Ridiculous interview questions
Ridiculous interview questions
(OP)
What is the most ridiculous question you’ve been asked at an interview? What was your answer?
Here’s mine. I interviewed at a major auto parts paint plant and after the interviewer seemed to be satisfied that I qualified for the job, he asked me what motivated me most to get up in the morning and go to work. I enjoy my work, but who doesn’t have some bad days.
The answer I gave was that I had a mortgage to pay and a family to feed…..a pay cheque!
He looked dumfounded for a moment then asked was that all. I said no, I also get the satisfaction of knowing I’ve earned it.
He said he appreciated my candid answer, hired me and then told me I wouldn’t believe some of the answers he got to that question.
After I got to know him, I realized that had I said something like “for the greater good of the ACME Widget Co. the next candidate would have been brought in. A trick question? Maybe, but an honest answer benefited me that time.
Haggis
Here’s mine. I interviewed at a major auto parts paint plant and after the interviewer seemed to be satisfied that I qualified for the job, he asked me what motivated me most to get up in the morning and go to work. I enjoy my work, but who doesn’t have some bad days.
The answer I gave was that I had a mortgage to pay and a family to feed…..a pay cheque!
He looked dumfounded for a moment then asked was that all. I said no, I also get the satisfaction of knowing I’ve earned it.
He said he appreciated my candid answer, hired me and then told me I wouldn’t believe some of the answers he got to that question.
After I got to know him, I realized that had I said something like “for the greater good of the ACME Widget Co. the next candidate would have been brought in. A trick question? Maybe, but an honest answer benefited me that time.
Haggis





RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I ended that interview as quickly as possible, and told the agency I wouldn't work for that man until I was so starved that my navel was sticking to my spine.
But wait, there's more...
After telling the agency I was absolutely not interested, they set up an interview anyways! They pushed pretty hard, so I let them think I was going until an hour before the interview when I called to cancel.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
see Thread404-118635 ("why are manhole covers round?")
I'm not sure that I've been asked any really stupid questions - usually the ones that seem stupid were really intended to check critical reasoning skills or similar. I was once asked "how would you explain the size of a micron to a three-year-old?"
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Unfortunately my wit wasn't quick enough to say "the one you just asked", but I definitely have the answer if I ever get it again.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Oops. That was before the interview. Weeding out question. Over 40, don't apply.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Note that this was in an interview for a postion as a Facilities Engineer (Electrical) at a university.
I answered that I could give him a verifiable answer in 15 minutes if he'd loan me a thermometer and a second cup.
I didn't get the job, and neither did I learn the answer to the question. I haven't ever taken the time to do a heat-transfer-over-time analysis. It just didn't bother me that much....
Old Dave
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I wasn't sure how to reply, so I replied as if I was making a dating video. With a straight face I said, "I like long walks on the beach, cheesy horror movies..." After everyone got a good laugh, the interviewer clarified his question.
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
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RE: Ridiculous interview questions
When I was in college, we engineering majors cowered in fear in the back row of the higher math classes. The instructor said very first day: "I know you engineering types may not grasp this, but at least show some interest, and I will give you at least a "C".
Another math instructor would always say, as he was handing out test papers, "There will be many casualties on this test"
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Never trust employment agencies to find you the right job.
corus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
1) "Where do you see yourself 5 years from now, 10 years from now....",etc.
2) "Tell me a little about yourself..." or, "So tell me about <insert your name>" - as MadMango described.
Usual questions when interviewing small consulting firm:
1) "Can you start tomorrow? We are swamped!"
2) "I really can't afford to pay you that. If we select you, we can discuss a salary increase after 3 months".
Footnote to 2):
Hah! It will never happen. You will be lucky to get an assigned parking space.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
;---
Showed a print that said something like "N detectable flaws allowed per unit volume", was queried, "What is the acceptable number of _un_detectable flaws?"
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I quit a couple months later.
Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP1.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I'd seen the answer in a mag the week before. Still didn't get the job.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
corus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Would it even start at all?
TTFN
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP1.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
could be this worked in your favour... would you have wanted to work for these guys? be tough to discover they are who they are after you've moved home etc.
Actually, there is a corollary to this; "what questions should they ask but didn't?"
How many companies actually check references, educational qualifications etc?
A company I once worked for recruited someone who was in the "too good to be true category". Almost overqualified, terrific experience. Prepared to work for them and for the money they were offering.
Of course, when, on his second day of work he didn't appear but they got a call from the police instead, they discovered it was a case of identity theft.... the guy was an ilegal imigrant who lifted his identity and cv from the internet.
Now what sort of questions would it take to expose this guy?
