cover of episode 问题:有什么奇怪的问题能看清一个人

问题:有什么奇怪的问题能看清一个人

2019/6/18
logo of podcast Quora Selected 附导读

Quora Selected 附导读

Frequently requested episodes will be transcribed first

Shownotes Transcript

What seemingly strange question will reveal a lot about a person?) ) Paul Barends), lives in The Netherlands Well, once during a job interview I was asked a strange question. This was in the 1980s when unemployment was high. A small company advertised a sales position in a local newspaper. It wasn’t clear what they actually sold and I didn’t have much experience, but it was close to where I lived, so I applied by letter anyway, and to my surprise was invited for an interview. The strange question must have at least revealed I was paying attention, because my immediate response was, “Why would you ask me such a question?” “It reveals a lot about a person I’ve learned,” the business owner replied. At that age I was totally unprepared. I was ready to explain sales strategies. So I needed a moment. My first thought was that this might be an indirect way to learn about the religious convictions of a person, and that this might be a secret demand. Still I managed to come up with a coherent answer, but I don’t recall what I actually said. He had originally asked me, “What do you think the purpose of life is?” and that question definitely caught me off guard. Eventually I didn’t get the job, which wasn’t a big deal. However I’ve always kept wondering whether the question was asked because of his religious beliefs, or that it was in fact an assessment relevant to sales positions. Either way, the answer to such a question is always revealing.