Tweet 353 272

Our client Angela went on a job interview.

"It's supposed to be a Marketing Manager job, but they sure talk a lot about graphic design in
the job ad," said Angie. "And the job's been posted on the company website for six months."
Angie went to the interview and sat in a lobby for half an hour. A nice woman came to get her
and deposited her in a small interviewing room. A not-as-nice lady came in and started grilling
Angie with questions, taking notes as Angie spoke (no eye contact - all business!).
"Tell me about your experience with Adobe Illustrator."
"Tell me how much you know about
InDesign."
"Tell me what you know about search engines."
Wait a second, thought Angie. Something is off - this lady is just reading questions from a
script. She doesn't know how the pieces fit together. She doesn't know anything about this
job!
Angie is a marketer, not a graphic designer. She knows tons about search engines, but none
of what she knows would have impressed her interviewer, who kept her eyes glued to her
notepad and scribbled furiously throughout the interview.
"May I ask a question?" asked Angie finally. "Sure," said the lady.
Liz's Recent Posts
I Hate My Job, But I Need the
Money
March 6, 2014
How to Get a Job -- No Matter
What!
March 3, 2014
Top Posts
Liz Ryan
How to Answer Stupid Job
Interview Questions
167,225 views
Don Norman
Stupid Smart Stuff
22,594 views
Jeff Weiner
Random Acts of Kindness?
There Should be an App for That
11,761 views
Nicholas Fang
The High Cost of Singapore
Living?
11,517 views
Nancy Lublin
My 9 Year Old Daughter Went to
School Without a Shirt.
4,289 views
96 Posts 139,921 followers Follow
Liz Ryan
CEO and Founder, Human Workplace
How to Answer Stupid Job Interview Questions
March 08, 2014 167,225 2,712 818

