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The Dumbest Interview Question

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Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#51

Post by pwnstigator »

fburnaby wrote: post #45

I hope you don't mind my running this by you all. If I'm asked this question, I will respond that my biggest weakness is that I'm coming from academia. I believe that many hiring managers will consider this a problem, or at least a potential problem. I believe it may be a good answer anyways because 1) it doesn't actually tell them anything "bad" that they didn't already know, and 2) it signals that I am aware that w…

Most people in the working world have a negative opinion of "academia". On the other hand, this anti-intellectualism is more pronounced in crappy jobs, so it might be a good filtering mechanism.

If your goal is to get any job, though, it's not the best answer. Most people will see that as a real weakness.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#52

Post by araneae »

eswat wrote: post #6

"If you were a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?"

I got "if you were a dessert, what would you be" on a college interview.

I answered "a frozen honeydew ant" and left it at that. (It's really a dessert in some parts of the world, I swear.) I got waitlisted.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#53

Post by pwnstigator »

It's not such a terrible question if the answer is run through a translator.

"I work too hard" => ass-kisser. "I'm a perfectionist" => not aware of what "perfectionist" means. It's a crippling trait. "Chocolate cake" => self-indulgent. "Women" => sexual harassment lawsuit magnet.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#55

Post by araneae »

hernan7 wrote: post #39
btilly wrote: post #3

The question may be dumb, but dodging it is foolish when it is so easy to turn it to your benefit. My answer is, "I am too extroverted." And I go on to explain that I am unable to engage in heads-down focused programming for extended periods of time without mental breaks because of my personality. I point out that most of the public is extroverted, but most programmers are introverted and I explain the reasons for th…

I disagree with the part about religion and family. Don't give them ammo to discriminate against you.

Bring up the family if you're a guy; businesses love family guys, they think it makes them more likely to stick around, etc. But if you're a woman... DON'T DO IT. It's the most sure way to not get hired (well, besides the obvious.)

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#56

Post by pwnstigator »

clueless123 wrote: post #38
cjoh wrote: post #30

I ask this question in interviews all the time. It helps me filter for people who are liars. I ask it, and if they say "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" then I don't hire them because they're at best delusional and at worst liars. And you know who else I don't hire? 20 somethings who proceed to say that the question is stupid. That's a tell-tale sign of young man's disease-- an ego that hasn't caught up with…

A ton of excellent developers work way to hard and are obsesive compulsive about perfection. This is so common as to warrant whole chapters about "the best is the enemy of the good" and so on. And.. it is a weakness.. a big weakness. it is no bullshit.

I agree. The problem with "I'm a perfectionist" is that:

1. It's a common stock answer, so giving it signifies a lack of imagination.

2. Taken at face value, it's a real weakness (good; honest), but it's one that can cause problems for the business (bad). It's a crippling trait which might prevent a person from meeting deadlines, and that's not something you want to indicate during an interview.

You want to answer the "biggest weakness" question with a genuine weakness (not "I work too hard") but one that can't, in any way, result in missed deadlines or upset clients/co-workers. This means that most people need to "lie" to the extent of selecting their #3 or #4 biggest weakness. The actual biggest weakness, for most of us, won't get the job.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#57

Post by j_baker »

Why is it that so many people view interviewing as being about getting them to like you? I think it's about making sure that the job is a proper fit. Therefore, I'll answer it honestly. Worst case scenario is that I say what they don't want to hear and don't get a job I probably wasn't cut out for anyway.

Re: The Dumbest Interview Question

#58

Post by marltod »

Honesty is NOT an asset in a lot of corporate jobs. Someone who answers honestly in a way that makes them look bad, is more likely to be honest when around customers than those who avoid really answering the question.
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