But of course, HR took control of the interviews and they know about as much engineering as they do about... well, about people I suppose.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
corus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
h
Vita sine litteris mors est.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
SCET - Techmaximus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Maybe you could just tell the interviewer the the eigen values go to zero, or infinity, or whatever.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
The answer to the hot cup of coffee question is to add the cream now because, at the lower temp, it would cool slower. This is an old one that was discussed in my heat transfer class many moons ago.
More important than the silly questions is what you see and hear during the interview. If it doesn't look and sound right, keep moving. Don't accept lower offers than your level. Also, interview your propective boss for his qualifications.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
About 11 years ago, when I was interviewing for the position I now hold, my interviewer asked the usual barrage of questions, some logical, others not so.
The canned question, "Where would you like to be in 5 years"? My canned reply "I would like to be in your position"!
Within seconds, she got up, left the interview room, and after an amount of time, I went outside to see what happened to her. I was told that she checked out and left for the day!
I didn’t hear from this office for 6 months when I was recalled for another interview and was hired. My future boss told me that I scared my first interviewer so much that she thought that I was after her job, and promptly destroyed my files and all notes from the interview!
Word of mouth steered my future boss to me.
She quit soon after I was hired, and would never look at me in the eyes when we spoke. I didn’t realize I was that threatening!
Franz
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
But, what started as a joke became a surprisingly good predictor of a person best suited for the work (building/failure investigations). It also elicited some surprisingly candid responses.
Movies liked by the best candidates oddly enough can be found on Thread1088-116509 (Engineering Movies)
The two people who turned out to be the worst hires both liked the same movie, Like Water for Chocolate.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Speaking of heat transfer, there is a story around that hot water pipes will freeze before cold water pipes. People around here that come from the country claim it is true. There are several stories on the internet about it but it is still hard for me to believe. Something about the larger temperature difference in the hot pipe causes a rapid loss of heat.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
That hot water / cold water pipe thing bugs me. I know it's generally the case in HVAC units that the hot will freeze first, but it's mainly because the tubes are much smaller. (Takes less water to move heat at 100 degree F approach to the air (heating) than to move heat at 20 degree F approach to the air (cooling). Less water in the coil, faster to freeze.
HOWEVER, if I put two trays of water in the freezer at the same time and one is 200 degrees F, the other 50 degrees F, the cooler one will freeze first. I have had mechanics infer the opposite from what they observe in the field.
OK, somebody shoot me down. I'm always anxious to learn!!
Fun,
Old Dave
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
If I were asked how a 5-oz. bird could carry a one-pound coconut? I would suggest slinging it between the dorsal guiding feathers with a strand of creeper.
I heard the freezing rate is more related to the air entrainment of cold water. Apparently, water with no entrained air (hot water) freezes suddenly at a certain point, while the cold water freezes gradually, so it doesn't catch up. That's what I heard.
William
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
doesn't a hot water pipe become a cold water pipe sometime before freezing?
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
There are a lot of other conditions to concider. The hot water/cold water freeze problem was hashed out on another board back in January.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Techmaximus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20030930.html
"You'll be glad to know that however mysterious the phenomenon is, the Mpemba effect is put to good use by many ice-cream makers, who use warm milk instead of cool to help their ice cream freeze more quickly. "
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Hg
Eng-Tips guidelines: FAQ731-376
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I would go with Ivymike. Hotwater pipe should become a coldwater pipe before freezing.
If two freezers work at constant load and if hotwater freezes faster, this indicates less heat(because it works for lesser time) is removed from hotwater yet temperature is lowered down.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Seriously now, I think we're all way off track.
I haven't a ridiculous question to contribute, but a very astute one:
"What is a drawing for?" My answer got me the job.
Steven Fahey, CET
"Simplicate, and add more lightness" - Bill Stout
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Anything else I've heard seems contrived ("I work too hard," "I'm a perfectionist," "I put the job ahead of my personal life," etc...).
I certainly can't answer that one completely when it comes up, since my major weaknesses involve females, Italian food, and fine cigars. That just would't do.
Good thread!
Old Dave
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I know people who think their water pipe split when it THAWED.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Borrow a lug nut from the three other wheels and drive to the nearest service station and buy some more.
Haggis
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Not: 1) Walk across the parking lot to the parts store.
2) Get some spares out of my toolbox.
3) Choke the crap out of the dunce that kicked them down there.
4) Since they were in my pocket, I 'm down the drain too, and have bigger things to worry about.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Techmaximus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
ht
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
corus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Wouldn't the correct answer be not to add any cream at all.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
1. Adding the cream now. Even though the cream is colder, the coffee is cooling more quickly;
2. Waiting 15 minutes; the cream will warm up, but the coffee will be cooling more slowly.
The answer is a definite "It depends (on a second-order nonlinear partial differential equation with variable coefficients)." Vide supra.
