Irrelevant Interview Questions And How To Sidestep Them

These days the ever-increasing competition has ensured that in order to land up with a job of your choice you will have to go through a process of rigorous elimination. At some point in the elimination process you will have to have a face-to-face discussion with an individual or a panel of experts in the said field.

 

They will ask you a number of questions (that may be generic or related to your personal or professional life) and it is the manner in which you answer these questions that will decide your fate.

Irrelevant Job Interview Questions

Now the questions that are asked in an interview are usually related to the job that you are applying for. However, there are times when interviewers cross the line and end up asking questions that are not just stupid but also highly invasive in nature.

In such a situation you should be able to sidestep such questions with grace so that you do not get uncomfortable or make your potential employer feel insulted. This article explores some stupid interview questions and the ways in which you can sidestep the same.

1.What Do You Dislike About Work?

1.What Do You Dislike About Work?

This question is clearly a trap and answering this honestly will get you nowhere. Hence, try to turn this around by talking about something you do not like about your current job (an example of this might be your daily long commute to work) and how you have used that to your benefit (by listening to podcasts or something of that sort).

 

2. Who Was Your First Love?

2. Who Was Your First Love?

As stupid as this question is, do not go about describing your teenage crush in a job interview. Doing so will just encourage the panel to ask you more personal questions and all of it is just not worth it.

Instead you can sidestep such questions by framing your passion for a skill that is relevant to the job as your first love and talking about the same.

 

 3.What Is The Colour Of Success?
 

3.What Is The Colour Of Success?

This is one of the silliest questions because as we all know success is not a T-shirt to have a designated colour. The smartest way to dodge this question is to go for the colour green as that is the colour of money and prosperity.

After all that is what any firm or company would expect out of a project, right? In case you are interviewing for an NGO, saying the colour red is a good idea and that is expected to create the desired impact.

 

4.	Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years From Now?

4. Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years From Now?

This is one of the most common questions asked in a job interview. Answering this one honestly will not lead you anywhere. It is important to note that the interviewer is usually looking for someone who can get the work done at the moment.

What you will do 5 years down the line is not the interviewer's concern. Hence, the best way to deal with this is to answer it very generically with something like, "I see myself growing and glowing in this company" or "This job profile brings together all the skills that I have acquired till date and it is in this field that I see myself growing in the next 5 years and beyond".

 

5. Describe A Difficult Period In Your Career

5. Describe A Difficult Period In Your Career

This question is usually asked to people who have more than six years of experience. This is a rather stupid question because in a career spanning over six years (or more) you would have had more than one difficult period and it is very difficult to make a pick.

The best way to sidestep this question is to pick up a random, like the time you had to learn a brand new technology right after mastering an old one. Go on to explain how you felt that the knowledge of the old technology would be a waste but how it actually helped you understand the new technology better.

 

6. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

6. What Is Your Greatest Weakness?

This is another boomerang that is not meant to be answered honestly. In fact, come to think of it, this is pretty stupid because it is difficult for anyone to declare their weakness upfront.

The best way to answer this question is to come up with a weakness of yours and then go on to describe how you have used it to your advantage, something like "I find it very difficult to say "No" to people and that is why I often end up working way harder than what I ideally should."

 

7. What Is It That You Have That Other Candidates Don't?

7. What Is It That You Have That Other Candidates Don't?

Considering that you do not really know much about the other candidates, asking you this question is ridiculous. However, do not get alarmed.

Rather, be very calm and tell them clearly what you can bring to the table. Do not make the mistake of comparing yourself to the other applicants. Stay true to yourself and you will be amazed to see the wonders this attitude can do.

 

8. How Badly Do You Need This Job?

8. How Badly Do You Need This Job?

This question is pretty stupid for it is obvious that you need the job and that is exactly why you are sitting for the job interview. Do not make the mistake of using this question to get on your knees and beg for the job. Doing so might cost you the job itself.

Rather, voice your enthusiasm and passion for the position and confidently reassert your eagerness for the said job role. This will ensure that you do not come off as needy and will prompt the panel to give you the job.

 

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