uptown47
Lifetime Supporting Member
I was just reading an old revived thread on here regarding the answer to an interview question. It got me wondering what's the most ridiculous interview question you've ever been asked? Or the most outlandish answer / porky-pie you've told at an interview..?
I was once being interviewed for a line electricians job. I'd been shown around the factory by a really down-to-earth electrical manager and I'd explained my background. He was sure that I'd have no problem at all technically and, after looking at their equipment, I completely agreed with him. The job was almost a done deal except the "production manager" wanted to see me first.
This guy was a real clown. He thought he knew everything about everything and treated our chat as though he was interrogating a captured spy rather than interviewing someone with many years experience for what was, essentially, a simple enough job.
After an absolute barage of 'Interviewing for Dummies' standard questions such as "Why do you want to work for us?", "Name a situation where you've overcome a problem?", "Name a situation where you've had to use your initiative?" yada yada yada... he finally got to "What do you think you'll bring to this factory?"
I stared at him, shrugged my shoulders and flatly answered, "a sense of humour?".
This threw him and the interview finished soon after that. I got the job but I think it was more to do with the fact that they just couldn't find qualified people to fill the role and put up with the s**t that came with working there (mainly from the production manager).
Strange thing was, he was 'head hunted' a few months after that and left to work at a neighbouring factory. The word was that other managers had contacted this factory telling them how amazing he was in order to get him 'head hunted' so that he would leave without them having to pay him off.
I didn't keep in touch with him when he left but I heard a few years later that he had once again been 'head hunted' and moved to another factory so it seems that workplaces were just passing him about because nobody wanted him!!
I was once being interviewed for a line electricians job. I'd been shown around the factory by a really down-to-earth electrical manager and I'd explained my background. He was sure that I'd have no problem at all technically and, after looking at their equipment, I completely agreed with him. The job was almost a done deal except the "production manager" wanted to see me first.
This guy was a real clown. He thought he knew everything about everything and treated our chat as though he was interrogating a captured spy rather than interviewing someone with many years experience for what was, essentially, a simple enough job.
After an absolute barage of 'Interviewing for Dummies' standard questions such as "Why do you want to work for us?", "Name a situation where you've overcome a problem?", "Name a situation where you've had to use your initiative?" yada yada yada... he finally got to "What do you think you'll bring to this factory?"
I stared at him, shrugged my shoulders and flatly answered, "a sense of humour?".
This threw him and the interview finished soon after that. I got the job but I think it was more to do with the fact that they just couldn't find qualified people to fill the role and put up with the s**t that came with working there (mainly from the production manager).
Strange thing was, he was 'head hunted' a few months after that and left to work at a neighbouring factory. The word was that other managers had contacted this factory telling them how amazing he was in order to get him 'head hunted' so that he would leave without them having to pay him off.
I didn't keep in touch with him when he left but I heard a few years later that he had once again been 'head hunted' and moved to another factory so it seems that workplaces were just passing him about because nobody wanted him!!