What's the worst question you ever got asked in an interview?

smiler26

Had a funny one recently, so I figured I'd share.

I was asked to explain how I 'see differences in things that are similar, and similarities in things that are different'.... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry!:eek:

cronos

What type of job were you going for.

smiler26

project management type thingie

farva

A mate of mine was going for an internship in a well known investment bank and one of the first things the interviewer said was "tell me a joke"!

For me it was either tough probability questions, like "derive bayes theorem from 1st principles" or else a brain teaser like "when its 3:15 how many degrees are between the small hand and the big hand?"

D-Generate

farva wrote: »

A mate of mine was going for an internship in a well known investment bank and one of the first things the interviewer said was "tell me a joke"!

For me it was either tough probability questions, like "derive bayes theorem from 1st principles" or else a brain teaser like "when its 3:15 how many degrees are between the small hand and the big hand?"

Its 7.5 degrees is it?

estebancambias

Not so much asked something funny but, in an interview the interviewer asked ''Would you like working here''(I think thats what she said)....My reply 'well actually I was hoping to get a job in (video store) but I don't think thats going to come up''

Needless to say I didn't get the job.

Sam Vimes

D-Generate wrote: »

Its 7.5 degrees is it?

that's what i got anyway. the big hand is at 90 degrees and the little one is 1/4 of the way between 90 and 120

FunkyChicken

I guess I'm dumb but arent they both on the same place?

pow wow

'Do you not think you'd be more suited in a job with other foreigners?'

Irish living in England at the time lol

feylya

3 and 15 are the same positions on a clock so it'd be 0 degrees...

Weirdest questions I've been asked have been about music and mixing desks. These were for IT jobs in two different companies...

--amadeus--

Going for my first "proper" job (in Sales) and the interviewer said that we would do a role play. I had to pretend I worked in a bookshop and he had just walked in. All fairly normal.

Except he said that he wanted me to do the roleplay while standing on a chair in a corner!

I got the job and afterwards I found out that they did weird stuff like that to put people under pressure and into uncomfortable situations and see how they react.

Beano

feylya wrote: »

3 and 15 are the same positions on a clock so it'd be 0 degrees...

Weirdest questions I've been asked have been about music and mixing desks. These were for IT jobs in two different companies...

when it is 3.15 the hour hand isnt pointing directly at 3 it is pointing at a position that is a quarter of the distance between 3 and 4. So there is a 7.5 degree difference as earlier posters have said.

fletch

Doesn't it depend on the clock?

farva

D-Generate wrote: »

Its 7.5 degrees is it?

Yeh, its 7.5 degrees and it doesnt depend on the clock as if its a bigger clock the "ratio" of the hands is still the same.

Some other good ones that I've heard are;

"How many golf balls would fit in a 747?"

"How deep is the Thames?"

"How many ties are sold in the UK every year?"

Saint_Mel

fletch wrote: »

Doesn't it depend on the clock?

Yep, trick question ... it was a digital clock

board om

i dont think this was that odd a question but once at the beginning of an interview i was asked would i like a cup of tea or coffee. i know i usually get asked this in interviews and i politely refuse. but this one time it was quite a relaxed enviorment so i said "yes please, i will have a coffee". i was just met with a blank stare by the interviewer and then she pointed at the cups and coffee pot and said there it is, work away.
interview terminated. it was downhill from there and really just developed into a casual chat where it was pretty obvious i wouldnt be getting the job.

lesson learned, never say yes to the tea or coffee question.

feylya

Beano wrote: »

when it is 3.15 the hour hand isnt pointing directly at 3 it is pointing at a position that is a quarter of the distance between 3 and 4. So there is a 7.5 degree difference as earlier posters have said.

Doh, now I look foolish

ntlbell

I cant recall ever been asked something intelligent so I'll say all of them

She Devil

Do you have any questions for us?!
I always say no cos they cover everything ... and they stare me out of it like ive just killed someone!
Thanks for clearing up the tea/coffee question i always wondered about that also!

board om

yeah, when tea / coffee is offered now its always a "no, but thanks anyway". that was nearly 10 years ago and it still rings in my ears. i have never had an interview fall so flat so quickly. it was like the mother of all conversation stoppers.

Attol

If you were a kitchen appliance what would you be?
Name 3 PS2 games beginning with P.

