We’ve all heard stories about interview questions ranging from the mundane (“What do you know about our company?”) to the ridiculous (“Tell me five things you can do with a pencil besides write or erase”). And as one of the leading placement firms in Houston, TX, Murray Resources has seen our fair share of off the wall interview questions.

(For the most part) Interviewers don’t ask these questions for their own amusement. They’re trying to get to the heart of who you are and if – and how well – you might fit into their organization. Some questions are simply to understand how you deal with unexpected situations. Almost all jobs require the ability to think on your feet and to act when you don’t have all the information you would like. An atypical interview question might help the interview understand how you may react in such a situation.

Some examples…

Antonella Pisani, a former executive with JCPenney and the founder and CEO of Official Coupon Code, likes to ask  ‘What’s a common misconception about you?’”

This question allows you, the interviewee, to explain yourself and it also demonstrates your level of self-awareness. For example, if you understand that you come off to people you first meet in a certain way, it’s a great opportunity to clarify your true nature.

Just bear in mind that you want to reinforce the reasons why you’re a great fit for the role, so if you’re applying for a role that requires significant social interaction and / or networking, you probably don’t want to go with an answer like “I come off as stern, but I’m really just a quiet person.”

Gene Caballero, co-founder of GreenPal, says his best interview question is, “Tell me something you’re passionate about.” Caballero isn’t looking for a stock or “perfect” answer; rather, he’s looking for a genuine response, “whether it’s [the candidate’s] Sunday night bowling league or his son’s Boy Scout group.”

Caballero’s approach with this question focuses on you, the person, rather than specifically on the professional you. You’ll still want to give an appropriate and professional response, and we always recommend tying your answer to the job, whenever possible. If you have volunteer experience that relates to the job, that would be the perfect opportunity to mention it.

Marsha Murray, president of Murray Resources, likes to ask, “If I could create the perfect career opportunity for you what would it look like?” Marsha uses that question to make sure the person is committed to the position they’re interviewing for.

Another question Marsha asks is, “Everyone in their life has personal adversity and challenges. Give me an example of an adversity you’ve been faced with and how you overcame that.” Marsha explains, “With this question I’m looking for someone who faces adversity and challenges head on. I’m looking more for an attitude. How they look at it, relate to it and changed their life as a result.”

“Of all the positions you’ve had, what is your favorite and why?” Marsha likes to ask this question because in her firm, culture is critical to success and you’ve got to be sure you’re making a good fit.

So how do you prepare for non-traditional questions – or can you? Believe it or not, you can. Ask a friend to come up with 2-3 off the wall interview questions and then practice giving your answers. Like anything else, once you’ve practiced, the actual game (the interview) will seem much easier. You’ll be amazed by how well you can respond to even the most out of the box questions.

The bottom line is that sometimes it’s hard to know what to expect in interviews, but it all boils down to a few basic tenets: be honest, be professional, and be yourself. Oh, and what are five things you can do with a pencil besides write and erase? The interviewer is looking for creativity more than the right answer. So get creative and you’ll do fine!