20 Craziest Job Interview Questions and the Right Answers

MoneyWatch ^ | May 30, 2011 | Lynn O'Shaughnessy

[Slings and Arrows]

More questions at source.

In some cases, I can see the relevance of the question to the job. In other cases, I can see that the interviewer doesn't have a clue.

[Slings and Arrows]

21. Tell me how great you think 0bama is.

[Not A Snowbird]

Reminds me of the famous promotion board question: “Sergeant, how many holes are there in a C-Rat cracker?”

[bcsco]

Goldman Sachs: Suppose you had eight identical balls. One of them is slightly heavier and you are given a balance scale. What’s the fewest number of times you have to use the scale to find the heavier ball?

Once.

[humblegunner]

Suppose you had eight identical balls.

I'd parlay that either into a circus or film career.

Maybe involving Octomom.

[Slings and Arrows]

Was the correct answer “Private, count the number of holes in that C-Rat cracker, NOW!”

[Not A Snowbird]

I think that would be a fine answer to the question.

I was never asked that particular one. I recall I was asked a couple of weird things, but not that one.

[KarlInOhio]

How would you market a telescope in 1750 when no one knows about orbits, moons etc.

No one? Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter in 1610. Copernicus published "On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres" in the 1540s. Belief in geocentric orbits of the planets went back before Christ. A question that void of basic knowledge might point out that I wouldn't want to work at that company.

Maybe the marketing slogan could be "Find Uranus before William Herschel does."

[ctdonath2]

I see “twice”. How you figure “once”?

[Slings and Arrows]

Whenever I hear an interviewer ask “What three words would you to describe yourself,” I know I’m wasting my time.

[Abathar]

I’ve been asked a couple of questions like this before, and they don’t care what the answer is. They just want to see how creative you are, and how easily flustered you get when dealing with idiots who might ask a question like that. Cops do this also, its not what you answer, but how you answered it that interests them.

[Abathar]

Nope, twice.

[Pete]

Goldman Sachs: Suppose you had eight identical balls. One of them is slightly heavier and you are given a balance scale. What’s the fewest number of times you have to use the scale to find the heavier ball?

You could do it in one if you guessed right. But the question says "have to use". I take that to mean the fewest number where you always end up with the right answer.

If that is the case, I would say three. Split the 8 into two groups of 4 and put them on opposite sides of the scale. Take the 4 on the heavier side and split 2 and 2 and do it again. Then split the 2 on the heavier side 1 and 1. Done.

[glock rocks]

I’m so glad I wasn’t at work when I read that. I’m having trouble breathing.

[bcsco]

I see “twice”. How you figure “once”?

I made the balls (I was waiting for someone to ask...:))

[Slings and Arrows]

Once means you grabbed two balls at random, weighed them, and got lucky.

How did you get “twice,” BTW? I thought that the minimum number of weighings guaranteed to find the heavier ball was three.

[bcsco]

See my post #15.

[Maverick68]

Where do you see yourself in 10 years....
My answer: “running this place if that’s the best question you can ask me....”

[BitWielder1]

Procter & Gamble: Sell me an invisible pen.

Why, you already have one in your shirt pocket.

[fhayek]

The correct answer to EVERY above question is.... 42.