What are some tricky, unexpected interview questions you've come across?

[Toutie]

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He prefers a "fine Chianti" as a post-interview thank you. Maybe some fava beans

 

[JonathanHusky]

Interviewing at FIU:

"You don't seem like the doctor type to me. I don't think you have enough compassion. Prove to me that you're compassionate."

turn into House, notice the slight discoloration on their finger from a recently removed wedding ring suggesting a recent divorce, tell them to stop being a dick to their loved one, save their marriage, and say "how's that for compassion motherfu&@*?"

 

[ModernAlchemist]

Tricky ones I've been asked:
Tell me about an unpopular decision you've made.
What negative aspects of yourself come out when you're tired?

Tricky ones that I ask when I interview(no specifics):
Ask about motivations for certain decisions, like service trips and community service. I like to dig deep into motivations to figure out the type of person they are.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Tricky ones I've been asked:
Tell me about an unpopular decision you've made.
What negative aspects of yourself come out when you're tired?

Yikes. First one is easy. Second one is easy but definitely unflattering. I get impatient when I'm tired.

Tricky ones that I ask when I interview(no specifics):
Ask about motivations for certain decisions, like service trips and community service. I like to dig deep into motivations to figure out the type of person they are.

That's only tricky if your motivations are selfish or malevolent.

 

[ModernAlchemist]

Yikes. First one is easy. Second one is easy but definitely unflattering. I get impatient when I'm tired.

I thought they were both a little tricky in the sense that they both predispose you to looking negative.

That's only tricky if your motivations are selfish or malevolent.

Without being too specific, people like to wear their 2 week service trips to a developing country like a crown and I find that to be off putting. So, I dig deep. It flusters interviewees from time to time.

 

[lal4life]

What did you say?

First I said nothing, but then they pressed so I said the way she drives. Seemed like a pretty safe answer. I still don't get the point of the question.

 

[mwsapphire]

sounds like my last 5 years of therapy

That....concerned me. You okay, Gonnif.

 

[You're My Boy Blue]

"Do you have any other acceptances?"

 

[sullen-burger]

Now that I have the decision from this place I can tell my story.

Met my open file one on one interviewer. An attending. Small woman but fierce. Medals and military pictures on the wall of her office. Her face intense and never looking away from me. We exchange pleasantries and then she went right in for the kill. That's when I was asked the most basic question, and the one I knew I'd be asked. Not so much tricky question, but the response that came next literally floored me

"Why do you want to be a doctor?" I answer. She listens, without interrupting, still looking at me intensely. I finish. She sighs, saying:




"That's not how I want you to answer that question."


I swear to god SDN I thought I was going to cry. She then proceeded to LECTURE me as to how I should give my answers.

"You took too long to answer, cut out all of the exposition. I don't want to hear your 5min long life story. Imagine if you were being interviewed by Sanjay Gupta-- no one watching the TV wants to hear about your lfie story, you would just cut to the chase and say something like 'I knew I wanted to help people.' "




And that's not all. She told me to repeat my answer to the same question after giving me her lecture.


She did this for every single question from then on. When I talked about a time I helped kids in grade school in some program she said afterwards, don't say kids, say "at risk inner city youth."


And I had enough. I said politely "I don't know that they were at risk or inner city."


"Well, you have to learn to sell yourself by embellishing," she replied, claiming that this feedback would help me for any potential future interviews at any nearby xyz colleges.


She parted with me by saying god works in mysterious ways and that she hopes I choose to go to their school if I get accepted.










I did but there's no way in hell Im going there.

 

[mwsapphire]

" He's in analysis" :what:
Okay i'll give you a hug
*hugs*
*stands on toes because she's short *

 

[SouthernGent]

After mentioning I like thinking on my feet, my interviewer pulled a pen out of his coat and said "Give me 10 facts about this pen." Felt like I was in Wolf of Wall Street all of a sudden.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

First I said nothing, but then they pressed so I said the way she drives. Seemed like a pretty safe answer. I still don't get the point of the question.

