Are you a Geek?

Going into an interview can be extremely scary, especially at the thought of not knowing what questions are going to be asked.

But… imagine being asked the question ‘are you a geek?’

Well, believe it or not, after looking through the popular Contractor UK Forum, someone was recently asked this question.

This question was answered by the following: ‘as much as I’d like to spend all my spare time going bleary eyed learning the latest soon-to-be-redundant Microsoft technology I do actually have plenty of other interests in life that kept me busy in my spare time’.

The real question is what is the right answer to this? And should this question even have been asked in an interview in the first place?

Some say that admitting you are a geek may affect the way you are viewed within the work place, in terms of social events etc. Conversely others suggested admitting to being a geek as it shows a passion about the latest technology. But “don’t admit to being a nerd as this shows an unhealthy passion in obsessive bit of technology that is rarely used, with no social skills and an unhealthy hygiene stigma”, according to the forum.

The correct way to answer this question would be whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you are happy to admit you are a geek (and prepared that they will remember that aspect about you) then go ahead and say ‘yes I am a geek’. If you don’t want people thinking that of you then say no. There is no wrong or right answer and it depends really on what the interviewer is looking for.

Should this question even be asked in interviews? Some may agree that it is an irrelevant question as it could become a sensitive subject. Even if the question was asked in a jokey way, this is the first time the interview has met this person and they don’t know their sense of humour. Realistically, this is an inappropriate that probably isn’t asked much in interviews and probably shouldn’t be asked at all.

Are you a geek and proud? Let us know…