Why is a man hole cover round? How many golf balls would you require to fill up a 747 plane?

What would your reaction be if you were asked one of the questions above? The nature of your reaction could be the difference between getting those jobs you’re after and falling by the wayside.

These are genuine examples of interview questions that have really been asked of applicants.

Moreover, unusual questions such as these are becoming increasingly less, well, unusual.

More and more companies are looking to find new ways of deciding between the best and increasingly more qualified candidates.

As these questions often have no right or wrong answer they can prove tricky to answer. The interviewer wants to see how you react in an unexpected, high pressure situation..

There is no way you can prepare for every possible question they could ask.

However, there are a number of things to bear in mind which can help you to answer both these and more common interview questions.

First of all, don’t let yourself be overcome with nerves. Nerves are not always a bad thing so long as they don’t stop you from presenting yourself at your best.

Many interviewees will blurt out the first thing that they think of when faced with an awkward question. Don’t do this. Take a bit of time and think about your response.

If you don’t entirely understand what has been asked then ask your interviewer to repeat it.

It’s always much better to ask them to repeat it and give an answer you’ve thought about than blurt out the first thing you think of.

Nor should you be afraid to ask other questions. In fact it is positively encouraged. Asking questions is a good indication that you’ve thought about the role and are committed to it.

These are all things which the interviewer will be looking for and help you get the jobs that you want. Good luck!