Kinsa Group Blog

It’s like a bad dream.

You’re in an interview, dressed to impress and feeling totally in control of the situation, when the unthinkable happens – the interviewer asks a question that completely stumps you: 

“If you could have dinner with anyone from history, whom would it be and why?”

“Why is a manhole cover round?”

“Which fictional character would you say best describes you?”

If just reading these questions makes beads of sweat pop out on your forehead, you’re not alone.  In an interview situation, most of us would be stopped in our tracks by off-the-wall questions like these.  But that’s the point:  interviewers ask odd questions intentionally, to see how well job candidates thinks on their feet and respond to stress.

Because unusual interview questions can be about virutally any topic, they’re nearly impossible to prepare for.  Still, here are a few quick tips to help you handle them more effectively:

• Keep your composure.  The question was meant to throw you off your game – so don’t let it rattle you.  Keep your face neutral and recognize that this is the wacky question you’ve been anticipating.
• Take your time.  Smile, take a deep breath and avoid the temptation to blurt out an answer.  Don’t panic – if you have to take a moment to gather your thoughts, it merely demonstrates that you think carefully through a situation before responding.
• Relax.  When it comes to unusual interview questions, your answer is not as important as how you handle the situation.  In fact, most don’t have right or wrong answers.  So take the pressure off yourself.  You don’t have to be brilliant, you just need to answer honestly.

If you’d like some practice answering off-the-wall questions, consider the following popular ones:

• If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?
• If you had only six months left to live, what would you do with the time?
• If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
• If you were a _________ (insert:  car, animal, salad dressing – you get the picture), what kind would you be and why?
• If you won $50 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?
• How would you rate me as an interviewer?

Seeking a Job in the Food and Beverage Industry?

Register with Kinsa today.  Our team of food & beverage industry recruiting professionals will listen to your needs, match you with a perfect career opportunity, and then prepare you to ace the interview.  Click here to learn more about our unique services for food marketing, food production, food scientist, food safety, research & development and executive management professionals.

This fall, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will jointly publish new Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  The guidelines are revised every five years by a panel of scientific experts and serve as the basis for federal food and nutrition programs.  Additionally, they are considered “authoritative advice” for Americans on dietary habits that will promote good health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases.

So what will the guidelines likely recommend?

• Reduced salt consumption.  Linked to hypertension, heart disease and other health problems, salt has become a primary governmental target in recent years.  Although most major food companies have already substantially lowered sodium in their product lines, the question is still at the back of my mind - will the feds begin to actually ration this ingredient?
• Reduced use of sweeteners.  Ingredients like high fructose corn syrup have been linked to now-epidemic obesity in our population.  Our government is waging war on these sweeteners.  In 2009, President Obama alluded to soda taxes as one way to battle obesity – essentially making soda the “new tobacco.”  California and Washington already have huge “sin taxes” on soft drinks.  And even though over half of Americans oppose them, several other states have put these taxes on the legislative table.  What’s next?
• New label regulations and advertising bans.  The people have spoken, and they want change.  In a recent survey by Food Minds, 86% of respondents were in favor of the overhaul on food and front-of-label packaging that lists calories and beneficial nutrients.  Nearly three quarters of respondents support government-sponsored educational program to help Americans understand the difference between “good” foods and ” bad” foods.  Additionally, over half of the respondents would support the government banning of advertising “unhealthy” foods to children.

Bottom line, our government is attempting to play an increasingly larger role in determining what we put in our bodies.  Individual choice and responsibility are under fire.  And, unfortunately, the food industry – despite best efforts to provide safe, nutritious food at affordable prices – is under tremendous pressure to do even more.

Kinsa Group can help you prepare for the changes coming to the food & beverage industry.  As recruiters specializing in the food & beverage industry, we can provide quick access to the top Research and Development specialists your organization needs.

Every year, the Food Packaging Trends study helps us stay abreast of important shifts in North America’s food and beverage industry.  This year’s results reflect the impact of economic constraints on operations, as well as the importance of improving sustainability and flexibility.

Here are some of the study’s key findings:

• Tighter belts.  45% of survey respondents reported fewer capital expenditure projects will be slated for the coming year.
• Opportunity for differentiation.  28% of respondents are taking advantage of the poor economy to stand-out from their competitors.  By investing in high-speed production equipment, introducing new package designs, and updating graphics, these firms aim to deliver the safe, fun, portion-controlled, clean, and convenient products that consumers want.
• Increased sustainability initiatives.  Contrary to skeptics’ predictions, concerns about recycling, material recovery, and other sustainability issues remain strong – despite the economic downturn.  Nearly half of the readers rated sustainability as an extremely or very important issue affecting their packaging operations (same as last year).  Other key sustainability concerns include:  reducing energy use and waste streams; reducing transportation costs; increasing the use of recycled content in packaging.
• Packages that use less material, but offer more protection.  Half of organizations surveyed are reducing material use in packaging.  Prime targets include corrugated materials, and other types of dividers and inserts used in shipping.  In addition, three in five firms are innovating ways to better protect their products.  Major primary and secondary package redesign efforts aim to lower overall cost, while reducing product damage during shipping.
• Need for increased flexibility.  This year, readers rated increased machine flexibility/changeover as the third most important issue impacting operations over the next 24 months.  To offer the product diversity consumers want, production facilities are modifying existing equipment, introducing manual functions and operations, and/or adding modular or flexible production lines.  To further enhance adaptibility, two-thirds of respondents said they use robotic systems in their finished goods areas – especially for palletizing.

Want to know more?  The comprehensive report is available from Clear Seas Research.  To order the report, contact Sarah Corp at corps@clearseasresearch.com.

Kinsa stays on top of the trends that impact your organization, your industry, and your need for talent.  Contact us today to learn how we can deliver the experienced professionals you need to stay ahead of the curve.