How to Answer Unexpected Interview Questions With Confidence

What do the people find the scariest during job interviews? Some can say that a new environment is stressful; the others will admit feeling uncomfortable while being evaluated by the other person. But, in fact, what people find the hardest part of the interview is being asked tricky questions.

Unexpected questions puzzle us because we are scared of giving the wrong answer or say something that will not present it in the best light. Yet, worry not - in this article, you will find all the tricks for tackling interview questions to get hired faster.

What Are Unexpected Interview Questions - And Why Employers Ask Them

Unusual or weird prompts sound different from what we are used to hear during job interviews. The interviewer doesn't ask us about the previous job or project management skills. Instead, they use surprise interview questions that seem to be totally irrelevant, such as "Would you describe yourself as a hunter or a gatherer?" Such questions usually don't have right or wrong answer.

Why do interviewers ask surprising questions in the first place?

• To test your creativity and problem-solving skills. Unexpected behavioral questions don't have a definite answer, so you cannot rehearse them. Hiring managers want to test your ability to suggest creative solutions on the go.
• To understand the candidate's personality. Employers want to see how you respond and what type of person you are, as you are likely to act in a similar way at work.
• To check your logical thinking. Managers and tech professionals can encounter brain teaser, such as "How many tennis balls can fit into a Boeing?" to watch your thinking process.
• To evaluate your stress response. Will you think hard to come up with a solution, turn everything into a joke, or react emotionally? Such pressure interviews check stress resistance in candidates.

Now that we are clear with hiring managers' motivation, let's look at common weird questions you may hear during an interview.

Unusual and Tricky Interview Questions You Might Face

Here are some examples of difficult quirky questions, with explanations how you should react in each situation.

Psychological interview questions examples

These are quite common but smart questions. They are work-related, however, require self-awareness and introspection. An interviewer wants to assess your personal characteristics rather than actual knowledge and skills for a job role. The examples of psychological questions include as follows:

1. How do you define success?
2. If you had to fire a close friend, how would you do it?
3. What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
4. How much research did you do when preparing for this interview?
5. If you could only save one document from your computer, what would it be and why?
6. If you could choose any historical figure to have lunch with, who would it be?
7. If you were a superhero, which superpowers would you choose to have?
8. If you had six months without financial constraints, what would you do with the time?
9. If someone offered writing your biography, which title would you choose?
10. Can you give a reason why we should not hire you?

The above questions are designed to find out about your motivation and inner drive. When answering them, support your answers with clear judgments and align them with the prospective position. For example, if asked about who you'd like to have lunch with, you can choose Bill Gates if you apply for a senior IT development position in a tech industry.

Odd and unusual interview questions

The weird questions below don't check your competencies for the role. They let hiring managers see your stress resistance, the ability to respond to new challenges quickly, and find solutions to challenging situations. Don't take them too seriously - many such questions are fine to answer with humor.

1. If you were a flower, what flower would you be and why?
2. How would you solve the world's water crisis in 5 minutes?
3. Describe your personal user manual in 5 sentences.
4. Why are manholes round?
5. Are you a cat or a dog person?
6. If our company were a car, what kind of car would it be and why?

Logical and reasoning questions

If you are applying for a technical or managerial position, you can encounter tricky logical questions. The hiring manager can ask you to solve a puzzle or answer a few tricky questions to assess your logical thinking. Employers use such questions because they want to pick the best candidates with a high IQ, ability to learn, and a potential for personal growth.

1. How would you weigh an elephant without using a scale?
2. You have a 5-litre jug and a 3-litre jug. How can you measure out exactly 4 litres without using any other equipment?
3. All cats are mammals. If some mammals are not dogs, can we conclude that some cats are not dogs?
4. You have to choose between the two projects: Project A has a higher potential ROI but also a higher risk of failure, while Project B has a lower ROI but a lower risk. How would you make your decision, and what factors would you consider?
5. A snail sits at the bottom of a 30-foot wall. Each hour it can climb 3 ft, but then slips down 2 ft. How fast will the snail reach the top?

Communication skills interview questions

These questions help recruiters understand how you communicate in a professional setting. Can you articulate your ideas clearly and stay positive even when faced with something stressful or unusual? Here are the example tricky interview questions:

1. Can you describe the process and benefits of wearing a seatbelt?
2. How would you describe making an omelet to someone who has never done this before?
3. If aliens landed and said you could have any job on their planet, what would you choose?
4. Convince me that pineapple belongs on pizza, but only use legal jargon.
5. What song best describes your work ethic?
6. Imagine that you're a coffee mug. Explain to me why I should choose you in the store over all the other coffee mugs.
7. Sell me this stapler using only emojis.
8. Explain your previous job to me as if I were an alien.

Such questions also show your attention to detail and whether you can summarize simple tasks, especially when explaining things to someone who is not familiar with the subject.

Out-of-the-Box and Creative Job Interview Questions

These unique questions test creativity and critical thinking of a candidate. They can work as behavioral interview traps, so be sure to stay calm and give an actual answer that crosses your mind. Use your imagination and don't be shy to give a really unexpected or nonsense answer. If you manage to think of something the interviewer hasn't heard before, it's great.

1. How many balloons would fit into this room?
2. Tell the alternative ways of using the stapler without staples
3. You're a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why?
4. Name 10 uses for a pencil.
5. Explain the internet to a five-year-old.
6. What do you think the meaning of life is?
7. Do you believe in conspiracy theories?
8. A penguin walks through that door wearing a sombrero. What does he say and what is he doing here?

Employers use these questions as part of creative thinking assessment. If you're a marketer, copywriter, designer, journalist, or have another creative profession, you can encounter them during your next interview.

