“Describe to me how you put on a seatbelt.”
I got this question at an otherwise uneventful job interview a few years ago. To this day, I have no idea what the person who asked me this was looking for. This certainly wasn’t on the list of common job questions to expect in an interview. Needless to say, I was not prepared.
I froze for a minute and decided that as a writer, I should just be as descriptive as possible. So, I gave what can only be described as an elaborate re-enactment of adjusting my seat and mirrors, sliding the belt across my chest and fastening it securely. And then, I told him how I sat in the driveway and patiently waited until my kids put their own seatbelts on and how after much protest from the back seat, I ended with something my father would say like “we aren’t going anywhere until you do as I say.”
I didn’t get the job. But, I don’t think it was because of that answer. He seemed thoroughly entertained by my story.
This question still haunts me. What else could I have possibly said about putting on a seatbelt? And what kind of twisted, psychological test was this that my interviewer was putting me through?
How would you have answered the question? And what is the strangest interview question you’ve ever heard? I’d love to hear them!
It happens to the best writers. We sit down at the ideal time of day in the perfect setting to create something inspiring. Ready. Set. Go. Wait what? What do you mean you can’t think of anything to write? No problem! In order to avoid the dreaded writer’s block, I’ve armed myself with a plethora of resources for writing prompts, and now I’m offering them to you.
“Do you think 9/11 happened because people are mad at Israel?” — A question posed to me by a co-worker after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.