How To Survive The Interview From Hell
By Larry Buhl
Is it not enough to have a resume bursting with accomplishments, an action plan for how you can benefit the company and a winning interview style to land the job? Now, you're also expected to answer brain teaser questions? Seriously?
Seriously. "This trend toward asking off-the-wall questions started in high tech a few years ago and has now emerged in interviews for jobs in a variety of fields," says John O'Connor, president of North Carolina-based CareerPro Inc., a professional career-coaching and branding company.
These questions are often brain teasers and can be anything from a complex, multilayered math and logic problem to a wacky question with no real answer. Some examples include:
How many rocks are on the face of the moon?
How many jellybeans can fit into a gallon jar?
Why are manhole covers round instead of square?
How many pounds of breakfast cereal are sold in the U.S. every year?
What are the decimal equivalents of 5/16 and 7/16?