For those of us that have gone through the process of job interviews, we know that there are many things that can be done to be prepared and to make a good impression. There are also a list of common questions that are asked in interviews across the industries and the country. However, there is nothing that can prepare you for some of the strangest and most random seeming questions. Looking at sites like Glassdoor, Business Insider, and Forbes, we came up with a list of some of the most bizarre questions people claimed to have been asked during a job interview. Check these out and consider how you would respond if you were to face interviewers asking these strange things:
1. “What would the name of your debut album be?”
Asked by Urban Outfitters
2. “Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?”
Asked by Whole Foods Market
3. “What would you do if you found a penguin in the freezer?”
Asked by Trader Joe’s
4. “How many basketballs would fit in this room?”
Asked by Delta Air Lines
5. “Room, desk, and car – which do you clean first?”
Asked by Pinkberry
6. “Why are manhole covers round?”
Asked by St. Jude Medical
7. “How would you test an elevator?”
Asked by Microsoft
8. “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?”
Asked by Xerox
9. “What do you think of garden gnomes?”
Asked by Trader Joe’s
10. “What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash?”
Asked by Airbnb
11. “If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans, what would you do?”
Asked by Bose
12. “25 racehorses, no stopwatch. 5 tracks. Figure out the top three fastest horses in the fewest number of races.”
Asked by Facebook
13. “If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?”
Asked by Apple
14. “If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer?”
Asked by Dropbox
15. “Who would win in a fight between Spiderman and Batman?”
Asked by Stanford University
16. “Describe the color yellow to somebody who’s blind.”
Asked by Spirit Airlines
17. “What’s your favorite Disney Princess?”
Asked by Coldstone Creamery
18. “How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet.”
Asked by Petco
19. “What do you think you will hate about this job?”
Asked by Medtronic
20. “What’s the color of money?”
Asked by American Heart Association
Weird Question? Don’t Panic
Due to the increased anxiety you may feel during a job interview, one of the things that often gets thrown out the window first is taking your time. However, it is not only completely acceptable to pause and gather your thoughts, it is actually beneficial. Pausing gives you a moment to take a deep breath and decide how to tackle the bizarre (or not so bizarre) question that you have just been asked.
Typically when an interviewer asks a random seeming question, they are doing so intentionally to test you. They will likely be impressed rather than concerned if you take a moment in coming up with an answer. Most people are not prepared for questions that seemingly have nothing to do with the position and the interviewer knows that. They also know that during the course of your day, if you are in fact offered a position, you may encounter a situation or a question from a patient or other healthcare professional that catches you off-guard or requires creativity to answer.
As you formulate your response, consider the type of position for which you are interviewing. For example, if you are interviewing for a Medical Assistant or Medical Billing position, think about the type of healthcare facility the interview is for and what they may be wanting to find out about your ability to fit in there. If there is the opportunity to show off a particular skill or piece of knowledge that you have that would apply to the position – take it!
More often than not, these strange seeming questions don’t have just one right answer. They are typically just a chance for the interviewer to see how you respond to unexpected questions or problems and whether you can think creatively and quickly under pressure. As you answer, don’t get flustered or overwhelmed. Just take a moment and consider what they could be looking for. If you are able to remain confident and comfortable while answering even the oddest of questions, you will likely impress the person interviewing you.
Interested in Healthcare Training to Help Prepare for Your Next Interview?
At Ross, we offer healthcare career training in our Medical Assistant program, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program, Dental Assistant program, Pharmacy Technician program, and Veterinary Assistant program. Find a campus near you to see which programs are available!