smooth. The final step was a skype call with the hiring manager, but she was smoking and seemed really distracted. The last interview didn't go well, which is fine because I wouldn't want to work with someone unprofessional.

I applied on the company website and was asked to complete the PI and PET. The Personality Test (PI) has no time limit and takes less than 10 minutes to complete by picking words that describe how you SHOULD and ARE perceived at work. The Professional Employment Test (PET) is 45 minutes long with 20 multiple choice questions, and you need to get 17 correct to pass. It's very similar to the verbal reasoning/quantitative sections on the GRE. Some questions can be tricky, so pace yourself. I didn't take the Technical Employment Test (TET), but from what I've read, it's a 35-minute test with 20 multiple choice questions, requiring 17 correct to pass. It tests logic, boolean operations, numeric strings, variable names, arrays, and concatenation, apparently in a language called MUMPS. Preparing with a MUMPS tutorial the day before might help. I didn't pass the screening tests, which is disappointing, but I appreciate companies that set intellectual standards.

A recruiter reached out to me on Linkedin because my background and skills seemed like a good fit for an open role. They were excited to move forward. However, I didn't get an interview because I failed their PET test. I found out this test has a 76% failure rate, which the company acknowledged in a 2011 presentation about their hiring. While they clearly think their process is effective, it's strange that a test score would override a candidate's relevant work experience.