Common Questions Asked of Interns

Ah, me! It's the time of the year again when school's out and interns come a flooding. I fondly recall a time not too long ago when I was a fidgety intern, oh-so-eager to please... But we're here not to talk about me or what happened but what is to come :)

You know what they say, intelligent bitches don't just happen, they are made by surviving le baptéme du fer. Now that yours truly is the one sitting at the other end of the table... picture World War 3 with black silk stockings and long eyelashes.

Be prepared freshies, or run and hide!

I don't know if kids these days study a 10-year-series or interview question 101, but I've never been a conformist and I pride myself in coming up with creative questions so disarming that it can cut the bull out of the most well-prepared interviewee to do a fair assessement based on my own observation.

So forget questions that sound as bland as "What are your strengths?" or "How would your peers describe you in 5 words". Because I know that nobody would ever give me "Lazy f*cker who doesn't bathe".

Nor will I be as mean as to ask you "What are the causes of the Korean Civil War?" although I'd be impressed if you can launch into a debate with me.

But I've never had a thing for empty vessel type overtly talkative kids, nor the type who are stupid enough to tell me that their favourite past time during the weekend is to go to church.

Having said that, I admire kids who have initiative, optimistic (in a never say never kind of way) and a keen interest in self-improvment in all aspects of their lives.

So here are some clues, for the smart ones who actually thought of asking me "who's my interviewer?" and then have the initiative to consult the google search bar for a nugget of information about me.

While my views are not representative of my company's I am first a person, then a corporate animal, and these are the top questions that I like to ask:

1) What is your favourite drink?

There is no right answer to this question, but the answer would show me that you have an idea about what I do.
2) What are your weaknesses?
3) What do you do during your free time?
4) Tell me an interesting piece of news that you came across today. Or if you think Naoto Kan is hot. You're screwed if you have no effin idea who that is.

There you have it, the rest will be a piece of cake. Rrraow!

A sunday kind of wonderful

Is there really a better way to conclude a busy, fulfiling week than waking up smiling on an early Sunday morning, reading the papers in bed and sipping coffee in a pink Victoria's Secret pyjamas?

Well yes...rolling out of bed on Sunday, just before noon. Breakfast is past lunch time, and it comes with truffle sandwiches, burgundy wine, a dresscode and good company.

While I'm not usually a fan of having dainty bites al fresco right in the middle of Singapore's heatwave, but I love themed tea parties.

And nothing befits tea parties during good times more than a candy-floss coloured sundress with a frivolous full-skirted silhouette that has a great emphasis on the narrowness of the waist. The look is a simple one that is influenced by the 1950s - a time when feminine fashion for women returned with a vengeance after the auterity of the 1940s.

While wide-brimmed hats and lacey gloves were the accessories of choice back then, keep the look modern and not overdo it, or you'll look like you've lost your way to a fancy dress contest. After all, the true beauty of the sundress is its ability to stand on its own without much adornment.

Dress on Isabelle: Pastel blue poplin dress from Sophisticate (52 Telok Ayer Street #01-05)