The worst question I ever got asked was: "If your friends were here, what one word would they use to describe you?" I mean, what kind of answer are you supposed to give to that?
Leaving. As would be my friend.
The Dumbest Interview Question
31–40 of 49 posts
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#32You see, this stupid question is designed to be rightly answered by someone who has carefully crafted an answer that turn some apparent weakness into a perceived strength. Wrong. That's precisely the kind of answer it's meant to weed out. The question is supposed to show your ability for reflection on your faults (because everybody has them), and let you explain how you are going about working on them. If you take it…
I've asked something like this while giving an interview before: "What's your greatest weakness? And don't do the thing where you turn it around to a strength." That just really seemed to confuse people. They weren't very good candidates though.
Interesting strategy... It's something like asking "What's the number one reason I shouldn't hire you?"
I can't see a benefit to asking it, as it would only favor dishonest applicants while irritating others, but it would be interesting to hear the answers.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#33I think it's better to give an answer directly related to your skills in your field. None of us is perfect, and we should all have some particular things we are working on. If you get the job, your actual weaknesses will become apparent soon enough. I could say, for example, that I tend to focus on functionality vs readability in code, but after a few years in commercial software development I see that maintainability of the code is of paramount importance so I am working to better present my code so that others can use it.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#34I am a perfectionist. I always meet deadlines, but that is because I am willing to work many extra hours to satisfy my need to be perfect. It's good for the company, but bad for me.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#35I once had an interviewer ask me my greatest weakness, stop me before I started to speak, and added "don't even try to give me an strength dressed up as a weakness because I'll keep rejecting your answer until you give me one I like." Upon hearing my response, he asked me what I was doing to combat that weakness. Upon hearing that response, he asked me how progress was and to project how long it would be before it wa…
Can you just say "can't say no to pretty girls"? So, you reveal a maybe real weakness, but it is totally outside your work field and yet doesn't affect your hiring. So, I still think this question is dumb.
I'm pretty sure he would rejected that answer...
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#36My greatest weakness is that I'm old, experienced and been around enough that I'm unwilling to put up with bullshit such as clueless interviewers and usually lack the tact to hide it. It's very liberating once you realize the company needs you more than you need them.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#37My greatest weakness is that I have to come to you and get interviewed before you five me this job.
[:P - haven't yet faced an interview - merry christmas]
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#38It's a horrible question.
I never ask it, but I've been part of interview committees where someone else asked it. I finally realized what it's good for.
It tells you how a candidate handles a completely inappropriate question that shouldn't have been asked, and most definitely should not be answered honestly.
Now, whenever it comes up (which is rarely), that's how I take it: as an invitation to show how insincere I can be without letting on.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
One of my previous coworkers and I were interviewing a guy together, and I believe his was one of the most ridiculous questions ever: "If you could get rid of one of the United States completely, which would it be and why?"
It's ridiculous, but no more so than the brain-twister puzzle type that used to get so much attention. Actually, it would be fun to conduct an interview consisting of nothing but ridiculous questions like this, while acting as though the interview were completely normal. I don't think I could pull it off with a straight face though.
I think it would end up like this Monty Python Silly Job Interview Sketch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP0sqRMzkwo
Not something I want to see when it's me/my life on the line, really. Take it seriously and talk sense, please.
Re: The Dumbest Interview Question
#40An interviewer should assess a candidate for.
1. Can Do
2. Will Do
A good interviewer should filter a "Can Do" candidate by seeing his CV and should interview whether the candidate "Will Do".
Otherwise the interviewer is absolutely clueless about the job you are being interviewed.