10 Most Annoying Interview Questions You Have to Answer

“Close the door and take a seat,” they’ll say as they begin to ask you the 10 most annoying interview questions you have to answer. Interviewing is pure hell. I have always hated it. That used to make me bad at it. But, much like a TV villain, I used my hatred to benefit myself for my own means.  I put my interview hatred to the wheel.

Now I’ve gotten much better at it. I understand the conversational ebbs and flows. You gotta tap dance for the man before they pay the piper. I’m better at interviewing than at cliches, trust me. I know the process and the steps–most of these things are very formulaic and pretty much designed to be torture. Also, it usually has nothing to do with the actual job you will be doing. At what job do you sit in front of a row full of people answering personal questions using the STAR method to give descriptive, relevant, and relatable anecdotes?  Is your job trial witness?

The interview truly seems like something from a simpler, dumber time. It is absolute garbage at measuring one’s ability to perform a job. If anything we should just be evaluated on paper and then have to complete a trial–or at least some kind of physical challenge. I wouldn’t mind if my next job required some kind of Double Dare-esque obstacles course for me to complete. That would actually feel like a worthwhile endeavor.

Whether you are a brand new college graduate or someone in transition looking for a new job, you must have browsed the internet to look for the most common interview questions. It is highly likely that you are going to get asked the same questions in different job interviews again and again, which can get pretty annoying, most especially if you have to attend job interviews for an entire day. Here, we rounded up the 10 most annoying interview questions you have to answer.

So, how can an interview question be annoying? It is highly subjective, really. You can ask 10 different people this question, and have 10 different replies. It all depends on someone’s definition of annoying–repetitive, personal, off of the topic of the job or job skills. Those three are the most qualifiers used in addressing something annoying, and applying them to rate our interview questions makes sense.

Another argument we can use in ranking the 10 most annoying interview questions you have to answer is how old the interview question is. This is explained by the fact that there are outdated questions still being asked in the 21st century, they are likely to get under your skin. These questions include those that do not seem to be related to how we do business in this modern age–by using our computer machines to tap into the mainframe–or something like that.

Remember, not all annoying questions come in the boardroom. You can also check out 10 Most Annoying Questions to Ask Your Friends. Then, there are interview questions that are plain crazy and not relevant to the job post at all.

Which interview questions have made the list?

10. Describe yourself.

Why is it annoying? Every interviewer asks you this question and is clearly without context. Applicants will, of course, want just to give you their most positive traits, and can even go to the extent of exaggerating. It is annoying because there is no way they can hire someone based on this question. All they can possibly learn from an applicant through this question is how confident they are –which does not necessarily reflect how well they can get the job done.

9. What were your previous boss’s/bosses’ weaknesses?

Seriously, what has this got to do with the applicant? The employer is going to hire you anyway, not your boss. Answering this question is tricky because you don’t want to appear to bad-mouth your previous employer or that you speak poorly of your bosses, especially when talking to a potential boss.  It made it to the annoying interview questions’ list because it is somewhat a judgmental question that means to look in to your character, rather than your skills which should matter more in getting a job.

8. What makes you uncomfortable?

This question in among the most annoying interview questions you have to answer because it is very personal and, you know, uncomfortable. It is something that not everyone is open to answering–especially not to a stranger or strangers they are trying to impress. The question itself is uncomfortable, because deep down, you as an applicant know that this question is meant to judge how you deal with pressure and discomfort. It is like asking you where you don’t excel, and for someone who wants to get a job, the answer will be true, seem unvarnished, yet still professional–a fine balance.

7. Can you do this job?

Why is this question among the most annoying interview questions you have to answer? Simply because it is one of those things that merely state the obvious. Why the hell would you be there if you couldn’t? Asking an applicant if he can do the job sounds insulting and funny at the same time. Of course, the answer would be a big, fat “yes”. Or they should just say no and leave–perhaps motivating the interviewer to never ask this dumb question again.

6. What’s your expected salary?

To pass the salary question to the applicant is annoying, because it is very awkward. Quite frankly, there seems to be no safe answer to this question. It even sounds like a trick question, which only makes it even more annoying. Like brain teasers, trick questions should have been totally axed from anyone’s list of interview question because according to Inc, “And as a Google spokesperson told ABCNews around the same time: ‘We have shifted away from these types of questions because candidates hate them, answers leak easily and, most importantly, research on the connection between being able to correctly ‘solve’ a brainteaser and future job performance and/or IQ is questionable and inconsistent.’ It’s best to give a range and try not to sell yourself short or go overboard. Also, research the job salary in advance.

5. Are you willing to work on holidays?

This is like asking this equally annoying question: “Are you willing to sacrifice family time for work?” I mean, you don’t really want to and it’s almost as if they are holding the job hostage while you agree to their demand for free labor. You’re not supposed to work on holidays in most professions so this question is only rarely actually applicable. The only thing an interviewer gets from your answer to this question is how you intend to balance family and work, which should not affect whether or not you get the job–and how will you even know when technically you do not have the job yet?

4. Why should we hire you?

This question made it to the 10 most annoying interview questions you have to answer because it is overused. There is a very high probability for you to get asked this question in every job interview you go to. It is annoying because the fact is that the best answers to this question are published on the internet already. Why does an interviewer have to ask a question with leaked answers? What good does it do to the application?

3. Tell me something about yourself that is not written in your resume.

The resume was invented for a reason, for a company to see where an applicant excels, what his previous experiences are, and what his expertise is. You spent a lot of damn time on it. It would be nice if they even read it, which definitely RARELY happens. Everything that is related to doing the job you are applying for is in the resume. Whatever is not written there should not be part of the criteria that should determine if you’ll get the job or not.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

One of the most overused questions ever, this question is on our list of most annoying interview questions you have to answer because it is repetitive and impossible to answer with all honesty. You’re not a psychic. Do they want you to just make some guesses? Or should you just describe a fantasy? It is annoying because in today’s world where everything is at a faster pace, and goals are usually met in shorter terms and things are incredibly changeable.

1. What is your greatest weakness?

Ugh, one of the worst. Another trick question, and probably the most overused job interview question. What made it to the #1 spot is the fact that nobody in his right mind who wants to get a job would ever answer this question in all honesty. You know it and they know it–you’re answer will be something that is a small fixable weakness and the steps you’ve already taken to curtail it.

Apart from these 10 most annoying interview questions you have to answer, there are so much more interview questions that have to be put to a permanent end from being part of any job interview. Employers should instead just stick to questions that talk about skills, work experiences, and availability–things that are most relevant to the job post.