1.5k Like Share 8,046
See all
Today This Week All
See more
More Influencers
Follow
Dan Sanker
President & CEO at CaseStack, Inc.
Home Profile Network Jobs Interests Business Services Upgrade
2
Search articles...
"This job has been open for a while," said
Angie. "What would you say is the reason it's
taken some time to find the right person?"
"I'm choosy," said the interviewer, and that
was that.
Angie never heard from the company again,
but she hadn't waited around after the
interview, either. She could see in a flash that
no one with spark and self-esteem would
thrive in that company. As far as I know, that
job is still open.
A job search is a test of your fortitude. The
struggling economy doesn't make it easy,
and an even bigger challenge is the
dysfunctional recruiting process used by
nearly every medium-sized and large
employer.
I want you to keep in mind that it's not you -
the system itself is broken beyond repair.
You are fine. It's the combination of talent-
repelling job ads, Black Hole application
systems, and thoughtless, soul-crushing
interview processes that make a job search
so hard on your emotions.
The good news is that slowly, the tide is
turning. I've been writing about putting a
human voice in business for twenty years,
but since we put a name and mission to the
the Human Workplace cause in 2012, the
pace of change toward a mojo-fueled work
world has accelerated dramatically.
These days, we get as many inquiries in our office from employers looking to boost the mojo
level in their organizations as we do from job-seekers looking for Human Workplaces to join.
Still, you can't assume that when you go on a job interview, your interviewers will be as
Human Workplace-aware as you are. They may be just the opposite, like Miss Choosy in our
story above.
They may ask you idiotic interview questions and
work hard to make the relationship "I'm in charge -
you're dogmeat" abundantly clear throughout your
interview conversation.
When you're asked a foolish, irrelevant question on a job interview, it's hard to know how to
respond. Do you answer the question sincerely, ironically, or a mix or the two? Is it best to
play the part of the The Good Little Interviewee and give no sign that your time is being wasted
and your IQ is seeping out through your ears?
If you play that part too well, you may get hired into a job that will suck your life force away. So
what do you do, when the brainless interview questions start flying?
Here's our guide to stupid interview questions, to bookmark and pull out before your next job
interview.
1. If you were an animal, what kind of
animal would you be?
This question is so pointless and by extension,
insulting (Do you have a job opening to fill or not?
Why would you use our precious time together
asking me fanciful kindergarten questions?) that it's
a red flag.
Either this firm lets its interviewers ask any random
questions they want on a job interview, or they've
actually talked about it and decided this question is
worth asking. Either way, if a fresh-faced baby
interviewer or HR screener asks
you this question, I'd hate for you to
get up and leave before you've
made it to the hiring manager, the
person who has the Business Pain
we came to learn about.
(If your hiring manager asks you
this question, you have my
permission to get up and leave.
Just say "Oh, look at the time! So
sorry, I forgot that I have an
appointment in eight minutes.
Lovely to meet you, though!") Hit the road, and go get yourself a nice gelato.
You might want to answer this way: "I'd be an ebola virus, and infect your competitors!" but I
fear your interviewer wouldn't pick up on the satire. Better to answer the question with a short
answer and then ask your own question, like this:
INTERVIEWER: If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
YOU: Hmmm, probably some kind of wild cat, like a jaguar - I enjoy the hunt. Can I ask you a
question about that?
INTERVIEWER: Er- sure!
YOU: I'm always interested in the interview questions that
companies ask. Is that your own addition to the company's
interview script, or does everyone here use that question? I'll
bet you hear some fascinating answers!
A human being in the chair across from you will enjoy telling
you about all the wild and domestic animals s/he's met on
past interviews. If your interviewer can't handle unscripted
conversation and looks panicked at your question, you can
just say "That's okay! We can talk about that later."
During your job search, you'll decide whether and how far to
push the frame "I'm the interviewer -- I ask the questions, and
you answer them!" over and over again. I encourage you, if you haven't done it already, to try a
meta-question like "I'm curious how that question helps you make better hires?" if you can ask
it with a smile on your face.
I understand that if you've recently endured a string of interviews studded with stupid interview
questions, that smile could be hard to maintain.
2. With all the talented candidates, why
should we hire you?
This interview question comes from the genre called "How badly do you want it?" that still
plagues corporations and institutions decades after we all realized that the most-grovelly
applicants don't make the best hires. We still love to test job-seekers on their DESIRE for the
job, asking insulting questions like this.
I hate this interview question, because it asks a job-seeker to do two awful things. First, the
question asks a job-seeker to assume a supplicant position
and beg for the job. Secondly, it asks a person to compare
him- or herself to people s/he's never met and likely never
will.
Here's how you can handle this one:
INTERVIEWER: With all the talented candidates, why
should we hire you?
YOU: Great question, and I think that's really the point of our
conversation today -- to determine whether I'm the person
for the job and whether this is the job for me. It might be that
you should hire me. I love this field and I'm excited to keep
growing muscles in it. That being said, I haven't met the
other candidates and I'm sure there are smart and capable
people in that group. That's going to be your challenge, to consider what's ahead for you and
which person can best fill that role. I have total faith that if we're supposed to be working
together, we'll figure that out.
3. What's your greatest weakness?
This question comes down from our Puritan
forefathers, who saw life as a joyless quest to
surmount personal deficiencies and
weaknesses. Cheery vision, right?
I reject the view that people have weaknesses.
People come in a fascinating array of types,
and part of the fun of being alive is that we get
to figure out where we shine and maneuver
ourselves into that spot.
The old idea of weaknesses-to-correct is giving
way to the new idea 'figure out what you love to
do, and do it all the time.' Who has time to work
and work to get slightly better at things we'll
never love and never be great at?
I recommend that you handle this horrendous
question this way:
INTERVIEWER: What's your greatest weakness?
YOU: Great question! I used to obsess about my weaknesses when I was younger. I took
classes and read books like you wouldn't believe, and then over time it occurred to me that I
should be focusing on the things I do well, like designing financial reports. Other things --
graphic design, for instance - aren't for me, so I steer myself toward the work that jazzes me
and where I can make the biggest impact.
4. Where do you see yourself in five
years?
Really, are people still hearing this ancient interview
question in 2014? Yep, interviewers still pull out this
lame Mad Men era question and ask it, so you've got
to be prepared. The truth is that no one can make a
five-year-horizon career plan in 2014 (maybe the
Pope - and maybe not even him).
This may have been a great question to ask when
The Beverly Hillbillies was filming new episodes.
Today, it's a waste of interview airtime, but you still
have to answer it.
Try this approach:
INTERVIEWER: Where do you see yourself in five years?
YOU: I love Finance, and I don't have plans to move out of it but then again you never know
what influences will hit you. I'm interested in getting my MBA, so five years from now I could
be one year out of school and I may think totally differently at that point than I do now. The
things I can say for sure are that if I'm alive five years from now, I'll be working hard at
something I love and supporting the people around me. For me, the team is as important as
the work.
What interview questions should replace these stupid, old
ones?
When you get into your new job and start interviewing
people yourself, what questions will you ask them? When
you adopt the Interviewing with a Human Voice approach,
you won't ask lame interview questions like the ones on our
list. You'll ask job-seekers to bring their questions to the job
interview instead, and invite them to go first, asking
questions of you to start the interview.
You'll learn much more about your candidates from the
questions they ask you than you ever would from their
answers!
Once the applicant's questions are exhausted, here are
some questions an interviewer can pose:
1) Given what you know about our company and this role so far -- and this is your chance to
ask me anything you want to know, by the way -- what would you see as the most likely goals
for the new hire in this position, over the next six months?
2) Here's what we're dealing with in Tech Support. (Explain your situation.) What would your
approach to that set of conditions be? What would be your attack plan, if you got this job?
3) How does this job mesh with your career plan for yourself?
How will it grow your flame?
Job interviews can be fun and enriching for everyone involved --
and they should be!
When we interview folks at Human Workplace, we tell them
"This is a job interview, and potentially a coaching session. We
have an opening to fill and you might be interested in that job,
but that is just our starting point. If this isn't the right job for you,
let's talk about you and your career instead." Sometimes, candidates say "I'm not sure I want
this job, but I wanted to meet you guys." We say "Cool! We had booked the time anyway. It's
great to meet you."
Fifty percent of our interviews veer into career coaching and that's absolutely wonderful. After
all, a job is just a job. Your flame is everything!
Our company is called Human
Workplace. Our mission is to reinvent
work for people!
We help job-seekers grow their flames and get
great jobs with employers that deserve their
talents. We help employers brand themselves
and reinvent their recruiting processes to snag
and keep smart and capable people and we
help them grow the Team Mojo on their teams.
We invite everyone to step into the Human
Workplace. We launched in November 2012
and have over 200,000 members already. You
can join us, too!
Here is Liz Ryan's podcast "I Hate This Job, But I Need the Money!"
Send our CEO Liz Ryan a LinkedIn invitation: use this email address --
Posted by:
Follow
Liz Ryan
(139,921) See all Liz's posts
liz@humanworkplace.com.
Please FOLLOW us on LinkedIn!
Our Get a Job No Matter What Starter Kit includes four of our most popular job-search ebooks
in a special discounted bundle ($40.84 of eBooks for $6.89)!
Or Get a Job No Matter What MEGA Package has a massive amount of job-search advice
and instruction (including a 65-page online course, Put a Human Voice in Your Resume) that
we sell individually for $298, on sale for $99!
Our new 12-week virtual coaching groups beginning March 22, 2014 are:
Get a Job No Matter What Boot Camp
Interviewing with MOJO
Launch Your Consulting Business
Job Search after Fifty
Reinvention Roadmap, and
Grow Your Thought Leadership Flame
Our 12-week virtual coaching groups are super-popular, flame-growing guided self-study
programs. Each week in one our 12-week virtual coaching groups, you'll receive a new lesson
with exercises (like the exercise "Your So-Called Weakness" above) to work on as it suits
your schedule throughout the week. You'll ask questions of the Human Workplace coaches
and your fellow participants and share your "Ahas!" as you go. Got a question for us? Reach
us here!
Featured on: Recruiting & Hiring
People who read this post also read: 1-4 of 20
Newest Oldest Popular
818 comments
+ 2,707
You Get The Boss You
Deserve: Manage Up!
Should Companies
Ban Facebook at
Work?
6 Things Successful
People Do On...
11 Habits of
Remarkable Leaders

