Interview Questions...

MDLFCS · 07-23-2010, 09:14 AM

1. Design a bicycle for an amputee.

2. If you could eliminate a state out of 50, which one would it be and why?

3. Why are manhole covers round?

Nifty · 07-23-2010, 09:22 AM

I'll take #3

So in no way could the cover ever fall through the hole. More of a safety feature if anything.

MDLFCS · 07-23-2010, 09:29 AM

I had not thought of that. I said for #3 that they were designed to move easily because they are heavy. Thanks!

E92-Lighting · 07-23-2010, 12:18 PM

what kind of job?

dth656 · 07-23-2010, 12:20 PM

game/case type questions can be fun (not)! if you are going for management consulting or ibanking, www.thevault.com and www.wetfeet.com have pretty good case interview guides

Hawkeye · 07-23-2010, 12:31 PM

1. depends on the type of amputee.
2. The District of Columbia
3. Is the safety feature mentioned. But I would also accept "Because the construction workers are round too."

BTM · 07-23-2010, 12:38 PM

You would eliminate a state that isn't a state?

Memphis1 · 07-23-2010, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDLFCS

1. Design a bicycle for an amputee.

2. If you could eliminate a state out of 50, which one would it be and why?

3. Why are manhole covers round?

There's no right or wrong for some questions, they want your thought process.

335iheLLraiseR · 07-23-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

1. depends on the type of amputee.
2. The District of Columbia
3. Is the safety feature mentioned. But I would also accept "Because the construction workers are round too."

I seriously hope you were kidding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTM

You would eliminate a state that isn't a state?

Exactly.

wj4 · 07-23-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Memphis1

There's no right or wrong for some questions, they want your thought process.

Yep, similar to the essay questions on the GMAT and GRE. They want to see how you think based on your own experience, what you read, etc.

I would answer all, but #2.

Hawkeye · 07-23-2010, 12:57 PM

It is considered it's own "state" by many sources.

Hawkeye · 07-23-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTM

You would eliminate a state that isn't a state?

Quote:

Originally Posted by 335iheLLraiseR

I seriously hope you were kidding.

Exactly.

Check out the mailing address and you tell me what state it is in. DC (District of Columbia).

They have different rights than other US citizens and it IS it's own state. Didn't you know, the government is better than everyone else.

MDLFCS · 07-23-2010, 06:18 PM

It was for an IT job at a credit union. I never had those questions asked before and was wondering if my responses were incorrect or out of line. In a couple of days after the interview, I was not accepted for the position

I had no idea what they were looking for. But like others have mentioned, there is no right or wrong answer.

For #1, I said that if the person doesn't have the arms, I would have the head to be controlling the steering using something mechanical, like a helmet with a set of pulleys to steer the bike. For those without legs, I would use the hand crank and lean either way to steer. Then for an extra measure of safety, have an training wheels or at least have a landing gear type that would deploy if the bike leans too far either way.

#2, I said Florida comes to mind because of the hurricanes that wipes out buildings and people rebuilding. I did mention that it is not about Florida, but rather the geographical location that is prone to hurricanes and should be left alone, rather than rebuilding over and over again. Certainly, there are other states just as bad, but Florida is what popped into mind as I would not have much time to respond in a job interview. I seriously had no idea how to properly answer the question without any kind of offense. No offense, Floridans

#3, I said that the manhole covers are round because they are easier to move around and we needed the heavy weight to keep them down.

fdsasdasdf · 07-23-2010, 06:20 PM

#2:

Michigan

Because Detroit sucks.

#3:

Because if they were square, you could turn them diagonally and they can fall through the hole. With a circle, you cannot do that since the radius is always the same.

BTM · 07-23-2010, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Check out the mailing address and you tell me what state it is in. DC (District of Columbia).

They have different rights than other US citizens and it IS it's own state. Didn't you know, the government is better than everyone else.

I hope your trolling. DC is not a state. It's a territory. Territories are outside of the sample set the question expressly gives you to work within. The question is which one of the 50 states would you eliminate. If I asked someone which one of the 50 states would they eliminate, and why, and they answered with eliminating DC, they'd get it wrong. It's like asking if you could buy any BMW, what would you buy, and then answering Mercedes S500. It's not a valid answer.

The correct way to write a mailing address lends no further support to your contention that DC is a state. If this holds true, then Puerto Rico is a state abbreviated PR, Guam is a state abbreviated GU, and the Virgin Islands are a state abbreviated VI (etc.) DC is no more a state than any of these places are - how you address an envelope destined for them in no way implicates their existence within statehood.

abisson · 07-23-2010, 07:28 PM

The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, the States, or America /əˈmɛrɪkə/) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._S._state

Enough already.

Vanity · 07-23-2010, 09:28 PM

For number 1:

If the amputee had no legs, I'd design the bicycle with a motor.

PsychoSlug · 07-23-2010, 09:35 PM

OP, sorry to read that you didn't get the job. I doubt your answers to these questions was the sole deciding factor, unless of course the hiring manager was from Florida.

Best of luck on future interviews.

Bakeme521 · 07-23-2010, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

1. depends on the type of amputee.
2. The District of Columbia
3. Is the safety feature mentioned. But I would also accept "Because the construction workers are round too."

hahaha http://www.bcm.edu/ilru/html/publica...tate_list.html

just4kickz · 07-23-2010, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanity

For number 1:

If the amputee had no legs, I'd design the bicycle with a motor.

isn't that basically a car.

wj4 · 07-24-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by just4kickz

isn't that basically a car.

Wouldn't it be a motorcycle? It's a bicycle with a motor.

bosstones · 07-24-2010, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wj4

Wouldn't it be a motorcycle? It's a bicycle with a motor.

