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Can you pass Marketplace’s interview test?

Fiona Ng Jan 10, 2012

Everyone knows that it’s difficult to get a job at Google. Author William Poundstone talked to Kai about exactly how hard it is — by looking at some of the interview questions asked at the tech giant. And he wrote a book about it called “Are You Smart Enough To Work at Google?”

Taking a page from the company’s playbook, we at Marketplace, have come up with a few creative interview (and William Poundstone-approved) questions for those potential applicants interested in working for us.

1. You are with a group of about 100 people in the room. You have no idea why you are in the room and who those people are. Also, none of them speaks the language you speak. How do you go about finding out why you are there? 

 2. You are on the roof of a very tall building. About 500 feet from you is another very tall building. What’s the quickest way to get from where you are to the roof of that other building?

3.  You are throwing a cocktail party at your place. If you could invite five people to come to your party — any five — who would they be?

Email us your answers.

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