When you come face to face with your prospective¹ boss, only to be asked: "Who would win in a fight between Superman and Batman?"

当你与未来的上司面对面时，他却问道：“超人与蝙蝠侠，谁更胜一筹？”

Or perhaps: "If a hippo falls in a hole how would you get it out?" Or: "What type of ice cream are you?"

These are among the bizarre questions firms are asking during interviews to ambush² job hopefuls.

They emerged in a survey of 2,000 adults by the Association of Accounting³ Technicians.

Bosses trying to see whether candidates flounder or flourish when grilled⁴ on unexpected subjects also asked: "What dinosaur⁵ would you like to be?"

Candidates also reported finding themselves confronted with strange tasks, such as being asked to sing or improvise⁶ a scene from a film with a potential colleague. One baffled job-seeker was told: "Build a tower of paper cups in one minute that would not fall down when you put the water in the top cup."

Top of the list of hardest questions faced was, "What are your weaknesses?" followed by, "Describe yourself in three words". Other tough lines of inquiry⁷ included, "Describe a time when you have failed" and "What do you think the chief executive thinks of the company?"

Not surprisingly, 30 percent of respondents said they had given awkward or cringeworthy responses. Some admitted bursting into tears or being caught out by a lie on their CV, while others revealed they had forgotten what job they were applying for or simply dried up.

Nearly two-thirds said they had embarrassed themselves by making gaffes⁸ such as spilling drinks, tripping over or swearing by accident. Stuttering, going red, sweating profusely⁹ or saying something stupid were other common experiences.

Aimee Batemann of AAT said: "Sometime unbelievable questions or tasks candidates have been subjected to shows sometimes you just can’t predict what will be thrown at you. However, the best way to maintain composure and reduce the chances of embarrassment¹⁰ is to try to prepare for every possibility and be prepared to think on your feet if need be."

Most applicants¹¹ thought their fate had been sealed within five minutes of entering the room, regardless of how the interview went after that. Some interviewers seemed "bored" and others were "really rude".

A number flouted¹² laws about asking personal questions such as whether applicants planned to have children or were in a relationship.

Despite all the pitfalls¹³, a third said they had still got the job.