Dealing with Odd-Ball Interview Questions

I can remember a back in the late 1980’s and early 90’s a famous software company in the Northwestern United States was known for asking odd interview questions. One that sticks on my mind was, “If you were a tree, what kind of a tree would you be?”

At the time it seemed kinda stupid but I had an oddball question of my own that I asked, “How do you change a tire?” One of my clients mentioned in a group session that he was practicing interviewing with his family and his daughter asked him a question: “How do you make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich?” Someone else commented that they were asked once in an interview a title of a book they had read.

Someone asked, “Is this a legal question?” and someone else commented that they didn’t think it was fair asking this kind of question. The answer is yes, these are all fair and legal questions. But, why in the world would anyone ask these questions if I’m interviewing for an Administrative Assistant or an Electrical Engineer position? What do these questions have to do with the job?

The reason for the question may or may not make sense to the interviewee, but I am sure the interviewer has a reason. Maybe they just want to see how you would react to the odd question. Maybe the question leads to a discussion that helps them better know you as a person. Or maybe they are looking for something specific.

When I use to ask the changing the tire question, I had actually standardized the question within my organization. I had asked everyone working for me to seriously answer the question in writing. I was running the company’s Quality organization and it was made up of Testers, Analysts and Engineers. The tire changing question helped me understand the candidate’s attention to detail, ability to describe a process and their written or oral communication. Plus, it was a common enough life experience that most people knew or had personal experience with.

BTW, my favorite response to this was, “I’d pick up the phone, call triple A and wait by my car for the service truck.” Other answers involved bicycle tires, old fashioned inner tube patching and a manual pump. The point was that there was no one right answer and many different answers. This is the case for most odd questions that come from left field in an interview. It comes down to how you respond and not the specific detail of the response.

So I’d be an Oak tree. Why? Because an oak tree is big, beautiful and provides lots of shade. This response is what I would have answered if I had been asked the question. Why? because it is who I am. I always say that in an interview you need to be yourself, be genuine. And so I remind you, if you are asked an oddball question... think for a second and give a real answer, then smile and wait for the next question.

"It's all about doing the things others are unwilling to do."

   I was watching the movie "Rudy" the other night with my wife and kids. "Rudy" is the story of a person with a dream that is seemingly so impossible that everyone dismisses it except for the dreamer himself. Rudy wants to go to Notre Dame and to play football for the Irish. Rudy's grades aren't very good, he is a little guy and playing collegiate football is hard on the body if not downright dangerous. But, Rudy sticks with it despite every challenge and in the end is carried off the field a hero and achieves a degree from Notre Dame University.

   How many times in life are we tired, beat up and bloodied and still we get up and go at it again? That is the message of the "Rudy" story. Keeping your eye on the goal and if you lose sight of the goal, refocus and keep going. This happens everyday and some people pick themselves up and continue and others quit and give up the goal.

   Todd Smith, of "Little Things Matter" once commented to me, "It's all about doing the things that others are unwilling to do." Think about that for a minute...

   So what are you willing to do to move your career along? Will you humbly promote yourself? I hear people say... "I don't like blowing my own horn!" So who will if you won't? Not the competition, I've never heard the Ford Motor Company say, "Gee aren't those GM cars and trucks the best!" Blow your horn; write down and keep track of your accomplishments and develop them into success stories! It take work to stop and think and log in the experience and then hone it down to a story people will want to hear. But it's worth it, because the other guy is likely unwilling to do it--because they don't want to blow their own horn!

   I heard a stat once that 60% of all interviews are never acknowledged with a thank-you! Seriously, 60% of the time people don't say thank you to the interviewer for taking time to meet with them. Not a note or email or phone call... because??? Who knows why?... Does it matter? If you send a thank-you you've moved into the 40% who do. And maybe only 4%, four out of a hundred, will make a phone call to thank the interviewer. If the interviewer only interviews five or six people you'll probably be the only one who will make the call. That's one way to distinguish yourself among the crowd.

   If it's about doing what others are unwilling to do... what are you willing to do?

"Why did you leave your last Job?"

   There are a lot of thoughts regarding this toughest of interview questions. There are books that will give you specific responses to use. However, there is really more here than meets the eye. In an interview there really are only two kinds of questions asked. First, the informational question... tell me about yourself, for example. Second, the elimination question... why did you leave your last job? What is important to remember is that the goal of an elimination type of question is to get you to shoot yourself in the foot. So don't!

   So when you're asked why you're looking to change jobs or why you left a previous job don't panic. Relax, it's no big deal even if you left under less than positive circumstances. The one point all the experts agree is not to trash your previous employer. Don't even say anything that could be mistaken for a negative. You're a professional and you don't make problems, you solve them. So, when you are asked the question you'll deliver you response in a relaxed, unimportant manner that is quick and to the point. The more you say the more opportunity you have to shoot yourself in the foot. Answer the question with a short and positive response and then you're ready for the next question. 

    This means that you have an answer already before the interview begins. You've practiced it over and over again. You have the response down pat! You know it backwards and forwards so that it comes across like a conversation with your best buddy asking about last night's game. You don't want it to sound practiced or rehearsed. You want to come across as genuine and honest.

That's how you deliver the response, but what do you say? All the experts agree... No Negative! I like Challenger's format of creating a conversation:

Interviewer: Why did you leave XYZ Company ?

Candidate: There were no more challenges.

Interviewer: What do you mean? (Tell me more...)

Candidate: I had accomplished all my goals and I decided to seek new challenges elsewhere. 

But what if you got let go and it wasn't your idea to leave?

Interviewer: Why did you leave FX Inc.?
Candidate: The company consolidated operations.
Interviewer: What do you mean?
Candidate: A business decision was made due to the economy to consolidate operations within the company. This affected 30% of all positions including mine.

   There is safety in numbers and this reason for leaving says nothing negative, or as Joe Friday use to say, "just the facts." Normally you'll want to have the reasons for leaving any job going back ten years. Remember regardless of the situation that resulted in your leaving, you got a lot out of your experience there and you have nothing but positive things to say about the experience, the people, your boss and the company as a whole.