Brain Teaser Questions for Job Seekers – Tips on How to Answer Odd Interview Questions

So I wanted to share some pretty random, totally legal, and wildly interesting interview questions I’ve come across. (Some I answered well; some I answered with “uuuummmmmmmmmmmmm ….” Yup. It happens. It happened to me three times in a row at one interview. What came after can only be described as feeling like I had carried my car back home on my right shoulder. ) To be very honest, I’m not so certain that these questions are a be-all end-all measure of one’s creativity or critical thinking skills, but some companies do rely heavily on these questions to select from a pool of equally qualified candidates.

There is no right or wrong answer; but you must be ready to dazzle and to inspire!  In order to do this, you must train and re-train your brain. 

The following are some practice questions you can ask yourself before the big day:

1.  If you could eat dinner with 3 historical or fictional figures, who would they be and why? Also, tell us what might be on the menu? (I supposed you need one conqueror to show your ambition, one fictional character to show you’re creative, and one scientist/inventor to show you’re intelligent and analytical. My recommendation would be to balance them out, but heck if they’re looking for someone who’s ambitious in sales, go with Genghis Kahn, Alexander the Great, and Julius Ceasar. You get my drift.)

2.  If you were the owner of a soda company, what would you name your new drink?  And why? (Think of some fun words you can quickly put together or make something up. Sodelish: because it’s a soda and it’s so delicious! Get it? Hire me.)

3.  Which charity would you donate to? And for what purpose? (Make sure you stay abreast of recent events – what global issues do you want to address and why?)

4.  Which animal seems “the most successful” to you? Why? (I think I said unicorn….then quickly realized unicorns aren’t animals…. Darn.)

5.  How would you describe the color blue to someone who is blind? (Oh, come on!!! Really? Ok, so if you really want the job, concentrate on coming up with words that describe the feeling of blue. Serenity, peaceful, tranquil, etc. Or associate the color with a recent experience you’ve had.)

Have you had any experiences with odd interview questions?

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Happy Job Hunting!