Job Interviews - your craziest question?

[Lainey]

I have an older retired friend who wanted a p-t job for extra money. She applied to be a cashier at a school close to her home. After a background check and online application, she was called in for a formal interview. The questions were very high level for a cashier position and went on and on. Finally they asked "what is your weakness?" She looked at both interviewers and said, "My weakness is potato chips!" :)

They appreciated her sense of humor and she got the job, but is interviewing really this crazy everywhere?

[iris lilies]

I dont remember any weid qustions but
I had weird interview experiences.

For my first professional job, one interview took place at my house. Oh yeah, that was weird. I was living with my parents, and my mother got all twitterpated about the cleanlness of her house. It looked fine, but we had to clean it anyway.

I draped my best cat on the back of the sofa, thinking he would add so much to the atmosphete. The interviewer completely ignored him. Not a cat person, I guess.

For my third professional job I interviewed in Corvalis, OR among other places. That public library was technologically behind my current workplace, and I was looking for improved technology in my job. It was also across the country from where I worked, but it was my goal to move to Oregon. Anyway, they had all 6 candidates there the same day and we rotated through various interview sections, each candidate getting 20 minutes or so with an interviewing team. Then, after 20 minutes, candidates would move on to the next interview module. All candidates and library administrators met up for lunch, sitting around one big table so we could see our competition! Then onto the afternoon's interview sessins. In one section we had to role play. Oh dear god, internally I was rolling my eyes by noon. I lok back at that and see it as one big intimidation exercise although
I'm sure it was meant as an exercise in efficiency. The library director went on to much bigger things to be nationally known thru her leadership at Seattle Public Library.

I did not get that job and frankly, the only thing it had going for it was that it was in Oregon and in Corvalis which was then a nice, laid back college town. In the end, that is good because I ended up in St Louis where I've been forever.

[JaneV2.0]

I have a friend who lives in Corvallis, and visits that library most days. It has clearly caught up with the times--its former head librarian was hired away by Seattle, IIRC. And Corvallis has developed into quite a nice little town.

[iris lilies]

I have a friend who lives in Corvallis, and visits that library most days. It has clearly caught up with the times--its former head librarian was hired away by Seattle, IIRC. And Corvallis has developed into quite a nice little town.
Oh, Im not saying Corvalis public library was super behind the times, it just was not leading edge, and
I remember that their cataloging department engaged in a practice that would come back to bite them, they just didnt understsnd the technology, or didnt care. And that worried me.

Midwestern libraries have always been better funded than elsewhere.until recent times, that is. Illinois used to have high end technology and great connectvity for all of their libraries, but thst has fallen to sh*t.

[JaneV2.0]

I think both the King and Multnomah County libraries are usually rated at the top of library systems; I wouldn't want to live in a library backwater, that's for sure!
Sorry about your role-playing--I'm glad I left employment about the time such foolishness started wholesale here.

I had a job at Amazon in about 1998, if I wanted it. I had only to take a typing test, which I would have passed easily. But I couldn't make the hours/parking/bus situation work. I thought it was amazing how much information they wanted for a ten dollar an hour job--resume, college transcripts, e-mail customer service test--answering sample questions from "customers," and a phone interview. By the time I was taking technical writing courses a year or so later, many in my classes were from Amazon, having been laid off, So I guess I'm glad I couldn't take the job.

[LDAHL]

I don't know if they still ask them, but there used to be a stock series of answers to questions they asked in interviews for your security clearance:

Are you in the employ of a foreign power for purposes of espionage?
- Nyet.

Are you a homosexual? (Pre-Don't Ask)
- No, but if the job required it I'd be willing to learn.

Have you ever advocated the violent overthrow of the government?
- That would depend on which government.

Do any of your family members reside in a country hostile to the United States?
- I have a cousin in San Francisco.

Do you have any religious or philosophical objections to war?
- Not if my side has superior firepower.

[catherine]

haha LDAHL! I'll have to keep those responses in mind if I ever get called in for a job interview or jury selection (Based on my one jury experience, I'd welcome the chance to be dismissed if I ever get asked again.)

I actually thought this was going to be about dumb questions interviewees asked, because having been an interviewer I've heard a few dumb questions. It might be a generational thing, but I was astonished when an interviewee asked me if shopping malls were nearby, because she liked to shop at lunchtime. And if I were looking for a job, I would NEVER ask if I'd be expected to work past 5pm, but people do. I'm of the generation that would do everything I could to appear to my prospective employer to be a rabid workaholic. If asked if I'd be willing to babysit her kids or paint her house, my answer would be an unequivocal "of course! And can I offer you a massage?"

I don't think the question "What is your weakness" is a dumb question at all. A hard one to answer, because you have to frame it in a way that won't make you look like a bad hire. You can make any strength LOOK like a weakness, so those are the things you use. "I tend to put too much of myself into my work." Or "I used to find it hard to let go and delegate, but I have learned that by trusting my employees, I can be much more productive."

[Selah]

In Israel, I went on many job interviews where they asked all sorts of intrusive questions that are completely illegal in America, such as my age, marital status, why I came to Israel, how many kids I had, why didn't I have children, how old my husband was, how my (and his health) was, etc. Mind-boggling. Many of these questions are technically illegal in Israel, but everyone ignores the law and asks anyway.

[Gardenarian]

Not unusual in a library setting, but probably not asked in most jobs:

If you had a childrens library with only three books, what would they be?
(An encyclopedia, as book of fairytales, and a book about dinosaurs.)

What was the last book you read?

How do you handle sleeping patrons?
(Accidently drop some books near them.)

[Lainey]

I get the premise of the "what is your weakness" type question, but for a school cashier? Over the top. I'm guessing it was on a standard interview list issued by the school HR group because I know companies love standardization even beyond all common sense.

