HR professionals are often swamped with applications from candidates whose qualifications look similar on paper. They have similar work experience, a similar education and similar personal qualities.
人力資源專業人士經常會收到大量的求職簡歷，而這些申請人的資歷看起來都大同小異。他們有著相似的工作經歷、教育背景，以及個人素質。
Faced with these equal options, recruiting mangers need to find clever ways of differentiating between candidates. Sometimes they come up with strange solutions, such as observing interviewees over dinner or letting them play board games together.
面對這些勢均力敵的人選，招聘經理們需要找到一些鑑定求職者的巧妙方式。有時他們會怪招頻出：例如通過宴會上來觀察應聘者，或者讓他們一起玩棋盤遊戲。
Below, three candidates share their most unexpected and challenging interview experiences. We also asked experts to provide tips on how to survive them.
接下來，三位求職者將和我們分享他們遇到過的最出乎意料，同時也最具挑戰性的面試經歷。此外，我們也向專家請教了一些應對面試怪招的小竅門。
1. Chen Boju, 22, a senior majoring in law at Xiamen University:
1.陳伯駒(音譯)，22歲，廈門大學法律專業大四學生：
I once applied for a sales position in a trade company. The interviewer asked me to entertain him for five minutes and said he would not talk during that period.
我曾經申請了一家貿易公司的銷售職位。面試官讓我在五分鐘內逗樂他，並且表示在此期間內他不會說話。
I was very nervous and didn’t know what to say.
我非常緊張，不知道說什麼。
Comment by Xu Jun, HR manager at Guangqi Honda Automobile Co Ltd:
廣汽本田汽車有限公司人事經理徐君(音譯)評論如下：
The task is intended to see how you handle different situations and judge if you are proactive and creative.
這個面試作業是為了測試你的應變能力，看看你是否主動且具備創造力。
This is because such a situation might occur during a real sales negotiation. You might suddenly be left alone with a client when your partner steps out for a short break.
因為在真正的銷售談判中，可能會發生這樣的情況：你的搭檔出去透透氣，一下之間，你只能和客戶獨處。
You must be able to break the silence and create a friendly atmosphere by talking about any subject you know. This can help you close the deal with the client. If you don’t know what to say, use the time for a personal sales pitch.
你必須有辦法打破沉默，通過和他交談任何一個你所熟悉的話題，來營造一個友善的氛圍。這有助於你成功拿下客戶的訂單。如果你不知道說什麼，利用這段時間來做個人營銷吧。
2. Chen Xianyi, 22, a senior majoring in computer science at Tsinghua University:
2.陳獻一(音譯)，22歲，清華大學計算機科學專業大四學生：
I was interviewed by an electronic product company for the role of design engineer.
我面試了一家電子產品公司的設計工程師職位。
The interviewer put two cell phones on the table – an iPhone 3 and a Nokia – and asked what I could see from them.
面試官把兩部手機放在桌子上，一部iPhone3和一部諾基亞，問我怎麼看。
Comment by Liao Qiong, product design engineer at Koobee Mobile Company in Shenzhen:
來自深圳酷比通信設備有限公司的產品設計工程師廖瓊(音譯)評論如下：
A major part of working in a product department is managing supply costs and keeping them as low as possible. You have to understand how to work within the budget’s limits.
產品部門的工作主要是控制供應成本，儘量保持其最小化。你必須學會如何在預算控制的範圍內工作。
The iPhone and Nokia are two brands that are priced against each other competitively. HR’s expect you to analyze the materials and composition of the two phones and to compare their costs.
iPhone和諾基亞是兩個存在價格競爭的品牌。HR們希望你能分析兩部手機的材料和構造，然後比較二者的成本。
Prove that you can design products while keeping costs down by showing off your expertise in materials and their properties.
你只需要在二者的材料及性能方面展示出自己的專業度，來證明你能夠在節約成本的同時，成功設計出產品。
3. Tang Guojian, 22, a senior majoring in mathematics at Yunnan University:
3.唐國建(音譯)，22歲，雲南大學數學系大四學生:
During the interview for an administration specialist position, the HR manager asked me to clean up a desk in a conference room.
在我應聘行政專員的面試中，人事經理讓我去清理會議室的桌子。
It was in a complete mess with loads of files and stationary lying around on it.
桌子上面七七八八地堆滿了文件以及辦公用品，簡直是一團糟。
Comment by Yu Jin, HR manager at the Shenzhen branch of Citibank China:
花旗銀行(中國)有限公司深圳分行人力資源經理於晉(音譯)評論如下：
The company wants to see you in a stressful situation and test your time management skills.
這家公司想要看看你在壓力環境下的表現，測評一下你的時間管理能力。
You need to achieve the maximum benefit with minimum effort in a limited amount of time. It’s best to prioritize cleaning tasks according to the amount of time they require. Choose the tasks you can do quickly first and then do the more time-consuming ones.
你需要在有限時間內，用最小的力氣，做最大的功。最好能按照規定時間，優先安排清理順序。先選擇你能夠快速完成的任務，然後再做那些比較耗時的。
This way you』ll have cleaned up the worst mess when your limited time runs out.
這樣一來，你就可以在限定的時間內整理好最混亂的局面了。
HRs like to ask about the condition of your own desk, so answer that you always like to keep this public area tidy and that you make sure it’s in good order before leaving for the day.
HR們喜歡詢問你書桌的整潔狀況，所以你要回答自己總是喜歡保持這片公共區域的整潔，每天離開前都會保持一切井井有條。
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（編輯：何瑩瑩）