Answering
Strange Interview Questions
Original article by the authors of best-job-interview.com SummaryThose strange interview questions that appear completely unrelated to the job itself can catch you unawares in your job interview. Be prepared with appropriate interview responses to frequently asked off-the-wall questions such as these.
Strange interview questions such as "What animal would you like to be?", are used to evaluate how you react to the unexpected, your ability to think on your feet and give a coherent answer! There is no wrong or right answer to these psychological interview questions but if you are well prepared for random questions like this, you will come across as a confident and resourceful candidate.
These wild card job interview questions may seem inappropriate but they are designed to explore how you see yourself and how creative you are. However more important than the actual answer is how you answer. Don't get flustered, remain calm, think about your response and answer in a positive and concise manner. Some version of these common psychological answers can come up in any job interview. Go through the interview answer guidelines so that you are not taken completely by surprise. There is no wrong answer but you need to be able to explain why you have chosen a particular animal etc. The interviewer is taking note of how you formulate your responses to get a sense of your thought process, creativity and how you approach problems. This is a list of the most commonly asked strange interview questions. These may not come up exactly as they are phrased here but the point is to prepare for interview questions like this and do a little creative thinking about how you will answer them. If you could be any animal, what would you be? It does not matter what animal you choose as long as you have a good reason for doing so. However it probably is better to pick a strong or intelligent animal like a lion or dolphin and then try to relate the animal to valuable job-related skills. For example a lion is tenacious, courageous and a leader. A dolphin is intelligent and intuitive. Which fictional character would you choose to be? Select a character who you actually know something about and who you admire. Explain why you admire the character and how this relates to your personal values and aspirations.
For example "I would choose to be Sherlock Holmes as I admire his analytical and problem-solving skills, his intuition and intelligence." If you were having a dinner party and could invite three famous people, who would they be? This is similar to the above question. The list of possible people is endless, again just ensure you have a good reason for selecting whoever you do.
For example, "I would invite Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and the next US President. They could discuss how they would reduce conflict and anger in places like the Middle East and Africa and hopefully our next President would put their ideas into action." How would you title your autobiography? The response to the question says a great deal about how you view yourself. Real autobiographical titles range from the mundane and obvious "My Life" by Bill Clinton to the more intriguing like "Running with Scissors". Being able to describe your life in a single sentence is challenging. Try to think of something that reflects a positive and hopeful, ambitious and determined attitude to life. Which three things would you save from a fire in your house? Your answer should reflect your values and priorities in life. Think about what the most important things are in your home. Common responses include pets, photographs, important documents, computer, purse etc. Explain why you have selected these things to save. If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money? Use strange interview questions like this to highlight your positive traits such as goal-setting, planning, ambition, responsibility and generosity. Responses such as starting your own business or taking a year to travel and broaden your horizons are better than buying a Lamborghini and spending it all on partying! These strange interview questions are designed to try and find out something about you that standard interview questions don't and to see if you get flustered by the unusual. They want to challenge you and create stress. How you respond to this challenge is important. Simply smile, breathe deeply and give yourself a moment to think about your answer. Avoid saying the first thing that comes into your head and spend a little time considering your response. It is not necessary to be funny or brilliant, just give an honest answer that is concise and ordered. To view standard interview questions with practical answer guidelines go to the Go to Articles Homepage to view the latest articles covering job search and interviewing skills. Use the expert advice and information to help you get the job you want. Please Note - This article is owned by Best-job-interview.com and permission to republish it must be granted by the authors in writing.
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