We’ve all had a bad job interview at some point. Some of us can probably even go so far as to say that we’ve had some weird job interviews. Actually, weird job interviews are getting more common.

Depending on the kind of company you have applied for a job with, the questions asked during an interview can sometimes seem pretty strange. A very popular one is “What do you think is your biggest weakness?” This is an obvious question as it puts your honesty on display. And it also causes you to think fast and try to sell a weakness as an actual strength (yes, that’s really what they’re looking for when they ask you this question).

But if you think that’s a question that is served out of left field, you should see some of the really oddball questions that people have reported from a job interview. The following examples are taken from Snagajob.com

• “If you were a breakfast cereal, what would you be and why?”
• “How would you explain what a chair is to an alien?”
• “If you could be a plant, what plant would you be?”
• “If you had to make a shoe with anything in this room, how would you make it?”
• “How would you explain Facebook to your grandma?”
• “Do you think there is any hope for mankind?”
• “If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?”

No, these aren’t questions that are thrown out there just to trip you up. There is actually some clever design behind them.  Most of the time, it’s to gauge your response to the unexpected. There’s also the desire to see how quickly you can think on your feet.

Also, think about it…no matter what answer you give to any of those questions, your immediate answer isn’t the important thing. It’s the follow up question of “Why?” So why would you be a box of Fruit Loops? Because you follow your nose? Because you, too, are just a bowl of fruity fun?

All of that yo say, in a job interview, you should take every question seriously. You never know what the real reason behind a question might be.