Trivial Job Interview Trivia Quiz

Answer: Rock Climbing Instructor

I certainly hope you didn't want to use a carabiner in a proctology appointment, but it's quite clear that that sort of equipment is better used climbing rock walls, cliffs, and buttresses on a rock face. As well, rock climbing certainly wouldn't require paper-clip-counting, but instead, precise movements, agility, and dexterity (as well as a lack of vertigo).
I imagine that you opted for this alternate career because it allows you to be physically active. As well, odds are, you'll be traveling to unique settings like the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, or the Andes, or you'll be leading amateur climbers up the side of a rock wall in the Appalachians.
It can't be refreshing thinking about the risk though. One slip could be fatal. Before you could say 'AVALANCHE', you hustled to the commercial district and lined up for a job.

Answer: The red one

When you sit down, you remember, that vermilion is a shade of red (and a quite obscure one at that). Of course, not many recognize vermilion as well as other shades of red because its pigment is a mercury compound, and is therefore toxic. Secretly, you hope that your chair is safe to sit in.
As well, you note that real vermilion would probably be too expensive to use in the chair, as you need to create a compound with mercury and sulfur to make it.

Perhaps you heard this when you were playing "Pokemon" in your time off. Video game players may remember this as the third gym town in "Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow", from the first generation of games...but you would never admit to that in a job interview.

Answer: Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan did win silver in Nagano, and shortly after this, continued to win numerous World Championships. She won bronze in the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002, then pulled herself out of the Turin, Italy Olympics in 2006 due to a hip injury, though she was scheduled to appear. Kwan won seven of seven World Championships between 1998 and 2005.
Her second place finish in Nagano allowed youngster Tara Lipinski (only 15 at the time) to claim the gold medal, making her the youngest Olympic gold medalist in the sport to that date.

This unique comment is written down by your interviewer, despite the fact that it's obviously not going to impact your job performance. You try to recall the various Michelle Kwan anecdotes you'll need to talk about if you get the job.

Answer: A Computer Programming Language

BASIC, you recall, is an acronym for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, and despite the fact that it is used for very little in computing nowadays, it is still possible to create applications and perform certain tasks. Microsoft has also released "Visual BASIC" programs to assist in this. One with logic can probably make sense of the inputs and commands used by the language, but to the untrained eye, it's hard to make sense of it all.

Over the years, BASIC has become somewhat defunct as it has been replaced by PERL, JAVA, C++, HTML, Python, and other seemingly easier-to-follow languages. Odds are, your skill is not required for the job...unless it's 1970.

Answer: Yes

Dakar, Senegal is located on the western coast of Africa. Although Dakar is not always the finish race of the world-famous Dakar Rally, in the first twenty-five years of the race, all but four races ended in Dakar.
In the rally, racers can use two-wheeled vehicles (motorcycles) as well as cars and trucks. Often times, due to the fact that the rally is so trying and difficult, major car companies will promote themselves if they are successful in the race.
The race is very dangerous and many have been killed both during the course and covering the course for a media circuit. Although the majority of races have started in France, races have also begun in Lisbon, Portugal.

Answer: All of them

If only you had spent less time in the arcades and more time doing your homework. This clearly isn't the best time to be thinking about video games. Regardless, you can easily remember "Pac-Man", which is regarded as one of the single most-popular video games of all time. Using a joystick, players can guide Pac-Man through a maze filled with delicious dots and fruits.

While fruits are solely used to add to the overall score of the game, dots allow Pac-Man to advance through the game. As well, impeding the poor Pac-Man are the four ghosts of Inky, Pinky, Blinky, and Clyde (also known as Bashful, Speedy, Shadow, and Pokey, respectively). If one of these catches Pac-Man, he disintegrates into nothingness, but if Pac-Man is powered up and happens to eat a ghost, it must return to its home and restart its reign through the maze. Eating all of the dots will result in advancement.

There's no way around it.

Answer: "Takin' Care of Business" - Bachman Turner Overdrive

"And I've been takin' care of business- everyday.
Takin' care of business every way.
I've been takin' care of business- it's all mine.
Takin' care of business and working overtime."

Bachman-Turner Overdrive (often known better as BTO) released "Takin' Care of Business", arguably their most-popular song, on their second album. Their third album also bore the popular song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet". The band, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, has won many Juno awards in the seventies for their work. Fans may recognize Pink Floyd's song, "Money" from their "Dark Side of the Moon" album. It hit the U.S. charts and became a quick success. "Five O'Clock World", by The Vogues, was featured as one of the three opening songs of "The Drew Carey Show".

Answer: Glastenbury, Vermont

Well, let's just put it this way... you realize that if you went to two of the places that she listed, you could end up dead. Castle Rock, you remember, is a fictional city from Stephen King's short stories and novels, the most memorable of which, perhaps, is "Needful Things". In that story, however, the town and all of its residents are plunged into doom as a mysterious shopkeeper, who may be the devil himself, opens a shop in town. Oddly, although the town is somewhat destroyed, it later appears once again in "Lisey's Story", a later King novel.
Innsmouth, Mass. is of Lovecraftian fame. Renowned horror icon H. P. Lovecraft used this, and two other fictional cities to establish Lovecraft County in his Cthulhu Mythos. Of course, the Esoteric Order or Dagon is responsible for much of the terror here, but since you won't be able to visit it in any sense, it shouldn't be a problem to your working life.
Stoneybrook may have been a bit safer, but recalling your young adult fiction, you remember that this town is home to "The Baby-sitter Club".
Glastenbury is the final choice, but if you're to assume the position in this office, you'll realize it's quite the spook-town. In fact, it's in what locals know as the Bennington Triangle. The mountain near the town was said to be cursed, and many people have gone missing around it. The idea has led the town to become 'haunted'. It has been termed 'The Paranormal Capital of Vermont' by some.
You're sure it's safe though...

Answer: Yes

Croquet first appeared in the 1900 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. Unfortunately, this was also the final year of Croquet. 1900 also marked the single year of Cricket in the Olympics and the lesser-known sport of Basque Pelota. The now-defunct Olympic sport of Tug of War was also introduced in these second Olympic Games, but they were later removed in 1924's Olympics (in Paris, coincidentally). Surviving sporting events from 1900 include Water Polo, Equestrian, Archery, Rowing, and Sailing although Rowing is the only sport to run every Olympiad since.
Ironically, France also swept the podium at said Croquet event, stealing the medals for single ball, double ball, and pair events. Of course, this was due in part to the fact that of the ten competing teams, nine were French. One was from Belgium, but they failed to place.
Croquet, since its creation, has been commonly regarded as a leisurely pastime, although it is commonly attributed to upper-class players.

Answer: Wednesday

Secretary's Day, also known as Administrative Professionals Day was created in 1952 and has since been celebrated on the third Wednesday of every April. This secular holiday also shares the month of April with Easter, World Health Day, Good Friday, Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Patriots' Day.
Since the holiday is secular, it doesn't mean you'll be getting it off work. In fact, paid holidays vary by country and region.