I don't think I could be hired today

[Bestwifeever]

“Jeff Bezos walks into your office and says you can have a million dollars to launch your best entrepreneurial idea. What is it?” – view answers. Asked at Amazon.
May I borrow your computer to google "Jeff Bezos" ? Then I will answer.

Fun answers, FB.

I am sure if you really were interviewing with Amazon you would know who Jeff Bezos is.

 

[eridanus]

18. “Calculate the angle of two clock pointers when time is 11:50.” – view answers. Asked at Bank of America.
A circle has 360 degrees. A clock measures time on a circular surface, and is divided into 60 marks (= 1 minute) on the clock face. Every minute mark equals 6 degrees. Therefore, 10 minutes = 12 degrees. However, the larger hand on the clock will not be pointing exactly at the numeral 12 at 11:50. So I will estimate the angle at 8-10 degrees.
​

10 minutes is 60 degrees.

Good answer on 4).

 

[NW-Bound]

My memory is truly failing me!

My children told me about their interviewing experience in recent years, and they did not tell me any story as described in the OP.

Many of the questions in the OP's list were for associate or analyst positions, so I am guessing they were asked during campus recruiting interviews of people with not much applicable employment histories to discuss or base an employment offer on. They are probably just looking at reactions and how well the questions are handled and not the content. Just step one in the wonderful world of work.

My daughter had been working full-time doing accounting work for some time before graduating, three jobs actually, so they would have plenty to ask her about.

My son also spent some time at a research lab when studying, and even managed to get his name on a couple of technical papers. Again, plenty to talk about at the job interview.

 

[ERD50]

10 minutes is 60 degrees.

Good answer on 4).

On that one, I got the math right, but I got so focused on the numbers ""11" and "50", that I forgot to account for the fact that the hour hand would be 5/6th of the way towards 12 from 11. So the 5 minutes between 11-12 would be 30 degrees * 5/6 = 25 degrees, plus the 5 minutes back to the minutes hand is another 30 degrees, so 55 degrees.

So I miss a point for vision.

I'l agree with others that the peanut butter sandwich instruction could be very good indeed. It would tell you a lot about clear, organized thinking, writing skills, etc. And since there are many preferences and differences, how would the writer account for that concisely, w/o going off on tangents and getting lost in details - or would they miss that altogether?

I'd bet that a significant number of the responses for a seemingly simple task would be very poorly done.

-ERD50

 

[Meadbh]

I regularly had to hire analysts. We devised a standard interview that included 3 skills tests based on real life work challenges. We wanted to test analytical skill as well as resourcefulness and common sense. The tests were extremely helpful in differentiating people who really had the skills we needed from those who didn't, but were able to present themselves in a favourable light in the interview conversation.

 

[ERD50]

The dumbest interview question I have ever had posed to me... "If you could be any kind of a ball, what kind of ball would you be?" I told the person that I had no desire to be a ball. The interview ended shortly thereafter and I did not get the job. On the other hand, at that point I did not want the job anyway if this individual was an example of the dimwits I would have to w&*k with.

Well, "could" implies a choice. So I would would say I do not choose to be any sort of a ball. I prefer to remain who I am.

But if it were worded such that I was going to be turned into a ball, and the only choice was the type, I'd say it would make no difference. Balls have no self-awareness, so it couldn't possibly matter to me, once I was turned into a ball. But maybe I could make a difference to others, so how about a soccer ball for some poor village that wanted one for the kids to be able to play soccer? Or a dance ball for some town that was struck by disaster, and was in need of some recreation? I suppose "High Ball" would not be a PC answer.

Maybe they'd be sorry they asked?

-ERD50

 

[FUEGO]

I regularly had to hire analysts. We devised a standard interview that included 3 skills tests based on real life work challenges. We wanted to test analytical skill as well as resourcefulness and common sense. The tests were extremely helpful in differentiating people who really had the skills we needed from those who didn't, but were able to present themselves in a favourable light in the interview conversation.

That is the way I would view the "angle between the clock hands at 11:50" question. An analytical question intended to see your thought process and problem solving skills.

