It would be beautiful to have such choices. To be an animal, to be born again, or perhaps in another time, or another country. Life is as it, however, and who knows if someone from up there decides, or if it just rolling of a dice, and we are all a product of the endless chain of cause and effect. In any case, we do not choose our parents or the place of our birth. Such things are given to us…

Odd questions have their place in job interviews. Because most people prepare for the typical questions, such as “Tell me about yourself“, “What motivates you?“, or “What are your weaknesses?” in advance. But with an odd question the hiring managers can catch you off guard, make you think, and see you react spontaneously. It’s also a way to test your creativity, and attitude to life, because someone who chooses a pig or a dog think about life differently than someone who choose an eagle.

Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to this interesting question now. Most of them are serious, but you will also find a bit of humor in others. Sometimes when they ask you an odd question, you can surprise them back with an odd answer, or at least with a funny one :)…

 

7 sample answers to “If you were an animal, what would you be?” interview question

  1. I’d be my beloved dog, if I had such a choice. We treat our dog so well, and the saying “it’s a dog’s life” really isn’t true in his case. All he does is sleeping in a comfy bed and going for long walks, getting food for free, never paying for anything. It’s a simple, stress free life, except of a rare occasion when we visit a vet–that’s a stressful occasion for him. I also love the fact that dogs, and almost all animals for that matter, live in a present moment. They do not worry about the future, or dwell on the past. I try to learn this attitude from them.
  2. Whatever I would be, I’d love to live in a jungle. Because life of domestic animals is just terrible. I feel like crying when I see the pigs, cows, or hens crowded in cages, treated like rubbish, from birth to death. It’s the main reason why I became vegan several years ago, a choice that had a profound impact on my life ever since. But in a jungle the life can be beautiful, with all the sounds and smells, the colors and the immense variety that surrounds you. If I had a chance to try it for a year, I would definitely do it.
  3. I’d love to be a pig. To just lie in a mud and eat stuff and chase female pigs in the forest. What a simple life it would be. No need to pay mortgage, have a bank account, no bureaucracy. And female partners would be easily accessible, no need to pay for expensive clothes or jewellery. I also heard that pigs have an extremely long orgasm, so that is another plus for the pig. They also aren’t stupid by any means, and can enjoy life. But of course it’s just a dream and I could not become an animal. I have to cope with challenges of human life
  4. I would be an eagle. Always flying above the others, trying to reach the heights. Because that’s exactly what I try to achieve in my career. I do not aim for second place. And it is also the reason why I chose sales for my profession–sky is the limit, and you also need sharp claws and quick reactions to grab your prey, to outclass your competitors. Eagle is definitely an animal that fits my personality more than any other animal.
  5. I’d be what I am–home sapiens. I think that we are also animals–just the most advanced specie, the governors of Earth, and a bad ones to be honest. I do not believe in God and other abstract concepts, or in a superiority of man. We are simply animals, social animals, creative animals, we can laugh, cry, we have emotions. It’s amazing, and I am definitely happy that I wasn’t born as a rat or as a frog. And the end of the day I was just lucky, and I try to pay back the favor, trying to live a good life, helping the others.
  6. Up to this point in my life, I think I would be a mosquito. I wasn’t really lucky with jobs or relationships, and sometimes I felt that the entire world wanted to hit me with the flycatcher, or squeeze me with the fist. But look, there’s still a lot in front of me. Maybe I would be a mosquito, but from now on I’d choose the role of a fox. I want to be smarter than the others, one step ahead, and bite anyone who doesn’t have good intentions with me.
  7. I would be the duck, the most underrated animal in the world. Duck is the only animal that conquered all elements. Even we humans did not come close to ducks. They are excellent divers and can swim 2-3 miles in an hour-Micheal Phelps would struggle to catch them on the water. What’s more, they can walk comfortably, easily covering up to 6 miles an hour when on the dry land. And they can fly, of course, long distances, easily covering 1000 miles in a day. I would be a duck, because I also try to be versatile and develop a variety of skills. And I honestly think that most animals are underrated…

 

What animal would you be, if you had a choice, or what animal do you resemble?

This interview question offers more than one interpretation. The hiring managers may wonder what animal you resemble, with your lifestyle, choices, character abilities, and so on. But they can also wonder what animal you’d like to be, if you had a chance to become one–for a day, month, year, a lifetime.

If you aren’t sure what from the two interpretations they had on their mind, you can ask them to clarify it before answering the question.

Avoid religious topics if possible

I purposely included one answer that touches the subject of religion – no. 5 in the list of sample answers. The job applicant says that they are an animal already–homo sapiens, that they do not believe into God and superiority of human kind.

However, I’d suggest you to avoid such answers unless you are sure about the religious beliefs of your interviewers. In this case, if the hiring manager was a devoted Christian or Muslim, they could easily build a prejudice against you, and screen you out, regardless of your qualification and your answers to other questions.

Of course, the opposite situation can also happen: if your interviewer is an atheist, a free thinker, they may give you some extra points for this answer. But it’s probably not worth taking the risk, because more often than not you have no chance to guess the religion of your interviewers…

 

Bizarre answers can catch them off guard–while they try to catch YOU off guard

At the end of the day, interview is a sales talk. Once your meeting with the interviewers ends, you want them to remember you. In an ideal case, they should remember you for your excellent answers and a great attitude you demonstrated in an interview. But sometimes it also helps if you say something extraordinary, or even bizarre, something nobody else is going to say.

And that’s definitely a case with a mosquito, or with a pig. Once you explain your choice, however (see sample answers no. 3 and no. 6 for a good illustration), you can come up with a unique and honest answer, one they will remember long after the end of your interviews…

 

Do not be afraid to be philosophical, or funny

This question offers an opportunity to showcase your knowledge of the animal kingdom, but also to clearly demonstrate your opinions and attitudes in regards to some sensitive issues. Check sample answer no. 2 for example. The job applicant condemns the mass production of meat and diary products, the way in which animals are treated.

Believe it or not, many people share the same opinion, and even if they do not, such an answer will make them think, and perhaps also reconsider their eating habits.

Another interesting answer is no. 4. An applicant compares an eagle to a driven salesman, one that aims to reach the sky and outclass their competitors. Such a comparison can make a huge impression on the hiring managers, especially when you apply for a job where drive, motivation, and desire to win plays a major role.

Sample answer no. 7 is yet another cup of coffee. It’s an unorthodox choice, to be a duck, or to be inspired by a duck, but the more the job applicant elaborates on their choice, the more their answer makes sense… And that’s exactly what you should aim for–to give them an answer that makes sense for them…

Ready to answer this one? Enjoyed the read? Then you should have a look at the Interview Success Package 2.0, and get ready for each tricky question you may face in your interview. Alternatively you can check out a few other questions we analyze in detail on InterviewPenguin.com:

Matthew Chulaw
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