For Gamestation in the UK. I got the job despite the bizarre questions.

andrewh5

Where do you see yourself in x years time? Totally pointless.

toiletduck

For a Graduate Electronic eng position,

"If you were on a desert island, name three albums you'd bring with you" I forget what I said but they seemingly weren't pleased "Well they're all kinda old, pick a modern one"

Nolanger

Got asked was I on medication at an interview a few years ago. It was supposed to be for AIB but the receptionist in the hotel (where the interview was being held) said that the interviewers were all Garda! Never received the interview results either so it must have been true.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

board om

The Scientist wrote: »

Kind of off topic but last year i went for an interview with a programming Company heavily affiliated with Microsoft. I had'nt realised at the time that the job was a programming one, as i took the job title to mean something totally different.
10 mins in I get handed a blank piece of paper and i'm told i have 10 mins to write out 'A do while loop public class B backward flip' thing.
Off they went, que me scanning the room for exits...
10 mins passed and they both came back in only to be handed a A4 page of panicked doodles.
No i didnt get the job.

i have to ask, what was the actual job title and what did you think the job title was?

and secondly, did they not have your CV beofrehand and know that you werent a programmer?

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Sangre

Having gone to a rugby school I was asked by someone 'do you think all kids should play rugby?'. Also the usual, questions on whats on in the local news but they were easy enough to perdict so you could rattle off an answer.

board om

The Scientist wrote: »

I really cant think of the title as i was applying for everything in a panicked frenzy at that time (desperate for work). It was a 'trainee developer' or something to that effect. I was like, trainee, ah sure thats grand, they'll train me!

I have an Mbs in E-Commerce so i presume they thought it was a course that was programming intense. Its not.

thats pretty funny alright. i would say you would have settled for a window to escape thorugh if there hadnt been any exit doors. the fact that there were 2 interviewers must made it that bit worse.

HashSlinging

Them: Whens the last time you laughed.

Me : HAHAHAHAHA .... just there

nesf

farva wrote: »

For me it was either tough probability questions, like "derive bayes theorem from 1st principles"

That's not a tough probability question....

bobzi

In an interview for an IT consultany role I was asked 'how would you feel about being sent to Iraq?'

timetogetfit

Where do you see yourself in x years time? Totally pointless.

No its not, if your a goal oriented person.Its a totally legitimate question because companies like to see you have ambition

timetogetfit

I was asked to explain how I 'see differences in things that are similar, and similarities in things that are different'.... I didn't know whether to laugh or cry

You could have used people as an answer they are both different and similar in many different aspects

Different sexes
different races
different religions
different personalities
different professions

but at the same time all people are similar in that they

have to breath
have to eat
have to drink
have to make a living

Sangre

Actually now that I remember it I had a really weird interview with one firm. It was the final round interview and it was down to about 15 or so candidates. I was being interviewed by the outgoing and incoming managing partner (slightly intimidating when you're a wee nipper).

The first thing the MD said to me as I sat down (after a brief shake and hello) was 'I see you support Leinster, why would you do that?'. He then proceed to deride me about this for about 2 minutes. As he was a Munster man I took great pleasure in pointing out who had won the last time we played (that did not go down well!).
The rest of the interview was equally weird, he was asking me about a post grad in Trinity and how it differed to my degree in UCD. I tried to explain its hard to compare undergrad v postgrad and that Trinity was probably more academic because of it. He started making comments like 'so they're all geeks in trinity etc.,'
I think the final odd thing was he started commenting on a poker event I organised for charity. Ignored the organisational/charity part and started saying 'i hope you don't play poker', ' how could you do that' etc.,

I found it bizarre from start to finish. It only last about 10 minutes as well. Thankfully I'd gotten my ideal offer the night before so only went to this for more interview experience. I just sat up straight, smiled and tried to joke when I thought he was trying to put me under pressure. You'd think what he said was a joke but he never once cracked a smile or indicated he was joking. Certainly not a place I'd want to work for!

Lockstep

I know it's necessary but I love being asked have I been convicted of any crimes etc.


"Yes, I was convicted of aggravted rape and murder on 5 year ols, say will this affect my chances of this job as a babysitter?

LouOB

If you had 10k what would you do with it?

me ; roll around naked in it
didnt get job

board om

kickoutthejams wrote: »

I know it's necessary but I love being asked have I been convicted of any crimes etc.


