“If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?” 

How are you supposed to reply to such an off-the-wall interview question? Do you even want this job? Someone applying for a position with the Zappos Family as a customer loyalty teammember was faced with such a quandary; the question is number one on Glassdoor.com’s list of “Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions for 2014.”

Glassdoor.com’s team of data scientists compiled this list, which is not in any particular order, based on questions shared during the past 12 months as part of the Interview Reviews feature on Glassdoor. This feature, which is free to use, offers insights into the interview process including the interview format, how the interview was achieved, the average interview length and overall ratings regarding the interview experience. Glassdoor has collected nearly 1 million interview questions and reviews from around the world. To develop the list, they take into account community feedback, such as questions tagged as “brainteasers” and compile questions job candidates shared on their site over the past year.

Glassdoor’s Top 25 Oddball Interview Questions for 2014:

1. “If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?” – The Zappos Family, Customer Loyalty Team Member interview

2. “How lucky are you and why?” – Airbnb, Content Manager interview

3. “If you were a pizza delivery man, how would you benefit from scissors?” – Apple, Specialist interview

4. “If you could sing one song on American Idol, what would it be?” – Red Frog Events, Event Coordinator interview

5. “Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer?” – Dell, Account Manager interview

6. “If you were on an island and could only bring three things, what would you bring?” – Yahoo,Search Quality Analyst interview

7. “If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?” – Bed Bath & Beyond, Sales Associate interview

8. “Do you believe in Bigfoot?” – Norwegian Cruise Line, Casino Marketing Coordinatorinterview

9. “Why is a tennis ball fuzzy?” – Xerox, Client Manager interview

10. “What is your least favorite thing about humanity?” – ZocDoc, Operations Associateinterview

11. “How would you use Yelp to find the number of businesses in the U.S.?” – Factual, Software Engineer interview

12. “How honest are you?” – Allied Telesis, Executive Assistant interview

13. “How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the U.S. each year?” – Goldman Sachs,Programmer Analyst interview

14. “Can you instruct someone how to make an origami ‘cootie catcher’ with just words?” – LivingSocial, Consumer Advocate interview

15. “If you were 80 years old, what would you tell your children?” – McKinsey & Company, Associate interview

16. “You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?” – Urban Outfitters Sales Associate interview

17. “How does the internet work?” – Akamai, Director interview

18. “If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you and why?” – SinglePlatform, Inside Sales Consultant interview

19. “What’s the color of money?” – American Heart Association, Project Manager interview

20. “What was the last gift you gave someone?” – Gallup, Data Analyst interview

21. “What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?” – Applebee’s,Bartender/Neighborhood Expert Server interview

22. “How many snow shovels sold in the U.S. last year?” – TASER, Leadership Development Program interview

23. “It’s Thursday; we’re staffing you on a telecommunications project in Calgary, Canada on Monday. Your flight and hotel are booked; your visa is ready. What are the top five things you do before you leave?” – ThoughtWorks, Junior Consultant interview

24. “Describe to me the process and benefits of wearing a seatbelt.” – Active Network, ClientApplications Specialist interview

25. “Have you ever been on a boat?” – Applied Systems, Graphic Designer interview

Before you freak out at the thought of answering one of these oddball questions, keep in mind that most employers will stick to the more traditional, “Why should we hire you” and “What is your biggest weakness” type of interview question. Be prepared to explain why you are a good fit for the job.

Stay tuned for specific tips later this week just in case you face one of these eclectic inquiries at your next interview.

What are some of the strangest questions you’ve been asked on an interview? Comment below.

Originally appeared on AOLJobs.com

The post Crazy interview questions appeared first on Keppie Careers.

These strategies will help you answer any oddball interview question.

1. Never question the value of the inquiry itself. If you say, “What does this have to do with the job?” you might as well get up and walk out of the interview. (Unless they are looking for a contrary or difficult candidate, which is unlikely.)

2. It’s OK to stop for a minute to think. In fact, it’s a good idea to take a deep breath before delving into your answer. You may also want to repeat the question to make sure you understand it correctly.

3. Unless the organization is overtly political, do not introduce controversial or political topics in your answers. For example, in answering the question about what state to eliminate from the U.S., don’t let on that you’d like to axe California because it’s reliably democratic, or Texas because it is always “red.”

4. Consider the reason the interviewer may have chosen the question. Maybe he is trying to see if you have a sense of humor, in which case you could respond with a funny answer. Petco asked an analyst candidate, “How would you direct someone else on how to cook an omelet?” It’s likely the job requires being able to explain concepts and possibly action steps to people, which makes the question seem reasonable and not so off-the-wall.

5. Many oddball questions help the interviewer assess how you think, so be sure to demonstrate your thought process, don’t just give an answer. For example, interviewers at JetBlue who asked a pricing/revenue management analyst candidate, “How many quarters would you need to reach the height of the Empire State building?” probably don’t expect a correct answer. Replying, “500,000” isn’t going to give the interviewer any insight about you. Instead, talk out your thought process. For example, “It’s best to stack the quarters on top of each other. A quarter is about .05 inches thick, so there are about 240 quarters in a foot. If the Empire State Building is about 1,400 feet tall, it would take about 336,000 quarters to reach the top. That doesn’t include the antennae!” When you answer this way, even if your specifics are not correct, you can still win points for your thought process. (And for the details you include, such as stacking the quarters and considering the antennae.)

6. Focus on the characteristics of the job, if possible. At Trader Joe’s (a food store), they asked a crew candidate, “If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?” This is a great opportunity for the job seeker to demonstrate what he or she knows about the food at Trader Joe’s. “I would select some of Trader Joe’s best, fresh vegetables — asparagus is in season now, to serve with organically fed poultry. I’d cook them with Trader Joe’s brand mole sauce and, voila — a great meal.”

7. No matter what, don’t let any question rattle or stress you out. Amanda Lachapelle, director of HR and talent acquisition at Glassdoor, a jobs and career community said, “The worst answer you can give is a short response with no explanation or say ‘I don’t know.’ When answering tough questions, take your time, ask the interviewer to clarify if necessary, show your personality and explain how you can problem solve out loud.”

Photo by Jenn and Tony Bot

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