My opinion about awkward interview questions (Essay Sample)

My opinion about awkward interview questions " Did I have to spend all the time studying the company and rehearsing for the interview? There were better things to discuss like my skills and experience; things more relevant to the job than awkward questions." I, like many interviewees, have time and again walked out of the interview room with similar reflections. "Where do you see yourself in five years?”, "Tell me about yourself," "what is your greatest strength?”, "why do you want to quit your current job?”, "what do you hate most about your current boss?" are some of the unexpected questions that come as a bolt from the blue and are only meant to send the interviewee off-balance and give the interviewer a chance to test one’s confidence and integrity (Rodgers, 2016). First, let us consider the question "where do you see yourself in five years?”. This question is not aimed at testing one’s psychic abilities (Skillings, 2013). I agree with Pamela Skillings concerning this issue. How would the interviewer be so expectant of a narration of the state of affairs in five years time? By no means would the interviewee be able to predict accurately, which makes trying to paint the picture a futile endeavor. I think this question is a dipstick that measures the level of one’s vision and career goals and gauges how the job position on offer would synchronize with the interviewee’s career master plan. A direct version of the question would be "Tell me about your long-term career goals.” Secondly, let us explore the question "tell me about yourself”. The first instance I was asked this question, it did not ring any bells as to what the interviewer wanted to know about me. It was a softball. I went ahead to narrate my resume boasting of my academic excellence and flatter about my qualifications. What I failed to know was that it was my moment to make an incredible first impression (Rodgers, 2016), and I ruined it. I do believe that interviewers do not want to listen to the resume being read out to them as they confirm from the copies in their hands. On the contrary, they expect to hear one’s brand promise, a personal marketing statement that says more than what is presented in the resume. Another deceptively easy question is "why do you want to quit your current job?" I do not think the panel is trying to probe into the real reasons for wanting to leave. Whether it is money related or an aggravating boss, it is not the time to reveal one’s needs or seek sympathy on adverse working conditions in the former job (Rodgers, 2016). According to Caitlin Graham, nothing personal should be stripped bare in the process of answering. My opinion is that such a question digs deep into finding out professional reasons such as taking on more challenging tasks, career growth, and venturing into new job opportunities, etc. A closely related awkward question is "what do you hate most about your current boss?" and th...