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Weirdest interview question

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  • E Ennis Ray Lynch Jr

    The real irony is that any answer besides yes would result in you not being considered. An answer of "No" means you could expose the company to a harassment lawsuit. An answer of "Depends on the group I am around" means you could expose the company to a harassment lawsuit. And an answer of, "Sugar tits, go get me some coffee, the men need to talk" ...

    Need custom software developed? I do C# development and consulting all over the United States. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane

    R Offline
    R Offline
    realJSOP
    wrote on last edited by
    #12

    Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:

    And an answer of, "Sugar tits, go get me some coffee, the men need to talk" ...

    That would have been my pick... :) Actually, I think you can answer the question honestly and still get hired. "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

    "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
    -----
    "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

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    • R realJSOP

      Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:

      And an answer of, "Sugar tits, go get me some coffee, the men need to talk" ...

      That would have been my pick... :) Actually, I think you can answer the question honestly and still get hired. "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

      "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
      -----
      "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

      J Offline
      J Offline
      Joe Programm3r
      wrote on last edited by
      #13

      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

      "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

      You are my hero!

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      • J Joe Programm3r

        I had an interview on Friday that had one of the weirdest questions I've ever had. "Do you consider yourself politically correct?" I was ready for every .NET framework and software development related question, but this one caught me completely off guard. It was every last bit of self control not to answer with what was on my mind.

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        Pete OHanlon
        wrote on last edited by
        #14

        I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?". I'm not expecting people to give me the correct answer, it's more to see how they cope with my particular mindset. We are a small team, so it's vital that I hire people who will fit in with me.

        "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

        As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

        My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

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        • P Pete OHanlon

          I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?". I'm not expecting people to give me the correct answer, it's more to see how they cope with my particular mindset. We are a small team, so it's vital that I hire people who will fit in with me.

          "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

          As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

          My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

          S Offline
          S Offline
          StewBob
          wrote on last edited by
          #15

          "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?" It was 'Spot', but he had stripes.

          There are two kinds of people. Those who need closure

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          • P Pete OHanlon

            I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?". I'm not expecting people to give me the correct answer, it's more to see how they cope with my particular mindset. We are a small team, so it's vital that I hire people who will fit in with me.

            "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

            As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

            My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

            J Offline
            J Offline
            Joe Programm3r
            wrote on last edited by
            #16

            Pete O'Hanlon wrote:

            I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?".

            If that were the case, I'd expect a question like "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

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            • J Jerry Hammond

              Not true. While it is possibly unethical, it is not illegal.

              "My interest is in the future because I'm going to spend the rest of my life there." - Charles F. Kettering

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              Chris Losinger
              wrote on last edited by
              #17

              in some states, and in the federal government, it is illegal to use political beliefs as part of the hiring decision, therefore interviewers are highly encouraged to not ask, since it opens them up to charges of discrimination.

              image processing toolkits | batch image processing

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              • J Joe Programm3r

                John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

                You are my hero!

                D Offline
                D Offline
                David Crow
                wrote on last edited by
                #18

                Joe Programm3r wrote:

                You are my hero!

                Raise your bar.

                "Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw later in life what you have deposited along the way." - Unknown

                "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

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                • J Joe Programm3r

                  Pete O'Hanlon wrote:

                  I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?".

                  If that were the case, I'd expect a question like "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

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                  StewBob
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #19

                  Yes, but your average programmer is able to answer that question, for both European and African swallows. ...and quote the relevant chapter and verse from which that questions arises.

                  There are two kinds of people. Those who need closure

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                  • J Joe Programm3r

                    Pete O'Hanlon wrote:

                    I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?".

                    If that were the case, I'd expect a question like "What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?"

                    P Offline
                    P Offline
                    Pete OHanlon
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #20

                    I like quirky, rather than textbook questions.

                    "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                    As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                    My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • S StewBob

                      "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?" It was 'Spot', but he had stripes.

                      There are two kinds of people. Those who need closure

                      P Offline
                      P Offline
                      Pete OHanlon
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #21

                      Correct, but did you need google for this or was this from memory? BTW - nobody gets the Trumptonshire one. They always forget one.

                      "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                      As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                      My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                      S P R 4 Replies Last reply
                      0
                      • D David Crow

                        Joe Programm3r wrote:

                        You are my hero!

                        Raise your bar.

                        "Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw later in life what you have deposited along the way." - Unknown

                        "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons

                        H Offline
                        H Offline
                        Henry Minute
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #22

                        DavidCrow wrote:

                        Raise your bar.

                        Is that a euphemism?

                        Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.”

                        L 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • R realJSOP

                          Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:

                          And an answer of, "Sugar tits, go get me some coffee, the men need to talk" ...

