Interviews are stressful, what are some of the best (worst?) interview questions you’ve had (to ask or have been asked) and what did you learn from it?
I love to ask people to identify their “eureka! Science.” invention or scientist, it tells me if they are forward or back thinking, know history, and what they value. Plus no one has ever picked my favorite, lol...
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I don't recall what the question was but during my answer I said "it happens" which sounds a lot like "shit happens"
Had I really really wanted the job, I would have explained it but it took me a minute to realize what she likely thought I said and didn't bother.
Lucy_Fehr
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
0
Q: 'Where do you see yourself in [X] years?'
A: 'Same place I see myself now. In the mirror.' or 'Causality itself insures that nobody can answer that question with any degree of certainty.'
I know they want to know plans and goals and ambitions and all that happy horseshit, but I haven't got any. One day after the next is enough for me.
Q: 'Tell me about a time you defused a situation/created a solution/etc.'
A: 'It literally never came up.'
How often do they think this comes up for the average person in a retail or medical environment? We don't live in a television show. A rank-and-file employee is not going to run in with the answer.
memorylikeasieve
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
0
You’re lucky if you’ve never had conflicts at work. I’ve had several. Its also about basic tension and human condition, you’ve never had to placate a person who had a shitty break schedule? Or an upset customer? Patient?
Nope. Everyone I worked with either was like me and kept their head down and did their job or, if something did happen, it was outside my authority to handle. As to patients, I worked in a nursing home that stuck to care plans to the letter. Innovation was not allowed and, in fact, was considered borderline illegal or endangerment. There wasn't much that could be done to placate someone with, say, aphasia, where you had no idea what the problem was or how to remedy it.
Mine is Wilhelm Reich, M.D. 1897-1957 Probably the most misunderstood scientist of the 20th. (include 21st.) century.
Silver1wun
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
1
Why do you want to work for this company?
Most of them want us to lie. They all know most people are going to lie for this one. There are so many generic answers to interview questions. You just have to put a little twist on them to show some personality. The interview process is ridiculous, yet necessary I guess.
Piece2YourPuzzle
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
0
...? Are you kidding me? I’m a workaholic but you bet your bonnet I research a company before I interview. There are several I’d NEVER work for willingly, and as a prideful, skilled BAMF, I can make those choices.
@ScientistV And?
And I don’t get why you think that question doesn’t give value besides personality type. Knowing their mission and aligning is relatively important. Knowing if it’s a SAFE company or one riddled with lawsuits or bad press is another— like as a coal worker would you go for the guy who invests in reinforcing the mines or the lowest bidder with lots of unpaid wrongful death suits and mayyyyy file for bankruptcy (or get called names by a squirrrl on John Oliver’s show.) @Piece2YourPuzzle
@ScientistV Where did I say that question specifically only gives evaluation of personality? I would think more people than not just want a good paying job and they aren't there for their dream job. Most people will read up about a company and give a BS answer to why they want to work for that company. There are people who get retail jobs who have answered that question. I have talked to many of them. They come up with what the interviewer wants to hear. They want to hear you attach something positive to why you want to work for them. The reality is that most people just need to get paid to pay their bills and live their lives. Or that they want to use that job as a stepping stone and will be gone in less than 3 years. You tell the company any of that and they will pass you over. I really don't know what you mean by the rest of your post.
Working in the computer programming area, I had one interview where I was asked to answer a couple of differential eqautions questions in one of my interviews. I also had a like and dislike of an interview question asking if I give out personal information, I answered that I would never give out personal phone numbers or emails at work or home.
gsiamne
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
2
In one of my first interview questions, I was told the classic question ''sell me this pen''. Needless to say, I am a terrible sales person.
In my last interview (for the job as an electrician) I remember they asked me what I would do if I need to fix a machinery and the other electrician (he's been working 11 years on site) would not help, what would I do. Best I could answer is that I'd try to figure it out for myself, at least I have the internet, I can try to research how it works ahead of time before it breaks down but in the end what can you do...
A trick question was when something is unsafe but needs to be fixed... on one hand you gotta adhere to health and safety but we all know on-site the supervisor wants you to ignore the rules and get the job done but safely. Which is just... nonsense...
Sometimes they just deliberately try to ask insensitive questions to piss you off and stress you, to see how you react under such conditions.
Liviu
Level 4
Mar 3, 2018
2
Sell you this pen is where you say, “why would I ever part with this? It’s been owned by an incredibly successful author...” or say, “Tell you what, you write this check for the dollar amount you want and I’ll endorse it for you... oh do you need a pen?”
@ScientistV yea but see that doesn't jive with me because I wouldn't lie or manipulate. To me it's just a regular pen.
