Page 78 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 36

How would you guide an alien through making a peanut butter
sandwich?

This seems like a silly question, but it actually gets right to the heart of how you think and
communicate.

How well can you teach someone else?
Can you step back from something as completely basic as a peanut butter sandwich and remember
to explain the steps to someone who knows absolutely nothing?
Can you put yourself in their shoes?
Are you a good communicator?
So I would say,
“First of all, we have to assume nothing. So there’s an alien sitting at the table. Does he know he’s
hungry, or do we have to explain that, as well? Here on Earth, when we are hungry, we have to
physically eat food or drink, something that has calories in it, or we have a big problem. Then I
would show him what peanut butter looks like, and what bread looks like, and what a knife looks
like.
I would show him how to twist the lid on the jar of peanut butter to the right to open it, and let him
practice. Then I would show him how to open the package of bread and get two slices, and lay them
side-by-side on the table. I would demonstrate how to hold the knife, and let him have it. Then I
would tell him to dip the knife in the peanut butter and draw it out.
Then I would tell him to apply the peanut butter to one side of a piece of bread, and spread it
around. Then I would tell him to place the other piece of bread on top of that one, so that the peanut
butter is in the interior of the sandwich. That’s how I would guide an alien through making a peanut
butter sandwich.”
You want to talk about everything and assume nothing.They are looking to see how you
communicate.