Interviewer asking same question twice

[speedyk]

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I was on an interview and the interviewer asked me the same question twice- with the exact same wording (once towards the beginning and again towards the end). I just paused for a second and then basically repeated my answer, figuring he just messed up and forgot he asked the question. Later on, I talked to other people who interviewed with this guy and he apparently did the same thing to them with the same question. What was he looking for by doing this?

(FWIW, the other people said they made mention of their prior answer and/or indicated they had already answered the question while I did not.)

 

[flip26]

looking for signs of schizophrenia?

Honestly, it could have been on purpose, to see if you would assert yourself...or just answer again as if nothing happened...

 

[GoSpursGo]

Relax, he was trying to catch you in a contradiction. You know, making sure you were being honest and not making BS up as you went along. As long as you said the same thing you said earlier, you're fine.

 

[flip26]

It would help us to know the question...

 

[bluesnowbunny]

My interviewer did the exact same thing. Asked me the exact same question twice in a row. I just thought to myself,"Oh, maybe I didn't get my point across as convincingly as I should have the first time" and tried again. The second time I reworded my answer to be more specific to me as an applicant.

 

[Decicco]

I've heard they do this a tufts and is part of the whole "stress interview" thing. sounds like fun🙄

 

[QuaerensIntelle]

I wouldn't assume that he did it on purpose. Did he have a list of questions? They frequently are told to ask certain questions, but they usually deviate in order because they are trying to make things conversational at the same time (at least in my experience). He very well may have just forgot that he asked you it and was doing a question that the school had told them to ask.

Second point: Assert yourself? *Imagines*

Interviewer: Blah blah "same question"

Interviewee: You already asked me that.

Does that sound like a good thing to say to you? lol How exactly would they expect you to assert yourself? Just answer the question! Try to add on to your other answer so you add on to what they know about you. As long as you don't contradict yourself, I don't see why you have to say the same thing.

 

[LizzyBoop]

That's better than what happened to me.

Before the interview I memorized little things that I really wanted to say. At the school I applied to, it was a series of 4 interviews. Well I couldn't, didn't, keep track of how many times I had already said it, so at the last interview I actually repeated my self from the beginning!
My interviewer just stared at me and said, "I know. you told me."😱