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Interview question: “Finish this sentence - We're going to party like…†[closed]
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Real question that was just asked in interview for a tech job: "Finish this sentence - We're going to party like..."
What's the best answer for a curveball question like this? Is it better to go with a serious answer, or your best one-liner?
interviewing
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., gnat, nvoigt, Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely Jan 26 '15 at 20:27
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
Real question that was just asked in interview for a tech job: "Finish this sentence - We're going to party like..."
What's the best answer for a curveball question like this? Is it better to go with a serious answer, or your best one-liner?
interviewing
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., gnat, nvoigt, Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely Jan 26 '15 at 20:27
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
1
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
1
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
Real question that was just asked in interview for a tech job: "Finish this sentence - We're going to party like..."
What's the best answer for a curveball question like this? Is it better to go with a serious answer, or your best one-liner?
interviewing
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
Real question that was just asked in interview for a tech job: "Finish this sentence - We're going to party like..."
What's the best answer for a curveball question like this? Is it better to go with a serious answer, or your best one-liner?
interviewing
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
asked Jan 23 '15 at 23:01
David R.
1194
1194
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., gnat, nvoigt, Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely Jan 26 '15 at 20:27
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jim G., gnat, nvoigt, Michael Grubey, Garrison Neely Jan 26 '15 at 20:27
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
1
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
1
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23
suggest improvements |Â
1
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
1
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23
1
1
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
1
1
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23
suggest improvements |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
13
down vote
accepted
There are a few possible goals for a question like this. The first is looking for self-confidence and how the candidate handles the unexpected. You could throw a cliche in there (such as a song reference) or something humorous.
The second goal is to look for a cultural fit (e.g. sense of humor, recreational preference). If you like partying, you will no doubt have a good answer to the question. If you do not, answering it will be harder.
Personally, I think these types of interview questions are absolutely awful. They tend to attract people like the interviewer (similar experience, humor and outlook) because they get the joke or reference. They tend to alienate those who are different (e.g. candidates from non-English speaking backgrounds or other countries).
Meanwhile, the interviewer can feel smug and superior that they have asked a question the candidate did not answer satisfactorily. If you receive several questions like this, I would seriously consider working elsewhere. The interviewer is subtly enforcing that you will work for them, not with them.
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"The question is underspecified. What use is the company going to need this answer for? Marketing? Risk management? Team building? What's the intended audience, and what message are we trying to send, with what subtexts?"
I'm being blunter than here than I would be in the interview, but I'm trying to make a real point. You aren't interviewing for party dude/dudette. You're there to sell them on your problem solving skills. Perhaps on your diplomacy too, in which case i'd definitely take the sting off it by making this quiz more interactive and perhaps giving the flippant gut-reaction answer first... but the "right" answer really is the one you'd give if Manglement threw this at you on the job -- find the question behind the question and give the best answers you can find to that.
At least, that's how this INTJ engineer reads it. Other contexts may have other best answers, but I can only give you the ones, a d the rationale, that work for me.
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
suggest improvements |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
13
down vote
accepted
There are a few possible goals for a question like this. The first is looking for self-confidence and how the candidate handles the unexpected. You could throw a cliche in there (such as a song reference) or something humorous.
The second goal is to look for a cultural fit (e.g. sense of humor, recreational preference). If you like partying, you will no doubt have a good answer to the question. If you do not, answering it will be harder.
Personally, I think these types of interview questions are absolutely awful. They tend to attract people like the interviewer (similar experience, humor and outlook) because they get the joke or reference. They tend to alienate those who are different (e.g. candidates from non-English speaking backgrounds or other countries).
Meanwhile, the interviewer can feel smug and superior that they have asked a question the candidate did not answer satisfactorily. If you receive several questions like this, I would seriously consider working elsewhere. The interviewer is subtly enforcing that you will work for them, not with them.
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
13
down vote
accepted
There are a few possible goals for a question like this. The first is looking for self-confidence and how the candidate handles the unexpected. You could throw a cliche in there (such as a song reference) or something humorous.
The second goal is to look for a cultural fit (e.g. sense of humor, recreational preference). If you like partying, you will no doubt have a good answer to the question. If you do not, answering it will be harder.
Personally, I think these types of interview questions are absolutely awful. They tend to attract people like the interviewer (similar experience, humor and outlook) because they get the joke or reference. They tend to alienate those who are different (e.g. candidates from non-English speaking backgrounds or other countries).
Meanwhile, the interviewer can feel smug and superior that they have asked a question the candidate did not answer satisfactorily. If you receive several questions like this, I would seriously consider working elsewhere. The interviewer is subtly enforcing that you will work for them, not with them.
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
13
down vote
accepted
up vote
13
down vote
accepted
There are a few possible goals for a question like this. The first is looking for self-confidence and how the candidate handles the unexpected. You could throw a cliche in there (such as a song reference) or something humorous.
The second goal is to look for a cultural fit (e.g. sense of humor, recreational preference). If you like partying, you will no doubt have a good answer to the question. If you do not, answering it will be harder.
Personally, I think these types of interview questions are absolutely awful. They tend to attract people like the interviewer (similar experience, humor and outlook) because they get the joke or reference. They tend to alienate those who are different (e.g. candidates from non-English speaking backgrounds or other countries).
Meanwhile, the interviewer can feel smug and superior that they have asked a question the candidate did not answer satisfactorily. If you receive several questions like this, I would seriously consider working elsewhere. The interviewer is subtly enforcing that you will work for them, not with them.