Selah - how intrusive! I know in the U.S. it wasn't that long ago that interviewers asked questions like that. A friend said that about 10 years ago her job interviewer asked her age, and when she declined to state it, he abruptly terminated the interview. The interviewer was an attorney who clearly knew that was illegal, but also clearly knew that applicants were very unlikely to turn around and file a complaint against him. I'm sure he was a jerk in many other ways so she dodged a bullet by not getting that job anyway.

[freshstart]

At every job I've had, I've been asked my weaknesses. At my hospice team interview, there were about 10 team members and management there. The staff were free to ask anything they wanted (even though many questions were not allowed in NYS, lol). I was asked if I had kids, would they interfere with the job, was I married or a single mom, my age (hospice tended to higher older nurses, back then I looked young for my age. Did I like Wilco (they were my fav band, thankfully)? Did I have a dark sense of humor?

The worst was they wanted my Myers Briggs profile. I'm thinking there are a lot of staff who are interviewed that don't remember or even know what that means. Thank God I had recently found it online and had made my ex-husband do it so I could find out if our types were compatible (to make me feel better about my marriage failing). We were so not compatible. Anyway, I am an INTJ. But I knew the J would hang me up with this group so I told a little lie and said I was an INTP. They said, "well, thank God you're not a J, we can't work with any Js."

I stayed a J and was lauded for great teamwork over the years so maybe some Ps need to be less judgmental, lol.

[razz]

I once considered applying for a job in a new community. I was told that the job required what I called a 'bear pit' interview process. It was a dental office and all the staff who met with you at the interview could ask you whatever to see if you would fit in with their group. The dentist who was the actual employer simply let his staff make the decision. When I heard that, I skipped the interview. That and the fact that I knew a couple of the staff were very aggressive and in self-power mode, knew how severely demoralized they had left a couple of individuals who had gone for an interview and I disagreed with that approach to hiring staff. For some reason, there was a high turnover rate in that office.;)
Not sure where the 'bear pit' approach came from though. Often wondered as I never saw it elsewhere or heard of it.

[19Sandy]

I once considered applying for a job in a new community. I was told that the job required what I called a 'bear pit' interview process. It was a dental office and all the staff who met with you at the interview could ask you whatever to see if you would fit in with their group. The dentist who was the actual employer simply let his staff make the decision. When I heard that, I skipped the interview. That and the fact that I knew a couple of the staff were very aggressive and in self-power mode, knew how severely demoralized they had left a couple of individuals who had gone for an interview and I disagreed with that approach to hiring staff. For some reason, there was a high turnover rate in that office.;)
Not sure where the 'bear pit' approach came from though. Often wondered as I never saw it elsewhere or heard of it.

This is the type of process used by many retail establishments. I had never heard it called a bear pit but that is what it is. They also do it for reviews. It is VERY hostile IMO. Me don't like either. And, the public wonders why so many stores are going out of business.

[Tybee]

I had that bear pit interview thing happen for a job in academia (administrative, not teaching.) The pit included a friend of my husband's.
It was a very pompous school of which my dil is an alumni. I was thrilled to hear from a local last year (we had long since moved away) that the school is really struggling financially and may be subsumed by a state school.

[pinkytoe]

What is your strength and weakness are fairly common interview questions I think. Potato chips is the perfect answer:) I recall DH describing a nerve-wracking bear pit interview he had at Whole Foods years ago as that was their practice at the time for manager types. The most I've ever been interviewed by is three but that was in academic depts - not too grueling.

[herbgeek]

I actually thought this was going to be about dumb questions interviewees asked, because having been an interviewer I've heard a few dumb questions. It might be a generational thing, but I was astonished when an interviewee asked me if shopping malls were nearby, because she liked to shop at lunchtime.

I once had an interviewee inform me within the first 10 minutes of our initial interview that she would need to come in late and leave early every day (to pick up kids) and be off for any inclement weather, and would not under any circumstances work any extra time even under deadlines. She didn't get the job.

I also had one candidate ask me "Does the cafeteria serve meat potato and a vegetable at lunch? Because I can't work anywhere that only serves sandwiches". He also was not hired (this wasn't why, he was also less than qualified in other areas).

[greenclaire]

Interviews here for teaching jobs last all day. You usually have an 'informal' meeting with the senior leadership team (but you know they're watching you), a tour of the school by another member of staff, again who is watching you and asking you questions on the way round, you then have to teach for an hour whilst being observed (the class usually get to give feedback on you), then you have a pupil panel interview where a selection of students grill you, then finally the formal interview usually with around 6 interviewers from across the school. I've also heard recently some schools are making teachers sit a formal exam paper too to check subject knowledge. The day is mentally exhausting!

[Zoe Girl]

I found out, after a few total bombs, that I have total stagefright with being filmed! I was going for a job at a charter school but I was also a long term sub at another school. They wanted me to come in and teach a lesson but there was no way to get a sub for a sub. So we ended up filming me and I know it was bad. It was going well and then I got stressed out and did poorly. I had another time I was filmed while I was teaching as part of a feedback process and watching myself was horrific. So I finally figured out it was that I could not manage being filmed! I am not sure what would happen if I needed to do that again, probably go to a job coach and work on the issue. Have other people needed to be filmed for job interviews? I think at least now I could talk to someone about how I am not the same in person, the class I was filmed teaching also had several times I was observed unannounced by big wigs and my feedback was that I did very well.

[Float On]

I found out, after a few total bombs, that I have total stage fright with being filmed! .

Mid-80's that's how we interviewed to be cave guides. They set up a giant video camera about 10 feet in front of us. They figured if we got stage fright in front of a camera we'd do horrible in front of 60 guests. I loved that job.

Recently I was asked what the last book was that I read. We had a great talk about that book...but I didn't get the job.