Add your comment...

Gary Clarke
CEO & Startup Leader | Software | SaaS | CleanTech
I once had the animal question tossed at me. My reply? "I'm a Chetah. Watch how fast I leave.
I stood up. Collected my pen and left.
Like(750) Reply(28) 1 day ago

Donna Natalie Bodden, stefan lee, Eric Nguyen Duc Hieu, +747

28 Replies
Andy Roy Sian
Manager, Business Intelligence and Data Management Unit at Commercial
Services Division, Malaysia Airports
Gotta teach them some lessons once in a while right Gary? :-D
Like 31 minutes ago
Wedad Taher
Supervisora del departamento de Reservas en Cairo Marriott Hotel
Very smart and quick reaction :)
Like 31 minutes ago

Show More

Sarah Stout
Talent Acquisition Manager at Raising Canes Ohio Limited
There is a point to asking someone what kind if animal they would be and why.
It throws them off. You can see how someone responds to a non-job question. How quickly
someone gets upset. I find the people that get upset by this question have a hard time thinking
quickly and aren't as good with people when they have a "bigger" task at hand. I interview
people in customer service that get asked "stupid" questions every day while under pressure.
How long it takes someone to respond. How creative they answer and if they can have fun with
it.
We have fun at work and managers need to be creative problem solvers.
Maybe it depends on the job. Now, this hasn't and never will be a go to question. It only comes
out every now and then when needed. Plus, I wouldn't be thrown off by a follow up question by
an interviewee. I invite them.
Like(74) Reply(33) 1 day ago

Benjamin Samson, Renee Mastalerz - CHRP, John R. Peck, +71

33 Replies
Michael Estoy
Exploring strategic roles leading to Product Owner / Consultant | Nonprofit
Boards and Management
I was asked this question for an internship. I responded with, "I'd be a human being
since the job description states I'll be working with people from different
departments. Has the job description changed?"
My answer stunned the hiring manager as she sat there in silence for a few
seconds and then said, "I'm sorry, it's one of the questions I'm used to asking."
I replied, "Well, what exactly are you trying to learn by asking me what kind of
animal I would be?"
From there, the interview went off script and snapped her out of that nonsense. She
was tentative in her questions, but I helped her by asking her leading questions.
She offered me the internship at the end of the interview and we had a great
working relationship. She's told me she's revamped her interviewing techniques and
questions so that she can see the potential intern as a person rather than "a pawn
in a chess match."
Like(4) 47 minutes ago

Suzanna Kiraly, Joe C., Stephen Dunn, PMP, +1

Doug Robertson
Key Account Manager at TFB & Associates Limited
Seriously??
Like(1) 48 minutes ago

Gracie M.

