who can recall crazy interview questions and the answers they gave and why? @what sort of vegetable are would you be?"…“using the bottstrapping method, can you calculate…?”…
In one of my first interviews during college the question was, “What is your ideal job?” I said, to be a deep sea fisherman in the Florida Keys. I expanded further by saying I love fishing, and after a Florida vacation to the keys, I could not think of a better ‘job’.
KJH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > In one of my first interviews during college the > question was, “What is your ideal job?” > > I said, to be a deep sea fisherman in the Florida > Keys. I expanded further by saying I love > fishing, and after a Florida vacation to the keys, > I could not think of a better ‘job’. did you get the job?
I did get called back for a second interview. No offer though. But yeah, that was real naive. I was honest though, taking tourists through the ocean fishing for a living, not bad. At that time I struggled with the interview ‘dance’.
That would be awesome. My dad’s best friends son, was on teh discovery channel for that shark tournament or whatever the show was. Yeah he spends most of his time on his 60’+ boat fishing…what a life.
Is saying this to an HR person at an interview the wrong answer? I mean, it is my dream job, should I lie and say, “Ms. HR, my dream job is to work for you!”
“In one of my first interviews during college the question was, “What is your ideal job?” I said, to be a deep sea fisherman in the Florida Keys.” That’s funny. In college, I interviewed for a job with a reinsurance company. During the interview, I realized that the job sucked and I wanted no part of it. At the time, I was too young to realize I could just walk out. Eventually, they asked me, “What’s your dream job?” After a long moment of hesitation, I blurted out, “NFL Quarterback.” The strange part is that they called me back for a second interview.
Just outta college I went to some shady broker/dealer, the questions: What’s your favorite beer? What are your thoughts on drug use? Jeez, I could tell what type of place it was but at the same time you don’t want to say you endorse drug use. Man that was a ridiculous question. I answered, beer at the time was Pete’s Wicked Ale. Drug use, I don’t care for it, but if it doesn’t affect your work and you do it on your own time fine. No call back, thankfully.
Remember that an interview is a two-way street. If someone asks you wacky interview questions because they are so incompetent that they can’t conduct a decent interview, would you really want to work for them. If someone asks you a question like “what’s your favorite beer?” at an interview, the question is mildly illegal (as it implies that they need to get a drinker in the job). You should look at them quizzically and ask why that matters. I would absolutely answer “professional basketball player” to the ideal job question (NFL quarterback is good, but retirement is much rougher for them after being smacked around by the strongest guys on earth for their careers).
I remember interviewing for one job where I pretty much knew that they already had a candidate for the position, but were just going though the motions. When the head guy (it was panel interview) asked where I saw myself in 3 or 5 years, I basically replied that in 1 year (given that I am hired) I would take over the guy’s job and fire half of the department. There was a silence for about a minute. I was chuckling on the inside. Of course there was no follow-up, but somehow I felt good.
highparkcfa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I remember interviewing for one job where I pretty > much knew that they already had a candidate for > the position, but were just going though the > motions. When the head guy (it was panel > interview) asked where I saw myself in 3 or 5 > years, I basically replied that in 1 year (given > that I am hired) I would take over the guy’s job > and fire half of the department. There was a > silence for about a minute. I was chuckling on the > inside. Of course there was no follow-up, but > somehow I felt good. I laughed.
What is a ‘good’ answer for, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”
Working for you, except that you’ve been massively promoted and I have your boss’ job. 
How about, “Working for you, except that you’ve been massively promoted and I have your boss’ job.”
It just seems like a loaded question. Is it a test of goals and ambitions? Is it a test of where this career path leads? If your answer differs from where the company career path leads, does that result in the ax?
hmmm, i have got an interview lined up and i am dead scared they are going to ask a question that requires a a highyl detalied in-your-head calculation. i am flying across 10 ten time zones for the interview, i dont think ill be at my best.
KJH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What is a ‘good’ answer for, “Where do you see > yourself in 5 years?” I think that’s a pretty good interview question in lots of circumstances. You know how many people get bagged on this question in finance when they answer “I want to move into a front office job like being a PM”? From the other side of the table, this is very annoying - I’m not trying to hire someone who wants to prepare for a different career?! You need to answer this question by saying something like “I hope to find myself in a place where I feel productive, valued, rewarded, and involved in my job. Professional and career development are really important to me. Would this job give me opportunities for professional development and do you think those goals would be realistic in this job?”
A friend of mine was asked by a panel of interviewers (of whom one was my manager at the time): “How would your most recent co workers describe you in three words?” Well at his branch and current position he always flirted with this girl and for some reason he recalled this and said it out loud while counting the three words on his thump, index and middle finger finger one at a time: “Very, good, looking” Apparently there was a moment of awkward silence and then one of the three panel interviewers smiled and broke ice and laughed…LOL I know this to be true as my manager was on the panel and confirmed the story.
KJH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What is a ‘good’ answer for, “Where do you see > yourself in 5 years?” RETIRED…LOL
If you ever watch political commentators on the cable news you see that often they don’t answer the question and just start talking about god knows what. I believe its called spin. You got to develop spin to bs loaded questions.