Let’s say you are in an interview and are asked a
totally off-the-wall questions that has absolutely nothing to do with the job; what would you do?
If you do become stunned, disordered, confused or thrown for the preverbal ‘loop’ when asked a strange or unusual question like this, don’t lose your cool; you don’t want the interviewer to think that's how you would act or respond in the daily work routine when faced with the stress of a sudden project deadline dropped in your lap.
The key here is to make sure you stand out from the pack of other applicants. Stay calm and give an answer that demonstrates your logical thinking process in solving or dealing with the unusual question.
First off, never question the reason for the question. If you say, ‘That question has nothing
to do with the job. Why are you asking this?’ you might as well get up and walk out as you’ve just ruined your chances for the position.
This type of response shows you question
authority, may be difficult to work with and may lead to the interviewer to think ‘I have someone just like that at home now, why would I want to work with someone like that here?’
Instead, consider the reason for the question. Maybe they’re trying to see if you have a sense of humor, or more likely, if you can explain concepts and possible action steps to a problem which makes the question seem ever more reasonable and not so much off-the-wall.
The key is to match your skills to the job. In cases of unusual questions you want to walk the interviewer through your reasoning that includes qualities which are part of the job requirements.
Don’t let any question throw you off. The worst answer you can give is a short one with no explanation or to say ‘I don’t know.’
When answering a strange or unusual interview
question try following these steps:
totally off-the-wall questions that has absolutely nothing to do with the job; what would you do?
If you do become stunned, disordered, confused or thrown for the preverbal ‘loop’ when asked a strange or unusual question like this, don’t lose your cool; you don’t want the interviewer to think that's how you would act or respond in the daily work routine when faced with the stress of a sudden project deadline dropped in your lap.
The key here is to make sure you stand out from the pack of other applicants. Stay calm and give an answer that demonstrates your logical thinking process in solving or dealing with the unusual question.
First off, never question the reason for the question. If you say, ‘That question has nothing
to do with the job. Why are you asking this?’ you might as well get up and walk out as you’ve just ruined your chances for the position.
This type of response shows you question
authority, may be difficult to work with and may lead to the interviewer to think ‘I have someone just like that at home now, why would I want to work with someone like that here?’
Instead, consider the reason for the question. Maybe they’re trying to see if you have a sense of humor, or more likely, if you can explain concepts and possible action steps to a problem which makes the question seem ever more reasonable and not so much off-the-wall.
The key is to match your skills to the job. In cases of unusual questions you want to walk the interviewer through your reasoning that includes qualities which are part of the job requirements.
Don’t let any question throw you off. The worst answer you can give is a short one with no explanation or to say ‘I don’t know.’
When answering a strange or unusual interview
question try following these steps:
- Take your time
- Ask the interviewer to clarify if
necessary - Show your personality, and
- Explain out loud how you would solve the
problem
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