Show More

Geoff Dench LION IT Test Manager
UAT and Live Proving/Live Confidence Test Manager at Barclaycard
Interviewer "so what is your greatest weakness?"
Candidate "honesty"
Interviewer "I don't think that's a weakness is it?"
Candidate " I don't give a $#% what you think!"
Like(179) Reply(8) 1 day ago

Shehd A., Mohamad Shahrizal Mohd Ismail, Peter Caffin, +176

8 Replies
Jennifer Sporer
Administrative Assistant at University of Michigan Health System,
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Too funny! I have to share that one with my MIL who retired from HR.
Like 2 hours ago
Philip H. West, LCSW
Substance Abuse Clinician at Southwest Community Health Center
HA HA HA!
Like 3 hours ago

Show More

Jane Emerson (Walker)
Owner, Emerson House,
How very true and interesting. This is why I have never in my long self employed career placed
an advert to find someone. I knew that this worked for me and my business. I try to meet
people if they write to ask if they can come and work with me and yes, mainly if they sound as
if they would fit in! My interview style is come along for coffee and have a chat. It has worked for
me because I have built a successful business that way. Be brave, try it!
Like(102) Reply(10) 1 day ago

Gracie M., Jordan Vallis, Irene Dalene, +99

10 Replies
Kashif Shahzad
ERP Technical Consultant
That is a great approach! A casual interview setting gives you a better idea of who
the other person really is.
Like(1) 2 hours ago

K. Clark (DJ OhSoKool)

Isabel O.
Management
Excelent way to put things!
Like(1) 4 hours ago

Gracie M.

Show More

Kenneth Merchant
Director of Technology at Alverno High School
I've been waiting for the day to bust this line out:
Them: "So what is your biggest weakness?"
Me: "Kryptonite"
Like(96) Reply(5) 20 hours ago

Tam Conway, Anthony Caccavale, Gracie M., +93

5 Replies
Russell Bau
Healthcare Professional at ASA
Nice..!
Like 3 hours ago
Mihai-Adrian Crainic
Senior Risk Consultant/ Quantitative Risk Analysis, PFA
Better still...."Kryptonian Thinking"..., instead of just Kryptonite... This way, one
can, at least, be given the chance to develop further the whole concept, in such a
way that emphasis its core values and (dis)beliefs, with a personal touch.
Like(1) 7 hours ago

Gracie M.

Show More

Joshua Jordison (JJ)
Entrepreneur / Music Industry Aficionado / Writer
Awesome article Liz! This one made me laugh.
This (stupid questions in interviews) is one of the reasons why I decided to stop being an
employee, years ago. It's a reflection of bigger problems within a company. I don't have the
patience (nor should I) to put up with ridiculous questions like "What kind of animal would you
be".
I'd probably ask the interviewer if that really is a question, then reach across and bend their
paper down to see if it is on the paper.
One of the questions I most hated being asked during job interviews was one that didn't come
up in this article... "What do you expect to be paid here?" That question is a trick. Never, ever
answer it the first time you are asked. The interviewer isnt interested in establishing what you
want to be paid. They are interesting in establishing their dominance over the conversation.
When youre asked what you expect to be paid, instead of giving a number, say something like
this: Lets defer that until later. Right now, I just want to figure out if this is a good fit for myself
and your company. If they persist, dont give in.
After youve talked with the interviewer for a while longer, you can either ask them what their
budget is or give them a figure of what you want to be paid. Make sure you do your homework.
Use websites that let you see what other people are paid for similar positions. I think the best
one is Glass Door: http://www.glassdoor.com
If you decide to give them your figure, make sure you are at the higher end of the market. You
want to be the premium option. Always ask for at least 10% above what you would like to
make. This gives you some room for negotiation. If pressed, I'd recommend more like 25% -
but's that's me.
If you go the route of asking them for the budget, they may deflect back to you. Thats okay.
Dont stress it. Give them your number.
Be prepared to walk away. If the interviewer cant come up to the amount you expect to be
paid, ask about other forms of compensation, like: stock options/equity, commission, bonus
etc. Never let them talk you down below your number without getting some extra incentives on
the table.
Its possible that the interviewer wont have the authority to give you these extra incentives. In
that case, you need to walk away, temporarily. Say something like: I enjoyed talking with you;
and, Im glad I was able to take the time to come down for the interview. Lets circle back on
this in a couple of days. Thatll give you time to talk with your boss about closing the gap. Ill
also see if I can come up with any additional creative solutions to do the same.
Thats it. Stand up, shake their hand and walk out the door. If the interviewer really liked you,
he/she will go to their boss and try to make some concessions. If you dont get the job, it want
the right one for you anyway. Move on to the next one.
Now, here's some of the language I used, decoded:
1. WHAT YOU ARE SAYING: I enjoyed talking with you; and, Im glad I was able to take the
time to come down for the interview."
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: This was fun. My time is valuable; and, I'm glass this wasn't a total
waste of it. I am not here to impress you.
1. WHAT YOU ARE SAYING: "Lets circle back on this in a couple of days. Thatll give you
time to talk with your boss about closing the gap. Ill also see if I can come up with any
additional creative solutions to do the same."
WHAT IT REALLY MEANS: You aren't going to control me. I'm going to leave now, because I
don't need this job as much as your company needs me. To win me back, you need to go to
your boss and give me what I asked for. I will only give if you give.
This way of handling interviews is not for the faint of heart; but, it's works.
Like(61) Reply(13) 1 day ago

