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Answering Interview Questions
You’ll also get a sense of the flow and rhythm of the entire
conversation.
Technical Stress Questions
There is a particularly insidious variety of stress questions that is
usually asked in technical engineering or scientific interviews but
that could very well also be used in other fields including, but not
limited to, the social sciences. Technical stress questions, as I call
them, are not really questions. They’re more like little assign-
ments. Their purpose is to put the applicant under a good deal
of pressure. They may arise in an interview with an individual or
in a panel interview. Let’s take a look at one scenario to see how
such a question typically arises.
Abdhur Khatik has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and is applying for
a staff scientist’s position in a biotechnology firm. Abdhur did
well in his first interview with the vice president of the compa-
ny, and he has been invited back for a group interview with
three of his fellow scientists. They’re about halfway through
the interview when one of the interviewers says, “Mr. Khatik,
would you be so kind as to go to the white board and draw a
picture of a normal cell?”
To Abdhur, this request seems ridiculous and simple-mind-
ed. Isn’t it obvious that someone with a doctorate in biochem-
istry would know something so elementary as how to draw a
cell? Nevertheless, he follows directions and deftly constructs
a diagram of a healthy cell on the white board.
“There, you have it,” he says, and smiles.
There is an uncomfortable silence in the room. One of the
scientists sits back in her chair, hands folded over her chest,
frowning. Another seems to look confused and is shaking his
head back and forth. The third comments, with a distinct tone
of disapproval, “You mean, that’s all? Aren’t you going to draw
the rest of it?”
In reality, the drawing is perfect. The job applicant knows
it’s right, but wonders why the other scientists don’t seem to
think so.
“Why don’t you take a few moments to finish it?” the woman
says.

With what you now know about stress questions, which of the
following do you think is the best response?

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