Unconventional Interview Questions
Oh, the stress of interviewing for a new job! How can you alleviate some of the stress and know you are ready for even the most off-the-wall questions? Glassdoor.com* compiled a list of quirky interview questions that were asked during interviews in 2012. Here are a few of those questions:
- If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why?
- How many cows are in Canada?
- What song best describes your work ethic?
- Can you say ‘Peter Pepper picked a pickled pepper’ and cross-sell a washing machine at the same time?
- You are a head chef at a restaurant and your team has been selected to be on Iron Chef. How do you prepare your team for the competition and how do you leverage the competition for your restaurant?
- What’s your favorite song? Sing it for us.
Oddball questions, yes….but they are often peppered throughout the interview along with the more standard fare like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” and “What will your skill set bring to this company?” If you encounter these off-beat questions in an interview, just remember, the interviewer is not looking for right or wrong answers, but instead judging how fast you can think on your feet or how you may go about tackling a difficult problem.
What are some other weird or interesting questions you have encountered on an interview? What were your answers?
*The full list of questions can be seen here. Published Jan. 15, 2013.
