Hardest interview question you've ever been hit with?

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: 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.

What's the height of the room?

 

[bleeb]

That's an easy question, just be creative. =)

 

[scorp00]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: 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.

What's the height of the room?

They indicated a standard size room.

 

[cyclistca]

Originally posted by: jbourne77
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.

I'm currently looking and have run into this a few times. Since I've started my professional career I never had this problem. I've been luck enough to be on teams that have worked well together.

I usually say that I will listen to a person?s position on a matter and try to understand their point of view. I will then negotiate a solution were both party come to an agreement that is satisfactory to both of them. That way we never get to the point of confrontation.

 

[scorp00]

Oh, an even tougher one....Favorite Author? I don't read books.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: scorp00

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: 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.

What's the height of the room?

They indicated a standard size room.

Shorter than the tower because the tower is taller than the room. The question doesn't say that all the stacks of quarters are on top of each other.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: 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.

You'd need to know the height of the room. You need to know the parameters of what you're programming for.

Say a quarter is an inch wide, roughly. 9 feet at 12 stacks of quarters per foot is 108 stacks by another 12 per foot for the lenth of the room, by 11 for how many feet and then by height, lets say 8. even roughly rounding, 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 8 is probably taller then any damn building.

EDIT: damnit, yea. THey never said the stacks were then put on top of each other either. Good one HotChic.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: amish
one of my friends was asked to tell a joke during his interview. being caught off guard he told the following:

so a girl inquizitively asks her "boyfriend" what a pedophile is. he thinks about it really quick and states, 'my thats a big word for a ten year old.'

needless to say he didn't get the job.

I'd have stuck to the basics. Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: HotChic

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?

I'm not in HR, but I'm the company's software architect, so I interview developers, contractors, etc. You wouldn't want me in HR. We'd all get sued.

Don't worry about the narcissism jab... I was just implying that you assumed I was talking about you specifically. It was tic .

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: 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.

Answer: "Suck it." (grab crotch)

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: 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.

The floor would collapse. Readers Digest filled a room with pennies that they were going to use for a promotion. The floor collapsed.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: jtvang125
I noticed the majority of your posts are HR related. You must really love your job.

I just have HR on the brain. It's a sickness.

lol a touch of the brain fever

 

[eakers]

There are two I hate the most:

1. Name a time when you feel you went above and beyond the call of duty in the work place.
2. Name a time when you felt needed at work and how you acted in that situation.

 

[Pepsi90919]

"how are you?"

 

[ahurtt]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
"how are you?"

*whips it out*

 

[Glavinsolo]

If a plane is on a conveyor belt that complimented the speed of the plane in the opposite direction appearing as if the plane was stationary would the plane take off while firing its engines?

 

[Umberger]

Originally posted by: 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.

this is not an uncommon question for med school interviews. they want to see if you can think on your feet, so they ask you a tough, controversial question. it's about how you answer it, not what the answer is.

 

[oogabooga]

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.

lol, did you laugh after you said an airplane while no one else didn't? or was it just one of those you said it and you both realized the interview was over?

I was once asked (because i was being referred to the position) to compare myself and the person referring me, and to pick which would be a bigger asset in the long run to the company.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: oogabooga

I was once asked (because i was being referred to the position) to compare myself and the person referring me, and to pick which would be a bigger asset in the long run to the company.

Now that's just twisted.

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: NathanBWF
"Do you like me?"

Yes - [ ]
No - [ ]
Maybe - [ ]

That actually did get a chuckle out of me

 

[Unmoosical]

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.

If that was the reason you weren't hired, you're better off.

 

[amol]

Originally posted by: Zolty

Originally posted by: Glavinsolo
What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

African or european?

I ... I don't know!

 

[Special K]

I've never had an interview question that wasn't a standard cookie-cutter behavioral question like "describe a time when you were working on a team and one member wasn't pulling their weight".

The vast majority of my interviews center on hardcore technical problems.

 

[KPACOTKA]

Fold newspaper 16 times.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Originally posted by: Special K
The vast majority of my interviews center on hardcore technical problems.

What field?