3 Ways the Career Center can Prepare Students for Odd Interview Questions

"Out of all the types of dinosaurs, I most relate to the pterodactyl," is not a sentence anyone expects to utter in a job interview. Yet, with weird interview questions getting more and more popular, it may just be what a hiring manager wants to hear.?

These oddball questions have become a fairly common way for interviewers to gauge their candidates' adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving skills. But the other bonus for interviewers is that they know a candidate's response isn't scripted. The questions are so out there that there's no way someone could have planned out their answers ahead of time.?

But it's not so convenient of a trend for job seekers. According to a 2020 survey from JDP, 93% of Americans have experienced anxiety related to job interviews. Overwhelming, they're most nervous about not being able to answer a difficult question. As a result, as many as 70% practice their planned responses out loud to ease nerves.?

Weird interview questions can cause panic because they take away that traditional, go-to strategy. Instead, to practice thinking fast on their feet, job seekers need continuous exposure to all sorts of strange questions.?

As a career counselor, challenge yourself to discuss this topic with more college students, include it in your campus outreach strategy, and be ready to explain what interviewers are looking for from candidate responses.?

Here are three ways to execute these goals:?

Cater to students' favorite form of campus engagement

Hosting an hour-long seminar about weird interview questions and what to do with them is not always the best way to convey information. Only a few people will likely show up, and there's no guarantee they'll be attentive the whole time.?

To ensure students retain key details, you need to make the learning process fun. After all, exciting events that convey just a piece of the information are more memorable and less overwhelming. And bonus: if students enjoy it, they might swing by the Career Center to learn more!?

Therefore, turn to the format of campus engagement that the students at your school seem to love the most. For example:?

• Make it a scavenger hunt! Leave sticky notes hiding around campus, each with a different question. Maybe for each one a student brings to the Career Center with a great response, their name goes in a raffle for a prize.?
• Try a speed "dating" event! Give a brief presentation at the beginning about what makes an excellent weird interview question and why. Then, have the students write their own. Once everyone's ready, they can start pairing up and presenting their weird questions speed style.?

Recommended Reading: Everyone on campus can get involved in students’ career development !

Make emails on the topic short and sweet

Naturally, you'll need to reinforce the topic a little more frequently than just an event here and there to make sure the information sinks in.?

Each month, send out an example of a weird question an interviewer might ask. Then, in a short paragraph, you can explain what the interviewer is trying to assess with the question.?

For example, if an interviewer says, "Someone buys four hundred snails on a Tuesday. The following Saturday, they only have twenty left. What happened to the snails?" There is no right or wrong answer. The interviewer wants to see if the unexpected nature of the question will make the candidate freeze, how creative or logical their response will be, and what their problem-solving thought process looks like.?

You can also provide a few potential responses and why they do or don't work.?

Alternatively, put your example question with a short explanation on a poster! When you email that out, the visual component will catch the eye of more students. You can also put the poster up around campus so that students get used to seeing and thinking about these odd interview questions!

Include weird interview questions in mock interviews

Even if the previous suggestions sound like more work than you're able to take on right now, you should still consider adding these odd interview questions to mock interviews. They're the best way to show students the kind of questions to anticipate.?

When designing a question, be sure it gives the students a chance to talk about their personality and work style. If the question prompts more reflection, an interviewer gets a better idea of how the candidate views themselves.?

In the earlier example, asking about someone's favorite dinosaur wouldn't offer any insight beyond that they think pterodactyls are cool. A better response would be, "I relate most to pterodactyls because, like a predator that flies overhead, I'm really good at seeing the big picture and then narrowing in on how to achieve my goals within it."?

When you're giving feedback after the mock interview, be sure to address why you included the weird question and what the student's response told you. Suppose a student said they relate most to a t-rex because their arms are proportionately small for their body. In that case, they're not offering any information the interviewer can use in evaluating them.?

But with the right amount of exposure and practice, the college students at your school will never have to worry about the weird interview questions being the hardest ones to answer.?

Recommended Reading: Not every interview will lead to a great match .?