                          That would have been my pick... :) Actually, I think you can answer the question honestly and still get hired. "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

                          "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
                          -----
                          "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

                          C Offline
                          C Offline
                          Corporal Agarn
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #23

                          But if your running for office you answer yes then ask for coffee! :laugh:

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • J Joe Programm3r

                            I had an interview on Friday that had one of the weirdest questions I've ever had. "Do you consider yourself politically correct?" I was ready for every .NET framework and software development related question, but this one caught me completely off guard. It was every last bit of self control not to answer with what was on my mind.

                            D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Dave Kreskowiak
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #24

                            "Define 'politically correct'"... "If it has anything to do with kissing someones ass, I'm not your guy..."

                            A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
                            Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
                                 2006, 2007, 2008

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • P Pete OHanlon

                              I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?". I'm not expecting people to give me the correct answer, it's more to see how they cope with my particular mindset. We are a small team, so it's vital that I hire people who will fit in with me.

                              "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                              As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                              My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                              R Offline
                              R Offline
                              Rhys Gravell
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #25

                              Ah,, Trumpton... Pugh, Pugh, Barney Magrew - (McGrew?), Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub :)

                              Rhys "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it" They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance." Terry Pratchett

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • R realJSOP

                                Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:

                                And an answer of, "Sugar tits, go get me some coffee, the men need to talk" ...

                                That would have been my pick... :) Actually, I think you can answer the question honestly and still get hired. "I've never met a person who is completely politically correct. Given the multicultural nature of the modern work force, no matter how carefully measured or considered a response, there is the likelihood that one or more individuals will simply misinterpret what was said or the spirit in which the statement was made. I personally try my best not to offend when in a professional environment, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided. Someone in the group may not have gotten their self-perceived allotment of stink-finger the night before, or a little extra breakfast made their obvious weight problem more pronounced, or any number of other factors may be affecting their mood. I'm not a f*cking mind-reader, so whatever I say may be misconstrued as pissing in their Wheaties. One last thing - I'm applying for a programming job, not running for f*cking office."

                                "Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
                                -----
                                "...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

                                D Offline
                                D Offline
                                Dave Kreskowiak
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #26

                                Oh God! Stop it! It's hurts too much to laugh. :laugh: No, seriously, it does! Right now, the people around me are wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

                                A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
                                Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
                                     2006, 2007, 2008

                                M R 2 Replies Last reply
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                                • P Pete OHanlon

                                  Correct, but did you need google for this or was this from memory? BTW - nobody gets the Trumptonshire one. They always forget one.

                                  "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                                  As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                                  My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                                  S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  StewBob
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #27

                                  No Google for me. I was a huge Hong Kong Phooey fan growing up. Of course it helped that it was on the only TV channel that we got at the time.

                                  There are two kinds of people. Those who need closure

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • P Pete OHanlon

                                    Correct, but did you need google for this or was this from memory? BTW - nobody gets the Trumptonshire one. They always forget one.

                                    "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                                    As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                                    My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                                    P Offline
                                    P Offline
                                    pompeyboy2
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #28

                                    Hugh Pugh Barney Mcgrew Cuthbert Dibble Drub???? Hows that?? I think its nearly right and I have obviously not used google. So when do I start??

                                    1 Reply Last reply
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                                    • P Pete OHanlon

                                      I generally ask "What was the name of Hong Kong Phooey's Cat?", and "Can you name all of Trumptonshire's Fire Brigade?". I'm not expecting people to give me the correct answer, it's more to see how they cope with my particular mindset. We are a small team, so it's vital that I hire people who will fit in with me.

                                      "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                                      As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                                      My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                                      L Offline
                                      L Offline
                                      LittleYellowBird
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #29

                                      Who is this super hero? Sarge? No! Rosemary, the telephone operator? No! Henry, the mild mannered janitor? Could be! Hong Kong Phooey, Number one super guy! Hong Kong Phooey, Quicker than the human eye! :-D Quality!

                                      Ali

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                                      • D Dave Kreskowiak

                                        Oh God! Stop it! It's hurts too much to laugh. :laugh: No, seriously, it does! Right now, the people around me are wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

                                        A guide to posting questions on CodeProject[^]
                                        Dave Kreskowiak Microsoft MVP Visual Developer - Visual Basic
                                             2006, 2007, 2008

                                        M Offline
                                        M Offline
                                        MidwestLimey
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #30

                                        And this is different then normal, how?

                                        10110011001111101010101000001000001101001010001010100000100000101000001000111100010110001011001011

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                                        • P Pete OHanlon

                                          Correct, but did you need google for this or was this from memory? BTW - nobody gets the Trumptonshire one. They always forget one.

                                          "WPF has many lovers. It's a veritable porn star!" - Josh Smith

                                          As Braveheart once said, "You can take our freedom but you'll never take our Hobnobs!" - Martin Hughes.

                                          My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Onyx

                                          R Offline
                                          R Offline
                                          Russell Jones
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #31

                                          Pugh, Barney, McGrew Cuthbert Dibble and Grub but I have no idea who the boss was who called them to order.

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