Michael Estoy, Gracie M., Ronald Pai, +58

13 Replies
Tanuj Kumar
Student at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
Wow thats a good article it must help me in future but I want to ask one question
over the question that you mentioned here. If the interviewer say that I can only give
you 10,000 or 15,000 then what would I have to say knowing that I can't servive
with such a bad renumeration. Should I leave ?
Like 43 minutes ago
Joshua Jordison (JJ)
Entrepreneur / Music Industry Aficionado / Writer
Kevin: While I think experience can help with self confidence, it isn't required. I had
no experience, when I was hired for a job that entailed helping to manage a 60+
person orchestra and do production work for events that saw 5,000+ attendees. I
did have self confidence, passion and belief in what I was capable of. I had worked
at a couple other places but nothing close the job I was applying for.
Certain professions do require experience, like: physicians, professors, dentists
etc. The vast majority, however, require the employer to have some faith in the
applicant.
Like(2) 3 hours ago

Jacqueline Bidwell and K. Clark (DJ OhSoKool)

Show More

Lise T.
Payroll | Human Resources | Finance | Accounting
Best article I have read in a long time. Wake up recruiters.
Like(39) Reply(2) 1 day ago

Irene Dalene, Reuel Lewis, Dahir Adani, +36

2 Replies
John Yoo
VP of International Sales at Tomok Korea Co. Ltd.
Payroll | Human Resources | Finance | Accounting...Wow Lise...is there anything you don't
do?
Like(4) 10 hours ago

Niral Vora, MSc, Dahir Adani, Amit Joshi, +1

Suzanna Kiraly
Inventive Spirit
Yes. My best interviews are always those where the interviewer and I have a
friendly discussion rather than them asking me a list of questions. It allows me to
be myself and give them all the answers they need at the same time. But I think it
takes a talented recruiter to be able to get all the answers they need from someone
without asking them a laundry list of questions.
Like(16) 19 hours ago

Niral Vora, MSc, K. Clark (DJ OhSoKool), Fiona Hitchins, +13

Michael M. Obradovitch II, Esq.
USPTO Registered Patent Attorney & Chemical Engineer; Realtor
I think I found a kindered spirit in Liz Ryan. This article hits on a number of my pet peeves albeit
I've never had to sit through a dumb interview. Stupid questions aside, Liz points points to
another interesting issue. Over the past year, I've noticed that a number of recruiters on
LinkedIn keep advertising the very same job opening/opportunity months on end. Not a single
word is changed. Just as Angie (in the article) asks: "What would you say is the reason it's
taken some time to find the right person?", I am similarly curious why these people are having
the such a difficult time filling the position or is there really a position that needs to be filled?
LinkedIn search capabilities are presumably quite good. So I keep wondering: (1) Are some of
these recruiters terminally lazy and/or merely "trolling"? and (2) Do these reported jobs
openings "really suck"? Anyone have a clue?
Like(24) Reply(6) 1 day ago

Irene Dalene, Reuel Lewis, Laura West, +21

6 Replies
Alan Toner
Self Employed Writer
It's like these employment agencies who advertise fake jobs on jobs boards week
after week. It is a horrible tactic, and is only exacerbating the plight of the jobless.
Like(6) 12 hours ago

Deborah Paris-Evans, David Johnston, Peter Hulley, +3

Richard Ellis
Commercial/Contractor Sales Manager, Menards, Salina, KS
As the late, great Johnny Carson said, "Never stay in a Motel that has the
VACANCY sign painted on the side of the building."
Like(12) 15 hours ago

Irene Dalene, Liba Ronge, Tim Carpenter, +9

Show More

Phillip Sharkey
Consulting Scientific Program Manager
What's your greatest weakness?
Chocolate.
Like(32) Reply(3) 20 hours ago

Tom Froelich, Viviane Bouch, Lisa Onorato, +29

3 Replies
Olga Driz
IT Manager - Looking for long term challenging career opportunity
Hahaha! Great answer.
Like 2 hours ago
Dana George
Human Resources Leader & Business Partner In Transition
I love this answer! I am using it. Thanks!
Like(4) 16 hours ago