I think I would be good as the person talking to the sales person because I would never buy anything, I'm the complete opposite of a sales person, lol
Although the question itself wasn't bad, I didn't like, "What has been your most significant achievement?" My problem with the question was that I don't tend to have those ah-ha! moments or emotionally rewarding successes, though sometimes I'll have satisfying moments that would seem mundane to anyone but me. So, I gave an honest, yet b.s. answer, that I don't measure success in terms of major achievements and that any real achievement for me is the long-term, cumulative effect of hard work and dedication, and that being the person I am today, being proud of my thoughtful intellect and character, is the achievement that stands out most. Yeah, I pulled that right out of my hat. But the recruiter liked the answer anyway.
resserts
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
2
Max Planck......
RedskyRiver
Level 6
Mar 3, 2018
1
That name is familiar..... what was the contribution?
He was a theoretical physicist that first postulated quanta....the father of quantum physics
Well while being on a job interview, I like to ask my interviewer how long they have worked here and how do they feel about the company. Their answers may surprise u.
moden1065
Level 4
Mar 3, 2018
3
They definitely paint good pictures of what a culture is like but sometimes a panel has bizarre mixes. I’ve been with panels that could add up the time in company to be older than my parents, and I’ve been in panels where it was younger than my dog.
I was once asked if how I felt about Jesus my lord and saviour. WTF!
RedskyRiver
Level 6
Mar 3, 2018
0
Wonder how they would have reacted if you said "who?"
Or what the name of the HR person was...
The worst one for me is being asked “where do you see yourself in fifteen years?”
I’m 47. Frankly I plan on only doing another 9 years of work and then retiring. But sayin “oh retired and slowly destroying my liver with single malt scotch” is apparently not the right answer.
R3ddragon70
Level 4
Mar 3, 2018
5
Dude, you’re hired... just kidding, I don’t have that authority.
Well I won’t work for anyone who can’t pronounce Bunnahabhain correctly anyway. Cos it’s my favourite whisky.
Buuuut that’s only because I can’t get 18 year old Laphroaig.
62? Damn son you're fit to work according to uk politicians, maybe in another 15 years you would be eligible for pension, hahahaha
I like to call it liver modification....
I had one interview where the sole purpose was to try and get some information on my previous employer. That was poor form.
Rugglesby
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
2
maybe he was trying to see if you are the kind of person who doesn't keep company secrets... a secret? It's not worth 2 cents to common folk like you and me but they can be uptight and stupid about it
@Liviu That was one possibility, but by the end of the interview he was openly bagging my old company, obviously the interview was purely to waste mu time, and no way I would have worked for them after that. Never did hear from them re the interview, but he and his 2ic turned up at the opening of my tech centre a few months later. I spoke to her and ignored him.
@Rugglesby hey it's ok, I don't know how old you were but for me I'm still young and I am still happy to attend interviews... it's critical experience for me.
But I wouldn't carry grudges though... I could ask him directly and try to be nice but it's not like carrying a grudge will help you with anything, damage was done, all you can do is not pay attention to him but be upfront. At least that's what I would do, I don't know if it makes sense to you.
Not an interview question, but related...
When I used to be a bookshop manager, a woman applying for a customer-facing role rang up one day for a quick chat. "I've got to let you know," she said, "that I have quite a few tattoos, some of which I can't cover up very easily."
"That ought to be OK," I told her. "Tattoos aren't so unusual these days so it won't be a problem."
Two days later, a woman walked into the shop with a large swastika tattooed on her forehead. I knew it was her straight away.
Jnei
Level 8
Mar 3, 2018
1
Yeahhhhh... dermablend or laser removal onnhate signs.
Jnei:
@ScientistV I kind of feel sorry for people who have tattoos like that done and then see the error of their ways - no idea if the applicant got hers removed as I really couldn't take her on for that role even if she no longer held racist views and I never saw her again.
oh god you're gotta be joking!!! hahahahhahahaha... only in america
That is an unfortunate placement. Makes you wonder what she was thinking or what were the influences.
Jnei:
@HippieChick58 Quite. I can't imagine that having a tattoo like that in a place such as that would make a lot of sense even to a full-on, hardcore neo-nazi scumbag after 30 beers - but then, a lot of things that do make sense to them don't make sense to humans, I suppose!
And Germany, Norway, and other places on Earth.......@Liviu
If you are job searching, wondering if your office/work environment is "normal" or needing advice on resumes or cover letters, please check out the blog AskAManager.org. Great, great, great advice and often funny too. She has articles just like that.
What kind of tree would you be? Seriously who asks that?
HippieChick58
Level 9
Mar 3, 2018
1
Easy, I’d be a mangrove, live nearly forever, drink salt water and provide a great habitat for several species to exostcaround.
Jnei:
IIRC, I mentioned on this site once before about the time years ago when I applied for a job with a company that makes and sells curtains. As part of the application, I was asked to sit a short written exam including a question asking me which three items I'd take from the wreckage if I was in a plane that crashed on a desert island. I wrote "You sell curtains. What does this have to do with anything?" - and got the job.
Semmelweis, the Grandfather of Microbiology and contributor of Germ Theory.
My fellow interviewers think my question is so mean though. XP
ScientistV
Level 7
Mar 3, 2018
1
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