I had an interview yesterday for a 6-month 1099 contract position at a defense contractor, and it was quite an experience. The interview was conducted in front of a panel of eight people, which was a bit intimidating. I felt like I was handling the questions well until I got to a particularly odd one from the last interviewer. He asked me a hypothetical scenario that seemed to have no real relevance to the job itself, aimed instead at gauging my character. The question was about a critical situation: if I was in an operating room during surgery, trying to fix a machine essential for saving a life, but then the CEO approached me with tech issues for a major client meeting worth 55 million dollars, what would I do? I answered honestly, stating that while I respect the CEO and the importance of the client, my priority would be the patient's life. I said that if my work on the machine could be the difference between life and death, then the CEO and the client would have to wait. I was relieved when the interviewer acknowledged my response, saying he appreciated my answer and how I handled the pressure with a smile. I still find it strange that they would ask such a question for a server support/desktop support role. It felt more like a test of ethics than a relevant job skill.