In general, when you go on an interview, most companies will ask similar questions. They will ask about what experience you have in their field, what you think of the company, what your major skills and weaknesses are, and other questions about past work experience and your personality. Some interviewers will also ask silly personality gauging questions, such as whether you identify with owls or spiders more.
Although the above interview questions are expected, there are some interviewers who try to come up with questions outside the box. Surprise interview questions are meant to throw you off guard and expose your true self to the interviewer. Although the questions are unexpected, many interviewers choose similar topics. Below is a list of some of the most common surprise interview questions:
How would your boss describe you?
This question is designed to test the relationship that you had with your previous employer. The question is trying to discover if you left your previous job on bad terms or simply for other issues. If you had a bad experience with your boss, hesitation or body language can show this to the interviewer even before you open your mouth. Prepare an answer for this question if you left your previous job on bad terms.
What other offers are you considering?
Sometimes an interviewer may ask if you are considering other job offers. An interviewer usually asks this question to find out if you are serious about their position. Legally, you do not have to discuss any other offers with a potential employer. However, in some cases, you can use this as a negotiation point for salary.
What trends do you see for our industry?
This question will indicate whether you have done your research about their company. So many people apply to hundreds of jobs at once, this is an easy way for a company to identify serious candidates right away. The best way to answer this question is by reading up on the company before you go to the interview.
Why are you still unemployed?
This somewhat invasive question is designed to catch you off guard and prevent you from coming up with a clever answer about why you left your previous position. There are a variety of good answers to this question. You could mention that you are waiting to find a job that is the perfect fit for your skills, or waiting to find a job in your preferred industry. You can also talk about how you are taking time off for furthering your education by taking short courses or developing relevant industry skills.
These surprise interview questions are designed to catch interviewees off guard. However, if you prepare for the unexpected, then you do not have to worry about bombing an interview due to strange or surprise questions. In addition to constructing answers for these questions, you may also want to consider whether you are more like an owl or a spider to help prepare for the truly bizarre questions that sometimes appear in interviews.
ABOUT AUTHOR:
This is a guest post by Kate Simmons, fresh graduate, professional writer and occasional blogger. Kate is still studying to be an HR professional.
Great stuff. Thanks for this. For the ‘How would your boss describe you?’ question, I would prepare an answer for a previous boss who thought I was great and give a reason for it too. “When we won team of the year my boss said I was the glue that held the team together.”