What makes interviews so nerve-wracking is the fear of the unknown. Will your knowledge of the company and your own résumé get you through the nail biting chat, or will you be asked about your hopes and dreams? Should you map out a potential five year plan to run by them, or seriously consider who you'd invite to a dinner party, dead or alive?
Based on Glassdoor's Top 10 Oddball Interview Questions for 2016, the only thing you can be sure of is that you'll never be 100% prepared for what the person on the other side of the desk might ask. Glassdoor, a jobs and recruiting site, looked at over 100,000 interview questions applicants shared over the past year to select the most unusual bunch.
Though it highlights the element of uncertainty in the job hunting process, the list can give you some comfort. However awkward it felt to describe your ideal vacation to your last interviewer, at least they didn't ask, "If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans, what would you do?" Unless, of course, you were interviewing with Bose. You can find this year's strangest questions below.
1. Asked at SpaceX: “When a hot dog expands, in which direction does it split and why?”
2. Asked at Whole Foods: “Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?”
3. Asked at Dropbox: “If you’re the CEO, what are the first three things you check about the business when you wake up?”
4. Asked at Urban Outfitters: “What would the name of your debut album be?”
5. Asked at J.W. Business Acquisitions: “How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?"
6. Asked at Hubspot: “If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start?”
7. Asked at Trader Joe’s: “What would you do if you found a penguin in the freezer?”
8. Asked at Boston Consulting Group: “If you were a brand, what would be your motto?”
9. Asked at Delta Airlines: “How many basketballs would fit in this room?”
10. Asked at Uniqlo Management: “If you had $2,000, how would you double it in 24 hours?”
2. Asked at Whole Foods: “Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?”
3. Asked at Dropbox: “If you’re the CEO, what are the first three things you check about the business when you wake up?”
4. Asked at Urban Outfitters: “What would the name of your debut album be?”
5. Asked at J.W. Business Acquisitions: “How would you sell hot cocoa in Florida?"
6. Asked at Hubspot: “If I gave you $40,000 to start a business, what would you start?”
7. Asked at Trader Joe’s: “What would you do if you found a penguin in the freezer?”
8. Asked at Boston Consulting Group: “If you were a brand, what would be your motto?”
9. Asked at Delta Airlines: “How many basketballs would fit in this room?”
10. Asked at Uniqlo Management: “If you had $2,000, how would you double it in 24 hours?”