The Trick Interview Question - or is it?

[Rovinghawk]

lyonspride said:

Oh my favourite is "what animal/fruit would you be and why?"

My answer is basically "i'm not an animal/fruit, i'm an engineer, I'm not a salesman, I don't play make believe", before getting my stuff together and walking out.

My answer was "Obviously you're expecting me to say peach but I think of myself more as an avocado kind of guy" followed by a long spiel about how the cling peach, whilst perfectly worthy, can't stand shoulder high to a ripe avocado.

They're testing whether you get flummoxed by the unexpected & any answer is acceptable provided you just take it all in your stride.

[anonymous-user]

Rovinghawk said:

My answer was "Obviously you're expecting me to say peach but I think of myself more as an avocado kind of guy" followed by a long spiel about how the cling peach, whilst perfectly worthy, can't stand shoulder high to a ripe avocado.

They're testing whether you get flummoxed by the unexpected & any answer is acceptable provided you just take it all in your stride.

It's a bad test though

I regularly interview 18/19 yrs olds for their first jobs and also SW Devs

Now one set is by default stting themselves when they walk in as it could be their first ever interview and the second set are notoriously unsociable/have time for such nonsense

I would gain nothing by asking that question of either candidate

[louiebaby]

I was warned by a colleague to expect the "Which Harry Potter character would you be and why?" question, and having never read any of the books I had narrowed it down to 2 courses of action:

1. "I'm whichever one ends up with Emma Watson".
2. Quickly do an online 'which character are you' test, and then build a suitable answer around that.

My interviewer was a very nice lady, so in the end I was glad I had prepared for the second option. I then added my colleague had clued me in to the question, and that I was saving the books and films for when my kids were old enough to enjoy them.

I got the job, but I don't think it had a lot to do with the answer to that question.

[dern]

louiebaby said:

I was warned by a colleague to expect the "Which Harry Potter character would you be and why?" question, and having never read any of the books I had narrowed it down to 2 courses of action:

Is this for a job in waterstones?

[louiebaby]

dern said:

Is this for a job in waterstones?

Aviation Strategy.

[RTB]

My Brother worked as a driver for a plant hire company back in the 80s, the owner of the company would always start his interviews asking the poor unsuspecting interviewee if he'd shag the office manager (a large older lady who also happened to be the owners wife).

No matter which way the interviewee answered he'd always angrily exclaim that "that's my wife!"

Not sure you'd get away with that now.

I think he did it just to see how the interviewee coped with the situation.... and he was a bit of a st.