Probably to see if you can remain objective and give constructive criticism about someone you supposedly love.

Now that I have the decision from this place I can tell my story.

Met my open file one on one interviewer. An attending. Small woman but fierce. Medals and military pictures on the wall of her office. Her face intense and never looking away from me. We exchange pleasantries and then she went right in for the kill. That's when I was asked the most basic question, and the one I knew I'd be asked. Not so much tricky question, but the response that came next literally floored me

"Why do you want to be a doctor?" I answer. She listens, without interrupting, still looking at me intensely. I finish. She sighs, saying:




"That's not how I want you to answer that question."


I swear to god SDN I thought I was going to cry. She then proceeded to LECTURE me as to how I should give my answers.

"You took too long to answer, cut out all of the exposition. I don't want to hear your 5min long life story. Imagine if you were being interviewed by Sanjay Gupta-- no one watching the TV wants to hear about your lfie story, you would just cut to the chase and say something like 'I knew I wanted to help people.' "




And that's not all. She told me to repeat my answer to the same question after giving me her lecture.


She did this for every single question from then on. When I talked about a time I helped kids in grade school in some program she said afterwards, don't say kids, say "at risk inner city youth."


And I had enough. I said politely "I don't know that they were at risk or inner city."


"Well, you have to learn to sell yourself by embellishing," she replied, claiming that this feedback would help me for any potential future interviews at any nearby xyz colleges.


She parted with me by saying god works in mysterious ways and that she hopes I choose to go to their school if I get accepted.










I did but there's no way in hell Im going there.

That's just how the military is. You can live and die by your evals and fitreps. You don't flat out lie, but it's definitely about selling yourself and wording things in the best possible way. She was just trying to help you.

 

[sullen-burger]

. She was just trying to help you.

Ehh maybe? Maybe from her perspective? From mine, not really. She flustered me because the interview wasn't an interview. It wasn't me giving complete answers, it was her talking over me, literally interrupting me in the middle of my answers and me then listening to her feedback. I hope she does that to everyone, otherwise that seems highly suspect if only half of the interviewees get on the spot help during their interview and half don't.

And idk, aren't interviews supposed to test you and not to give live feedback, like every single other interview I've ever had, whether for school or a job? but I could be wrong.

 

[tarheelpenner]

Ehh maybe? Maybe from her perspective? From mine, not really. She flustered me because the interview wasn't an interview. It wasn't me giving complete answers, it was her talking over me, literally interrupting me in the middle of my answers and me then listening to her feedback. I hope she does that to everyone, otherwise that seems highly suspect if only half of the interviewees get on the spot help during their interview and half don't.

And idk, aren't interviews supposed to test you and not to give live feedback, like every single other interview I've ever had, whether for school or a job? but I could be wrong.

Maybe she was testing how well you did under pressure and how well you handled criticism, both important when training to become a doctor. Just speculation.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Ehh maybe? Maybe from her perspective? From mine, not really. She flustered me because the interview wasn't an interview. It wasn't me giving complete answers, it was her talking over me, literally interrupting me in the middle of my answers and me then listening to her feedback. I hope she does that to everyone, otherwise that seems highly suspect if only half of the interviewees get on the spot help during their interview and half don't.

And idk, aren't interviews supposed to test you and not to give live feedback, like every single other interview I've ever had, whether for school or a job? but I could be wrong.

I think she was just trying to help you, but she wasn't a very good interviewer. In her mind, you probably had other interviews at other schools, and she wanted to see you do well. Some people just don't realize how they come across.

Also, and no offense meant by this, but civilians tend to have thin skin. I've definitely witnessed other military members talking to civilians the way we talk to each other and having the civvies acting like they were being rude. I try to be super polite and over the top nice so that doesn't happen to me lol.

But she could have just been rude too. I wasn't there.

 

[Ryuichi]

That was my favorite post to ever hit SDN.

you're welcome. #kobesystem