43 replies to this topic

[redhotminilewis]

Whatever happened to if you’ve got experience and qualifications you’ve got the job? These stupid questions and hoops people have to jump through nowadays are really embarrassing.

But, the obvious answer is a satellite phone, so someone can come and get you off the island and back to safety.

However, the question is irrelevant anyway because no one plans to get stuck on an island so you wouldn’t have a choice what you could take with you, and if you did plan on getting stranded on an island, you’re a pretty stupid person and don’t deserve a job. Almost as stupid as the interviewer asking the question.

Obviously you can’t say that to the employer but I would be tempted to slap the interviewer with a wet fish there and then if they asked me a stupid question like that and I didn’t need the job.

[Gaffer]

its for a tv gameshow so not sure how serious/practical the answer needs to be. Just says no "wilsons" from castaway as theres been afew of them, need something a bit more personal to us.

Its not for a job, its for a tv gameshow based on a deserted island. Not sure if its to test our personalities or mind skills.

[redhotminilewis]

haha, Makes sense.

in that case, playboy magazine?

[M J W J]

They are probably just testing you to make sure you don't say your Bible

What's wrong with taking a mini haynes manual?

[liam_italian]

The door off a mini, so I could open the window if it got too hot

[BobJob]

Changed my mind. I'd take the infrastructure of a city then stay stranded and live life normally.

How are you going to take that to an interview? ;)

[AVV IT]

Whatever happened to if you’ve got experience and qualifications you’ve got the job? These stupid questions and hoops people have to jump through nowadays are really embarrassing.

The point of an interview is to choose between all the potential candidates that you should have already identified as having the right skills, qualifications and relevant experience at the application/ short listing stage. If you are actually interviewing candidates just to establish whether they have the right qualifications and experience for the post, then your recruitment process leaves an awful lot to be desired, as you could have saved everybody an awful lot of time and effort just by reading the applicants CV or application form properly. If the applicant hasn't bothered to list their skills, experience and qualifications in their written application, then they are clearly not suitable for any post and you really shouldn't be wasting your time interviewing them.

At the interview stage you need to learn something about the candidate that you cannot glean from their written application, so asking slightly off the wall questions like this might sound a bit lame, but the answer actually demonstrates things like how the candidate might prioritise and assess, whether they can solve problems, whether they are a risk taker, if they show leadership qualities and if they can "think outside the box".

The problem here though is that this sort of question only tells the interviewer anything about you if it is suddenly sprung on you at the interview, if you are aware of it in advance, then you will inevitably come up with a researched "good" answer that demonstrates nothing about you and makes the whole question pointless.

EDIT: Any way the answer is obvious, you'd take team GB's Olympic Womens Beach Volley Ball Team!!

Edited by AVV IT, 09 August 2012 - 01:48 PM.

[OllieTheWelder]

A variety of vegetable seeds.

[Juju]

If it's for a tellybox show, then not a knofe or fire-starting kit. I would take a pistol. With enough rounds to take out either ALL the other annoying attention-seeking wannabes, or simply to put myself out of my own misery!

[DaveJH]

The door off a mini, so I could open the window if it got too hot

Haha

A decent tent might not be a bad idea, but I would definitely consider SuperMario on a proper black and white gameboy with lots and lots of batteries

[old original]

Actually if it's for tv I'd take the crate of beer mentioned early and a pair of steel toe-capped boots, just to kick the c**p out of all those annoying bigheaded loveies that contaminate our screens with their inane crassness...

ooooohhhhh, time to sit down - ranting headspin

[sonikk4]

A variety of vegetable seeds.

So you can starve to death watching them grow????

Anyway a sat phone would be ideal but for longer term survival because the sat phone wont cut anything either a swiss army knife or a Leatherman.

[Tamworthbay]

A shed load of fireworks? Good as flares or a bit of fun while you starve to death. But if it's for telly go for something nuts, how about your dead great granny stuffed in a rocking chair so you have someone to talk to? Or a car door so you can wind the window down if it gets hot?

[thesidewalk]

Ive seen castaway so what you need to take is a wilson football :)

[Yoda]

The leatherman would be my first choice over the Swiss army knife, its a lot sturdier. then the obvious choices after that would be Mobile or sat fone so if you want rescuing, call someone, or if you want to stay, use a smart fone, because then you can use paypal to order in a chinese!

If you really want to be smart, take superman.