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Interview questions bombed or big bang

colporteur

Do you recall a question you were presented with during a job interview that you bombed (i.e. failed to answer)? Got a question you think would make a big bang interview question?

 

I thought with the level of experience the members of this site have, it might be a informative to share an experience or provide a question with an appropriate answer. I also like hearing stories.

 

**************

I was sitting an interview for a IT Security position. The question was “What is the Security Triad?” I drew a blank. I had never heard the term Triad. I had extensive computer experience but I was trying to get into IT Security.

 

Before I could respond an emergency vehicle passed the building, drowning out all sounds in the room. When I could be heard I said, “I think that was my ride. I’m about ready to die drawing a blank on such a simple question.”

The panel laughed and the interview proceeded.

 

Later ,I discovered I had the answer but I didn’t realize that was the question to match it.

**************

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  • I wonder if many organisations do not interview in person unless they're fairly confident they will be hiring (or will find an alternative job if they can).

    I cannot think of any majorly bombed questions as an interviewee or interviewer.

    Rarely I've had to interview people, and there was a time when a new engineering centre was being opened in Shanghai, and we had to interview (in pairs) over the phone to decide who to choose for an in-person interview.

    That was a lot of pressure.. the interviewees were all young kids, it was likely to be their first job after uni. Some tried really hard, but English was a requirement, and I remember one applicant who just repeated the same sentences regardless of what was asked, as if it was being read out : (

    Also there were lots of awesome engineers, and one (as we found out later) who cried on the phone after being told her interview had gone well. It was only after hiring, we realised how important these first job were, so that some of the kids could send money home to support their families.

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  • I wonder if many organisations do not interview in person unless they're fairly confident they will be hiring (or will find an alternative job if they can).

    I cannot think of any majorly bombed questions as an interviewee or interviewer.

    Rarely I've had to interview people, and there was a time when a new engineering centre was being opened in Shanghai, and we had to interview (in pairs) over the phone to decide who to choose for an in-person interview.

    That was a lot of pressure.. the interviewees were all young kids, it was likely to be their first job after uni. Some tried really hard, but English was a requirement, and I remember one applicant who just repeated the same sentences regardless of what was asked, as if it was being read out : (

    Also there were lots of awesome engineers, and one (as we found out later) who cried on the phone after being told her interview had gone well. It was only after hiring, we realised how important these first job were, so that some of the kids could send money home to support their families.

Children