Dealing with unusual job interview questions.

October 11, 2006 10:41 PM

Dealing with odd job interview questions (What kind of a fruit am I?)

In about a week or so, I will be interviewing with a prospective employer who, based on what I've heard from others that have interviewed with him, has a reputation for asking those annoying no-right-or-wrong-answer questions like "If you were a fruit/color/animal/car/blah, what kind of fruit/color/animal/car/blah would you be?" or "If you were granted one superpower of your choosing, what would it be?"

I understand that these questions are meant to see what kind of a response they elicit from a person that does not expect to be asked something like that. What are some good responses to these types of questions?

posted by Pontius Pilate to work & money (27 comments total)

Do as the politicians do. Give the actual question a perfunctory response, then use it as an opportunity to hit your talking points.


You do have talking points, don't you?
posted by mr_roboto at 10:52 PM on October 11, 2006

What fruit you pick probably doesn't matter; what matters is how you think about it. You want to consider for a short time, and then be reasonably decisive and be able to give a sentence or so worth of justification for your answer. Don't just blurt out any old thing, but don't get hung up for 10 minutes trying to find the "perfect" answer.

The way to prepare is to think in advance about what the company is likely to want from you, and what qualities of yours you would most like to emphasize.

Then think of a list of 5 questions (what kind of fruit, what kind of car, if you could travel to one place, etc) and try to rough out reasonable answers that tie back to those qualities of yours. This will give you some practice in choosing among goofy options, and giving one or two sentence justifications.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:56 PM on October 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

Also, search AskMeFi for the tag "interview" for related stuff. And you might look at the book How Would You Move Mount Fuji?, which is a book about puzzle-based interview questions. It's not mostly about ones like "what kind of fruit" but as I recall it touches on that kind of thing, and what employers are interested in when they ask those questions.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:59 PM on October 11, 2006

The substance of your response to these questions doesn't really matter. What matters is that you don't appear rattled by the question and that you deliver a poised and confident response.

To give yourself confidence, I suggest identifying a few strengths and weaknesses that you're comfortable discussing in an interview. Many of these silly types of interview questions will be easily answered by drawing upon these pre-fabbed descriptions of your personal qualities. E.g., "I would choose super-speed, because I sometimes overwhelm myself with ideas and can't accomplish everything I would like."

On preview, I agree with LobsterMitten's advice too.
posted by brain_drain at 11:01 PM on October 11, 2006

Ugh... I hate these questions. If someone ever asked me that in an interview I would do my best not to audibly sigh and roll my eyes but I fear that it would still manage to squeak out.

Actually I just imagined myself in an interview and the guy asked me "what kind of fruit would you be?" to which I responded, after a short pause, "an apple." Apparantly in my head I had nothing to add. So I imagined him asking me why, to which I imagined myself responding "because I happen to like apples."

Honestly, I would rather say that and risk it than try to somehow describe myself in fruit form. If I'm going to have to do silly tap-dances for this person as part of the daily job then we're going to butt heads sooner or later and we might as well get it over with.

Of course, I don't have a job riding on my answer so that's easy for me to say.
posted by PercussivePaul at 11:11 PM on October 11, 2006

I'd say "A mangosteen. Ever had a manogsteen?" (99.9% chance he hasn't.) And then I'd tell him about it. If he asked me why I'd want to be a mangosteen, I'd say "I just got to spend two minutes telling you about my favourite fruit, and I bet you want one right now."
posted by solid-one-love at 11:25 PM on October 11, 2006 [1 favorite]

I completely agree with PercussivePaul.

On the more practical side, the idea of choosing one for every possible 'What x would you..' question and then having pat answers ready is probably a very good one.

And are going to be much better answers than they deserve for such stupid questions, for that matter. (What they deserve are more like "I'm a Ferrari. Because I'm really expensive, everyone wants me, and I'm pretty but very impractical." but that won't land ~anyone~ a job.)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 11:31 PM on October 11, 2006

I realize that my first answer probably wasn't very helpful. Maybe I can extend my distate for job interviews into a more useful opinion.

We all have to market ourselves, especially in job interviews. But just like a savvy consumer sees right through hollow advertising fluff, so too will a savvy boss see through a rehearsed answer that says nothing real about the candidate as a person. One website I read on the 'fruit' question advised choosing a fruit that would go well in a fruit salad, because you work well will others. Well, no-one is going to say that off the cuff, so the interviewer will know you thought of the answer beforehand. And of course everybody says they work well with others. Unless you have a specific example you can talk about - maybe your answer to this question could be a good launching point to such an example, like mr_roboto says - then you're not really saying anything interesting or useful. So beware of canned answers that are really just fluff.
posted by PercussivePaul at 11:31 PM on October 11, 2006

PercussivePaul: "..then you're not really saying anything interesting or useful. So beware of canned answers that are really just fluff."

