Answering a tricky interview question

How many jellybeans will fit in a car?

WHAT!? Is this even a real question?

Yes, it sure is and it is actually one of the more common questions being asked in companies such as Google and Facebook. It is a question that tests your creative thinking abilities as well as your ability to think out the box. On the surface it really does seem like a dumb question and most candidates will answer, “um, 10,000?”. Then the question and interview is over. This question can be asked many different ways; anything in anything. The right way to answer this question is to ask questions back. You must be inquisitive and challenge what seems to be the status quo. For example, “How big are the jellybeans?”, “Are there seats in the car?”, “Can I put them in the boot?”, “Does the car have a spare tyre?”, “Can they go in the inside of the tyres?”. You get the point. The interviewer wants to see will you just accept a project and start working on it with no questions asked… OR… will you question them and fully understand the project you will be working on.