Reuel Lewis, Anthony Permal, David Johnston, +1

Show More

Nick Kossovan
Bilingual (French / English) Call Center Management with Flair | Customer Service |
Sales | Social Media Samurai
Great article, however the advice given only applies to those who can afford to not play the
interviewer's questions to get the job.
I would render a guess that the vast majority of those being interviewed need to work to pay the
rent, bills, etc. Therefore the interviewer is in control. The reason these irrelevant questions still
get asked, and will continue to be asked, is because most people cannot afford not to answer
them and therefore do so. It's common knowledge that the hiring process is broken so why is
nothing being done to fix it? Until it's an employee market, which will not be happening for the
foreseeable future, the process will remain broken.
Like(30) Reply(5) 17 hours ago

Luz Collado, Stephen Dunn, PMP, Valerie Wilkinson, +27

5 Replies
Eric Moody
Supply Chain & Team Leader
You raise a valid point, but all the article's recommended responses appear to leave
the door open for the recruitment to continue, which I agree the candidate may
need. I would adopt a wait-and-see approach. You need to know if youre facing:
1) A dumb holdover question that just hasnt been eliminated from the companys
interview script (best case).
2) An individual interviewers misguided question (may be OK, unless its from the
hiring manager/potential boss).
3) A question that reflects a clueless and/or Type X management culture (worst
case, run away).
If youre certain its (3) you can switch to some of the awesome comebacks given
here in the Comments.
Like 37 minutes ago
Fiona Hitchins
Executive Personal Assistant
Totally agree Nick. It is awful to be in a position where you have to take a job out of
necessity but start the job with a bad taste in your mouth because of the attitude of
the company during the interview process. The question is how I, as the
interviewee, help to influence change?
Like 3 hours ago

Show More

Carmen Santa Cruz,PhD
Quality manager EMEA at MarkMonitor, A division of Thomson Reuters IP Solutions
I like the silly question about "what are your weaknesses", my take is " i dont believe in
weaknesses, but in contextually innapropiate strengths". :) I think a much better question
would be "what are you strengths?" or even " in which direction you would like to grow?" or "
what is your passion?" You learn so much more from a person when you ask a question that
lights them from inside!
Like(37) Reply(5) 1 day ago

Mike Gorski, Irene Cvetkovski-Dukic, Reuel Lewis, +34

5 Replies
Sean Yu
IT Executive at NTUC Foodfare Co-operative Ltd
"i don't believe in weaknesses, but in contextually inappropriate strengths" ->
always thought of this answer but was never able to word it this well. Thanks for
this one Ms Carmen. Will be planning to use it next time.
Like 2 hours ago
n v nathan
Sr Executive at Tea Business House
You are absolutely correct.
Like 4 hours ago

Show More

Anna Gray
Highly accomplished international attorney with over 12 years of legal experience in
multiple areas of law.
I treat life as a game, where basically if you don't jump high enough, trolls are gonna get you. I
treat job search and interviews basically same way, believing that it is better to collect and sell
empty bottles and cans than to be a slave in some strange company. I also believe in telling
the truth. Having been asked questions like this, some of the answers were:
1. If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? - I would be Homo sapiens.
2. With all the talented candidates, why should we hire you? - If you don't, your competitors
will.
3. What's your greatest weakness? - You are not my friend yet, so it wouldn't be wise to tell
you.
4. Where do you see yourself in five years? - On top of the world, living in a penthouse, and
running your company.
Think I never got a job answering them like this? I did, many times. Some recruiters still do
have a common sense, as well as sense of humor. Keep your chin up and don't despair!
Like(33) Reply(2) 18 hours ago

Rodolfo Cereghino, Ronald Pai, Gwyneth Wesley Rolph, +30

2 Replies
Fiona Hitchins
Executive Personal Assistant
You are my hero Anna Gray! You inspire me to come up with my own individual
answers to these silly questions.
Like(1) 3 hours ago

Reuel Lewis
Aliki Charalambidou Arestis
Contract Engineer at Petroleum Development Oman at WIPRO
TECHNOLOGIES
I like your approach Anna :)
Like 6 hours ago
Lisa Doorly
Global Talent Acquisition Manager - Danaher Sensors & Controls & Portescap
Paul M - I love that response about the pigeon. I hate the "trick" questions - looking for a job is
difficult enough why does it need to be a "trick"
Like(13) Reply(3) 22 hours ago

Johanna Sjblom, Jenni Jensen, Fiona Hitchins, +10

3 Replies
Alan Toner
Self Employed Writer
Yes, Lisa, I totally agree with you. Why DOES it have to be "trick"? Heaven's above, it's
hard enough for a jobseeker to gain employment as it is without having to face these barmy
interviewing techniques of employers.
Like 12 hours ago
Allen Weston
MBA | Problem Solving | Leadership | Data Analysis | Strategic Planning
I agree with Cheryl. Such frivolous questions only scratch basic assumptions and
nothing about the candidates goals, aspirations or soft skills. Why waste my time
with generic questions that only take the generic answers to be right. Instead of
playing interview Scrabble with me, boring me, and sucking the excitement out of
the process, why not train recruiters or anyone that works in the same position
being hired for and ask some questions that will define me, differentiate me, and
make it seem you're interested in my presence today. If you want to hire "value" as
Cheryl correctly labels the processes end result, ask me VALUABLE questions.
The time should equal the effort and level of questions should show that. Life is
hard, the process should not be.
Like(11) 21 hours ago

