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People Spill The Tea About 30 Of The Dumbest Questions They Were Asked During Interviews
Once, at the end of the last decade, I was interviewed at a rather big and promising company and faced the classic question from the interviewer: "How do you see yourself in 5 years?" I wonder if I knew in advance what would happen in the world in the next five years and said all this, would they consider me crazy or not?
In fact, in addition to completely reasonable and logical questions, during job interviews, applicants also have to deal with a huge number of strange, inappropriate, and sometimes completely outrageous questions. And this selection on Bored Panda is dedicated to exactly such insane ones.
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#1
If you can be one kitchen appliance what would it be and why.
My answer was a knife because I am sharp and I can perform many different tasks.
Real answer, knife so I can stab you for asking such a stupid question.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 days ago
Toasted sandwich maker. Will be busy at first, but then left alone for years, lots of peace and quiet.
RELATED:
#2
“name a time where you gave back to your community” i was 15 and applying to dairy queen.
Michael Largey 4 days ago
I took some overdue books back to the library so the community could read them.
#3
Interviewer: 'Give me one good reason why I should give you this job'?
I replied 'Give me one good reason why I should accept it'?
I got the job.
There is a thread in the AskReddit community, which topic starter, the user u/Correct_Spray5890, asked netizens: "What is the dumbest question you’ve been asked during an interview?" As of today, the thread has over 840 upvotes and around 1.1K various comments, literally reflecting all facets of human stupidity, which from time to time is embodied in job interviewers...
#4
Are you sure you want to start at the top of the salary band? That won't give you much room for growth.
Glen Ellyn 5 days ago
I won't succumb to your pressure to work for less than I'm worth. No room for growth? Bye.
#5
If you were a Star Wars Character would you be Luke, Leia, Hans, R2, or C3PO?
I didn't get it probably because I said Wedge Antilles and went on for quite some time of the strength of being a competent background character that didn't feel the need to be a main character of every story. The interviewers had no idea who Wedge was.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 days ago
Jabba the Hutt. So I can sit around all day and have my minions entertain me.
#6
Manager: Would you be willing to work for $X.XX per hour?
Me: That is below the legal minimum wage.
Michael Largey 5 days ago (edited)
"Have much are you willing to bribe me not to report this to the labor authorities?"
Some of these questions simply show the blatant incompetence of the interviewers. Some are inappropriate in any work environment and, in fact, represent one solid red flag for a potential job applicant.
However, such questions still take place - for example, regarding the employer's attempts to lowball the probable employee, even below the legally established level. By the way, we have more than one or two examples of such stories as well.
#7
"If someone tried robbing us, how would you protect the cash register?"
They didn't like my reply "I wouldn't protect it". I thought this was some test but it wasn't they actually wanted their employees to put their life on the line for whatever money would be in the cash register at the time. This was a minimum paying job btw.
Glen Ellyn 5 days ago
Never mind. I refuse to work for someone who puts the cash register ahead of my safety.
#8
"What's the most dangerous animal you'd be willing to fight" and when I told them *people* that was apparently the wrong answer.
#9
If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
At wallmart. I s**t you not.
Glen Ellyn 5 days ago
Who comes up with these questions?? If you even get answer, what is that supposed to do for the interviewer?
A separate category is strange and unexpected questions, literally borrowed from books written by unicorn companies' CEOs. But if some strange question, designed to show the unconventional thinking of the jobseeker when hiring, for example, a designer or programmer at Google, seems appropriate, then copying it word for word in a small company that is completely unrelated to creativity is at least weird.
But still, the example of top companies looks incredibly tempting - and employers, unconsciously trying to adopt this success, in fact, adopt only its external side. While the main thing lies, of course, inside. Just believe me, they do not talk about this left and right.
#10
I was asked to name my favorite color and then defend that choice…
I was applying to be the controller of the accounting department .
#11
“Why did you have a career break for 2 year?”
“….covid”.
