Ah, the joys of job interviews. You do your homework, researching the company and figuring out the best way to match your skill set to the position you’re seeking. And then, the interviewer asks you that all-important job-related question:

If you were an animal, which one would you be?

Um…could you repeat the question, please?

The obvious question is “Why would an interviewer ask me such an irrelevant, off-the-wall question?” The answer is fairly straightforward: it’s a chance to see how you react to something unexpected. An interview question like this is something that could cause some candidates to collapse under stress, which gives the hiring manager an excuse to weed you out. And make no mistake—they want to weed out candidates. How else can they narrow down the field?

Of course, many of you may now be thinking, “Hmmm…am I more of a bear or an otter? I’ve got to get this down for my next interview.” It’s a nice mental exercise (sort of), but don’t think that this will automatically prepare you for the near infinite range of possible job interview questions. Here’s another one they can ask:

What’s your favorite color, and why?

Blue. No, yellow! And suddenly you’re cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril (well, actually, you just blew an interview question—you’ll probably survive). But again, this is a blindside question that seems wholly unrelated to the job you’re trying to get or your ability to perform it.

The point, of course, is to be prepared. You should certainly do your homework about the company where you’re interviewing, and it’s vital to know your skill set and experience backwards and forwards. But you also need to think on your feet, which is why they might ask an odd question.

While this skill can’t really be learned overnight, it’s something at which you can gain proficiency by practicing. Do mock job interviews with friends. Research common interview questions. Study, prepare, and then at the interview itself, relax and do your best to persuade them why you’re the best candidate—even if you’re a mauve-loving platypus.

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