Regards,
William
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Go to http://ww
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I always have to make something up!
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
A: "My only weakness is that sometimes I am too modest."
--
Dr Michael F Platten
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Seems like there are some common questions in interviews as if these guys all have the same play book:
"What are you weaknesses?"
"Why do you want to work for us?"
You know that buyers often get sent on sales courses just to learn the tricks they will come up against?
In the job interview arena we don't have the advantage of going on a training course for recruiters and we don't go to that many interviews.
But a thread like this can help if we don't just focus on the most ridiculous interview questions (just have to wing those) but if we do identify the most commonly asked questions and are able to prepare our answers.
MickeyP, i like your last but did you ever use it or just wish you had?
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
A "Since every interviewer who asked me that question in the past hasn't hired me, and every interviewer who had better things to ask about did hire me, my answer must be 'Next question?'."
Steven Fahey, CET
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
corus
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
If the questioner responded with the same question, ask it to be more narrowly defined. In the US, your personal life situations are not allowable, only relevant work history. The questioner cannot ask about them, but if you freely state them, they can be used in a split hiring decision!
Franz
eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Therefore, whether the interviewer admits it or not, they are often seeking the candidate that will be the "best fit" in the organization, persons with the appropriate personality, drive, etc. In this regard, any question that solicits a response can be a good question (or put another way - there is no such thing as a ridiculous question).
Think about it this way - of those who have left your company within 2 years of being hired, how many did it for reasons other than technical competance?
Seeking resumes, conducting interviews, and hiring people costs the company money. Hiring the wrong person just wastes this money, and in contrast, finding the "person with the best fit" who can do the job increases the chances that this person will still be an employee in 5 years and is a great use of these expenses.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Thats the only information you get.
It was a simple "Firmy" problem, they just wanted to see your rationalization and really didn't care about the correct answer. That is probably what they were looking at regarding to the match in space.
At an interview with a smaller company that I had to drive 6hrs to and didn't get any re-embursement (I didn't mind not getting paid, but its nice). I was tore apart by the employer. One question that stands out was "what do you like to do in your spare time". Ive heard it befor no big deal. "Hunting, Fishing, Snowboarding in the winter, and Motocross in the summer"
Now I know its not always good to mention "Risky" hobbies but I really dont want to work for ANY company that thinks they have the right to tell me what I can or cant do in my spare time. Also, Ive never missed a day of work because of an injury, and I laborered through college, no cushy desk job.
ANYWAYS.. He immediatly replied.. "we had a guy that worked here who rode motorcycles (Harley).." the guy goes on for a good minute or so on how much they loved this guy and how good of a worker he was. He then says "he died in a motorcycle accident a year ago". I didn't know what to say, it totally caught me off guard. I looked at the other man that was with him to see his reaction which was the same constant smirk he had the entire interview.
Didn't hear from them, nor did I want to.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
You should have told him you never sleep because most people die in a bed.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
As an example:
"We'll, like everyone I have weeknesses but are am always working to improve on them. For example, after graduating college I wasn't organized enough. Of course I quickly realized this and was able to solve the problem by xyz..."
This not only shows your ability to recognize and solve a problem, but also demonstrates that you have a desire to continually improve yourself.
In my opinion, your the potential employer really doesnt want to hear about your weaknesses, just how you deal with them and keep them in check.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
For heaven's sake... KNOW your weaknesses, TELL about them and be done with it. I would rather hire a sincere person than a dumbo who thinks he can bluff his way into my company.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Sorry, early morning pun.
Cheers,
CanuckMiner
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
gh(4)
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
They ask canned questions, we give canned answers, then all they are left with is to pick the candidate with the best haircut.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
hey, I'm pleased to say that as an interviewer I've never asked any of these stupid questions.
There again, I only ever recommended one hire (who turned out to be every bit as good as I thought she would be)
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Hg
Eng-Tips guidelines: FAQ731-376
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Regards
Dave
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
My very first interview, 8 yrs ago, was still in college with 1 month till graduation. The interviewer, a vice-pres., had me solve engineerng problems on the chalkboard in his office!! Had mixed feelings about it, but when asked, I said "sure..." and did it anyway as if I didn't mind. Got the problems right. After finishing the interview (4 hours), he asked me to call him in a week (yes, he wanted ME to call HIM back - I never understood this....). I didn't. Took an awsome job with another company....
Another wierd question I was asked (non-engineering job, before becoming an engineer):
"How much do you save a month?"
I ended the interview as politely as I could and ran screaming from the building.
