monster interview questions

You Were Asked What?!

by Anne Middleton, on February 20th, 2015

Job hunting is rarely entertaining or stress-free whether it is your first position, or trying to move up the corporate ladder or attempting to fulfill your business passion.  Wacky hiring managers can throw you for a loop with their zany interview questions. When queried with these quirky solicitations for information, don’t let it throw you off your game. It should be foremost in your mind not to burst out in hysterics if an eccentric subject is brought up.

No matter how bizarre the request for a response, your retort should remain polite and appropriate. This is easier said than done.

Monster.com provides a constructive inventory of potential questions you frequently encounter during a job interrogation.  Monster.com provides material to assist you in presenting an intelligent face during the interview.  But there are unimaginable and simply weird topics you may hear during the hiring process.

These following hiring inquires listed below have actually been posed to candidates.  You may want to ponder them and formulate answer to these inexplicable questions in the rare chance you are confronted with them.

Seriously? You want to know what?

1. "If you could throw a parade of any caliber through our office, what type of parade would it be?"
The first thought that may register in your brain is, “cool, this place likes to party.”  Not so fast, my friend. Your answer speaks volumes about your work ethic.  If you respond that you would propose a Mardi Gras event, your potential boss may infer that you enjoy people throwing beads and revealing body parts. 

Best to stick with a safer response such as “I would throw an Employee Recognition Parade to honor my colleagues’ exceptional contributions to the organization.”

2. "If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?"  This is a Barbara Walters type of investigative inquiry. (Walters is famous for this goofy reporter question, while talking with Katharine Hepburn in 1981).  But back to the cereal. 

If you say “Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes” it may project that you are too sugary and sweet and not an effective supervisor. Answering with “Granola Cereal Mix “ leads your prospective employer to deduce you are a “hippie” and have a very laid-back work ethic.

It is probably best to stick with a tried and true favorite like Corn Flakes.  It may seem bland, but unless the company has a funky culture that favors Lucky Charms Leprechauns, the neutrality of Corn Flakes will help land you the position.

3.  "If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you and why?" You may be tempted to immediately identify Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts as your doppelgangers. Instead, prepare more realistic and compelling feedback. Consider less known actors who have strong values and ethics.  In other words, citing Lyndsay Lohan is a poor choice.

4. "What was the last gift you gave someone?" Reacting to this query carelessly will cause a glitch in your attempt to secure the job.  If you mention an expensive trinket that you purchased for your girlfriend, then the interviewer will wonder why you need this salaried career.  If you provide a retort saying, “I gave my roommate a shovel so he would clear the snow from our front yard,” the hiring manager may conclude you are lazy.

Consider a reply that includes something “from the heart” that required time, effort and kindheartedness without getting too sentimental.

5. Finally, a human resource associate once probed a likely hire by asking, “Describe to me the process and benefits of wearing a seatbelt.” Wackadoodle is all we can say.  Could this senior executive truly be naïve about the necessity of seat belts?

At this point in the hiring process, we would either presume this individual had recently caused a nasty car accident or he/she is simply bored.  If he/she is representative of the personalities at this establishment, grab your resume, ditch the meeting and run.

The fact is you can never predict what will come your way during an interview.  Be prepared, be cognizant and be ready for anything and everything.