Reckon you could handle these mind-boggling interview questions in your next job interview?
The only thing worse than having a job you hate is having to find another one.
Why? Because writing cover letters and going to job interviews are such awful, time-consuming, nerve-wracking experiences that it’s a wonder we don’t all just melt into a puddle of anxiety as soon as we walk through the door.
It’s hard enough trying to think of a time you showed great leadership during your summer job at Pizza Hut or when you overcame adversity as a receptionist at your local Ford dealership without employers throwing in random, seemingly nonsense questions into the mix.
And yet, some companies seem to be doing just that.
Recruitment site Glassdoor has complied a list of the 20 toughest questions that prospective employees have been asked over the last year and it makes for a stressful read.
Questions like 'What was your opinion of the film The Blair Witch Project?' or 'Who would win in a fight between Spider-Man and Batman?' might seem like fun topics of conversation down the pub with your mates, but in the high-pressure situation that is a job interview they could leave anyone stumped.
'Often it is to see how you react under pressure. It’s to see what happens when the rug is pulled from under you – how do you prepare for the completely unexpected?' Glassdoor’s Joe Wiggins told The Independent.
While anyone can throw in a curveball during the interview process, it’s tech companies and consultancy firms who are most likely to blindside their applicants – in particular interns.
'The number of candidates for interns is so high that the idea is to throw a grenade in and see what happens,' claimed Wiggins.
How do you think you would fare if you were asked one of these questions in your next job interview?
The 10 toughest job questions in the UK in 2015
1. 'Can you calculate how many tennis balls are used during the course of Wimbledon?' - Accenture 2. 'Estimate the total number of cars in the UK.' - Barclays Investment 3. 'How many calories are in a grocery store?' - Google 4. 'How would you sell a fridge to an eskimo?' – Harrods 5. 'What would you take to a lonely island with you and why?' - Urban Outfitters 6. 'Is Batman a superhero?' - AlphaSights 7. 'You have 17 red and 17 blue balls, and you remove two at a time. If the two are the same colour, add in one extra blue ball. If they are different colours, add in an extra red ball. What colour is the final ball removed?' - Geonomics 8. 'What cartoon character would you be and why?' – ASDA 9. 'What is the wildest thing you have done?' – Metro Bank 10. 'What was your opinion of the film The Blair Witch Project?' - Jefferies & Company
The 10 toughest job questions in the US in 2015
1. 'What would you do if you were the one survivor in a plane crash?' - Airbnb 2. 'What's your favourite 90s jam?' - Squarespace 3. 'If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them how would you choose which ones to answer?' - Dropbox 4. 'Who would win in a fight between Spider-Man and Batman?' - Stanford University 5. 'If you had a machine that produced $100 dollars for life what would you be willing to pay for it today?' - Aksia 6. 'What did you have for breakfast?' - Banana Republic 7. 'Describe the colour yellow to somebody who's blind.' - Spirit Airlines. 8. 'If you were asked to unload a 747 full of jelly beans, what would you do?' - Bose 9. 'How many people flew out of Chicago last year?' - Redbox 10. 'What's your favourite Disney Princess?' - Cold Stone Creamery