Hardest interview question you've ever been hit with?

[RKS]

In an interview for a boutique law-firm with about 10 associates I was asked a typical question with a twist:

In 5 years do you want to be known as the rain-maker (bringing in clients) or a respository of knowledge that everyone comes to for answers?

I was told that I couldn't pick any whussy combination. It was one or the other. I must have chose wrong (rain-maker). I got a letter that they were looking for someone with more direct experience. :roll:

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Auggie
My friend went to a med school interview in San Antonio and was asked point blank if he'd perform abortions or not.

FFS, how do you answer THAT?

What's so hard to answer about that? They're basically asking whether or not your personal beliefs will conflict with what is required of the job.

 

[Dacalo]

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: HotChic
Aside from technical questions, which are more or less hard based on your knowledge, what are the hardest/worst/most unexpected interview question you've ever been asked.

Mine: "If we decided not to give you this job, what would the reason be?"

this is not a tough question, it's basically asking you for your weaknesses. you name some bs thing and talk about how and what you are doing to overcome this weakness.

I think they are actually measuring how confident the interviewee is.

 

[JS80]

"someone else was cheaper" and/or "i wouldn't fit into the culture"

 

[montypythizzle]

"and what is your name"?

 

[Nerva]

Originally posted by: Dacalo

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: HotChic
Aside from technical questions, which are more or less hard based on your knowledge, what are the hardest/worst/most unexpected interview question you've ever been asked.

Mine: "If we decided not to give you this job, what would the reason be?"

this is not a tough question, it's basically asking you for your weaknesses. you name some bs thing and talk about how and what you are doing to overcome this weakness.

I think they are actually measuring how confident the interviewee is.

i am pretty sure it's harping on weakness, i have gone through this type of question many many times. has nothing to do with confidence.

 

[Zenmervolt]

"So, with your degree in Finance and a year of experience with a major investment firm, why are you applying for a job in HR with a wireless telecom provider?"

Granted, that was in the exit interview I had at the financial firm, but still. How do you tell someone, politely, that their industry sucks the life out of people and leaves them empty shells? 😛

ZV

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: Auggie
My friend went to a med school interview in San Antonio and was asked point blank if he'd perform abortions or not.

FFS, how do you answer THAT?

What's so hard to answer about that? They're basically asking whether or not your personal beliefs will conflict with what is required of the job.

Doctors can choose many different areas of medicine, and most would never require them to perform an abortion. There is nothing wrong with a doctor who chooses not to perform abortions. It sounds more like the interviewer was letting their personal beliefs interfere with their job.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: RKS
In an interview for a boutique law-firm with about 10 associates I was asked a typical question with a twist:

In 5 years do you want to be known as the rain-maker (bringing in clients) or a respository of knowledge that everyone comes to for answers?

I was told that I couldn't pick any whussy combination. It was one or the other. I must have chose wrong (rain-maker). I got a letter that they were looking for someone with more direct experience. :roll:

I think either answer could be right as long as you back it up. Either one would be a valuable asset to the firm.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: Dacalo

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: HotChic
Aside from technical questions, which are more or less hard based on your knowledge, what are the hardest/worst/most unexpected interview question you've ever been asked.

Mine: "If we decided not to give you this job, what would the reason be?"

this is not a tough question, it's basically asking you for your weaknesses. you name some bs thing and talk about how and what you are doing to overcome this weakness.

I think they are actually measuring how confident the interviewee is.

i am pretty sure it's harping on weakness, i have gone through this type of question many many times. has nothing to do with confidence.

Agreed. I know this interviewer now, and he's not a trickster. He honestly wants to know what your biggest problem would be in the job and then he wants to make a determination about whether it's too big to merit hiring you.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
"Your cousin has grown into a hottie and is hitting on you. What do you do?"

LOL

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: RKS
In an interview for a boutique law-firm with about 10 associates I was asked a typical question with a twist:

In 5 years do you want to be known as the rain-maker (bringing in clients) or a respository of knowledge that everyone comes to for answers?

I was told that I couldn't pick any whussy combination. It was one or the other. I must have chose wrong (rain-maker). I got a letter that they were looking for someone with more direct experience. :roll:

I think either answer could be right as long as you back it up. Either one would be a valuable asset to the firm.