These questions to test creativity show your thinking process and the ability to generate out-of-the box creative ideas. They also asses if you can think on the go, as in creative industries, you have to work out the solution to a problem instantly. So, don't let interview questions to test creativity puzzle you - stay confident, give the answer that seems right to you, and explain your answer.

Example Answers to Obscure, Odd and Weird Questions

When answering strange questions during interviews, use various strategies from logical reasoning to giving nonsense answers or responding with a joke. Here are some popular odd interview questions with examples.

"How many balloons will it take to lift a house?"

What they are checking: Problem-solving skills, logical thinking.

Example answer: "Well, you can hardly lift a house with balloons in real life, can't you? Anyway, here is how I would approach this task. A single-family house might weigh around 50,000 pounds on average. Next, I need to know how much one balloon can lift. An 12-inch latex balloon can lift about half an ounce (0.03 pounds). I divide the weight of the house by the lift capacity of a single balloon: 65,000 pounds/0.03 pounds, which equals 1,666,666 balloons."

"Sell me a stapler without staples"

What they are checking: Negotiation, creative thinking, and persuasion skills.

Example answer: "So, this stapler cannot staple your printed report to a boss. But think bigger - it's not only a stapler, but also a sophisticated accessory for your desk. Its ergonomic design and satisfying weight make it a perfect paperweight that can keep your desk documents neatly organized. Plus, its red color matches your earrings just perfectly, which makes it also a stylish assessors, adding a touch of subtle elegance to your work desk!"

"If you were an animal, what would you be? Why?"

What they are checking: Self-reflection, stress resistance.

Example answer: "Oh, I would definitely be a sloth! I could survive on just air and a few ripe bananas left on the counter. Think of the grocery bill savings!"

"What is the best mistake you've ever made?"

What they are checking: Self-assessment, honesty, ability to learn.

Example answer: "The biggest mistake I made in my last job was assuming that I knew what the client wanted without clarifying their needs. As a marketing manager, I was tasked with digital strategy development. I presented a solid campaign for promotion on social media, web, and influence marketing, but I missed the mark because the client wanted something completely different. It was a brutal life lesson. Since then on, I always use checklists and emails to communicate clearly and get client confirmation about what they want exactly. In the end, it helped me communicate better and work more effectively."

Now, let's move on to specific strategies how to handle odd questions.

Best Strategies to Respond to Tough and Unexpected Interview Questions

So, how to respond to unusual interview questions? Unlike traditional questions like "What were your achievements in the previous company?", there is no definite answer to most tough questions. Yet, you can still tackle them - just use these strategies:

Ask for a moment

If the interviewer caught you with a really surprising question, you can always say something like “Oh, it's a great question! Let me think about it…” You don't need to hurry up with a response. Taking a moment will help you calm your nerves and come up with a more structured, creative answer.

Don't panic

Every job-seeker encounter those weird questions at one point in their job application journey. Their goal is to check your quick thinking under pressure, so if you start to panic, you'll fail the test. Stay positive, acknowledge the question, and give the answer that shows your personality and the way of thinking.

Connect your answer to the company or the role

Whenever possible, connect your answer to a prospective job. For example, if asked “Are you a cat or a dog person?” you can think of the traits needed for the job and which animal reflects them better. Although, if you know for sure that the recruiter is a cat person, you can answer the same to connect with them on a personal level.

Don't be silent or say ‘I don't know'

Remember that all the tricky questions barely have the ‘right' answer. They are designed to drag you out of your comfort zone and let the hiring manager know your real personality traits: creativity, ability to solve complex problems, communicate clearly, etc. So, even if the question came as a total surprise, answer whatever comes to your mind – but do this with enthusiasm and a portion of sense of humor.

Think aloud

If you were asked a complex analytical question, this also doesn't mean that you have to come up with the right answer. Most importantly, they are interested in the way you think through the problem to discover a solution. So, share the steps of how you think over the task or the problem – and even if you don't provide the right answer, you'll demonstrate analytical skills.

Use humor

If you feel completely stuck thinking how to answer unconventional questions, why not use some humor? An appropriate joke will liven up the atmosphere, plus you will show your sense of humor and communication skills.

Follow the hiring manager's instructions

Listen to the question carefully and follow the instructions. If you neglect the directions, the interviewer can see it as poor attention to detail.

Remember that asking such questions is one of the stress interview techniques. An interviewer wants to drag you out of your comfort zone to check how you are going to react in stressful, unexpected situations. Ability to think on your feet and make decisions in a rapidly changing environment are highly important for many positions; so, make sure to react in any unexpected questions with confidence. And even if you don't know how to respond to a particular question, make sure to demonstrate the way you think and creative approach.

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People Also Ask

What are some obscure interview questions?

Obscure interview questions are intentionally vague or abstract to test your ability to think critically under pressure. Examples include âIf you were a kitchen appliance, what would you be?â or âDescribe the color red to a blind person.â

Are rare questions good or bad in interviews?

Rare or surprising questions can be great opportunities to stand outâif handled well. They help hiring managers evaluate creativity, adaptability, and cultural fit. Avoid canned answers and respond with personality and logic.

What is an example of a surprise interview question?

A classic surprise interview question might be: âIf aliens offered you any job on their planet, what would it be?â This challenges candidates to showcase their professional goals in an unexpected context.

How should I handle obscure or odd interview questions?

Start by taking a brief pause, then think aloud and provide an honest answer that reflects your values or personality. Humor and relevance to the role can boost your impression.

Why do employers use obscure or lateral-thinking questions?

Employers use obscure or lateral-thinking questions to break through rehearsed answers and evaluate problem-solving ability, innovation, and authenticity in real time.

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