The interviewer is using canned interview questions that he didn't create himself, why not canned answers as well? Surely going into an interview well prepared, even for the (now common) "odd" questions, would be seen as a positive.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 11:41 PM on October 11, 2006

Actually I think that depends a lot on who's doing the interviewing. If it were me, I would see it as a negative, or a neutral at best. I clearly already see the question as a negative too, so you know where I stand on this issue.

There is a difference between being well-prepared and using a canned answer. Both may get you through to door if the interviewer doesn't probe deeply enough. But anyone can use a canned answer - and thus you might as well assume that everyone will, since everyone knows how to search the net for job interview questions. So why waste what little time you have to make an impression by saying something completely uninteresting?

This is a general problem, it's not just for 'fruit' questions. If I said 'describe your strengths', and you said 'well, I work well with people, I am meticulous and pay attention to detail, and I take pride in my work' - that's an adequate answer, and it might be enough. But everyone is going to say these things! Talk is cheap, especially in interviews when everyone rehearses. It's far better to say 'I have excellent interpersonal management skills - for example, last year I was in charge of implementing a software project that spanned three departments with conflicting requirements, and we got finished it on time and on budget', or something. That at least sticks out, and it gives the interviewer something to work with for a follow-up question, like 'what was so challenging about it'. Plus it takes you out of the silly power imbalance of the interview and engages the interviewer as a colleague. Maybe if you're lucky you two will actually have a conversation about management techniques (or whatever this job is about), and maybe he'll be impressed by your ideas, and maybe you'll forget that you're even in an interview. That's the difference between fluff and meat.

Actually I am starting to like the idea of the fruit question; I could use it to see who is going to simply toe the line and who is going to be creative and entrepreneurial. Of course that would depend a lot on the job and you need a mix of both types in some environments. And of course I don't own a company or anything so it's all moot. But I think there is value in hiring entrepreneurial employees and I think candidates should not be afraid to step up in an interview.
posted by PercussivePaul at 12:00 AM on October 12, 2006

A pineapple, because they're rough on the outside, sweet on the inside, and usually canned - just like that question. How much did you say you were offering again?
posted by flabdablet at 12:45 AM on October 12, 2006 [2 favorites]

Just as you can undermine anyone's statement by saying "but not in the south." answer each question with "top". What kind of fruit would you like to be...top banana. What kind of animal would you like to be....top dog. What kind of clothening would you like to be...top hat. What kind of vegitable would you like to be.....carrot top. What kind of car would you like to be....rag top.
posted by zackdog at 12:47 AM on October 12, 2006

Durian. Exotic and strange looking, with a funny smell that starts to turn pungent if left outside in the sun for too long.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 3:32 AM on October 12, 2006

With indignation, "Fruit!? Did you say 'fruit'? Surely I must have misheard you asking me an ilegal question. My sexuality has no nothing to do with my employment." And sweetly smile, with that 'Do I need to see a lawyer' smile.

Job locked :-)
posted by Goofyy at 4:24 AM on October 12, 2006 [1 favorite]

Goofyy that's the perfect response!
posted by ob at 6:37 AM on October 12, 2006

. . . so too will a savvy boss see through a rehearsed answer that says nothing real about the candidate as a person.

I have a hard time picturing a savvy boss asking a what-kind-of-fruit question in the first place. The only times I've ever encountered that kind of nonsense, it was a clear signal that I did not want the person as a boss. If he or she is savvy, the questions will be about your skills, not your hypothetical flavor.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:43 AM on October 12, 2006

The interviewer is using canned interview questions that he didn't create himself, why not canned answers as well?

Because if there was ever a situation in which two different sets of rules apply, then a job interview is it. It's double-standard time, folks. The interviewer isn't going to dock himself any points for using canned (read: "smart-alecky") questions, but it's highly likely that the interviewee would be docked for giving canned answers--almost certainly to be heard as smart-alecky.
posted by scratch at 7:02 AM on October 12, 2006

A hint from the annals of buttlicking: If you really want the job, don't forget to compliment him on his "creative interviewing techniques!"
posted by DenOfSizer at 8:00 AM on October 12, 2006

How about "Why do you ask?"
posted by amtho at 8:08 AM on October 12, 2006

Always remember that job interviews are two way streets. You're there to see if you want the job, as well if they want you.

So, "I'm not sure, let me think about. While we're on the topic, what sort of fruit would you be?" is a perfectly acceptable answer. You'll have to answer the question eventually, but it will give you time to think as well as providing a nice poke at the person asking the question.
posted by tkolar at 8:19 AM on October 12, 2006

+1 to fladlablet, who came up with a more creative way of expressing what I would do (unfortunately, only works if the question is fruit).

