Odd questions you might get asked during a job interview

Imagine you’re attending an interview. You probably expected questions concerning your professional experience, greatest successes or salary. Instead, you are being asked about the number of cattle in Canada, the size of the Trojan horse or the geographical distribution of the hooded seal. You don’t have any idea how to reply? Don’t worry, most candidates for this role don’t either. Check out the weirdest job interview questions.

– Typically, the purpose of odd questions is not to check knowledge. They are usually a way to get to know the candidate, how they deal with stressful situations, whether they get overwhelmed by their emotions or remain creative and communicative. Don’t be afraid of this type of questions, keep calm and try to answer them in a matter-of-fact manner – says Marta Kamińska from Solutions.Rent.

What would you do if…

The purpose of open-ended questions, to which there is no single correct answer, is to test your creativity. If the recruiter asks what you would do if cats could fly, in the event of a global blackout or if you had to sell hot chocolate in hot Florida, keep calm. Your answer will be accepted, no matter what you come up with. The purpose of these questions is simply to convince the recruiter that you are creative and have a fertile imagination. Do not let anything throw you off balance.

Who and how many…

Questions that begin with “who” or “how many” are usually the most problematic. After all, it is not easy to instantaneously come up with how many basketball players would fit into a room, how many head of cattle are there in Canada or how many quarter dollar coins one would have to stack to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower. Keep calm. Say that you could calculate this from a proportion, but you need some additional data. Under no circumstances should you answer “I don’t know.”

See also: Labor market trends 2021

It might seem that questions which begin with “who”, e.g. who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman, are easier. Just remember that you have to justify every answer. So before you say anything, think of several arguments to support your thesis.

What would you prefer?

Contrary to what you might think, this is not a question whether you prefer to work independently or in a team. This is rather on the lines of whether you would prefer to fight one horse-sized duck or ten duck-sized horses. Such questions are usually complicated and it might take a while to fully understand them. Keep calm and ask the recruiter for a bit of patience. When answering, consider your strengths and prove that your opinion stems from an analysis.

How…

How would you describe the color yellow to a blind person, how would you explain to a child what a database is, how would you end world hunger? Job interviews may also include this sort of questions, especially at big corporations. It is important to provide a reasonable answer. Do not blurt out the first ideas that pop into your brain but compose an answer that you believe would have the best effects.

Do not let yourself be misled

Job interview questions can be tricky. If the answer you have provided is not the right one, try to recover from your stumble. How? Imagine that a recruiter is describing the following situation: beside a bathtub filled with water, there is a bucket, a cup and a wine glass. What is the quickest way to empty the bathtub? Most people choose the bucket, but the correct answer is… “pull out the stopper.” However, it is difficult to keep a clear mind in a stressful situation. It is important to make your answer work to your advantage. For example, you could say you didn’t want to waste water and by scooping it up with a bucket, you would be able to water the wilting plants in the house.

Read also: Full-time job or own business – what to choose?

Keep it reasonable

You do not have to answer all the questions the recruiter asks you. If an HR employee asks you to sing the best song you have heard recently, contrary to what you may think, their intention is not to test your vocal skills. Instead, they intend to check whether you are assertive and able to refuse to do something. Questions about your private life, for example whether you are planning to get married or have children, should be excluded from job interviews. If the recruiter asks any such questions, ask whether it is related to the role you are applying for.

Keep calm, show good manners and try to answer every question the recruiter asks according to your own beliefs. The person across the table is just doing their job. They definitely don’t want to be mean to you. So don’t give up and when you encounter one of these odd questions during your job interview, just answer it.

Are you looking for a conference room to conduct job interviews? Click here and check out Solutions.Rent offices.