9 Secret Interview Questions Singaporean Employers Ask And How To Ace Them

Weird job interview questions

“Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” isn’t just the first line of Katy Perry’s hit song “Firework”. It’s also a legit interview question asked at Canada’s Wonderland theme park.

But it’s not just managers in ang moh countries who ask such oddball questions. This list of weird interview questions from Singaporean employers will prove they aren’t any worse at getting their job hopefuls to sweat nervously, burst out into laughter/song – or both.

We’ve even categorised these questions into tests of creativity, personality, and aptitude, to help all job-hunting warriors understand what exactly these cryptic questions are asking for, and ace them #likeaboss at your next interview.

The Creativity Test

1. If there was a sea monster in Marina Bay, how would you capture it?

Illustration by: @rachormee

2. What feature(s) will you add to Pokemon Go and why?

Seemingly pointless questions on the outside, secret tests of creativity on the inside. Don’t just write them off as a prank your interviewer is playing on you, these lighthearted questions are there to put your creative mind to the test.

If you’re applying to younger startups and companies like Garena (pst, both questions were from them), your creativity will be the one thing that sets you apart from the rest. So don’t be afraid to push the boundaries beyond the tried-and-tested limits. The only responses your interviewers don’t want to hear are the ones they’ve heard a hundred times already.

Tip: start training up your creative juices way before stepping into the interview room! That way, you’ll definitely have some novel ideas up your sleeve to impress your interviewers with.

The Personality Test

3. If you can only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Illustration by: @rachormee

4. Who would you want to be with if you were stranded on a deserted island and why?

These questions paint pretty morbid scenarios – especially when asked by an airline company – but that’s not the point here.

These questions scratch the surface of who you are as a person and gives your potential employers a glimpse of your attitude and personality, often, working as a pretty decent indicator as to whether you’ll be a good cultural ‘fit’ for the company.

And while there aren’t any “right” or “wrong” answers to questions like these, the only “wrong” answers are rehearsed, “textbook” responses that make your personality appear completely one dimensional. Just be yourself and inject your own perspectives!

For instance, a candid answer to the 4th question would be your Bear Grylls v2.0 friend who can fashion a makeshift sampan to get you both out.

5. What are the bookmarks in your browser and what are they used for?

Now, this one might come across borderline intrusive, but employers aren’t being nosy – they just want a peep into your brain to better understand the kind of content you’re interested in. It’s also an undercover method of gauging how well-read you are.

Tip: Reading up on – or at least pretending to – an impressively diverse range of websites and content sources will greatly impress interviewers. Even if the websites in question aren’t closely related to the industry you’re applying to.

The Aptitude Test

6. Name all the things you can do with a brick and don’t stop until we tell you to.

Those looking to join the TSL fam, listen up! We’ll spill the beans on an actual question posed to prospective TSL employees.

Besides testing your creativity, this question’s also a test of endurance and wit. So while you don’t need to spout out 639824010 ideas, throwing in the towel after a handful of guesses is a telling sign of how committed you are to a certain task, and how well you perform under pressure.

But merely rattling off random ideas won’t get you anywhere either. You’ve gotta make sure they’re interesting, too. Plus points if you can link it to the position you’re applying for, like grinding the brick into powder to double-up as blusher for a beauty-related role!

7. What are the 7 deadly sins that will cause your downfall and why?

Most of the other questions in this list don’t have a definite right or wrong answer, but this one does. For instance, this interview question from the team at L’oréal could only have been hoping for one answer – vanity. After all, there’s nothing wrong with being overly attached to makeup, especially if you’re hoping to work for one of the biggest cosmetics companies in the world.

8. How do you explain Twitter to your grandmother?

Illustration by: @rachormee

To quote Albert Einstein, “You don’t really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.” So we can only assume Twitter was posing a very strategic and fitting question to this one interviewee, since this is coming from a social media company with a 140 character word limit.

It always helps to know the company and all its functions like the back of your hand. This way, you’ll be able to explain it concisely and clearly – no grandmother stories needed.

9. Given a display of 10 ice cream flavours, how would you place 3 new flavours to sell them?

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This next deceptively simple question from online fashion giant Zalora is how employers get a sense of your marketing style and ability to think coherently on your feet, especially when it’s tempting to say “just put them in the front row”. And if ice cream strategy doesn’t cause you to freeze up, being tasked to come up with a kickass marketing plan for the company won’t, either.

Weird interview questions – exposed and answered!

Congrats, you’ve made it this far. Now go forth and wow your interviewers with your A+ grade answers! Even if you get a question that throws you off-guard, don’t freak out. Logically reasoning your way through even the strangest of questions is a great way to show your employers just how detailed and unique your thought process is.

But if all else fails, don’t forget to flash your biggest smile and remain composed. We sincerely wish you all the best.

Job-hunting made easier with JobStreet.com

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If the thought of job-searching – and tackling these weird questions – stresses you out, we feel you. But finding a job is only as stressful as you make it. And job portals, like JobStreet.com, can help you relieve some of that pressure.

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With this big part of job-searching out of the way, all you’ve left to focus on: impressing your future employer.

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This post was brought to you by JobStreet.com.