Can you answer these out-of-the-box interview questions?
Confused and bewildered interviewee. Image: Moshbidon/Shutterstock

Can you answer these out-of-the-box interview questions?

6 Dec 2016

Do you have a job interview coming up? Prepare for those unpredictable questions by taking a look at some of the things asked by global leaders.

There’s always an anticipatory, unpredictable element to any job interview. Will I present myself well? Will they like me? What will the recruiter ask?

That last question can throw a wrench in interview prep, making you feel as though you need a crystal ball, scrying glass or third eye.

Will the recruiter want to know about your previous experience? Will they want to know how you deal with conflict? Will they want to know about that summer you spent volunteering to build schools?

Probably. But sometimes – just sometimes – they’ll throw you something completely out of left field.

This seems to be a particularly popular approach in tech circles, with Amazon famously asking, ‘Do you know our CEO? How do you pronounce his name?’

An inability to answer that question might mean a swift kick to the door, particularly when numerous online sources give the pronunciation of Jeff Bezos.

But, of course, this trend for surprising questions is not confined solely to tech.

Skills outsourcing company fivesquid.com created an infographic that lists some of the interview questions asked at companies around the world.

The infographic, liberally titled ‘Interview questions from top CEOs’, features tough questions asked by Warby Parker CEO David Gilboa, PayPal’s former CEO Peter Thiel and Facebook head of recruiting Miranda Kalinowski.

With questions from organisations spanning a variety of industries, these should help you think outside of the interview question (and answer) box, regardless of what sector you’re seeking work in.

Job interview questions infographic

Click image for full infographic. Image: fivesquid.com

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Kirsty Tobin
By Kirsty Tobin

Kirsty Tobin served as careers editor of Silicon Republic from 2015 up to August 2017. When she was younger, she had a dream where she started and won a fight with a T-Rex, so she’s pretty sure she kicked butt at this, too. Passions include eating all the cake, watching more TV than is healthy and sassy comebacks.

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