#12
Talked about details of a previous job. just some computer stuff. it involved some lasers
interviewer: "so... you do, like... illegal stuff? like mafia?"
yeah, that's me, dr. f****n' evil, walkin in to an interview talking about how i commit crimes
man she was dumb.
Returning to the "immortal classics" of questions with attempts to look into the future, convince the employer to hire you, or, conversely, make you admit your biggest weakness yourself - now, it seems, no one takes any of this seriously.
"While gauging a candidate’s long-term aspirations is helpful, this question assumes that life unfolds predictably. In reality, career paths twist, turn, and sometimes loop-de-loop unexpectedly," this dedicated article on Ere.net reasonably claims. “And really, how would you assess the response to this question? Is there a ‘right’ answer?”
#13
The silliest question I ever got was whether I wanted to apply for the job.
For context, I was in a beer distributor buying beer, wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt. Owner mentions he has a job opening and asks if I want to apply. Needing a job at the time I said sure. So he sits me right down for an interview only to tell me “sorry I just don’t like the way you’re dressed.” Bro, then don’t ask me to apply!
#15
"How do you work with difficult coworkers? The department is all women and you know how women can be.".
On the other hand, it all depends entirely on the employer and their status in the professional world. After all, if a huge corporation with a reputation for genius geeks on the verge of insanity asks you weird questions, how should we perceive it? Most likely, we’ll think that this is just another manifestation of ‘dark genius.’
"I’d ask you this… If Google asked any of these 4 questions in an interview, would you be criticizing them for asking dumb questions? Or would it occur to you that it’s just one reason they’re so successful?" Vertical Elevation podcast host Carol Schultz wonders quite sarcastically. So, in any case, every coin has two sides, and every interview question probably has too.
#16
"If you needed to eat an elephant, how would you go about it?"
I guess this question could assess problem-solving skills or your approach to seemingly insurmountable tasks, but I could think of better questions for that.
I ended up quoting that one Shel Silverstein poem about the girl who wanted to eat a whale, and how she ate it one bite at a time. They seemed to like that answer.
#17
"What's your superpower?"
This was one of only two questions in the interview.
#18
Cut me off mid-ask about my education to ask if I knew how to use one of “these”.
*proceeds to slide a tape measure across the desk*.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 days ago (edited)
Can I read the manual first? Should I apply for an operating licence?
Be that as it may, I sincerely believe that you will find it rather interesting to read the stories from this collection. And perhaps in one of them, you could remember an incident that once happened to you during an interview somewhere. So please feel free to read the list to the very end - and maybe share your own interview tales in the comments below.
#19
Where I live, if I had a boyfriend and what my father does for a living.
Glen Ellyn 5 days ago
"I live right here in town. No, and no girlfriend, either. Not much - he's dead." 🤦🏻♀️
#20
I was applying to BK and was asked to draw a picture.
I didn't get the job because my picture wasn't colorful enough and didnt fill the entire page.
#21
What my high school gpa was. I was in my late 30s at the time. I honestly didn't remember.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 days ago (edited)
I get how school grades can matter when you first enter the job market, but after a few years/ decades, they are hardly relevant.
#22
By the interviewee: Are you the kind of boss who’s gonna want me to kiss your a*s?
#23
"If I asked your friend what you were like in highschool, what would they say?"
I ended the interview right after that.
Michael Largey 5 days ago (edited)
"If I had had any friends in high school, one of them would have already found me a better job than this."
#24
"What is your biggest accomplishment?"
I was applying to work the floor at a Nike outlet store, and I was a junior in high school.
#25
"If you were a brick, what brick would you be?"
I've also been asked "if you were a tree, what tree would you be?"
I've been told it's a tactic just to see how you react, not a question needing a correct answer. Imo that does nothing to show if a candidate will be able to perform a job well, its just a stupid power trip thing for dumb people who dont want to actually interview well.
#26
How do you see yourself in 5 years
Hands down the most childish question that RRHH does.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 5 days ago
Serving the benevolent alien overlords that have taken over this planet.
#27
“Do you feel your appearance is suitable for public-facing work?”
