How to Respond to Eccentric Interview Questions
If you are looking for the next job right now, you need to be 100% prepared for interviews as well. And, if your resume is good enough, you’ll start getting those interview calls quite soon. There’s no doubt that you know how to prepare for an interview: dress appropriately, grab the folder with your resume, references and samples of work, and to arrive on time. Here you can find more tips on how to act during the interview and professional interview help: http://resumeperk.com/blog/10-tips-for-winning-group-interview. However, let’s assume you’ve entered the room, greeted the hiring manager, and they start with asking you something like “How many balloons will fit into this room?”
This question can embarrass most of the applicants – while it’s only one of the eccentric interview questions you might be asked during the interview. Read below to find out how to respond to this type of questions.
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What is the purpose of asking eccentric questions during an interview?
The standard interview questions like “Where do you see yourself in five years from now?” or “What are your biggest strengths?” are asked to find out about your background, motivation and professionalism. However, the questions of this kind are asked everywhere and can easily be rehearsed by a candidate.
Non-standard questions immediately pull the candidate out of the comfort zone. They test the inner motivation, cognitive abilities and logical thinking. That’s why they are used not only by giants such as Google, but by smaller companies as well. Such kind of question is mostly used to test creative professionals, engineers and those who apply for stressful or customer service jobs.
Examples of strange interview questions
Here are some of the examples of strange interview questions:
- If you were a company, what would be your motto?
- How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?
- If you won $10 million, would you still work?
How to answer the eccentric interview questions?
- Remember that there might not be the right answer
The tricky questions, especially those testing your logical thinking and mental abilities, often don’t have the right answer (unless you’re an engineer who is bound to have an excellent logical skills and command of math). The hiring manager only expects to see how you will be reacting to the question and see the way you think. - Respond with humor
If you are asked an eccentric questions and you have no clue how to respond to it, try evading it humorously. It is the great way to highlight your ability to think outside of the box and get along with difficult clients. No need to be sarcastic or to make fun of someone – you never know how the interviewer will react to it. - Showcase your personality type
The questions like “If you were a band, how would you name a debut album?” or “What do you usually have for breakfast?” can be asked to understand your personality, your motivation or values. Through asking personal questions, the hiring manager tries to find out whether you will fit into the team. So, when answering the questions about you, be relaxed, honest – and some humor won’t do you any harm as well. - Think aloud
When asked any logical question, the right approach is not to come up with the right answer (as we said above, there might not be a right answer at all). What you are expected to do is to demonstrate the logical and critical thinking skills. The employer prefers to hire someone who isn’t afraid of tough, unexpected or stressful situation.
So, when asked such kind of question, don’t sit silent – speak your thoughts aloud. The fact that you are putting the thought in it and work hard on developing the solution will form the positive impression about you. - Respond positively and with genuine enthusiasm
If there are questions you just can’t answer, it can make you feel down. Nevertheless, in any interview situation it’s important to communicate on a positive note. Respond with enthusiasm and show that you are ready to move on to the next question. - Redirect the question
If the interviewer asks about some relevant experience and you don’t have it, don’t just say ‘no’. By the way, saying ‘no’ is the wrong tactic during an interview anyway. Instead, think of anything that is somehow relevant to what they are asking about. For example, if you are asked about social media marketing experience which you don’t have, you can mention promoting your personal account in social media or any unpaid experience you have had in the past.
Eccentric interview questions rarely have the ‘right’ answer. They are designed to evaluate the candidate’s ability to think out of box, readiness to challenges and handle the unexpected situation. If you manage to demonstrate these qualities when asking such questions, this will increase your chances for a job significantly.
How to ace a job interview?
The interviewer is not the only person who should ask the questions during an interview. You need to prepare a list of smart questions as well. Asking the right question not only can help you find out more about the company and whether it fits you, but also the interviewer will see your genuine interest in a job. Check the list of best questions to ask at the end of the interview here: http://resumeperk.com/blog/top-15-questions-to-end-the-interview-with.
To get more interview calls, you need an excellently written resume. To find out whether your resume is up to scratch, you can order a resume critique from one of our expert resume writers. It is free and doesn’t oblige you to hire resume writer.
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