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I was recently asked this in an interview. I was kinda shocked at first that I was asked this question. Nonetheless, I responded back with, "I have friends that are college educated and friends that are not."
Is it really any of their business to know what percentage of my friends are college educated? Or is this one of those questions they throw at you to determine how quick on your feet you are. Has anyone been asked this question before? If so, how did you respond?
I was recently asked this in an interview. I was kinda shocked at first that I was asked this question. Nonetheless, I responded back with, "I have friends that are college educated and friends that are not."
Is it really any of their business to know what percentage of my friends are college educated? Or is this one of those questions they throw at you to determine how quick on your feet you are. Has anyone been asked this question before? If so, how did you respond?
The interview was with a fortune500 company.
No one has ever asked me this, but I suspect you are correct in your suspicions. I would have answered the same way, and done so with a smile of course.
I would be shocked too. As if it is their business! They asked about college-educated friends which I will assume does not necessarily mean college graduate.
I would answer "oh yes, MOST of them are" with a big smile. They would never meet my friends anyway and would never know the truth. I really can't stand when employers are nosy about what you do or who you know OUTSIDE OF WORK!
What's next? "Are most of your friends employed/speak perfect English/own their own home/US citizens/etc....?"
If It's not relevant to the job, they should not be asking the question.
I agree that it's a question they toss out to see how quick on your feet you are. Kind of like asking "Do you like chocolate cake?" Totally random, they just want to see your reaction. I think the non-committal and nuetral answer that the OP gave was perfect.
ha ha interview questions are supposed to be job related. The idiots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by annerk
I agree that it's a question they toss out to see how quick on your feet you are. Kind of like asking "Do you like chocolate cake?" Totally random, they just want to see your reaction. I think the non-committal and nuetral answer that the OP gave was perfect.
ha ha interview questions are supposed to be job related. The idiots.
Then you have missed the point of the question.
Any job will throw you curveballs now and again. An exceptional employee rises to the occasion, and deals with those situations.
A poor employee sits there, slack jawed, complains that the oddball situation was not in the job description, and does nothing about it.
The odd interview question is intended to check your reaction to unusual situations. If you respond with "That is none of your business. Questions in this interview are supposed to be strictly job related" it tells me that you will be questioning everything that happens throughout the day, and your first reaction to such things is hostility. You don't get hired.
However, if you have any sort of other reasonable answer, you pass the question. I would not care how many of your friends have college education. I would give credit to the guy who said "What friends?" for quick whit.
I'd be so tempted to go with a deadpan...
"Friends? What friends?
Just to watch the reaction of the interviewer.
I LOVE this! Deadpan, with a slight snarl, one side of the lip curled up. I'm doing it right now. Of course, one probably wouldn't get the job but boy, would it be funny.
I have never had a potential employer ask me anything like this. It seems really inappropriate. On one hand it seems like they're trying to see how quick you respond to off-color questions but then again, it seems rather intrusive-and a sneaky way of trying to find out 'what type of company you keep' outside of the clock.
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