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
There are a few possible goals for a question like this. The first is looking for self-confidence and how the candidate handles the unexpected. You could throw a cliche in there (such as a song reference) or something humorous.
The second goal is to look for a cultural fit (e.g. sense of humor, recreational preference). If you like partying, you will no doubt have a good answer to the question. If you do not, answering it will be harder.
Personally, I think these types of interview questions are absolutely awful. They tend to attract people like the interviewer (similar experience, humor and outlook) because they get the joke or reference. They tend to alienate those who are different (e.g. candidates from non-English speaking backgrounds or other countries).
Meanwhile, the interviewer can feel smug and superior that they have asked a question the candidate did not answer satisfactorily. If you receive several questions like this, I would seriously consider working elsewhere. The interviewer is subtly enforcing that you will work for them, not with them.
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
edited Jan 25 '15 at 2:51
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
answered Jan 23 '15 at 23:37
akton
5,4811732
5,4811732
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
suggest improvements |Â
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
1
1
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
@JimG. I suppose it is a bit of an inside joke. That's right before 32-bit EPOCH time overflows. I hope that's enough time for the authors of certain specifications that insisted on EPOCH over the ISO standard to come to their senses. Probably not. The leap seconds will probably get them first. Regardless, I would pick a date that would make the interviewer ask me why I chose it instead of going for the song lyric.
– ColleenV
Jan 24 '15 at 23:52
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"The question is underspecified. What use is the company going to need this answer for? Marketing? Risk management? Team building? What's the intended audience, and what message are we trying to send, with what subtexts?"
I'm being blunter than here than I would be in the interview, but I'm trying to make a real point. You aren't interviewing for party dude/dudette. You're there to sell them on your problem solving skills. Perhaps on your diplomacy too, in which case i'd definitely take the sting off it by making this quiz more interactive and perhaps giving the flippant gut-reaction answer first... but the "right" answer really is the one you'd give if Manglement threw this at you on the job -- find the question behind the question and give the best answers you can find to that.
At least, that's how this INTJ engineer reads it. Other contexts may have other best answers, but I can only give you the ones, a d the rationale, that work for me.
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
"The question is underspecified. What use is the company going to need this answer for? Marketing? Risk management? Team building? What's the intended audience, and what message are we trying to send, with what subtexts?"
I'm being blunter than here than I would be in the interview, but I'm trying to make a real point. You aren't interviewing for party dude/dudette. You're there to sell them on your problem solving skills. Perhaps on your diplomacy too, in which case i'd definitely take the sting off it by making this quiz more interactive and perhaps giving the flippant gut-reaction answer first... but the "right" answer really is the one you'd give if Manglement threw this at you on the job -- find the question behind the question and give the best answers you can find to that.
At least, that's how this INTJ engineer reads it. Other contexts may have other best answers, but I can only give you the ones, a d the rationale, that work for me.
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
"The question is underspecified. What use is the company going to need this answer for? Marketing? Risk management? Team building? What's the intended audience, and what message are we trying to send, with what subtexts?"
I'm being blunter than here than I would be in the interview, but I'm trying to make a real point. You aren't interviewing for party dude/dudette. You're there to sell them on your problem solving skills. Perhaps on your diplomacy too, in which case i'd definitely take the sting off it by making this quiz more interactive and perhaps giving the flippant gut-reaction answer first... but the "right" answer really is the one you'd give if Manglement threw this at you on the job -- find the question behind the question and give the best answers you can find to that.
At least, that's how this INTJ engineer reads it. Other contexts may have other best answers, but I can only give you the ones, a d the rationale, that work for me.
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
"The question is underspecified. What use is the company going to need this answer for? Marketing? Risk management? Team building? What's the intended audience, and what message are we trying to send, with what subtexts?"
I'm being blunter than here than I would be in the interview, but I'm trying to make a real point. You aren't interviewing for party dude/dudette. You're there to sell them on your problem solving skills. Perhaps on your diplomacy too, in which case i'd definitely take the sting off it by making this quiz more interactive and perhaps giving the flippant gut-reaction answer first... but the "right" answer really is the one you'd give if Manglement threw this at you on the job -- find the question behind the question and give the best answers you can find to that.
At least, that's how this INTJ engineer reads it. Other contexts may have other best answers, but I can only give you the ones, a d the rationale, that work for me.
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
edited Jan 25 '15 at 16:25
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
answered Jan 25 '15 at 6:39
keshlam
41.5k1267144
41.5k1267144
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
suggest improvements |Â
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
Perhaps this should be a comment instead of an answer?
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 14:13
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
@colleenv: expanded on why this is, in fact, an Answer.
– keshlam
Jan 25 '15 at 16:26
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
I think asking for more context is a decent strategy and I agree a more diplomatic spin would be warranted. Maybe not start out with "It's underspecified" (aka a bad question). I might use "interesting question" which can lead into asking for more detail.
– ColleenV
Jan 25 '15 at 18:40
suggest improvements |Â
1
related: Should I play a “bad copâ€� Is it professional to provoke the candidates during an interview?
– gnat
Jan 24 '15 at 10:17
1
Like we're mature professionals who got something done and it's 1999.
– user8365
Jan 25 '15 at 16:44
I would be tempted to say, "That answers my questions about whether I want to work here. Thank you for your time." and then leave.
– HLGEM
Jan 27 '15 at 16:23