ENGLISH CFGM

EXTREME INTERVIEWS

What sort of dinosaur are you? If you answered Tyrannosaurus rex, then the bad news is
that you probably won’t get the job you’re applying for.
Welcome to the strange world of ‘extreme interviewing’, the latest trend from America in
which interviewers throw bizarre questions at candidates to see how they react.
It may seem like a game, but extreme interviewing is deadly serious. The idea is to see how
quickly job-seekers think on their feet and, at a time when 25% of recent graduates are
unemployed, it offers employers a new way of separating the brilliant candidates from the
merely very good.
This new approach to selecting candidates comes from Silicon Valley in California — where
else? Google, famous for its demanding interview process, asked a recent candidate: ‘You
are stranded on a desert island. You have 60 seconds to choose people of 10 professions
to come with you. Who do you choose? Go!’
One of the early pioneers of extreme interviewing was Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, who
could be famously cruel with job seekers. Faced once with a candidate he considered
boring, Jobs suddenly pretended to be a chicken, flapping his arms and making clucking
noises round the unfortunate applicant, waiting to see what he would do. In fact, the secret
to extreme interviewing is neither in the question nor the answer. It is in the candidate’s
reaction.
David Moyle, a headhunter with the recruitment agency Eximius Group in London, who
admits to using the dinosaur question when selecting candidates, said: ‘Essentially, that kind
of interviewing is used by us to give someone an opportunity to show they are smart and not
easily flustered.’
‘Most candidates actually get something out of it, it’s not about trying to crush them. We are
trying to give them an opportunity to show their personality, rather than just showing how
they perform in an interview.’
Of course, getting the job is just the start. In the modern business world, survival will depend
on what sort of dinosaur you really are.

Glossary

Silicon Valley
the informal name for the region in northern California where many of the world’s largest
technology corporations are based

headhunter
a person whose job it is to find people with the necessary skills to work for a company (often
in executive posts), and to persuade them to join that company

Adapted from The Sunday Times

1.- Define the words in English and then translate into Catalan. Careful with “Think
on their feet” as it is an idiomatic expression.
 ENGLISH CFGM

DEFINITION TRANSLATION

bizarre Something strange or peculiar Estrany

think on their feet Be able to improvise or adapt Pensar ràpid

quickly

approach Strategy or plan for Estratègia

accomplishing something

demanding When something its wanted too Demanda

much

job seekers People who are actively looking Persones que buscant treball
for employment

flapping Waving or fluttering, often in a Sacsejar els braços

nervous or uncontrolled manner

recruitment agency A company that places job Agencia de Reclutament

candidates

flustered Confused by the question made Confós per coses que et

pregunten

crush

rather than En comptes de

SOME MORE IDIOMS RELATED TO TECH

Look up the meaning of these idioms and write an example sentence:

1. Bells and whistles - Refers to extra features and capabilities that go beyond the basic
functionality of a product.
Example: This new laptop comes with all the bells and whistles, including a built-in touch
screen and a 4K display.
 ENGLISH CFGM

2. Bright as a button - Refers to someone who is intelligent and quick-witted.

Example: She's bright as a button and always knows the right answer in class.
3. Click with someone or something - Refers to having a positive connection or rapport with
someone or something.
Example: I just clicked with my new boss, we share the same sense of humor and work
ethic.

4. On the same wavelength - Refers to being in sync with someone, thinking alike, or having
mutual understanding.
Example: We're on the same wavelength when it comes to our goals for the project.
5. Pull the plug - Refers to ending or canceling something abruptly.
Example: Due to the budget cuts, we had to pull the plug on the company's annual retreat.

6. Push/Press someone's buttons - Refers to making someone react or respond in a certain

way, often by hitting a nerve.
Example: He knows exactly what buttons to push to get under my skin.
7. Run out of steam - Refers to losing energy, momentum, or motivation.
Example: After a busy week, I'm starting to run out of steam and need a break.
8. Well-oiled machine - Refers to something that runs smoothly and efficiently.
Example: This software development team is a well-oiled machine, they always deliver
projects on time.

9. Cog in the machine - Refers to an individual who plays a specific role in a larger system or
operation.
Example: Each employee is a cog in the machine, working together to achieve the
company's goals.

10. "I need to underclock" - Refers to reducing the clock speed of a computer's processor to
reduce heat output and increase battery life.
Example: I need to underclock my laptop to avoid overheating during long hours of usage.

11. "Read my blog" - Refers to visiting someone's blog to read their posts and updates.
Example: If you want to know more about my thoughts on the latest tech trends, read my
blog.

12. "The hand moves the mouse" - Refers to the idea that technology is only as useful as the
person using it.
Example: Remember, the hand moves the mouse, it's up to you to make the best use of the
technology available.
 ENGLISH CFGM

EXTREME JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1.- Watch the video and comment on what you’ve seen - HEINEKEN THE CANDIDATE

2- Here are some questions that interviewers like to ask job seekers to surprise them
and make them think on their feet. Go over the questions and answer them:

1. Which one aspect of your personality would you change if you could, and why?

2. If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would you choose?

3. If you were an insect, which insect would you be?

4. When did you last lose your temper? Describe what happened.

5. If you had to spend the rest of your life on a deserted island (with plenty of food and
water), which two things would you choose to have with you?

6. Which TV or film character would you most like to be?

7. What’s the best (or worst) decision you’ve ever made?

8. If I came to your house for dinner, what would you cook for me?

9. Which three adjectives describe you best?

10. If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

11. How do you normally treat animals?

12. Who do you admire most, and why?

13. If you could be a super-hero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

14. Tell me about something in your life that you’re really proud of?

15. If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role
as you?
 ENGLISH CFGM

16. If you could have six months with no obligations or financial limitations, what would you
do with the time?

17. You’re stranded on a desert island. You have 30 seconds to choose people of 5
professions to come with you. Who would you choose?

18. What sort of dinosaur would you be, and why?

19. What would you make you kick a dog?

20. What animal would you like to be reincarnated as, and why?

21. What’s the best idea you’ve had in the past month?

22. How would you describe your own personality?

23. If you could retire today on a reasonable pension, what would you do to fill your time?

24. What do you dislike in general?

25. What’s your biggest weakness?