Weird, funny And odd interview questions

Let’s be honest, some interview questions are predictable. The list can be long and varied but if you’ve been to a number of interviews then you’ve probably heard the same questions over and over again (just asked slightly differently). You’ve been asked these questions so many times that in your next interview you come well prepared and you smash the answers! General questions - Too Easy. Behavioural questions – Nailed it. Situational questions – give me 10 more. Then, as you’re about to finish the interview, you are asked “What is your spirit animal and why?” ​

Every now and then, an “outside of the box" or “think on your feet" question is asked to throw you off and get you to really think about the answer. You cannot predict these questions and most of the time catch a lot of candidates off guard. They are also hard to prepare for given the variety of them so to help with the preparation, I have compiled my top 10 ( in no particular order) to give you an understanding of how strange they can be! These are real examples of interview questions that have been asked of some of my colleagues, friends, and candidates: 

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1. Who would win a fight between a bear and a shark? 

2. How many sets of traffic lights there are in the Sydney CBD? 

3. How would you explain Facebook to your grandmother? 

4. If you were a vegetable, which would it be? 

5. What would the name of your debut album be? 

6. If you had $2,000, how would you double it in 24 hours? 

7. What would you do if you found a penguin in the freezer? 

8. If you could choose any superpower, what would you choose and why? 

9. Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized chicken or 100 chicken-sized horses? 

10. Why is a manhole cover round?  

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Weird, funny, and odd right? Yep - but they are still used (maybe not these specifically, so please don't prepare for them) frequently in interviews and require you to think differently so be ready!

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Why they are asked? 

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​Please keep in mind there is no right or wrong answer to these types of questions. In most job roles, you will be required to think on your feet and answer questions under pressure so these types of questions will give the interviewer a glimpse of how you do that. They also give an insight into your methodology of how you arrive at an answer so be prepared to explain your thought process.  

Summary

Although we can't help with the answers to the weird and wacky questions listed above, we can certainly assist you with your interview technique when applying for positions in Sydney's accounting market. We also have some great resources in our Job Seeker toolkit if you want some extra tips.

... Oh, and my answer is 1 horse-sized chicken…