Answering Creative, [Tricky] or Unexpected Questions

Sometimes interviewers use questions that are out of the ordinary, creative, hypothetical or even a little "naughty."

The goal is usually not to get a "right" answer, but to assess your ability to think quickly, your creativity, your reaction under pressure and your sense of humor.

Don't let yourself be thrown off balance; often, how you respond is more important than what you respond to.

Key: Keep calm, structure a logical response, good humor.

The main strategy in the face of these questions is:

Stay calm: Don't show panic or irritation. Take a deep breath.

Structure a logical response: Try to find a reasoning, however simple, behind your answer.

Respond with good humor: Often, a smile and a relaxed attitude are the best response.

"Are you lying on your resume?"

Questions like "Every resume has a lie, tell me what yours is" seek to test your honesty.

How to respond: reaffirm your commitment to honesty.

You can say something like, "I have put a lot of effort into making sure my resume is accurate.

Honesty is critical in the professional arena, so I don't believe it contains lies."

"Are you overqualified?"

If the interviewer perceives that you have more experience or qualifications than strictly necessary for the position , he or she may doubt your long-term commitment.

How to respond: You must argue your motivation beyond salary or hierarchical level. Focus on:

• The challenge of the role: "I am looking for a different role where I can apply my experience in a more practical way."
• A change of trajectory: "I want to reorient my career to this area/sector and am willing to start in this position to learn and grow here."
• Passion for the company/industry/project: "Although it may seem overqualified on paper, I am very excited about [company mission/this specific project]. For me, motivation and interest in the job are just as important as the level of the position."

Express your interest convincingly.

Estimation questions ("How many balls will fit...?").

Questions like "How many tennis balls fit in a car?" or "How many traffic lights are there in Bogota?" are not looking for an exact answer (which even the interviewer usually doesn't know). They evaluate your logical reasoning process.

How to answer: Explain your method for arriving at an estimate. You can ask for pencil and paper.

Break the problem down into smaller parts (e.g., estimate the volume of a ball, the interior volume of a car, etc.) and show how you would do the calculation.

How you think is more important than the final number.

Hypothetical questions ("If you were an animal...").

Questions such as "If you were an animal/superhero/tree, which one would you be and why?" assess your creativity and self-perception.

How to answer: Choose one option and justify it by connecting it to one of your professional strengths relevant to the position.

For example, "I would be a dolphin, because they are smart, work well in a team and adapt to different environments."

Practical exercise ("Sell me this object").

They may give you an object (pen, phone) and ask you to sell it to them. They are looking to evaluate your commercial attitude, confidence and ability to improvise.

How to respond: Don't be intimidated or say you don't know how to sell.