Reuel Lewis, Dahir Adani, Maria F., +8

Show More

Kat Ford [LION 10k+]
Kat Ford - SEO Certified Professional | Social Media Certified Professional | SEM |
Inbound Marketing | Lead Generation
What animal am I? I'm a Kat, obviously! ;-)
Like(28) Reply(3) 22 hours ago

Nikola Stokic, Reuel Lewis, Benjamin Ross, +25

3 Replies
Steve Cook
Projektledare at Vstra Gtalandsregionen
... and yet it says Lion 10k+ next to your name in your profile ;-) Though I guess a
lion is a kat too!
Like(1) 8 hours ago

Eddy Chaar
John C Barrett
Pharmacy Accreditation Reviewer at URAC
Great answer!
Like 9 hours ago

Show More

Steve Patterson
Director of Operations - Manufacturing Management
No one wants to overly indulge the incompetent or unaware interviewer, but some bizarre
questions are being asked at even some of the premier employers. Sometimes it is just to see
how you react, sometimes it is because the interviewer has been asking the same questions
for years, and made successful hires. They believe their interview style and questions work for
them. If you were applying to Google and they asked you what kind of animal you were, you
would respond in some manner, might even be "How the heck is that relevant", right? But you
would answer it. Zombie questions are the current fad, you might even be requested to play a
video game. If this all crosses your tolerance threshold, then end the interview.
If all candidates refused to put up with intolerable interviews, then the process would change,
but enough candidates will "jump through the hoops" to land a job, that candidate behavior
alone cannot drive employer change.
Just remember, if you are treated poorly as a recruit, the behavior will NOT improve once you
are an employee. It may not be reflective of the direct hiring manager, but the H.R. department
is very reflective of the organizational culture.
Like(16) Reply(6) 21 hours ago

Johanna Sjblom, Viviane Bouch, Reuel Lewis, +13

6 Replies
Fiona Hitchins
Executive Personal Assistant
I agree, these type of questions make me question the intelligence of the people I
would be working with!
Like 3 hours ago
Alan Toner
Self Employed Writer
Well said.
Like 12 hours ago

Show More

Jan Creager
National Account Executive at Safilo USA
During an interview, an HR person held up a glass jar and asked me how many jelly beans
would fit inside. I answered, but was perplexed when the rest of the interview consisted mostly
of 3 of the 4 questions listed in the article. She talked very little about the skill set pertaining to
the job, even though I tried to bring this into the discussion.
I was prepared to answer questions like, what has your experience at company xyz done to
prepare you for this position? Or, tell me about a time you had a conflict with an account, and
how did you resolve it? Or, how can you contribute to our growth? Instead, it was sort of a
verbal ink blot test.
Interview questions should focus on the skills needed for the job, peppered with a few offbeat
questions to gauge reactionary skills. However, the 4 questions listed in the article are now so
clich, that candidates have rehearsed answers that do not give any indication of how qualified
they are for the job.
Like(5) Reply(3) 20 hours ago

Reuel Lewis, Fiona Hitchins, Francoise Lou, +2

3 Replies
Suzanna Kiraly
Inventive Spirit
These questions seem more like IQ test questions and make you feel like you
should be a genius, but most jobs don't require a genius.
Like(3) 14 hours ago

David Gault, Alan Toner, and Jan Creager

Mike Doria
Knowledge Communication Consultant (independent professional)
I was onced asked this question: "How many batteries are there in the
Philippines?". At first, I was stumped. After the interview, I felt violent. lol
Like(10) 19 hours ago

Reuel Lewis, Fiona Hitchins, David Gault, +7

Show More

Kenneth Gray
Managing Partner at Alliance Law Firm International PLLC
I think this article raises some important issues and the comment thread is filled with some
really excellent points.Liz Ryan did an excellent job authoring this, thank you!
As an employer and as a job seeker I have asked and been asked the "where do you see
yourself in 5 years" question too many times to count. My frustration with that line of
questioning was not with the question but with interviewers who evaluate based on a firm
answer to the question. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" is unanswerable.
However, as an employer, I still ask this question. The difference with me is that the question
isn't a test of organization, ambition, ... it is a test of honesty. People who have a concrete
answer are often lying. I don't hire liars. People who answer with a version of "I don't know" or
"it's impossible to say" get more consideration.
The reality of interviewing is that companies do need to temper their expectations. The past 5
years have given employers the luxury of thinking they can pick and choose among perfect
candidates. This is an ephemeral state and will hurt companies that adhere to this dogma more
than help. Realistically, employers need to find people who are the best _adaptable_ to what
needs to be done (not the best at what to do at some fixed time). When the labor market gets
tight again, retainability will matter more than initial qualification.
Like(6) Reply(1) 17 hours ago

