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Dear WOW:

I have been going on some job interviews lately, and it seems like I've been getting a lot of tricky questions from the interviewers. I don't know if the questions are even legitimate, but they sure do try to steer me into no-win answers.

For example, one interviewer asked me to describe my worst boss. What's the point of that? Another one asked me what I would most like to change about myself. These questions seem like that old, "When did you stop beating your wife?" trick.

Are they allowed to ask these kinds of questions? And if so, how do I keep from shooting myself in the foot? You have to answer them, don't you?

Bewilderingly yours,

Hobson

Dear Hobson:

As a former recruiter for a Fortune 100 corporation, I think I can help you out here. To answer your first question, yes, they can ask those types of questions. The only questions they cannot legally ask are those that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, and all the other equal opportunity "protected class" categories.

The types of questions you are being asked may seem weird, but they accomplish two objectives at once. Even if they don't seem to be job-related, they are effective at revealing your warts, and they also demonstrate how you handle yourself, i.e., are you quick on your feet, can you handle stress, etc.?

Here's a little trick to keep you out of trouble. You don't have to answer a negative question with a negative response. For example, rather than answering the "worst boss" question with something like, "I worked for a real jerk at Acme widget" tell them what you learned or accomplished as a result of having to be resourceful because of it.

Or, the "tell me your weakness" kinds of questions can actually work to your advantage if you define your weakness as a strength that if left unchecked would become a weakness. For example, instead of saying you are impatient, say that you are very results-oriented, and that if you aren't careful, you could become impatient. Get it?

Bottom line: No matter what the question, always answer with a positive and keep it job-related. This will prevent you from going on a dangerous tangent.

This is the same trick that politicians and others who have been trained to respond to the media use. Next time you watch a political talk show, notice how seldom any of them actually answer the real question.

Smoothly yours,

John Putzier

Wizard of Weirdness (WOW)