"Yes, I was convicted of aggravted rape and murder on 5 year ols, say will this affect my chances of this job as a babysitter?

hey, if you were being interviewed for a job in Australia and they asked "do you have a criminal record?" you could reply "no sorry, i didnt know you still needed one to come here"

confusedbaby

do you sit in a seperate class?(as you are not irish?)

WetDaddy

board om wrote: »

yeah, when tea / coffee is offered now its always a "no, but thanks anyway". that was nearly 10 years ago and it still rings in my ears. i have never had an interview fall so flat so quickly. it was like the mother of all conversation stoppers.

This really aggravates me. Why on earth would they ask you in the first place? Complete waste of time, if you ask me. I wouldn't want to work for someone who "plays" that kind of crap. But then again, I'm a techie so I expect things to be logical

cronos

timetogetfit wrote: »

You could have used people as an answer they are both different and similar in many different aspects

Different sexes
different races
different religions
different personalities
different professions

but at the same time all people are similar in that they

have to breath
have to eat
have to drink
have to make a living

I think I would talk about polymorphisim if it was something to do with I.T.

board om

Folex wrote: »

This really aggravates me. Why on earth would they ask you in the first place? Complete waste of time, if you ask me. I wouldn't want to work for someone who "plays" that kind of crap. But then again, I'm a techie so I expect things to be logical

i really dont know. for years anyone i told about it always tried to analyze it by saying stuff like "if you accept the tea / coffee you are a taker and companies wants givers not takers", or "coffee drinkers might be more alert and more aware" and stupid things like that. (really, the BS reasons i heard for it you wouldnt belive).

but after moving up the ranks throughout the years and being in positions where i have hired people and conduct many interviews, i can now safely say that frankly i have no fcuking idea what the sense is behind it. it completely baffles me.

but to this day, if i meet some young, naive person on their way to an interview and they are nervous, the advise i give them is always the same,

"when offered tea or coffee, just say no"

WetDaddy

board om wrote: »

i really dont know. for years anyone i told about it always tried to analyze it by saying stuff like "if you accept the tea / coffee you are a taker and companies wants givers not takers", or "coffee drinkers might be more alert and more aware" and stupid things like that. (really, the BS reasons i heard for it you wouldnt belive).

but after moving up the ranks throughout the years and being in positions where i have hired people and conduct many interviews, i can now safely say that frankly i have no fcuking idea what the sense is behind it. it completely baffles me.

but to this day, if i meet some young, naive person on their way to an interview and they are nervous, the advise i give them is always the same,

"when offered tea or coffee, just say no"

Definitely.

And as for a company wanting "givers, not takers": Since when is accepting an offer of a beverage considered "taking"? If that anyone ever gives me that sagely advice, I'm going to tell them "OK! IN THAT CASE, I'LL BRING MY *OWN* COFFEE AND TEA WITH ME! THAT WAY, WHEN THEY OFFER, I'LL POLITELY REFUSE AND THEN FORCE MY OWN DRINKS UPON THEM! JUST LIKE A *REAL* GIVER! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

board om

Folex wrote: »

Definitely.

And as for a company wanting "givers, not takers": Since when is accepting an offer of a beverage considered "taking"? If that anyone ever gives me that sagely advice, I'm going to tell them "OK! IN THAT CASE, I'LL BRING MY *OWN* COFFEE AND TEA WITH ME! THAT WAY, WHEN THEY OFFER, I'LL POLITELY REFUSE AND THEN FORCE MY OWN DRINKS UPON THEM! JUST LIKE A *REAL* GIVER! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

lol, i think you just found a new type of reverse phycology.

in fact the next time you go for an intevriew, before they have a chance to say anything, whip out your flask and say to the interviewer "would you like tea or coffee"? that will completly throw them off.

and if you want to add to the confusion you can follow it up with "so what is your weakness?" and "where do you see yourself in 5 years time?". i can just imagine smoke coming out of the HR persons ears and them repeatedly saying "does not compute", followed by head exploding.

Serpentine

andrewh5 wrote: »

Where do you see yourself in x years time? Totally pointless.

:mad: this one irritates me so much! I also HATE those hypothetical "what would you do IF..." questions! Maybe its just me but I generally think on my feet & find answering questions about made up scenarios totally useless! No matter what way you dress up your response actions speak louder anyway

By the way, my weirdest/most inappropriate interview question was "so did you go on a massive drink and drugs binge during college?" Seriously!