First 5 years of your law career should be focused on increasing your knowledge bank. It's up to the partners to bring in clients. After you know your stuff and put your dues in, then you can fvck around and shmooze and woo clients.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Auggie
My friend went to a med school interview in San Antonio and was asked point blank if he'd perform abortions or not.

FFS, how do you answer THAT?

You say yes.



EDIT: One of my friends who is really into jesus was for some reason trying to get in to a masters level genetics program (@ Northwestern i think?).. Anyway, one of the lines of questions in the interview was along the lines of : "do you believe in god / do you believe the earth was created in 7 days / are you for or against stem cell research / are you for or against genetic engineering". Basically she answered truthfully and got denied. It completely crushed her. It was her dream in life. Afterwards, even she said that she should have lied to get in.

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: Dacalo

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: HotChic
Aside from technical questions, which are more or less hard based on your knowledge, what are the hardest/worst/most unexpected interview question you've ever been asked.

Mine: "If we decided not to give you this job, what would the reason be?"

this is not a tough question, it's basically asking you for your weaknesses. you name some bs thing and talk about how and what you are doing to overcome this weakness.

I think they are actually measuring how confident the interviewee is.

i am pretty sure it's harping on weakness, i have gone through this type of question many many times. has nothing to do with confidence.

Actually, it is measuring your confidence. They want to see how you hold up under pressure and gauge your ability to keep your cool when backed against a wall.

Unfortunately, now that everyone uses the same "I'm a perfectionist" nonsense to answer, it's completely lost its value. There are now better tactics one can employ to put the candidate in the hot seat.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: Dacalo

Originally posted by: 3cho

Originally posted by: HotChic
Aside from technical questions, which are more or less hard based on your knowledge, what are the hardest/worst/most unexpected interview question you've ever been asked.

Mine: "If we decided not to give you this job, what would the reason be?"

this is not a tough question, it's basically asking you for your weaknesses. you name some bs thing and talk about how and what you are doing to overcome this weakness.

I think they are actually measuring how confident the interviewee is.

i am pretty sure it's harping on weakness, i have gone through this type of question many many times. has nothing to do with confidence.

Actually, it is measuring your confidence. They want to see how you hold up under pressure and gauge your ability to keep your cool when backed against a wall.

Unfortunately, now that everyone uses the same "I'm a perfectionist" nonsense to answer, it's completely lost its value. There are now better tactics one can employ to put the candidate in the hot seat.

I'm glad you're a complete expert on the internal mental workings of an interviewer you've never met. My relationship with this person wherein he's explained why he asks this question obviously counts for nothing compared to your omniscience. 😛

 

[Stuxnet]

I think the hardest question for me is the old "tell me about a time you had a conflict with a coworker and what you did to resolve it". It's difficult because no matter how you answer it, it can be interpreted negatively. If you say you ignored it, then you may not be considered a "go-getter". If you confronted the individual, then you're confrontational. If you brought it to your superior's attention, then you're a pain in the ass.

When I've been asked this, I usually point out a coworker that wasn't pulling his weight and describe how I offered to help him with his confidence and technical abilities so he'd be more inclined to pitch in. Sounds a little arrogant, but I've been offered every job that I've interviewed for, with only one exception (I was a network admin at the time, and the company brought me in to interview for a software position... going in, I was told I was interviewing for... *gasp* a network admin position).

 

[KaChow]

I've never had a hard or even interesting interview question. Usually my interview goes like this...

Interviewer: "Do you have an active top secret clearance?"

Me: "Yes"

Interviewer: "When can you start?"

 

[blackdogdeek]

ok what i'm about to tell you is completely true. it happened to one of my closest friends while he was interviewing for a Unix SysAdmin position.

he was rushed into the interview because of an opening and hadn't worked in a while so his skills were rusty. he was also assured the unix guru would NOT be in the interview. 5 minutes into the interview the guru just happened to be walking by the conf room and so he joins the interview. so now in the interview there are: my buddy, our buddy who called him into the interview, the original interviewer and the unix guru. so needless to say my friend is already quite nervous.

so the unix guru asks a seemingly innocent question:

what is your favorite shell?

my friend says:

porn

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: jbourne77
Actually, it is measuring your confidence. They want to see how you hold up under pressure and gauge your ability to keep your cool when backed against a wall.

