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A Penguin Walks Through the Door Followed By a Bounty Hunter

by
John Zappe
Jan 11, 2013, 8:00 am ET

Screen Shot 2013-01-09 at 12.13.38 PM“A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero,” your interviewer says, then asks, “What does he say and why is he here?”

If you answered, “Where’s the sunscreen?” congratulations and welcome to the Clark Construction Group family. The candidate who came up with that got the job.

And congratulations to Clark Construction, a 3,900-employee, $4 billion company with just a quirky enough interview process to make Glassdoor’s annual list of the Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions. It’s a list distinguished by questions that range from the almost ordinary — “How would you rate your memory?” asked of a candidate for a front desk job with Marriott — to the absolutely impenetrably bizarre — “What kitchen utensil would you be?” asked at Bandwidth.com, a connectivity and network company that has absolutely nothing to do with kitchenware.

Read the rest of the 25 here.

Not Getting Enough Action?

Bounty hunterNow that you are prepared for curveball questions, here’s one: You come across a fugitive who fled while out on bail. What do you do?

If you answered, “Call the bail bondsman to see how much bounty is being offered,” congratulations. You can become a bounty hunter. It’s an exciting career where, HowToBecomeABountyHunter.com says, “You can earn a considerable amount of money.” Not to mention getting to say things like, “Make my day.”

In case you were wondering, your recruiting skills, especially if you’re a sourcer, are highly transferable. Says the site: “Collecting relevant information about the person you are after and reducing it to actionable intelligence is the essence of Bounty Hunting.”

Online and at home training is available.

HR Is Da Bomb

Not convinced bounty hunting is for you. (You must be a corporate recruiter.) In that case, how about trying one on this list from CareerCast: Lumberjack, roustabout, dairy farmer, newspaper reporter, or meter reader. The first two pay kind of OK, but there’s a better than average chance of getting killed or maimed. The latter two, well now, much safer; little future. And dairy farmer? Can you say, “Lactose intolerant, soy please?”

On the hot jobs side of the list: software engineer. Check; Occupational therapist. Check. Online advertising manager. Check. Human Resources manager. Huh? See it for yourself.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to offer specific legal advice. You should consult your legal counsel regarding any threatened or pending litigation.

  1. Paul Tseko

    John,

    This is hilarious! Thanks for sharing it on a Friday. Hard to believe that companies are seriously asking these questions.

    Absolutely ridiculous but absolutely hilarious!!

  2. Eric Putkonen

    Hate to see that EEOC audit.

    EEOC – Why wasn’t this minority better considered for this job – her qualifications are excellent.

    Employer – We didn’t like her answer to the “A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero, what does he say and why is he here?” question.

    EEOC – Was this validated to reflect on job performance?

    Employer – what do you mean validated?

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