Have you ever been faced with an interview question that seemed impossible to answer?
Mine was delivered on the premises of a 'world class' engineering company. "How would you ensure that a project is completed on time?"
My mind raced from the general to the particular - If I knew the answer to that I would be a billionaire! - Strikes, bad weather, supplier failure, poor specifications etc. Probably no words came out as the interviewer started to drop hints, "It begins with a 'P', it ends in 'N', it has four letters." "Plan?" I say. "Exactly!" says he. 'Idiot' thinks I.
In retrospect perhaps it was a test to see if I was suitable to develop for senior management - the 'big picture' people. "We will deliver better value, we will be smarter!" But how? Engineers, small-minded, always bothered about the details!
Needless to say, I didn't get that job. Perhaps just as well.
