Interview Questions And Answers 
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Do you like cats or dogs? Suppose I am a [opposite of your answer] person. Convince me to become a [your answer] person in 5 minutes.
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RETORT: You first convince me that there is any sense in trying to make people switch preferences on this level in a matter of minutes.
The question really probes whether you are realistic in your goals, and in to what end you are going to apply your energy. The fact that YOU are enthousiastic about something doesn’t mean you should spend your time making others enthousiastic!
(Of course if you apply for a sales position the above may not hold.)
The question is trying to measure your convincing power regardless of the final outcome. The fact that he has given you 5 minutes suggests that you spend a minute or so which one you like and why?
Start off a conversation by making the interviewer prove why he likes cat/dog? You just have to take the discussion to the point which weakens his reasons and strengthens your likes. It may not be possible but it can definitely be tried!
I have met a lot of people whi have convinced me about certain things in less than 5 minutes!
Dog people will say dogs are “smart” because they can learn tricks, while cat people will say cats are smart because they figure out what they want for themselves.
Dog people relate to dog behavior: self organize into a hierarchical pack with an alpha dog. A dog owner gets to be in charge and still be shown affection and loyalty.
Cat people relate to cat behavior: independent and often unaware of others, yet desiring connection and wanting to be valued for your own personality rather than how well you take orders. Authoritarian behavior is largely ignored.
Dog owner = manages others, cat owner = manages self. In a software company I’d wager that most low-level engineers with pets are cat owners, while most management and sales/marketing types are dog owners.
Human beings in general want to be firmly in charge of those under them in the social hierarchy, receiving loyalty and thanks rather than rebellion, while remaining largely free from those above in the pecking order, save as a source of resources, protection, and mentoring. So most people are both leader and follower to some extent and could perhaps relate to both cats and dogs.
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