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What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview?
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dupeetriclub
Jul 29, 08 16:14
Post #1 of 40 (603 views)
What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview?
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stl_triness
Jul 29, 08 16:18
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Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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I'm pretty sure this question was illegal to ask, but I once was pre-interviewing via the phone for a job that was in another state, and at one point the manager I was speaking with asked for my physical description.
kittycat
Jul 29, 08 16:35
Post #3 of 40 (589 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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question) where do you go to church and do you believe in jesus christ?
i got the job, but knew from the get it would be weird. and it was. but i was so young i didn't have many options.
another weird thing was one boss offering me money to "sway" down the isle in my skirt and high heels. i declined, and then he asked if he could call me.
he was filthy rich, and weighed about 400 pounds. LMAO
Xenu
Jul 29, 08 16:47
Post #4 of 40 (576 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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"If you are in a rowboat in the middle of a lake, and throw the anchor over, what happens to the water level at the shore?"
I thought about it for a second, and answered, fully explaining the reasoning behind my answer. At the end, I asked, "that's right, isn't it?" He responded with "I don't know."
This was the same knucklehead who asked me why manhole covers are round. I gave him several reasons, and he insisted that the most boring (and not exclusive to round) one was the right answer.
This was for a Software Engineering job.
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"You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious."
"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong." -- Richard Feynman
JasoninHalifax
Jul 29, 08 16:49
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Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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What was your answer?
____________________________________
Fishtwitch clique (ex-butterflyer)
"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.
dave_w
Jul 29, 08 16:49
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Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [kittycat]
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i declined, and then he asked if he could call me.
he was filthy rich, and weighed about 400 pounds. LMAO
yeah...and??
"It's all about self-esteem"
Xenu
Jul 29, 08 16:55
Post #7 of 40 (566 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [JasoninHalifax]
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What was your answer?
What's yours? ;->
---
"You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious."
"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong." -- Richard Feynman
Katy
Jul 29, 08 16:57
Post #8 of 40 (564 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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"Can you be this funny on a regular basis"?
I had flown from HI to LA, my b/f picked me up at LAX at 10 pm, we drove straight to SF, checked in at the hotel at 4 am, I had a bunch of interviews beginning at 10 am. I was a bit slap happy and said some things I may not have if I had been thinking properly. I got the job. It was my first choice firm.
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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax
If Katy wants it that way, then that's the way Katy gets it.-big kahuna
Marco in BC
Jul 29, 08 17:21
Post #9 of 40 (544 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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"If you are in a rowboat in the middle of a lake, and throw the anchor over, what happens to the water level at the shore?"
I thought about it for a second, and answered, fully explaining the reasoning behind my answer. At the end, I asked, "that's right, isn't it?" He responded with "I don't know."
This was the same knucklehead who asked me why manhole covers are round. I gave him several reasons, and he insisted that the most boring (and not exclusive to round) one was the right answer.
those are fairly common questions for software jobs, curious about what reasons you came up for manholes to be round besides the 'so it can't fall in' one. And of course the water level at the shore will go down if you throw the anchor over (as while it was in the boat it was displacing a lot more water than it did when you threw it overboard)
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A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
JasoninHalifax
Jul 29, 08 17:24
Post #10 of 40 (539 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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Editing my answer:
The average water level at the shore will momentarily fall, then will rise again after the change in water level has sufficient time to be reflected at the shore. There will also be waves generated by the anchor and by the change in the displacement of the boat causing the water level to rise and fall in an attenuated manner.
I am certain that there are complex mathematical formulae which would describe the change in water level at the shore.
And incidentally, I have seen non-round manhole covers before.
____________________________________
Fishtwitch clique (ex-butterflyer)
"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.
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JohnnyDinx
Jul 29, 08 17:47
Post #11 of 40 (513 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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What's your favorite breakfast cereal? And the response to my answer was "Cool! I'm a big Tony the tiger fan too!"
Thought it was a strange question coming from a trader for a financial analyst position?
Xenu
Jul 29, 08 17:52
Post #12 of 40 (505 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Marco in BC]
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And of course the water level at the shore will go down if you throw the anchor over (as while it was in the boat it was displacing a lot more water than it did when you threw it overboard)
Without starting a "will the plane take off" hijack, I don't think that's correct, as the boat and the anchor are still displacing exactly the same volume of water that they were before the anchor was thrown overboard, so the water level on shore stays the same.
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curious about what reasons you came up for manholes to be round besides the 'so it can't fall in' one.
