Memorable Interview Question???

[YeOldeProp]

Just to spark a little trip down memory lane for you successfully employed folks...what question did your interviewer ask you that really caught your attention?

Been talking with a few buddies (two who had unsuccessful early attempts before reaching the big leagues and several who hit the hiring boom and only needed one interview), and they all remembered one or two they thought were particularly good. One that caught my attention was:

"Tell us about a time you got someone to do something they didn't want to do".

Not sure if it's aviation related, or how to con a buddy into doing something for nothing, etc. Tends to show a bit of your character by how you answer...

Anyone care to share with those of us who are still reaching for that brass ring? Best of luck to all as we start the 2004 hiring "boom"...

 

[crashpad]

As a Montana resident,I interviewed with Ual in the 90s' and the HR gal asked if I paid federal income tax. I guess she assumed I was a Freeman or something.

 

[English]

Colgan asked me my marital status, and if I planned on having any children.

 

[FLB717]

I was once asked if I had ever deiced. I started laughing until I realized that they were serious. I said “ Well Ive deiced up to 7 times a day in CVG working for Comair.” WFTO, lets look at some paper work and use some common sense there HR,

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Colgan asked me my marital status, and if I planned on having any children.

Holy $hit, E. That's illegal!

 

[English]

Yep, but I wanted the job and the type rating, so I played nice.

Didn't think I'd get the job if I pointed out that their question was illegal.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Comair HR gal: "what's one thing in your life you would like to do that you haven't done?"

Me: "I want to circumnavigate the globe in a sailboat."

It's not that the question or the answer were so memorable, but the look on their faces was amazing. They LOVED it! Interviewers' body language speaks volumes as well. And whenever they look at each other as you are saying something, that's either real good or real bad. I caught a screwup in a recent interview because of two of the interviewers looking sideways at each other when I stated something. It woke me up enough to realize I had mistated something. Actually, I was just affirming a question the interviewer asked me. As I affirmed, these guys looked at each other funny and I realized that I should have said no to what the interviewer was asking me as he was setting up a scenario question. Good thing, I started my answer by saying that "first, I misspoke" I told them why, then went on to answer the question. Those two dudes looked back at each other and kinda smiled as if to say, yeah, no kidding, glad he caught that. We then all sang kumbaya.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Didn't think I'd get the job if I pointed out that their question was illegal.

Yeah, probably not a good tactic in the interview to tell them they can't ask something like that. I'm guessing there wasn't an HR rep on that panel? Part of their job is to keep the line of questioning legal, so I'm told. Wow, I'm amazed they asked that one. I would have liked to have seen the look on your face when they did!

 

[English]

I played it cool. I told them I wasn't going to have kids (which is the truth if I have any control over it) so he felt reassured that he could hire me. But I still get a kick out of some of the things I've been asked.

I was asked out at a corporate interview once...actually, at the end of the interview. I turned that job down.

I'll be glad to get to Aloha.

 

[Falconjet]

I thought it was funny

At the end of one of my interviews the interviewer was just about done with their group of questions and we still had a little bit of time left, so I was asked what I did before the CG. I said "I was in High School" and kind of chuckled, because I thought it was a funny question for someone who had left home 2 weeks after graduating HS to go to an Academy and then stayed in for 20 years. They obviously didn't know that (even with a resume right there, you wouldn't know that) but to me the question just seemed kind of funny. When they didn't laugh, I knew that it wasn't a funny question to kill time, it was an intro into the "I'm done with my questions, now its your turn to tell me about yourself or ask me any quesitons" part of the interview. You don't want to be the only one laughing during a job interview. I was pretty much sure right at that moment that I had blown the interview, but as it turned out it must have been ok because I passed the interview. Phew.