Don Atkinson, Khalis Razzak Kamel, Janne Jskelinen, +3

1 Reply
Nick Kossovan
Bilingual (French / English) Call Center Management with Flair | Customer
Service | Sales | Social Media Samurai
RE: "People who have a concrete answer are often lying. I don't hire liars. People
who answer with a version of "I don't know" or "it's impossible to say" get more
consideration."
Obviously you enjoy playing head games. What would make you ever say that
someone is a liar because they have a concrete answer as to where they see
themselves in years? Many people do plan ahead and have a clear vision of where
they would like to be in 5 years. I believe it's called "Planning".
Like(17) 17 hours ago

Ronald Pai, Valerie Wilkinson, Reuel Lewis, +14

Peter Wright
Executive Chef. Currently Seeking New Opportunities
People tend to forget that there are actually two interviews taking place, as an interviewee is
this the right employer for you? What they say and what you ask will help determine that
Like(17) Reply(2) 1 day ago

Reuel Lewis, Stewart Desson, Denise Gerdes, +14

2 Replies
Bryce Adams
Technical Sales Professional. Looking for new opportunities.
Unfortunately you're usually dealing with the recruiting company and/or the HR
department before getting to talk to the actual people you'll be working with.
Like(4) 20 hours ago

Frank Light, Petr Mare, Reuel Lewis, +1

Cheryl Swanson
CMO/VP Marketing & Sales 4Hire: Strategy I Social Media I CRM I Sales
Process & Communications Mgmt I Brand Experience
True. My career path and self-respect are far more important to me and my family's
goals. Your first-line HR reps indicate how you value candidates and your
company's projected brand experience--or not. If they are incompetent at their job
of "courting all candidates" with whom they have bothered to have a face to face
meeting with, they should be working toward a discussion that makes them a
viable contender for the position as soon as possible for the company's productivity
goal. Give your HR clarity of purpose: "Your objective is to provide me 3-5 ranked
candidates in our price range within 90 days."
Like 21 hours ago
Nick Thomas
Business Improvement Professional (Think, Plan, Act)
Here are my answers to these questions:
1. What kind of animal? A dragon, since it is a fantasy question conjured up from some
Help Center About Press Blog Careers Advertising Talent Solutions Tools Mobile Developers Publishers Language Upgrade Your Account
LinkedIn Corporation 2014 User Agreement Privacy Policy Community Guidelines Cookie Policy Copyright Policy Send Feedback
mystical source, I might as well have fun with it too.
2. Talents? An ability to sit through painful experiences without getting offended.
3. Weakness? An ability to sit through painful experiences without getting offended.
4. Five years? In a better place personally and professionally to be determined by
circumstances. This is not untrue, yet it is optimistic, and un-offensive.
When facing seemingly irrelevant questions during an interview, we shouldn't be too quick to get
offended by the questioning, since WE are the ones looking for a job, and what does it hurt to
just answer the questions without getting cynical, critical, or put off. A positive attitude is VERY
important, and it cannot be taught or learned, rather it is something you either have or not. Have
some FUN...and get the job! Once hired, IF you want to come back and ask what all those
questions were about...fine. But, who really cares what you think about the hiring process?
GETTING THE JOB you applied for should be your ONLY priority.
Like(13) Reply(5) 17 hours ago

Zreen Ishrt, Tim Rank, David Gault, +10

5 Replies
Michael Braum
Estate Manager at Nazareth House
Well put! I agree, it is unlikely that the interviewer would even recognise a good
answer as the IQ required for thinking up questions like that is not as high as the
IQ required to understand any level of answer.
The most important point is that that interviewer is going to report back on whether
you should or should not be hired and any form of smart-ass answer isn't going to
achieve the desired effect.
Like 25 minutes ago
Debra Feuerbacher
Healthcare CPA
I love this response! When I was younger with only a few years' experience - before
HR folks started using these techniques - finding a job was easy-peasy. Now that I
am older and am faced with these weird hurdles, I do believe it is important to have
positive communication skills in combination with all this experience.
Like 10 hours ago

Show More

Cindy Campbell
Multi-Unit Operations Supervisor/Exceptional Team Builder
Too funny and so true. These questions are asked all the time and reveal nothing about one's
ability to do the job. I was headhunted once for a GM position and went to the interview. It was
for a new start up franchise. The two Owners asked me if I had experience with children.
Curious, I asked why. Reply "You will basically be a babysitter. What is your salary
requirement?" I replied "60k." Straight face. Needless to say...that ended that interview rather
quickly.
Like(16) Reply 1 day ago

Liba Ronge, Rashad Hanibal, David Gault, +13

Show More