Workplace

The next time you interview for a job, don’t be surprised if the interviewer lobs a bizarre question your way, said Anita Bruzzese in the Salt Lake City Tribune. Be prepared to explain everything from the Hollywood actor you’d choose to portray you in a movie to the kind of car you would be—if you were a car. “While high-tech companies are credited with starting the new trend of creative interview questions, more companies are seizing the chance to try rattling interviewees.” The point isn’t to give any particular correct answer, says Lynne A. Sarikas, director of the MBA Center at Northeastern University in Boston. “It’s about showing grace under pressure.”

It would be virtually impossible to prepare for every off-the-wall question, said Sara Hennessey in BusinessWeek. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them seriously. Take a minute to collect your thoughts. “Running off your mouth before engaging your brain is a bad idea,” says Northeastern’s Sarikas. When you give an answer, “tie it back to who you are” and what you’ll bring to the interviewer’s organization. “Use these questions to make you stand out and make sure that you’re memorable in a good way.”

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