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How to handle those strange interview questions

You may have heard stories of strange interview questions being thrown at people during their interviews, but how do you respond when it happens to you? Everything might be going along nicely, you feel confident, and then this happens. 

What do you think of garden gnomes?”

Perhaps you misheard the interviewer. You ask them to repeat the questions. And there it is again!

“What do you think of garden gnomes?”

Is it a trick question? What do they want to hear from you? If you say you like garden gnomes, will they think you are a bit weird? If you say you don’t, will they get offended?

Why do employers ask strange interview questions?

The employer wants to see how you react to something out of the ordinary and to ascertain how quickly you can think on your feet. They want to get a better sense of who you are outside of the standard interview question. In their eyes, an unconventional question gives them a little bit more information about you. Consider it a creative alternative question to the standard, what is your favourite movie, colour or book.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by answering their question as best as you can, just like every other question before it.

What to do when a strange question gets thrown your way:

To help you out, here are some examples of strange interview questions to prompt a response. See how you go? Before you start thinking this could never happen to me – note these are all real questions which have been used in interviews.

Now don’t feel you need to start watching every Disney cartoon in the hope you get asked this question. For the most part, you cannot prepare for these questions. They are what they are. They are questions purely designed to test your response to an off the wall situation. Pause. Reflect. Respond. And if your answer just happens to make them smile at the same time, then that is a bonus!

Struggling with your interview skills? Contact our Career Consultants at Résumés for Results TODAY to discuss how we can assist you. You can call us on 1800 155 895 or send us an email to find out more. 

We also provide and specialise in professional  resume and cover letter writingselection criteria writingLinkedIn profile writingcareer coaching and job search advice.

We offer services across Australia, including all capital cities and regional areas. Our Professional Resume Writers and Career Consultants bring years of experience to the table, with a full range of career services available. We are here to help you to succeed.

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