What questions were you asked during a job interview?

It was so long ago @erichw1504 that I’ve no idea.

The only advise I can give anyone on a job interview is to be yourself….don’t try to fake anything. And, above all, be totally honest.

I feel that being yourself at times is the worst thing to do with a job that you really want… Sometimes when people see that you really want it they dont give it to you… Sad but True
Another thing please dont tell me what you really are like, sometimes they are not there to listen to your life story.. I feel that people have to focus on the job at hand, not what you like or dislike… What do you think, if you really approach and interview and stated that you hated your previous job that they are really going to consider you??? One good thing is being positive and making sure that all your skills are mentioned, but one thing is being to over skilled for the job (something that I have been dealing with lately) so too much information is not a good thing..

“Sir, this is for the position of ladies lingerie model. Are you sure you haven’t made a terrible mistake!?!?!”

What was I thinking? :¬)

I remember once reaching the interview stage for a part-time job as a warehouse assistant and one of the questions they asked me was, “What is your most significant experience with stock transfer?”. Now I mean no offence to those who have genuinely experienced a life changing event upon moving something from one area to another, but for me personally it’s always been a rather mundane task. My answer was something relating to how I enjoyed doing something positive for customers while not necessarily having to be acknowledged for it. I didn’t get the job. Clearly there was someone else who had an undeniably passionate love of boxes.

“If you had an irate customer demanding to speak to the director, what would you do?” (Asked at my last job interview last week.)
My answer was that I would talk calmly to the person, get their phone number for the director to call the customer back so the director would not be blindsided by an irate customer being transferred to him.
“What are your hobbies?” I found this one odd, wondered if the person had looked up stuff to ask on the internet, or if they were checking to see if I would be rushing out the door to get into my hobbies. I answered general things that could be done at anytime, reading, hiking, going to the gym.
@Nially_Bob Love your answer!

Many years ago at my first interview for Microsoft, I was asked “Why are man hole covers round”.

Tech firms like to ask questions like that not so much for the right answer but more to see how you think.

The number one thing to remember during a job interview is that it is a two way process. They are deciding if they want to give you the job but you have to decide if you want to work with them.

@mrlaconic I know the answer to that question.

I don’t really remember any of the questions, mine or theirs. I do remember that they said they had made the mistake of hiring very young people with little legal experience and trying to train them and that had not worked out well for them. Either the people they hired took too long to pick it up or didn’t stay long. One of them remarked “Basically, we are looking for a long-term relationship.” My reply was “I’m looking for the last job I’ll ever have.” It’s worked out very well.

“What is your greatest weakness?”
Can you believe they wanted me to narrow it down to just one?

This will really date me. I went to interview for Airline Stewardess (that’s what they were called) and this man told me , “now walk to the wall – then come back.” I did. I didn’t get the job. So I got married soon afterwards! LOL

What is your favorite play?

In my work role, I am the one who makes up the questions. We usually try to make it specifically relevant to the work we expect to have performed. Some of the questions really drill down and, if you know the material, you won’t have any problems, but if you don’t have the subject matter expertise, it will be obvious.

I had someone ask, “Out of these choices, which would you be? A lion, tiger or bear?”

At the time, I couldn’t remember if tigers were solitary hunters and he was looking for a “team” player, so I said lion. (they take down prey as a team, not necessarily the best team players, but I got the job)

Turns out, it was my attitude that got me the job. Confidence, not arrogance, is a good thing.

In terms of advice on answering questions, I like it when folks have clearly done their homework. Don’t tell me you visited our website, let me know by how you answer the question that you had to have visited the website(and other sites) and have done your homework.

There is a fine line on candor in answering questions. It does not work to your advantage to tell me that you hate doing x, y, or z because that may be part of the required tasks whether you like it or not. Let me know your learning style—if I am going to be your boss and have to teach you the job, let me know how you best take on information. Do you like it when your boss sets specific goals or are you self-directed and work closely with your boss to set your own goals?

The other few things I would like to offer as advice—take a big drink of water before you come into the interview. When people are nervous their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths and the interviewer can hear this. Bring a bottle of water with you and take a drink while I read you the question. If your hands are shaking, leave them in your lap where I can’t see them. Make direct eye contact when you answer the questions, don’t look off into space. If you are looking off, I am inclined to think you are making up an answer.

I totally agree with @cak that confidence is much better than arrogance!

Once I was asked what is my management style. I stopped and smiled and said, you know, I train dogs and I have learned that a similar style works for most people. Offer a great deal of praise and a quick and well-timed correction. Shape the behavior that you want to see and offer frequent rewards when someone is learning something new. I got the job!

@Dog
“My greatest weakness is my throat arteries. If they’re severed I’ll bleed to death.”

And then I wouldn’t get hired.

“Which http header is your favorite?”

I don’t memorize the http headers. I just look them up when I need to. I don’t know how I would choose a “favorite.”

I didn’t get the job.

Another job interview that I went on this past summer ended with the guy asking as I got up, “one last question, why pick you?” And I was already headed out the door, out of Inteview Mind Mode, so my reply was “Why not me?” I was offered the job, but it didn’t pay enough.

“You have the job, will you please get out from under my desk?”

@cak . . . . cak!!!

@Blondesjon- woohoo! It’s you!

Sorry, hubby got me a new toy, haven’t figured everything out yet!

@cak . . . yeah, bad news, it’s not me but it is a reasonable facsimile.

:) it’s all good. I lurve the entire family!

“Will you go to lunch with me?” what the hell is that?? XD

Just a footnote to my answer: It was mentioned in a post not to be yourself; i could never do that. That is all.