5 ms·

>I don't apply to places unless I am really confident I am definitely going to be the best candidate, and that's generally been true. Same. I've been extremely

>I don't apply to places unless I am really confident I am definitely going to be the best candidate, and that's generally been true. Same. I've been extremely lucky that the only layoff I experienced was on first job out of school and on the first day ("we hired too many people"). The worst rejection I experienced was for a consulting position with a Big 4 consulting firm 10+ years ago. I bombed the brain teaser/problem solving question in the last round (IIRC, why are manhole covers round?). I could tell the interview went downhill after that exchange. At the time I had no prior consulting experience therefore I really wanted to pivot into consulting with that opening. Come to think of it, I have never asked any brain teaser questions like that in any of the interviews I conducted - maybe that's why. :) >just get practice interviewing and learning how other companies run the process I did it a few times but never felt the experience is comparable to looking for work "for real".

throwanem 6y ago
It's so they can't fall in the hole, but who asks a question like that in an interview anyway? Was it a civil engineering role?
- bryik 6y ago
  "Why are manhole covers round" is an infamous Microsoft interview question. https://wiki.c2.com/?MicrosoftsManholeCoverQuestion https://wiki.c2.com/?MicrosoftsManholeCoverQuestion
- ptsneves 6y ago
  My immediate answer would be it is because it eliminates a constraint. Thus placement is easier if alignment is not a constraint. Do not see much of a value in this kind of question except for amusement of the interviewer and check if the person is wired differently.
  - throwanem 6y ago
    I could see it being a fun kind of question to volley back and forth and maybe get a sense of how a candidate thinks. As an interviewee I could probably have some useful fun with it, but as an interviewer I wouldn't use it that way; there are other, more relevant, questions which could serve the same purpose just as well.

throwanem 6y ago

It's so they can't fall in the hole, but who asks a question like that in an interview anyway? Was it a civil engineering role?

bryik 6y ago
"Why are manhole covers round" is an infamous Microsoft interview question. https://wiki.c2.com/?MicrosoftsManholeCoverQuestion https://wiki.c2.com/?MicrosoftsManholeCoverQuestion
ptsneves 6y ago
My immediate answer would be it is because it eliminates a constraint. Thus placement is easier if alignment is not a constraint. Do not see much of a value in this kind of question except for amusement of the interviewer and check if the person is wired differently.
- throwanem 6y ago
  I could see it being a fun kind of question to volley back and forth and maybe get a sense of how a candidate thinks. As an interviewee I could probably have some useful fun with it, but as an interviewer I wouldn't use it that way; there are other, more relevant, questions which could serve the same purpose just as well.