We said it before, and we will say it again, getting a job these days is not an easy feat, especially if you aim for big brands and large corporations with a history of recruitment that made it into our pop-culture. While some are still holding Google responsible for the craziest, most surprising interview questions to blow your mind and test your reasoning and creative powers, there are others, just like Google, who play the same game and have hidden agendas when starting to question people. Being called to an interview to Amazon, Yahoo or Dell, among others, is a reason to be proud of, in and out of itself, but you also should be ready to be a rock star not only in your field of expertise, but also in their mind – games.
Not long ago, we presented you with a few CV’s and cover letters that we described as funny, desperate or mind – numbing. This time we took a look inside Glassdoor and their list of Oddball Interview Questions for 2013, just to give you a taste of what is coming your way. They also have a list for 2014, but the year is yet to unfold in the HR world, so you better stay tuned. Let’s see 5 surprising interview questions to blow your mind in order to ease your way into the recruitment process.
1. “If you were to get rid of one state in the US, which would it be and why?” – Forrester Research
Now this one is tricky. People made some brainstorming and the answers are quite puzzling. It may be a trick question, it may be an economics related one or it may revolve around the idea of cooperation, team – work, the greater good and so on. It would be a drag to name the state your interviewer was born in or perhaps not… who knows?
2. “A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?” – Clark construction Group
You’re on your own here. Do you speak Penguin, so you can understand what it says? Does it speak Human, especially English? Do you dare asking your interviewer what did he / she smoke before coming to work this morning? Are they testing your sense of humor? So many variables…
3. “What songs best describes your work ethic.” – Dell
Oh, that’s an easy one: “Ain’t no rest for the wicked” by Cage the Elephant. Or at least for us. Just don’t start humming Abba’s “Money, money, money”, they might not like the idea that you’re in it only for the profit. John Lennon’s “Working class hero” sounds good perhaps at a first glance, but it’s a no – no.
4. “Pick two celebrities to be your parents” – Urban Outfitters
Now it may not be nice to trade the parents who raised you and loved you and educated you to be the outstanding person you are now for some fame and fortune, but lets face it: in order to answer these surprising interview questions to blow your mind, you have to be creative, funny and top them at their game with even more mind – blowing answers. So how about Khal Drogo’s son with Daenerys Targaryen? They never said anything about real life celebrities, did they?
5. “What kitchen utensil would you be?” – Bandwidth
Is this a personality test? Like a standardized one or something? If you answer “a knife”, would they appreciate you for being sharp, straightforward, liking to reach the core of the problem, or the violent type of person? Would you describe yourself as a Jena glass pot, resistant to heat, reliable and versatile to new approaches? Remember that they want to play tricks on you, so ponder carefully.
There are, of course, dozens of other surprising interview questions to blow your mind. Glassdoor is just one of the many resources on the Internet where you can learn about other candidates’ ordeals when facing the unpredictable. Some questions test rock solid science: they will test your math skills, your mental processes, your deep analysis potential. Other questions are perhaps meant to test your skills of dealing with the unfamiliar and surviving it. In any case, seeing how stranger and stranger the recruitment process has become in the last years, we can only wish you the best of luck.
