While scanning CV's scattered on the table of our hr this morning, I was reminded of my past interviews. There were times that employer asked me bad questions which confused and offended me. Bad questions really don’t make sense unlike the good ones, but these help the employers judge the technical and mental qualifications of the applicants.
With my actual experiences I have hereunto enumerated my top 10 worst job interview questions along with my answers and "comments".
# 1 How will you see yourself after 5 years?
The most irritating questions of all times. When I was in high school, our English teacher required us to write a formal theme with the topic "My life after 5 years". Absolutely, my teacher was not thinking. She did not realize that we need 4-5 years to complete a bachelor's degree.So it is very much certain that 5 years after high school graduation we are still in college. And when I was in college, our English 101 instructor did the same thing. During our final examinations he gave us one hour to make an essay with this topic "What I wanted to be after 5 years". I hate to be asked by this question. I thought this question is asked only by teachers. I never thought this is one of the favorite questions in the interview. My response: Well, your company looks pretty good!
# 2 Describe yourself in three words.
Is this a beauty contest? How will we describe ourselves in three words? For questions as nonsense as this why don’t we give the interviewer a choking answer? Begin your answer with the phrase "I am". I am lovable. I am "papable". I am yummy. I am sincere. I am loyal. I am honest. My response: three words are not enough!
# 3 Tell me about yourself.
If you got nuts on your head you will surely ask the interviewer, "Don't you read my curriculum vitae?" Curriculum vitae show all the information about the applicant – his jobs experiences, educational background, personal details and so on and so forth which are enough to answer this question. My response: Would you be willing to listen and be with me for at least one hour?
# 4 Rate yourself.
Here it goes. Another irritating question. If you don't expect this question, this will give you a crack on your head. How are you going to rate yourself anyway? You should ask the interviewer what's the highest? If he said 10 rate yourself 9. Certainly his follow-up question would be, "Why only 9?'' Tell him you're not perfect. My answer: 9 over 10, 1 for reservation in case you disagree.
# 5 Why are you interested to work in our company?
This is the common question the employer often asks to the applicants. It's pretty obvious that the need to work for a living is the main reason why an applicant is interested to work. My straightforward answer: I need a job!
# 6 Can you work under pressure?
Nobody will say no to this question. If during the first question, you felt bad about the interviewer and sensed his different aura, then, answer him no. My answer: I'm used to that.
# 7 Do you know how to drive a car?
Funny but true. First time I encountered this question during my interview with my current company. The last interviewer (it was a panel of interview) asked me this question. I was speechless. I applied for accounting position and not as a driver. My answer (short and thoughtless): I know.
# 8 Do you abuse alcohol and drugs?
This is one of the offending questions I always avoid to hear. What made the interviewer ask this question? Do I look like a drunkard and a drug addict? My response: I'm an occasional drinker and I only take OTC drugs.
# 9 If you are a lost character, what would you be?
I don’t like to recall my answer to this question. It was so frustrating.
# 10 If a train is traveling to the north, what is the speed of light?
Is this a question of a normal person? This question was asked to my friend. He stood up and walked out.
Tricky and hypothetical questions are often asked by the interviewer to test the psychological abilities of the applicants. They really exist on the interview whether we like it or not.
