How to Handle Random or Bizarre Queries
by Robert McCauley, Robert Half International
"If you could be any animal, what would it be?" Hiring managers are increasingly posing such off-the-wall queries during job interviews in an effort to gauge a prospective employee's fit with the company's corporate culture.
Robert Half International polled executives to find out the strangest questions they have ever been asked during an employment interview. Their responses illustrate just how unusual some of the questions you may encounter can be:
* "If you were having a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be?"
* "What's the last book you read?"
* "What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?"
* "What classes did you like in high school?"
* "What would I find in your refrigerator?"
There's no guarantee a hiring manager will ask you an oddball question, but you should be prepared to answer one. While the most recent "Harry Potter" book may not have a direct link to your ability to perform the job, the way you talk about it may yield insight into your interests and personality, helping the interviewer determine how well you'll get along with other members of the team.
Here are some tips to avoid the deer-in-headlights look when asked something unexpected:
Think before you speak. The first idea that comes to your mind may not be the most appropriate answer. Take a moment or two to compose your thoughts, and ask the hiring manager for clarification if you're unsure of what he or she is looking for.
Take a light-hearted approach. Using humor can be a great way to build rapport with an interviewer who asks a strange interview question. Trust your judgment and base your response on how you feel the interview is going. Be careful: Answering every question with a joke may give the impression that you are not taking the meeting seriously.
Remember your delivery. Hiring managers aren't just evaluating you based on the content of your answers; they're also taking note of how you formulate your responses to get a sense of your thought process, creativity and approach to problems. Remain calm, maintain eye contact and, even if thrown a curveball, answer confidently.
Don't throw in the towel. Even if you think the interview isn't going well, don't give up. The hiring manager may have a different impression of the meeting's success than you or know of another opening in his or her firm for which you are a better match.
Keep in mind that it's unlikely you will be eliminated from contention solely because you'd choose to eat dinner with John Travolta over John F. Kennedy. The key to excelling in these interview situations is giving honest, thoughtful responses while keeping your composure.
Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com.
by Robert McCauley, Robert Half International
"If you could be any animal, what would it be?" Hiring managers are increasingly posing such off-the-wall queries during job interviews in an effort to gauge a prospective employee's fit with the company's corporate culture.
Robert Half International polled executives to find out the strangest questions they have ever been asked during an employment interview. Their responses illustrate just how unusual some of the questions you may encounter can be:
* "If you were having a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be?"
* "What's the last book you read?"
* "What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?"
* "What classes did you like in high school?"
* "What would I find in your refrigerator?"
There's no guarantee a hiring manager will ask you an oddball question, but you should be prepared to answer one. While the most recent "Harry Potter" book may not have a direct link to your ability to perform the job, the way you talk about it may yield insight into your interests and personality, helping the interviewer determine how well you'll get along with other members of the team.
Here are some tips to avoid the deer-in-headlights look when asked something unexpected:
Think before you speak. The first idea that comes to your mind may not be the most appropriate answer. Take a moment or two to compose your thoughts, and ask the hiring manager for clarification if you're unsure of what he or she is looking for.
Take a light-hearted approach. Using humor can be a great way to build rapport with an interviewer who asks a strange interview question. Trust your judgment and base your response on how you feel the interview is going. Be careful: Answering every question with a joke may give the impression that you are not taking the meeting seriously.
Remember your delivery. Hiring managers aren't just evaluating you based on the content of your answers; they're also taking note of how you formulate your responses to get a sense of your thought process, creativity and approach to problems. Remain calm, maintain eye contact and, even if thrown a curveball, answer confidently.
Don't throw in the towel. Even if you think the interview isn't going well, don't give up. The hiring manager may have a different impression of the meeting's success than you or know of another opening in his or her firm for which you are a better match.
Keep in mind that it's unlikely you will be eliminated from contention solely because you'd choose to eat dinner with John Travolta over John F. Kennedy. The key to excelling in these interview situations is giving honest, thoughtful responses while keeping your composure.
Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 350 offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com.
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