Elon Musk’s favourite interview question, and 12 others
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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Also read: The most vital interview question - and how to answer it
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Also read: 4 tough job interview questions and the easiest ways to answer them
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.