A great question I had once at an engineering firm, and was complimented on my response:
"Give me an example of a task you completed or a goal you accomplished where you thought you were going to fail in the beginning, but actually succeeded?" I explained to the interviewer that I build radio-control model airplanes, and that I took on a particular model once that was way out of my league, and I knew I would fail, but I just wanted to see what would happen if I tried. I built the plane, and it flew beautifully - an outstanding success, as if I knew what I was doing the whole time. Her jaw hit the ground. I got the job. She later told me all her other canidates used "work-related" examples that were incredibly boring. My example was "interesting and refreshing." Since she didn't specify to use a work related examples in her question, by using an example from my personal life showed creativity - that I could think outside the box. My response was not planned, it was honest, dumb luck that I answered the way I did.
Thanks for the great posts, everyone!!
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
"If you are floating in a boat in a pond and throw a brick overboard, what happens to the water level in the pond?"
I had already thought this one through for some reason and had the answer to hand. However, my (correct) answer was disputed by the interviewer. I argued my case for a bit, thinking that maybe my explanation & arguing skills were being tested, but he was adamant.
I didn't get (or really want) the sponsorship. And it still scares me that someone in that industry (nuclear power generation) doesn't understand the priciples of floatation.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
With respect to knowing how much you save, I've met people who could quantify that, but I always felt they spent more time keeping score than actually improving anything. At a lot of outfits, it's very difficult to figure out what anything _really_ costs, and those seem to be the places where "cost improvement" projects are most popular.
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
If you were a tree, what kind would you be and why?
I know its one of those "see how they react under pressure" questions, but it still blows my mind to this day.
I look forward to asking the same thing when I interview someone *evil grin*.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
If the brick sinks to the bottom (exerting a force on the bottom), the water level will rise. If it floats (at any height above the surface), the level stays the same.
It's a question of upthrust and weight of water displaced. The weight of water displaced to float both the brick and the boat doesn't depend on whether the brick is in the boat or not.
My interviewer was adamant that the relative (to water) density of the brick had to be 1.0 for the level to stay the same.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Hg
Eng-Tips guidelines: FAQ731-376
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I thought the obvious answer was, "I took a shower and got dressed!"
-It wasn't what he was looking for, but he didn't hold it against me either.
SC
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Could he have meant this in a work related manner i.e. how much do you save the company a month?
i.e. if it refers to how successful you are at cutting costs.
Of course, it could also be directed at your personal savings but even if you think about this as a work related enquiry i.e. are you prudent (or pad too much) it isn't a good thing.
This attitude of mind could indicate a very cash flow limited company watching their margins.
Don't take the job because they will be cutting margins and overheads everywhich way including your salary.
Companies that are going somewhere usually are doing so by growth. If they are watching margins it also leads to increasing prices without regard to the market price and a whole host of other cretinous policies known only to management.
In fact, one of the most revealing points about this thread is not how much they learn about you from these questions but how much they reveal about themselves.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Archimedes Principle says that the weight of water displaced by a floating object equals the weight of the floating object.
When you throw the brick overboard, the boat weighs less, so it displaces less water, and the water level drops, until the brick hits the water.
Assuming the brick sinks, the water level now rises again to make up for the volume of the brick.
So if the density of the brick is greater than water (it sinks) the volume of the brick is less than the volume of water of equal weight. Therefore the water level would would not quite rise to its original level; a net drop in level. (In other words, you have fewer floating objects, therefore less displacement of water.)
If the density of the brick is equal to water, you have no net change in level.
If you have a floating brick, you would still have no net change in level. The weight of all floating objects is still the same & the water displaced is still the same.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Oops, I meant to write that the level of water would FALL if the brick sank (finger/brain/memory trouble). That part is obvious to anyone who's got high-school physics qualifications. And that part was understood by my interviewer.
It was the "what if it floats?" bit that bugged me.
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
You should have explained to him that if the volume of the brick material was shaped in a certain fashion it could indeed float.
Archimedes was another famous Scot who's name was misspelt over the years. It was really Archie Medes
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Hg
Eng-Tips guidelines: FAQ731-376
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
I didn't get the job, I figure coincidence.
Cheers
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
You're joking right?
I wouldn't hire you either if you're a mechanical engineer and don't know the very most basic vibrations concept. Seriously. I could look over this for an environmental engineer.
I thought this was supposed to be "Ridiculous Questions" not answers.
DES
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
"The realistic engineering answer would be that in any reasonable pond larger than a bathtub, there would be no significant change in water level. We're supposed to handle real-world problems!"
Whilst I agree with the point made, you have to remember that my interview was with BNFL. For pond, read "cooling tank". For brick, read "spent fuel rod". For water level, read "overflow".
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
TTFN
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
Maybe that was common practice at BNFL inthe 1980's? Otherwise, why the interview question?
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TTFN
RE: Ridiculous interview questions
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One day my ship will come in.
But with my luck, I'll be at the airport!