10 Unconventional Job Interview Questions That Left Candidates in Shock

Job interviews often feature the standard questions, such as “How would you describe your work style?” or “Can you tell me about a time you faced a challenge at work?” However, once in a while, candidates encounter unexpected questions that catch them off guard. Ranging from amusing to downright peculiar, these unconventional interview questions showcase the creativity—or eccentricity—of hiring managers.

• I had a job interview where I was asked about what I did in my free time. I said, “I read books, watch movies, and cook.” The recruiter asked, “What do you cook? Why didn’t you bring any of that to the interview?” I laughed, but then I realized the recruiter wasn’t joking. © Turko_the_Fair / Twitter

• I sat across from the hiring manager, confident and ready—until he asked, “If you were a kitchen appliance, which one would you be?” My brain short-circuited. A blender? No, too chaotic. A toaster? Too basic. So I blurted, “A fridge! I keep things cool under pressure.” He chuckled. I got the job.

• I had an online interview with a candidate. I told him that if he had any more questions, he could text me. He did. He asked me what shade of yellow the wall was behind me. © Inga_Kudracheva / Twitter

• The interviewer smiled warmly as he flipped through my resume. “Impressive,” he said. “But let’s cut to the chase. Imagine this—you’re in charge of finances here, and one day, you notice a discrepancy in the accounts. A small one, but suspicious. What do you do?” I blinked. “I’d report it, of course.” He nodded. “And what if you found out your boss was behind it?” The air in the room changed. My stomach tightened. “Then I’d have to report them too.” He studied me, then smirked. “That’s what the last guy said. He didn’t last long.”
  I suddenly wasn’t sure if I even wanted the job anymore.

• At an interview to be a county street sweeper, the guy asks me if I have a girlfriend, and rants for 5 minutes how young people don’t get married anymore. Then he asks me what I want to avoid on the job. I had no idea how to answer. So I asked him to clarify, to which he just repeated the question, over and over until he got angry that I didn’t know how to answer that, then asked me to leave. © forgotmyfirstname** / Reddit

• The interviewer glanced at my resume, then asked, “If your partner suddenly got a dream job overseas, would you move with them or stay here?” My mouth went dry. “Uh... what does that have to do with this position?” He shrugged. “We invest in long-term employees. If you’d leave us for love, we’d rather know now.” I laughed nervously. “I think I’d find a way to balance both.” He nodded. “Good answer. But most people don’t.” I left wondering if I had just failed an interview... or a loyalty test.

• “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” I was interviewing for an analyst position so I went for a “decision tree”. I got the job. © ntlslayer95 / Reddit

• I once attended a job interview for an administrative position at a tattoo studio. During our conversation, the HR manager requested my Instagram handle. Without giving it much thought, I handed him my phone, assuming he simply wanted to see my profile name. However, instead of just noting it down, he began scrolling through my posts, closely inspecting my photos and even analyzing the number of likes they had received. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Why do some of your pictures have fewer likes than others?"—as if that had any relevance to the job.

• In the skills section of my resume, I had listed, “Strong memory and ability to handle stress.” A company reached out to me, and I went in for an interview. As I spoke with the recruiter and the boss, the boss suddenly asked, “Your resume states you have a good memory. Can you tell me my name?” Confidently, I replied, “Robert.” He shook his head and said, “Actually, it’s Leo.” Without missing a beat, I laughed and said, “Well, I guess we can cross out the memory part.” We all shared a good laugh, and despite the slip-up, I got the job and ended up working there for many years.

• The interview was going great—until my potential boss said, “Alright, last thing. Show me the last 3 photos on your phone.” I nervously opened my gallery. First photo: Me posing with my identical twin sister. His eyes lit up, and his tone suddenly serious, he asked, “Do you ladies... ever switch places?” A strange tension filled the air. I let out a half-laugh, trying to play it off. “What, like in high school for tests? Sure, maybe once or twice.” But he didn’t laugh. He kept staring at the photo, fingers drumming against the desk. “And now?”
  Something about the way he asked made my stomach tighten. He wasn’t just making conversation. I forced a smile. “No, not really.”
  He nodded slowly, then motioned for me to swipe.

Unexpected moments in interviews don’t always lead to stress or disappointment. Sometimes, they open doors to success and outstanding career opportunities.