Interview Tips: 8 Brain Teaser Interview questions and their answers

Tough interview questions are supposed to challenge job candidates and make them think on their feet. But you can be prepared ahead of time. We have included here 8 tricky / brain teaser interview questions and their answers:

1. In a news story about your life, what would the headline be?
2. What color is your brain?
3. What fruit would you be?
4. What if you work here for five years and don't get promoted? Many of our employees don't. Won't you find it frustrating?
5. What is your biggest weakness that's really a weakness, and not a secret strength?
6. If you knew that things at your company were rocky, why didn't you get out of the company sooner?
7. From your resume, it looks like you were fired twice. How did that make you feel?
8. What if you worked with someone who managed to 'take credit' for all your great ideas. How would you handle it?

So, now lets get some ideas on how well you can answer these questions.

Ques1: In a news story about your life, what would the headline be?

Actually, the interviewer wants to gain insight into your general attitude and outlook on life, so be clear and to the point, summarizing key highlights in one short sentence. The most important thing to focus on is ensuring your answer portrays a positive side of you. Future employers aren’t keen on negative staff.

Ques2: What color is your brain?

Colors are commonly linked to describing a person’s mood, the interviewee is trying to gage how you work and whether your personality would fit in well with their working environment.

There are some dependable colors that represent positive attributes, but always stay loyal to who you are. If you are a passionate person, for example Red, then be honest by saying that, always making sure that whatever color you pick is described with positive undertones throughout.

Ques3: What fruit would you be?

The interviewer may be trying to understand how creative the candidate is with this seemingly strange question.

Would you choose a traditional trustworthy option, such as the humble apple? Or maybe show your travelling competence by saying a durian fruit. It provides the interviewer with an insight into your levels of creativity.

Depending on the role you are going for this will affect your answer. If you are applying for creative designer role, the more unusual the fruit, the reason why you choose it, the better. If it’s an accountancy role, maybe you should go with a safer option. The important thing is that you are able to say Why? so that your personality shines through – that’s what the interviewer will be looking for.
You can ask about all benefits later, when you’re close to an actual offer.

Ques4: What if you work here for five years and don't get promoted? Many of our employees don't. Won't you find it frustrating?

You can say, I consider myself ambitious, but I'm also practical. As long as I am continuing to learn and grow within my position, I'll be Happy-Camper. Different companies promote people at different rates, and I'm pretty confident that working for you will keep me motivated and mentally stimulated for several years to come.

Ques5: What is your biggest weakness that's really a weakness, and not a secret strength?

So, you can start by saying, I am extremely impatient. I expect my employees to prove themselves on the very first assignment. If they fail, my tendency is to stop delegating to them and start doing everything myself.

To compensate for my own weakness, however, I have started to really prep my people on exactly what will be expected of them.

Ques6: If you knew that things at your company were rocky, why didn't you get out of the company sooner?

You can say, I was working so hard to keep my job while everyone around me was being cut that I didn't have any time left over to look for another job. With all of my mergers that have been happening in our field, layoffs are a way of life. At least I gave it my best shot!

To compensate for my own weakness, however, I have started to really prep my people on exactly what will be expected of them.

Ques7: From your resume, it looks like you were fired twice. How did that make you feel?

You can start by saying, after I recovered from the shock both times, it made me feel stronger. It's true that I was fired twice, but I managed to bounce back both times and land jobs that gave me more responsibility, paid me more money, and we are at better firms. The morale here is very high and I'm still passionate about working in it.

Ques8: What if you worked with someone who managed to 'take credit' for all your great ideas. How would you handle it?

You can start by saying, first, I would try to credit her publicly with the ideas that were hers. Sometimes, by being generous with credit, it spurs the other person to "return the favor."

If that doesn't solve it, I'd try to work out an arrangement where we each agree to present the ideas. If that doesn't work, I would openly discuss the situation with her.

However, if the person taking credit for my ideas was my boss, I would tread cautiously. To some extent, I believe that's my job.

Now, some To Do's:

• If you don’t understand a question, rephrase it by saying, 'Do you mean …?' or ask for more detail. This will put you on the same page as the hiring manager and enable you to provide a targeted response
• "Don’t let nerves get the better of you."
• "Don’t assume the worst."
• You may meet with many interviewers at a company, some less prepared and experienced than others. Be patient with each successive meeting, even when the same questions are being asked multiple times. Your calm demeanor will count in your favor in the final selection