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        riddles >> microsoft >> MS interviews: expect the unexpected
        
(Message started by: BenVitale on Jul 4^th, 2008, 1:54pm)

Title: MS interviews: expect the unexpected
Post by BenVitale on Jul 4^th, 2008, 1:54pm

Unusual questions are becoming more popular with interviewers. While we've all heard stories of the Microsoft interview questions (why is a manhole cover round? etc.), more employers are using non-standard questions in their interviews.

While not everyone answers it well, everyone should be prepared to answer the "tell me about yourself" and "what are your strengths and weaknesses" questions.

Interviewers will use unusual questions to assess how well you think on your feet. While most of these questions do not have right and wrong answers, they demonstrate quick thinking, poise, creativity and even a sense of humor.

There is no way to be prepared for "off the wall" questions, so the interviewer observes how well you respond and compose your thoughts.

You are not likely to the get the right answer to many unusual questions since you don't have all the data necessary, but the interviewer will want to see how you think about it.

Here are just a few actual tough/unusual interview questions:

If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?

If you could be a super hero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?

If you were a type of food, what type of food would it be and why?

It's not about the answer! The interviewer cares much more about how you arrive at whatever answer you get than what that answer is.

Are you thinking logically? Is there method or madness to the solutions you consider, accept and discard? Are you even willing to entertain such an absurd question?

Regardless of the strangeness of some interview questions, Always end an interview by reaffirming your interest in the position and restating why you believe you are uniquely qualified for the position.

A good interview is only partly about what you know - it's about what you can do, and how you think. Memorizing facts is much easier than demonstrating actual ability, and it's ability, not necessarily knowledge, that a good interviewer will be looking for.

Title: Re: MS interviews: expect the unexpected
Post by towr on Jul 4^th, 2008, 3:07pm

on 07/04/08 at 13:54:51, BenVitale wrote:

There is no way to be prepared for "off the wall" questions

Well, you can get some familiarity with them, certainly. You can get some pretty "off the wall" questions and discussions at some places.

Quote:

Are you thinking logically? Is there method or madness to the solutions you consider, accept and discard? Are you even willing to entertain such an absurd question?

What is there to think logically about? They're not problems to be solved. Preferences, perhaps.

Quote:

Memorizing facts is much easier than demonstrating actual ability

No it's not. Well, not for everyone. (Besides which, memorizing is an ability.)
I'm much better with doing things than remembering things, in any case.

Title: Re: MS interviews: expect the unexpected
Post by ThudanBlunder on Jul 4^th, 2008, 3:56pm

Expect the unexpected? I did (http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/34468).

Anyway, thanks for the heads-up, Marv. You too, Leo. And of course not forgetting Lynne and Sarikas. ::)

Title: Re: MS interviews: expect the unexpected
Post by towr on Jul 5^th, 2008, 3:30am

Tssk, tssk, plagiarism. How unsightly.