Interesting Interview Question: If This Field Became Obsolete, What Field Would You Choose to Go Into?

Computers will one day take over the world, using our useless corpses as sustenance to feed their artificially intelligent hard drives. Of course, this won’t all happen at once. It will happen gradually, as they take various jobs from not very hard working men and women like you.

Interviewers want to know what kind of a person you would be if you are not working in this field. So you should give them an idea. Make sure it’s a good one.

How to Answer

There is no wrong answer, but as usual your goal is to impress the interviewer. The most impressive answer you can give is research. Claim that without this field, you want to go into some type of research – ideally, research in the field.

Bad Answer

“I think I would take up abstract art, because I like the idea of sitting at home in my underwear and throwing paints that I made out of stuff I found on the ground at a giant white canvas.”

Good Answer

“I would probably go back to school and go into research. Ideally, I would research marketing trends, because although the field may be obsolete, marketing information would be no less interesting, and could assist other fields like sales and business administration.”

Essentially, you are saying that if the field becomes obsolete, you’d find a job that is almost like being in the field anyway, except not. That’s a good way to show that you’d commit to a type of job, and the research component makes you sound intelligent.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Say you want to go back to school, get your Ph.D., and research the field.

Interesting Interview Question: Did You Get Into the Field By Choice or By Accident?

There are many things that can shape/affect your career choices. You may be passionate about the field. You may have done it because it appeared like it would make you good money. Maybe your parents made you do it or it was the only field that would give you a scholarship.

Interviewers are often curious about how a new employee – especially a young employee – chose their career path.

How to Answer

Interestingly, both “by choice” and “by accident” are acceptable, provided you can back them up with a solid reasoning. If you went into the field by choice, explain what attracted you to it. If you got into the field by accident, explain the situation and what you realized you loved about the field. Make sure you have positive things to say about the field and don’t make any statements that would make you seem less than adult (“my parents suggested I try it out…”).

Bad Answer

“I got into this field sort of on accident. I applied for a job at a local research company, but instead of putting me in the research field, they had me help out with marketing, and I’ve been here ever since.”

This is an inadequate answer because it doesn’t explain why you like it or why you stayed. Only that you’re just doing it for the hell of it.

Good Answer

“I actually started in this field by accident. I was hired to work in the research department of a local data collection company, but they needed my help in the marketing department right after I was hired. As soon as I started in marketing, I realized I loved it. I seemed to have a knack for understanding human behavior and reaching target markets, and I liked the combination of my research experience with the day to day tasks of the business world.”

It’s essentially the same answer, but you have provided a solid reasoning that will allow the interviewer to strongly believe you are committed to the field.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Both choice and accident are acceptable answers.
• Make sure you back up your reason with positive things to say about the field.