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It depends on the corporate environment. They could be asking, "Are you
empowered enough to monitor yourself and maximize your strengths in such a way
that will minimize others' weaknesses? Can you amuse yourself, or do you require
constant, outside stimulation and correction?" Or, in some cases, "Are you going
to piss off other people on the team by bringing in new ideas when they don't
want them?" In still others, "Are you going to try to infiltrate the development
team? Or do you know your 'place'?"
There is, I believe, no one way to define "team player." As Mark Baker pointed
out by quoting someone else, different teams require different things from their
members. And yes, heroism is sometimes required.
Ask questions, Tony, about what the *company* defines as a team player. Supply
them with *your* definition. The ensuing discussion should reveal what the
interviewer and you think is most important about being on a team. If the
interviewer won't play that game, that should tell quite a bit about the kind of
team they run.
Good luck,
--Kimber
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Kimber Miller
kimber_miller -at- acs-inc -dot- com
Affiliated Computer Services
Dallas, Texas
214.887.7408
"The truth shall set you free, but first it's going to piss you off."
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