topic Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions in SmorgasBoard

15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

veracious — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:18:13 GMT

As tough as the job market has been in 2010, many top-flight employers aren't trying to make the interview process any easier. With the jobless claims at their lowest level in more than two years, job seekers, encouraged by the prospect of an improving economy, are dusting off their interviewing skills for the new year.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/job-interview-questions_n_802658.html?ref=goldman-sachs#s217038&title=Goldman_Sachs_

If you know the correct answers, shouldn't you be earning $100K ?

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

llecs — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:12:42 GMT

I actually ask a similar question to this one in my interviews: “Why do you think only a small percentage of the population makes over $150K?”. I'll then follow up with "Where do you see yourself in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?". I want to know how they view themselves and if they would rather be mediocre or have the guts to excel.

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

SoulMaster — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:23:31 GMT

@veracious wrote:
As tough as the job market has been in 2010, many top-flight employers aren't trying to make the interview process any easier. With the jobless claims at their lowest level in more than two years, job seekers, encouraged by the prospect of an improving economy, are dusting off their interviewing skills for the new year.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/job-interview-questions_n_802658.html?ref=goldman-sachs#s217038&title=Goldman_Sachs_

If you know the correct answers, shouldn't you be earning $100K ?

I know most of them, and I am!

My favorite is the Apples / Oranges question, but my real favorite is this (we used to ask this at Microsoft):

You are in a room with 3 standard light switches labled A, B and C. Down a hall there is another room that you cannot see with 3 standard light bulbs in it labeled 1, 2 and 3. Each switch in your room controls one and only one light bulb in the other room. Arrange the light switches in such a manner that by walking down the hall and into the other room ONCE and ONLY ONCE you will know which switch belongs to each bulb.

Cheers,

-SM

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

morganirish — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:09:14 GMT

I work in the Human Services field and I can't imagine being asked any of those questions in my line of work. For the most part- people in this field who are making over 100,000 a year are making policies that make my job harder.

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

crunching_numbers — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 06:12:51 GMT

@llecs wrote:
I actually ask a similar question to this one in my interviews: “Why do you think only a small percentage of the population makes over $150K?”. I'll then follow up with "Where do you see yourself in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?". I want to know how they view themselves and if they would rather be mediocre or have the guts to excel.

Because only a small percentage of the jobs PAY over $150K.

I am underpaid. I can answer most of those interview questions.

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:37:44 GMT

@llecs wrote:
I actually ask a similar question to this one in my interviews: “Why do you think only a small percentage of the population makes over $150K?”. I'll then follow up with "Where do you see yourself in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years?". I want to know how they view themselves and if they would rather be mediocre or have the guts to excel.

"Hey, this is McDonalds, I just want to flip a burger or two in between a free meal, man. Stop asking me these questions."

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

marty56 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:03:00 GMT

A few years ago I helped DW fill out a Walmart application. They were the worst questions I have ever seen on any job application. She didn't get the job. We had no clue on how to answer many of the questions.

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:54:59 GMT

@SoulMaster wrote:
@veracious wrote:
As tough as the job market has been in 2010, many top-flight employers aren't trying to make the interview process any easier. With the jobless claims at their lowest level in more than two years, job seekers, encouraged by the prospect of an improving economy, are dusting off their interviewing skills for the new year.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/job-interview-questions_n_802658.html?ref=goldman-sachs#s217038&title=Goldman_Sachs_

If you know the correct answers, shouldn't you be earning $100K ?

I know most of them, and I am!

My favorite is the Apples / Oranges question, but my real favorite is this (we used to ask this at Microsoft):

You are in a room with 3 standard light switches labled A, B and C. Down a hall there is another room that you cannot see with 3 standard light bulbs in it labeled 1, 2 and 3. Each switch in your room controls one and only one light bulb in the other room. Arrange the light switches in such a manner that by walking down the hall and into the other room ONCE and ONLY ONCE you will know which switch belongs to each bulb.

Cheers,

-SM

That's one of my favorites too.

Re: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions

veracious — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:53:12 GMT

How come nobody has offered an answer to these questions?

Everybody likes this one or that one, or , knows an example used by their firms.

Still no answers, even from those who earns the income these questions are targeted to.

Something is fishy , if you ask me!

j/k