I was so nonplussed that all I could say was “I’ve never had any complaints.”
And then I got the job.
#28
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I was being interviewed by the owner of the company. I told him sitting on the beach in Mexico drinking a beer.
#29
I had this one in an interview for a job I didn't get, which I felt once I heard it, I wasn't getting the job.
"What would be a good reason NOT to hire you for this position?" My reply was "A pre-approved or better candidate "
In my mind, I had a ton of snarky replies but opted for the neutral reply.
#30
"You're at a business lunch. You ordered your steak rare, but it comes out well done. What do you do?"
I said send it back because a rare steak won't take that long. Did not get the job.
Michael Largey 5 days ago
At first I wondered what "rare" and "well done" might have to do with gauging an employee. Then I remembered how rare it was for "well done" to appear in my job evaluations.
What do you think ?
Apatheist Account2 5 days ago
Spill the BEANS! Not the tea. Please, take it from me, I'm English. The phrase that means to reveal something secret is spill the beans, not the tea.
megabeth 4 days ago
It's an American thing as far as I know. We have been known to do disparaging things to tea.
Load More Replies...
Bill Swallow 4 days ago
To be honest, I'm getting a kick out of these, because I've been unemployed for just a bit longer than nine months now (I'm a Windows Server Administrator), and things have been starting to look just a bit dire. *Today*, I had an online interview for a decent job in my field, less money than I had been making, but it looked like a good fit, it was a shorter commute than my last position, and it would certainly keep the wolf from the door. Interview was 12:30 to 1:00. No bizarre questions, just things like working solo vs. part of a team (I've done both), how I would convince someone that I was right and they were wrong (I said, 'Have to read the room and pick an approach that will work with that person. Sometimes hit them with provable facts, sometimes with 'what are the consequences if I'm right vs. if I'm wrong'). Stuff like that. Around 5:30 pm today the recruiter called and told me they were sending me an offer letter.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
Interviews give you a chance to sell yourself, and they might be a good predictor of job success if you are going into sales. Otherwise, they are not very useful. I have conducted a lot of interviews and always feel a little sleazy afterwards.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
PS - Here is an article about interviews that I liked: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/202009/poor-predictors-job-interviews-are-useless-and-unfair?msockid=1bf6d026a35260e81233c48ea2a36129
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 5 days ago
Spill the BEANS! Not the tea. Please, take it from me, I'm English. The phrase that means to reveal something secret is spill the beans, not the tea.
megabeth 4 days ago
It's an American thing as far as I know. We have been known to do disparaging things to tea.
Load More Replies... Bill Swallow 4 days ago
To be honest, I'm getting a kick out of these, because I've been unemployed for just a bit longer than nine months now (I'm a Windows Server Administrator), and things have been starting to look just a bit dire. *Today*, I had an online interview for a decent job in my field, less money than I had been making, but it looked like a good fit, it was a shorter commute than my last position, and it would certainly keep the wolf from the door. Interview was 12:30 to 1:00. No bizarre questions, just things like working solo vs. part of a team (I've done both), how I would convince someone that I was right and they were wrong (I said, 'Have to read the room and pick an approach that will work with that person. Sometimes hit them with provable facts, sometimes with 'what are the consequences if I'm right vs. if I'm wrong'). Stuff like that. Around 5:30 pm today the recruiter called and told me they were sending me an offer letter.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
Interviews give you a chance to sell yourself, and they might be a good predictor of job success if you are going into sales. Otherwise, they are not very useful. I have conducted a lot of interviews and always feel a little sleazy afterwards.
Karl der Große 5 days ago
PS - Here is an article about interviews that I liked: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/202009/poor-predictors-job-interviews-are-useless-and-unfair?msockid=1bf6d026a35260e81233c48ea2a36129
Load More Replies... You May Like “What’s The Biggest Red Flag You’ve Ever Seen In A Job Interview?” (36 Examples) Job Interviews Took A Wild Turn When These 50 Candidates Got Hit With The Most Absurd Questions
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