If you’ve ever been on the interviewer side of a interview, you know how tough it is to make judgements about someone and their work in a very short, unnatural situation and time frame. I’ve been invited to participate in something even more exciting…a reality show Be The Next Microsoft Employee. This web-based reality show is a contest run by Microsoft Learning for hiring a new SQL Server professional. Four contestants, Alex, Chris, Michael and Stacy, compete in a series of challenges given to them by Buck Woody (@buckwoody | blog ) and guest judges like me. Like all reality shows, these challenges aren’t going to be mundane, sit-in-a-quiet-cube-and-take-a-few-hours-to-plan-your-solution efforts. I hear some even involve spiders, water, catapults and leeches. Okay, that might just have been Buck scaring people again. Or not.

We will be judging victims candidates on the quality, completeness, professionalism and technical correctness of their solutions. That part is just like in real life…except for cameras, producers and an entire professional film crew. And leeches, I think. Just to make all more fun.

Anyway, the trailer for the reality show is up now. Episodes will start going up on the Microsoft Learning website on 24 July.

You Can Win, Too

Microsoft Learning is also running a prize contest for viewers. You can win a free training class from New Horizons and certification exam vouchers from Prometric. This contest is open to nearly everyone, so not just US residents. Register for a chance to increase your SQL Server skills.

Stay tuned here for more exciting details, plus behind-the-scenes posts and photos. Seeing the contestants, knowing the judges…this is going to be one heck of a ride…