- round things can roll
- manholes are round ;->
- less material per unit volume per given circumference/diameter (biggest hole per amount of material used to make the cover)
- easier/faster to reinstall, as they don't need to be aligned.
- there's a gazillion reasons "why manhole covers are round"...google it. Certainly the boring answer is not the only one.
Besides, any Rouleaux polygon (maybe it needs an odd number of sides) won't fall into it's hole, so that really can't be the best answer, let alone the only one.
This is kind of like the "determine the height of the building using a barometer" question.
---
"You'll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution, Miss Scrumptious."
"I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong." -- Richard Feynman
jtaylor1O24
Jul 29, 08 17:53
Post #13 of 40 (502 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [JasoninHalifax]
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Assuming an anchor is more dense than water, the water level should fall at the shore because the amount of water that the boat displaces + the anchor would be greater than the volume of the anchor when it is in the water.
What happens if it is a leaky suitcase?
Here is another fun one: who could pass the MIT entrance exam from 1869?
http://libraries.mit.edu/...bits/exam/index.html
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Don't hold back
JT
Reduce your carbon footprint - burn less stuff,
http://www.carbonfund.org
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fred_h
Jul 29, 08 18:12
Post #14 of 40 (486 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [jtaylor1O24]
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I am not saying you are right but I would agree with you.
Fred.
JasoninHalifax
Jul 29, 08 18:15
Post #15 of 40 (485 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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A floating object will displace its mass in water, a sunken object will displace less than its mass.
____________________________________
Fishtwitch clique (ex-butterflyer)
"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.
parkito
Jul 29, 08 18:30
Post #16 of 40 (473 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [JasoninHalifax]
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A sunken object will displace its volume. The density of an iron anchor is much greater than the density of water, and therefore the mass of the anchor per unit volume is much greater than water. But, once the anchor is submerged, it will only displace the same volume of water, not the same mass.
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LorenzoP
Jul 29, 08 18:43
Post #17 of 40 (466 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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re manhole covers - - aren't non circular ones at risk of being dropped thru the hole - because a side would be less than a diagonal.
BTW, once I was asked: if I was to show him a picture of me, a photo of my choosing - what would I be doing? I figured he wanted something dynamic so I said "riding my motorcycle" which was a lie since I didn't have one and had never been on one. But the question was hypothetical.
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JasoninHalifax
Jul 29, 08 18:44
Post #18 of 40 (462 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [LorenzoP]
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Not an equilateral triangle
____________________________________
Fishtwitch clique (ex-butterflyer)
"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.
jenhs
Jul 29, 08 18:46
Post #19 of 40 (461 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Xenu]
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you must have interviewed at Microsoft
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Jenhs
Mr. Tibbs
Jul 29, 08 18:47
Post #20 of 40 (461 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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How often do you go to the bathroom?
Marco in BC
Jul 29, 08 19:21
Post #21 of 40 (432 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [jenhs]
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you must have interviewed at Microsoft
those questions are fairly common when interviewing at a software company, like the how do you transport 2 sheep & a wolf across a river with a boat that fits only one animal at a time, etc. etc.
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A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
cerveloguy
Jul 29, 08 19:39
Post #22 of 40 (420 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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Always been self employed so haven't had much experience, but I've always wondered why they always seem to ask "why do you want to work here?", when they know damn well the real answer is "because I need a job".
"OK, I'll admit I screwed up the facts"
slowguy
Jul 29, 08 19:44
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Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [Marco in BC]
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"how do you transport 2 sheep & a wolf across a river with a boat that fits only one animal at a time, etc. etc. "
I can't imagine having someone ask me that question who was supposed to be interviewing me for a job. I'd probably laugh at them. I'd never get a job if that's the type of thing people ask at interviews. Good thing the only question I was ever asked was, "Do you swear to support and defend...." Much easier to get that answer right.
Hopefully, when I retire from the Navy, and am looking for something to do afterwards, I don't have to answer questions like that, or I'll be living off my retirement income alone for a long time.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)
twr
Jul 29, 08 19:49
Post #24 of 40 (414 views)
Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [dupeetriclub]
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Who's your favorite super-hero? This was about 10 years ago. I deflected the question while thinking that the HR person was an idiot. Got the job but subsequently later tormented applicants to my department with the same question. I'm in engineering BTW and it was just a way to build rapport or lighten the conversation.
lunchbox
Jul 29, 08 20:11
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Re: What is the strangest question you're ever been asked in a job interview? [slowguy]
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Figure out what you want to do 3-4 years before retirement and start preparing. The 1st time I left active duty, I just got a regular job... and was miserable.
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