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Elon Musk’s favourite interview question, and 12 others

Tesla CEO Elon Musk points a finger while speaking during an interview.
Elon Musk's interview question is designed to show the interviewee can think on their feet. (Source: Getty) (FREDERIC J. BROWN via Getty Images)

Interviews can be daunting, but imagine sitting in front of the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, while he asks you brain teasers.

There is one particular question Musk supposedly likes to ask during job interviews, according to resume.io, and it’s a doozy.

“You're standing on the surface of the Earth. You walk one mile south, one mile west, and one mile north. You end up exactly where you started. Where are you?”

The answer?

The North Pole.

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The question is designed to show whether candidates can think and resolve issues quickly after being presented with data, resume.io content team lead Lotte van Rijwijk said.

“When smart leaders ask tough questions, they’re usually more interested in how you figure out your answer than whether you get it right,” Rijwijk said.

“They’re not trying to trick you; they’ve sat in that interview seat, too, and they’re hoping your answer will prove you the perfect fit for your dream job.”

Here are 12 more thought-provoking interview questions from top bosses.

Jules Walter - product lead for monetisation at Slack

“Among the people you’ve worked with, who do you admire and why?”

The question demonstrates a candidate's values without being directly asked about them. What someone admires in another person can tell the interviewer a lot about what they find important.

Chad Dickerson - former Etsy CEO

“Tell me about a time you really screwed something up. How did you handle it, and how did you address the mistake?”

This question can bring out a candidate’s humility, self-reflection and problem-solving skills.

Telling a hiring manager about your mistake and how you worked to solve it can also show off your communication skills.

Laura Behrens Wu - CEO of Shippo

“What are some things outside of work that you’re irrationally passionate about?”

By asking this question, a hiring manager can discover how you motivate yourself and how driven you are by hearing about your hobbies and passions.

Luis Von Ahn - CEO of Duolingo

“What would someone who doesn’t like you tell us about you?”

By asking this question, a hiring manager can discover how honest and self-aware you are.

Don’t try to avoid answering this kind of question, but instead try to use your answer to show you are self-aware and are open to self-improvement.

Lilia Stoyanov - CEO of Transformity

“What do you think about our company values?”

This question will demonstrate to the interviewer how much research you have done about the company as well as if you might be a good fit for the role.

It is always important to research a company well before you have an interview because it can also help you understand if it is a place you would like to work.

Sarah Blakely - CEO of Spanx

“Describe yourself in three words.”

Hiring managers will be able to get a sense of your personality, self-awareness and decisiveness.

It can also be a good opportunity for them to decide if you will be a good fit for the company.

Porter Braswell - CEO of Jowell

“What does success mean to you?”

This question can be used to open up a more free-flowing conversation, which can help both parties relax and get to know each other better.

It also reveals what a candidate feels about themselves, their values and their goals.

A group of businesspeople interviewing a candidate in an office.
Interview questions are often designed to show how an interviewee responds to different sutuations. (Source: Getty) (PeopleImages via Getty Images)

Sarah Fetter - CEO at 121 Ventures

“When was the last time you changed your mind about something important?”

An interviewer will be able to get a feel for a candidate's belief system or core values that have been changed and what effect it had on you.

It’s a good idea to provide the situation, what actions you took as a result, the result and what impact it had on you, your work or your life.

Roli Saxena - President at AdRoll Business

“What are you better at than most anyone else? What’s your superpower, and how will you leverage that to make an impact at this company?”

This will give the interviewer a clear picture of your strengths and what you hope to bring to the company.

Tim Chen - CEO at NerdWallet

“If you were in my shoes, what attributes would you look for in hiring for this role?”

By asking this question, the hiring manager can identify what you consider to be key focus areas for the role.

This can be particularly helpful if the role you’re interviewing for includes leading a team.

Pema Lin-Moore - VP of operation at WRA

“What is one critical piece of feedback you’ve received that was really difficult to hear? Why was it difficult, and what did you do with that information? What did you learn about yourself?”

This question can assess how quickly you respond to feedback that is out of line with how you see yourself, but can show your resilience.

Cindy Smith - Head of strategy and partner operations at Upstart

“Tell me about a topic that you’ve taken upon yourself to learn about.”

This may be asked to test your curiosity, assess your tenacity around learning and evaluate how you handle tough topics.

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