STUPID interview questions, add yours here

[hoolahan]

I have been on about six interviews this month, and I am appalled at the stupidity of this process.

Does anyone at all think up original questions any more?

My last interview consisted of a woman, who couod not have been less bored w the process, asking me about 25 questions. She read straight from her little list that some HR analysts designed I supposed, and continuously interrupted by chatting to people who walked by her door.

Here were some of the questions...

Tell me about a time when someone questioned your integrity.

Tell me about a time when someone accused you of something you didn't do

Tell me about a time when you missed a deadline

Tell me about a time that you did something creative for a pt

and on and on, all starting w "Tell me about a time"...

I hated this whole style of questioning. It doesn't ask you how you handle that kind of a situation, but rather puts you on the spot to recall a specific experience that demonstrates what they are looking for.

I mean, I don't have the best memory, so I wouldn't mind these questions if they sent them to me the day before and asked me to write an essay on them. But to pull out an experience like this out of the thin air, it's just...stupid!! Not one personal question was asked like, Why are you interested in working 1 in this position, 2 for this company, etc...

One doctor said to me... "In this day of nursing shortages, you could write your own ticket so-to-speak, so why would you want this job? Later, what other positions have you interveiwed for if you don't mind me asking. Uh, I DO mind you asking, but do I say that??? Of course not, if I want the job, so I am forced to answer.

Another interview, three diff people, a HR person, then the supervisor, then the director, all came in and asked me the same exact set of questions from their little sheet of paper. Why couldn't they just ask me in a group,so they could all get the answers at once? Is this some kind of a stupid "test" to see if I am consistent?? How dull!

I don't like this cookie-cutter style of interviews. Very meaningless. Any recruiters out there? Can you explain the rationale? Don't you ever feel silly asking those stupid questions??

[rashan1053]

Um, what excactly was in job description? Maybe he was looking for a mistress. You, know, your "typical" kinda nurse.:icon_roll

Never bothered to find out. Warning flags went up right away and ended the interview.

[prettylittlenurse2b]

"if you were an appliance what type of appliance would you be"

"what is your worst quality"

"have you ever stolen anything from previous employer"-if so would I tell you

[pattycakeRN]

"if you were an appliance what type of appliance would you be"

"what is your worst quality"

"have you ever stolen anything from previous employer"-if so would I tell you

1-I would be a clothes washer because I like to agitate

2-I tend to stab/slash when I'm angry

3-Only their hearts:redbeathe

[JGM2008]

I always hate, "where you do see yourself in 5 years" .... dude im a new grad, i just want some coffee in 5 minutes:angryfire

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

I always hate, "where you do see yourself in 5 years" .... dude im a new grad, i just want some coffee in 5 minutes:angryfire

Well, and what's the right answer? Do I tell them I plan to go back to school, and risk that they want someone who's going to stay through to the gold watch? Do I tell them "right here" and seem brownnosing?

And I know I was the one who pointed out that they can't ask this question earlier, but really, I have a feeling if I ever get asked it during an interview for a job I actually WANT, I'm not going to tell them "you can't ask me that!"

[Perpetual Student]

I once had a non-nursing job interview where I was asked those "tell about a situation in which . . ." questions. I sat for a moment, couldn't think of anything to say to the guy other than "what kind of question is THAT?" If I get answered such at a nursing interview I have a feeling I won't do much better.

I'm sorry, but I do not categorize my memories based upon what types of experiences they were. I guess I could just make something up. Maybe it's just a test of your ability to BS?

My nursing interviews have not contained too much silliness like that. The only thing that somewhat irked me were the personal questions, but they were fairly innocuous and I was able to make truthful (some more truthful than than others) answers with relative ease. I've been asked things like "How would you react to a conflict with a patient or family member?" which I believe is a valid style of question, as it asks how you will perform certain aspects of the job if hired.

Asking questions that require the applicant to provide an account of some specific scenario from the past without providing time to recall it is absolutely asinine. If you ask me if I'm a nurse, I can tell you yes immediately without hesitation. If you ask me to talk about a time in which I felt challenged by a peer, I'm going to look at you like you're a complete back birth for a moment while I try to think of a response--and probably fail. Wait, after 3 minutes I finally thought of one, but it'd probably be bad to recount it during an interview as it involves small arms. :uhoh21:

[rngreenhorn]

Q: If you were a vegetable, what type of vegetable would you be?

A: A vegetable? Hummm, problably a vegetable from a head injury involving an MVA in which I repeatedly ram your car with mine. But I have a question for you: Tell me about all the roadblocks to productivity originating from the most recent meeting/ committee this place employs.

[Valerie Salva, BSN, RN]

I was asked to list all the ways that a nickel and a dime are alike and all the ways they are different. After I answered, the interviewer got really enthusiastic about me- I must have answered the "right" way.

However, the doc who ran the clinic was a jerk to me in the interview, and I did not hide my displeasure. I didn't get the job.

[flashpoint]

When I get the "where do you see yourself in five years?" type of question, I usually say something like..."Right now, I don't forsee any major changes in my world. I like being an LPN...it offers more responsibility than a CNA without all of the paperwork that RNs often end up with. I like a lot of hands on, but I also enjoy a bit of paperwork here and there. So...I'm not planning to go back to school or anything like that. My husband has a very stable job, so there is little chance of being transferred and my kids are still in school, so I don't have any plans to move. I would like to be come an ACLS instructor or maybe teach some paramedic classes, but other than that, life is good." I've been told that my answer shows that I am likely to stick around a while without being stagnant.

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

If you look on monster.com or some other job hunting site they normally have the 'staged questions' so you can actually practice your answers before your interview-VERY common in most job interviews medical or non-medical.

[Sunflowerinsc, ADN, RN]

My, things have sure changed since the "olden days". About all I was asked was " When can you start, tomorrow"!!!!

[Jamesdotter]

My, things have sure changed since the "olden days". About all I was asked was " When can you start, tomorrow"!!!!

LOL Sounds like mine! It must have been okay--I stayed for 30 years!!