To answer it, I would sketch out the clock, draw the hands to help understand the problem, set 12 as zero degrees, then figure out the rotational offset from 12 for each of the hands, then determine the delta between each offset. The hour hand is 355 degrees clockwise from 12 and the minute hand is 300 degrees from 12, giving a delta of 55 degrees.

How the candidate solves the problem says a lot about how they would solve problems on the job. An off the cuff response might mean they are more instinctual and less analytical, but a methodical means of arriving at an answer would mean they are more careful and diligent at understanding and solving the problem (correctly and not merely quickly).

 

[ERD50]

That is the way I would view the "angle between the clock hands at 11:50" question. An analytical question intended to see your thought process and problem solving skills.

To answer it, I would sketch out the clock, draw the hands to help understand the problem, set 12 as zero degrees, then figure out the rotational offset from 12 for each of the hands, then determine the delta between each offset. The hour hand is 355 degrees clockwise from 12 and the minute hand is 300 degrees from 12, giving a delta of 55 degrees. ...

My first go-around, I missed the offset of the hour hand , but quickly calculated the delta between the 11 hour mark and the 50 minute mark.

When the light bulb went off, it took me a little while to come up with with the answer. I looked at the hour hand as being 10/12ths of the way between 11 and 12, and calculating from there, with 6 degrees per minute tick.

Was there a more direct way that I missed to get right to 355 degrees?

edit/add: I just found it interesting how accustomed we are to analog clocks. Each number represents two different numbers, they are seldom labeled, and I never really think about it. 11 is 50, 6 is 30, 3 is 15, etc. Yes, obvious, but funny how it is so automatic I don't even think about it.

-ERD50

 

[FUEGO]

My first go-around, I missed the offset of the hour hand , but quickly calculated the delta between the 11 hour mark and the 50 minute mark.

When the light bulb went off, it took me a little while to come up with with the answer. I looked at the hour hand as being 10/12ths of the way between 11 and 12, and calculating from there, with 6 degrees per minute tick.

Was there a more direct way that I missed to get right to 355 degrees?

edit/add: I just found it interesting how accustomed we are to analog clocks. Each number represents two different numbers, they are seldom labeled, and I never really think about it. 11 is 50, 6 is 30, 3 is 15, etc. Yes, obvious, but funny how it is so automatic I don't even think about it.

-ERD50

It's funny - I just finished helping my 2nd grader with analog clocks and learning how many minutes before or after the hour particular times are.

I added up to 355 degrees from 30 degrees per hour (30x11) plus 10/12ths of another 30 degrees = 330 + 25 = 355. I used a pen and paper to keep the fraction math straight.

 

[ERD50]

It's funny - I just finished helping my 2nd grader with analog clocks and learning how many minutes before or after the hour particular times are.

I added up to 355 degrees from 30 degrees per hour (30x11) plus 10/12ths of another 30 degrees = 330 + 25 = 355. I used a pen and paper to keep the fraction math straight.

OK, thanks - basically the same as I did. I thought maybe there was a process to eliminate the paper-pencil fraction step (which isn't too tough to factor in your head, but the visual aid helped me keep it straight).

-ERD50

 

[Bestwifeever]

My memory is truly failing me!

My children told me about their interviewing experience in recent years, and they did not tell me any story as described in the OP.

DD had a question during an interview her senior year for an entry-level strategic management position with a consulting firm that asked how to best help an island country that had been devastated by an earthquake (pre Haiti). She had had plenty to talk about during the first three interviews with this firm but really had no strategic management experience at that time.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DS's best interview was a one-on-one breakfast meeting. He had a lot of relevant experience and pretty much already had the job. He said the guy talked nonstop for a hour and would not shut up, so there weren't even questions DS could answer (or ask himself). At the end of the meal he told DS he was awfully quiet (he's not).

 

[Letj]

I am presuming, since you are an obstetrician / gynecologist, that 100% of your patients are female. I guess you just have to get along with women! Although I do recall an OB from my student days who was quite misogynistic.

Do women still see male obgyns? I think I've only seen a male obgyn one time in my entire life.

 

[obgyn65]

Yes. You are joking, right?

Do women still see male obgyns? .