Unfortunately, now that everyone uses the same "I'm a perfectionist" nonsense to answer, it's completely lost its value. There are now better tactics one can employ to put the candidate in the hot seat.

I'm glad you're a complete expert on the internal mental workings of an interviewer you've never met. My relationship with this person wherein he's explained why he asks this question obviously counts for nothing compared to your omniscience. 😛

I was speaking IN GENERAL, Ms. Narcissist 😛 GENERALLY SPEAKING, it is used to gauge confidence. I know this because I'm responsible for a large chunk of our technical personnel at my company and a quick Google search would confirm this.

Likewise, I had not read your response yet (which is why you weren't the one being directly quoted). MOST INTERVIEWERS want to see HOW you answer it. They - GENERALLY SPEAKING - don't give a sh*t what you actually answer with.

Is that better?

 

[Balt]

Originally posted by: Jeeebus
lol not necessarily the worst question ever, but under the circumstances, it did cause me to not get a job. In law school, interviewing for positions with a firm. Had interviewed at about 15-20 places prior to this firm, all of which in some form or another asked "why did you decide to move to DC?"

This time was a little different. It was late in the process, I was a little burned out. She asks, "So, what brought you to DC?" to which I quickly, reflexively replied "An airplane." I thought it was hilarious, but the rejection letter I got the next day seemed to disagree.

:thumbsup: :laugh:

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
ok what i'm about to tell you is completely true. it happened to one of my closest friends while he was interviewing for a Unix SysAdmin position.

he was rushed into the interview because of an opening and hadn't worked in a while so his skills were rusty. he was also assured the unix guru would NOT be in the interview. 5 minutes into the interview the guru just happened to be walking by the conf room and so he joins the interview. so now in the interview there are: my buddy, our buddy who called him into the interview, the original interviewer and the unix guru. so needless to say my friend is already quite nervous.

so the unix guru asks a seemingly innocent question:

what is your favorite shell?

my friend says:

porn

I don't get the relation between shell and porn. I'm not geeky enough? 🙁

 

[blackdogdeek]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
ok what i'm about to tell you is completely true. it happened to one of my closest friends while he was interviewing for a Unix SysAdmin position.

he was rushed into the interview because of an opening and hadn't worked in a while so his skills were rusty. he was also assured the unix guru would NOT be in the interview. 5 minutes into the interview the guru just happened to be walking by the conf room and so he joins the interview. so now in the interview there are: my buddy, our buddy who called him into the interview, the original interviewer and the unix guru. so needless to say my friend is already quite nervous.

so the unix guru asks a seemingly innocent question:

what is your favorite shell?

my friend says:

porn

I don't get the relation between shell and porn. I'm not geeky enough? 🙁

2 example shells:

korn
bourne

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: jbourne77
Actually, it is measuring your confidence. They want to see how you hold up under pressure and gauge your ability to keep your cool when backed against a wall.

Unfortunately, now that everyone uses the same "I'm a perfectionist" nonsense to answer, it's completely lost its value. There are now better tactics one can employ to put the candidate in the hot seat.

I'm glad you're a complete expert on the internal mental workings of an interviewer you've never met. My relationship with this person wherein he's explained why he asks this question obviously counts for nothing compared to your omniscience. 😛

I was speaking IN GENERAL, Ms. Narcissist 😛 GENERALLY SPEAKING, it is used to gauge confidence. I know this because I'm responsible for a large chunk of our technical personnel at my company and a quick Google search would confirm this.

Likewise, I had not read your response yet (which is why you weren't the one being directly quoted). MOST INTERVIEWERS want to see HOW you answer it. They - GENERALLY SPEAKING - don't give a sh*t what you actually answer with.

Is that better?

Much better. 😛😛 So you're in HR too? What's your title?

[edit] And what does narcissism have to do with anything?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: Auggie
My friend went to a med school interview in San Antonio and was asked point blank if he'd perform abortions or not.

FFS, how do you answer THAT?

You say yes.

What if the interviewer is adamantly anti-abortion?

 

[scorp00]

Suppose a 9x11 room were filled with quarters. Suppose those quarters were stacked on top of each other, would they be taller or shorter than the sears tower? And why?

I got this one for an entry level programmer job with 4 people sitting there wanting an answer real fast.