World's Top 500 Interview Questions (Author, with 25 years of experience as an interviewer for top 500 companies, reveals for the first time all the Q&A questions and the secrets to success in the interview.)

Author: Watson
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The interview questions in this book are entirely new. These questions will comprehensively test the depth of every reader's thinking, rather than merely assessing whether the interviewee is a "smart aleck" or how "knowledgeable" they are. They reflect not knowledge-based questions but abilities. They make you think! If you are a job seeker, you will find these questions highly engaging. They will make you let your guard down, leading you into the interviewer's trap and revealing various aspects of yourself, including some personality traits you didn't intend to disclose. The author, Blair Watson, has been an interviewer for Fortune 500 companies for 25 years and is revealing for the first time all the questions and the secrets to success. "Fortune 500 Interview Questions" is not only suitable for those who want to apply to international big companies but also for everyone who wants to gain a basic understanding of their own thinking level. For example, there is an example in the book from Microsoft. If a Microsoft interviewer asks you why manholes are round, how would you answer? Do you want to know how "Fortune 500 Interview Questions" describes it?
Interviewer: Now, let's ask a question to test your creative thinking skills. Don't overthink it, just use common sense in your daily life, and describe your ideas. The question is: Why are manholes round?
Van Man: They are not all round. Some are square. Indeed, there are round manholes, but I have also seen square ones, rectangular ones.
Interviewer: But let's focus only on round manholes. Why are they round?
Van Man: If we are only considering round ones, then they are naturally round. This statement is, in itself, a tautology.
Interviewer: I mean, why do round manholes exist? Is there any special significance to designing them as round?
Van Man: There is a special significance. When the hole to be covered is round, the cover is usually round as well. Covering a round hole with a round cover is the simplest solution.
Interviewer: Can you think of any advantages of a round manhole over a square one?
Van Man: Before answering this question, let's look at what's under the cover. The hole under the cover is round because a cylindrical shape can withstand the pressure of the surrounding earth. Moreover, manholes require enough space for a person to pass through, and the cross-section of someone climbing down a ladder is basically round. So, round naturally becomes the shape of manholes. The round cover is just to cover the round opening.
Interviewer: Do you think there are safety considerations? I mean, could a square cover fall in and cause injury?
Van Man: It's unlikely. Sometimes, you can also see square covers on square openings. Such covers are larger than the opening and have crossbars. Usually, these covers are made of metal and are very heavy. We can imagine a two-foot-wide square opening with one to one-and-a-half-inch-wide crossbars. To make the cover fall in, you would need to lift one end, rotate it 30 degrees so that it is not obstructed by the crossbars, and then tilt the cover at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Only at this point would the center of gravity shift enough to make the cover fall. Yes, it is indeed possible for a cover to fall in, but the probability is very low. With a little training for the person responsible for opening the covers, they won't make such a mistake. From an engineering perspective, the shape of the manhole cover is entirely determined by the shape of the hole it covers.
Interviewer (looking troubled): Excuse me; I need to talk to management about something. (left the room)
(10 minutes later, the interviewer returned.)
Interviewer: We recommend you start working in the sales department immediately. Do you feel this differs from your answer, but it's also quite interesting. There are many other simple and well-known questions in the book. Perhaps with your participation, these questions will become even simpler and more well-known.