Don’t Be Stumped By Strange Interview Questions

Job interviews are stressful. It’s hard to be in the hot seat. All of the hard work of your job search is finally paying off – you’ve made it to the job interview round.  Now all that lies between you and landing the job is the job interview.

It’s important to prepare for every job interview. Research the company. Get the inside scoop. Study your resume and the job listing. Review the industry. Clean up your appearance. Get a good night sleep. And of course, brainstorm how to answer potential interview questions. You can always prepare answers for common interview questions, but tackling strange interview questions is a little bit harder.

There are lots of companies out there who are known for their strange interview questions. As a job seeker, it’s a good idea to review some of the wackiest interview questions before you head to your next job interview. You may not get asked the same things, but at least you can train your brain. That way  you aren’t totally thrown for a loop when you get asked something out of the blue. Luckily, to help you prepare Glassdoor has compiled the Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions of 2014. Here they are:

1. “If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?” — The Zappos Family, Customer Loyalty Team Member interview.
2. “How lucky are you and why?” — Airbnb, Content Manager interview.
3. “If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?” — Apple, Specialist interview.
4. “If you could sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?” — Red Frog Events, Event Coordinator interview.
5. “Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?” — Dell, Account Manager interview.
6. “If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?” –Yahoo, Search Quality Analyst interview.
7. “If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?” — Bed Bath & Beyond, Sales Associate interview.
8. “Do you believe in Bigfoot?” — Norwegian Cruise Line, Casino Marketing Coordinator interview.
9. “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?” — Xerox, Client Manager interview.
10. “What is your least favorite thing about humanity?” — ZocDoc, Operations Associate interview.
11. “How would you use Yelp to find the number of businesses in the U.S.?” — Factual, Software Engineer interview.
12. “How honest are you?” — Allied Telesis, Executive Assistant interview.
13. “How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the U.S. each year?” — Goldman Sachs, Programmer Analyst interview.
14. “Can you instruct someone how to make an origami ‘cootie catcher’ with just words?” — LivingSocial, Consumer Advocate interview.
15. “If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?” — McKinsey & Company, Associate interview.
16. “You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?” — Urban Outfitters Sales Associate interview.
17. “How does the internet work?” — Akamai, Director interview.
18. “If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you and why?” –SinglePlatform, Inside Sales Consultant interview.
19. “What’s the color of money?” — American Heart Association, Project Manager interview.
20. “What was the last gift you gave someone?” — Gallup, Data Analyst interview.
21. “What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?” — Applebee’s, Bartender/Neighborhood Expert Server interview.
22. “How many snow shovels sold in the U.S. last year?” — TASER, Leadership Development Program interview.
23. “It’s Thursday; we’re staffing you on a telecommunications project in Calgary, Canada on Monday. Your flight and hotel are booked; your visa is ready. What are the top five things you do before you leave?” — ThoughtWorks, Junior Consultant interview.
24. “Describe to me the process and benefits of wearing a seatbelt.” — Active Network, Client Applications Specialist interview.
25. “Have you ever been on a boat?” — Applied Systems, Graphic Designer interview.

There is no doubt about it, these are certainly some wacky, off the wall interview questions, right? The point is that you’ll never know what to expect in a job interview. Recruiters can ask you anything they want. It’s fun to read strange interview questions. They are good for a laugh, but if you were asked these strange interview questions, how would you answer them? Find out how other people answered these questions here.

Recruiters want to see how you think, how you respond under pressure, how you might fit in with the company, and how your personality helps you answer these questions. There are typically no right or wrong answers. Think outside of the box and let your personality shine. Strange interview questions are just an experiment to help recruiters find the perfect job candidates.

Don’t worry about preparing for every one of these strange interview questions. The chances are slim that you’ll be asked the same questions at your next job interview. When it comes to job interviews, it’s important to expect the unexpected.