Weren't the first Ducati's basically just a bicycle with a tiny motor?

07-23-2010, 09:14 AM	#1
MDLFCS Private First Class 14 Rep 168 Posts Drives: 2009 Zee Four 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alaska iTrader: (0)	Interview Questions... 1. Design a bicycle for an amputee. 2. If you could eliminate a state out of 50, which one would it be and why? 3. Why are manhole covers round?
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07-23-2010, 12:18 PM	#4
E92-Lighting 873 Rep 35,253 Posts Drives: Next Generation LED Lighting Join Date: May 2008 Location: Walnut iTrader: (324)	what kind of job?
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07-23-2010, 12:20 PM	#5
dth656 First Lieutenant 37 Rep 399 Posts Drives: e90 330i Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: ASCII iTrader: (0)	game/case type questions can be fun (not)! if you are going for management consulting or ibanking, www.thevault.com and www.wetfeet.com have pretty good case interview guides __________________ go bears
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07-23-2010, 12:31 PM	#6
Hawkeye Brigadier General 2065 Rep 4,365 Posts Drives: '07 Z4 Coupe, '21 X3, '16 GMC Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 GMC Sierra SLT [10.00] 2008 Yamaha R6 [9.00]	1. depends on the type of amputee. 2. The District of Columbia 3. Is the safety feature mentioned. But I would also accept "Because the construction workers are round too." __________________ 2007 Z4 3.0si Coupe • 6 MT • Black Saphire Metallic • PP • SP 2016 GMC Sierra SLT Z71 Premium Plus 4x4 2017 Harley StreetGlide • Denim Black • V&H Tune 2021 BMW x30i • Phytonic Blue Metallic • Fully loaded
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07-23-2010, 12:38 PM	#7
BTM Banned 497 Rep 10,309 Posts Drives: A///MERICAN!!! Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: A///MERICA!!! iTrader: (11) Garage List 2007 BMW Z4 M Coupe [7.20]	You would eliminate a state that isn't a state?
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07-23-2010, 09:22 AM	#2
Nifty Second Lieutenant 74 Rep 268 Posts Drives: 2022 AWD M3 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Illinois iTrader: (1)	I'll take #3 So in no way could the cover ever fall through the hole. More of a safety feature if anything.
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07-23-2010, 09:29 AM	#3
MDLFCS Private First Class 14 Rep 168 Posts Drives: 2009 Zee Four 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alaska iTrader: (0)	I had not thought of that. I said for #3 that they were designed to move easily because they are heavy. Thanks!
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07-23-2010, 12:57 PM	#11
Hawkeye Brigadier General 2065 Rep 4,365 Posts Drives: '07 Z4 Coupe, '21 X3, '16 GMC Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Iowa iTrader: (0) Garage List 2016 GMC Sierra SLT [10.00] 2008 Yamaha R6 [9.00]	It is considered it's own "state" by many sources. __________________ 2007 Z4 3.0si Coupe • 6 MT • Black Saphire Metallic • PP • SP 2016 GMC Sierra SLT Z71 Premium Plus 4x4 2017 Harley StreetGlide • Denim Black • V&H Tune 2021 BMW x30i • Phytonic Blue Metallic • Fully loaded
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07-23-2010, 06:18 PM	#13
MDLFCS Private First Class 14 Rep 168 Posts Drives: 2009 Zee Four 35i Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Alaska iTrader: (0)	It was for an IT job at a credit union. I never had those questions asked before and was wondering if my responses were incorrect or out of line. In a couple of days after the interview, I was not accepted for the position I had no idea what they were looking for. But like others have mentioned, there is no right or wrong answer. For #1, I said that if the person doesn't have the arms, I would have the head to be controlling the steering using something mechanical, like a helmet with a set of pulleys to steer the bike. For those without legs, I would use the hand crank and lean either way to steer. Then for an extra measure of safety, have an training wheels or at least have a landing gear type that would deploy if the bike leans too far either way. #2, I said Florida comes to mind because of the hurricanes that wipes out buildings and people rebuilding. I did mention that it is not about Florida, but rather the geographical location that is prone to hurricanes and should be left alone, rather than rebuilding over and over again. Certainly, there are other states just as bad, but Florida is what popped into mind as I would not have much time to respond in a job interview. I seriously had no idea how to properly answer the question without any kind of offense. No offense, Floridans #3, I said that the manhole covers are round because they are easier to move around and we needed the heavy weight to keep them down.
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07-23-2010, 06:20 PM	#14
fdsasdasdf Captain 129 Rep 778 Posts Drives: 330Ci ZHP 6sp Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC iTrader: (0)	#2: Michigan Because Detroit sucks. #3: Because if they were square, you could turn them diagonally and they can fall through the hole. With a circle, you cannot do that since the radius is always the same.
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07-23-2010, 07:28 PM	#16
abisson Canada FTW. 194 Rep 519 Posts Drives: 2016 VW R - Stg 2 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Maple Syrup Country iTrader: (0)	The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, the States, or America /əˈmɛrɪkə/) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U._S._state Enough already.
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07-23-2010, 09:28 PM	#17
Vanity Private First Class 275 Rep 123 Posts Drives: BMW E90 LCI Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BC, Canada iTrader: (0)	For number 1: If the amputee had no legs, I'd design the bicycle with a motor. __________________
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07-23-2010, 09:35 PM	#18
PsychoSlug Lieutenant 36 Rep 564 Posts Drives: E90 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Nowhere iTrader: (0)	OP, sorry to read that you didn't get the job. I doubt your answers to these questions was the sole deciding factor, unless of course the hiring manager was from Florida. Best of luck on future interviews.
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