I would probably respond with a question, like "Are you asking me because the job description includes answering trite hypotheticals?" That would probably cut the interview short, and probably explains why I don't have an office job.
posted by adamrice at 8:28 AM on October 12, 2006

From the viewpoint of someone who has done lots of hiring in the past few years:

I feel like "creative" questions are pointless attempts to try and make an applicant more interesting than they actually are; hopefully, to cut down on the number of interviews the hiring manager has to do. It generally doesn't work. Boring applicants with canned answers are always going to be boring applicants with canned answers.

Your (as the applicant) interview shouldn't hinge on how good an answer you give to the Fruit question; you should be sharp enough in the rest of the interview that how you answer the fruit question doesn't really matter. Just go beyond the "because it is awesome" type of reasoning a step, give some kind of duality or contrast, and let it rest at that (ie A banana because they get to be around lots of other bananas, but if they're ever on they're own they're just as effective, or An apple because they can stand stable but also roll around when they need to). Even if you can't think of anything, just answer the question quickly and concisely. It's a throwaway that's more about showing how trendy and hip the interviewer is than actually gathering information. Don't get too caught up in them, because if they become a distraction you're going to have a lousy interview (and be ready for the interviewer to say something like "You know, apples are the worst fruit you can possibly eat"; roll with it and move on).

If the entire interview is goofball questions, chances are your interviewer is a psychopath. But be ready with your own good questions to ask, because if the only part with substance is the "Do you have any questions?" section that's what you absolutely can't tank. "How did you get started with the company?" "What's your vision for the future of [this facet of the company]?" "What's this time of the year like for your business?"

The important thing to remember with the fruit question (or its siblings) is that you can give the greatest possible answer anyone has ever given, but you're going to lose out to someone who was engaging through the boring questions and/or seemed interested in the job or company.
posted by pokermonk at 8:36 AM on October 12, 2006

Questions like this can be the most revealing of your personality and thinking skills. If most of your thinking involves memorizing facts, you may be uncomfortable. The fact that you are asking us to provide "good responses" indicates you are reluctant to trust or develop your introspection. The only good response for a question that asks about your feelings comes from inside you. So maybe you don't get the job because you are unsuitable. Would you have wanted that job? The next job may fit your personality like a glove. Be open, be honest, and let the chips fall.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:49 AM on October 12, 2006

In the past, we have asked some unusual interview questions in order to get a better idea of an applicants personality.

Everyone has canned answers for the standard "strengths & weaknesses", "why do you want this job" sort of questions. Most people don't have canned answers for "what kind of fruit would you be", so it's a good opportunity to showcase their personality. In our case, based on our work environment, we would be looking for someone who had a good sense of humor and wasn't afraid to have fun with the question, as well as someone who could think on their toes. The only bad answers I can think of are non-answers: either "i hate fruit" or thinking about the answer for far too long. Either way, this kind of question would not normally be a deal-breaker.
posted by geeky at 10:33 AM on October 12, 2006

The most annoying variant of that sort of question that I've come across happened after what I thought was a quite pleasant hour of interview-y back-and-forth, when the head of the company asked, in a very Lundbergh-like tone, "So... what... wouldja say you're... about?" Had he not been paying attention? Oof.

Confession: I've asked someone what his favorite HTML tag was, but I was trying to suss out his skill level without the benefit of having seen a code sample.
posted by mimi at 12:39 PM on October 12, 2006

I've had this happen to me only one time, and it was during an interview for the job I had before my current gig. After about 45 minutes of talking about things like how to implement the prototype pattern in .NET and the difference between clustered and nonclustered indexes, one of the project managers reached into his stack of things and pulled out a book.

I had never seen this book before, but it wasn't very big or thick. I didn't even get a good look at the cover. After leafing through a couple pages, they dropped it on me. Something along the lines of:

We have a question that we'd like you to answer without it relating to work, if possible. If you could get a truly honest answer to any question, what would it be?

Thankfully, I got the job, despite the very "UHH..." expression that was likely on my face. Once I was on the other side of the process, I was told that you can't just ask someone "do you have a sense of humor? Will you contribute to the workplace socially?" These types of questions shed a little light on the sort of human (for lack of a better word) impact you may have on a company/team/business. I think they are looking for examples of these types of contributions, not necessarily to see how you segue back into selling yourself.
posted by littlelebowskiurbanachiever at 3:50 PM on October 12, 2006

I was once asked what my favorite color was. After a moment or two I laughed and then named the company's logo colors.

Laugh. Say something witty.
posted by xammerboy at 9:25 AM on October 13, 2006