Helen Tyte

Giraffe in a Refrigerator?

A friend in the UK is having a job interview next week and asked me how I used to choose the best candidates when I was interviewing for new teachers. I told her that it’s not always about who appears more intelligent on paper, and shared the story from 2016, when I was asked at an interview what kind of car I would be. I said a Vauxhall Zafira: because they’re a family car, and they’re adaptable. It was such a random question that I posted on Facebook and some of the replies I had were amazing. A friend of mine said that she would be a BMW 3 Series: quick and reliable, with a big rear end. Another friend would have been a Landrover: battered, but ready to travel anywhere. My mum said she would be an Austin Maestro: old, the bodywork leaves a lot to be desired, and it’s difficult to get going in a morning, it also makes strange noises.

Another interviewer once asked me the following questions:

Question 1: How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Answer 1: Open the refrigerator, put the giraffe in, and close the door.

This question tests whether you overcomplicate simple tasks. Most people assume the giraffe is larger than the fridge and use elaborate descriptions to solve that problem.

Question 2: How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?
If you’re like most people, you probably said “Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the door.” That’s the wrong answer.
Answer 2: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant, and close the door.

This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions. Each decision cannot be made in isolation.

Question 3: The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All of the animals attend, except for one. Which animal does not attend?
Answer 3: The elephant, of course. You just put the elephant in the refrigerator.

This is designed to test your memory and to associate events which don’t seem related.

Question 4: You need to cross a river but it is inhabited by crocodiles. There is no boat, or bridge, but you do have a refrigerator. What should you do?
Answer 4: Jump into the river and swim across. All of the crocodiles are attending the animal conference.

Can you ignore unnecessary information and have you learnt from your mistakes in the previous questions?

You don’t always have to be the best on paper, and having a good sense of humour really helps!