Interviews are getting tougher. Are you ready?

With today's unprecedented rates of unemployment, competition for jobs is incredibly fierce. Because it is not uncommon for a single position to generate hundreds of qualified applicants, like the 700 applications recently submitted for a single janitorial position in Ohio; at many companies the hiring process has changed dramatically. Nowadays, hiring managers often find themselves resorting to creative, if not extreme, measures during the interview process to narrow the field.

Some of these strategies- like asking a candidate to solve a complicated mathematical problem, answer bizarrely hypothetical questions, ("if you were a food, what food would you be?") take online personality or skills assessments during the interview process, or observing how teams of candidates work together on contrived projects, (think "The Apprentice") have immediate, obvious value to employers as screening tools.

Other times, interviewers even go so far as to purposely insult or otherwise stress applicants to gauge reactions. As in most stressful situations, your best strategy here is readiness. It takes preparation to remain calm, good humored, confident, and poised under stress. Taking action during the interview by standing and demonstrating your points on a whiteboard, deep breathing, or allowing several seconds to gather your thoughts can help you remain focused and in control. While there is obviously no right or wrong answer to certain questions, getting too creative can backfire badly.

Don't let an attempt at wit undermine your performance here. It's okay to smile wryly in acknowledgement of a funny or unusual question. There's no reason to obsess over your answer, in most cases the interviewer just wants to observe you thinking on your feet and your mental and verbal agility.

To the hiring manager, observing how you perform in unexpected situations can yield important clues about traits like your flexibility, creativity, communication skills, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities. Ready yourself for these unanticipated interview scenarios by maintaining a strong network (news about unusual interview tactics usually travels fast!) and by working with local staffing firms and career consultants, who can frequently offer a "heads-up" when a company is known for using nontraditional strategies.

I would be amiss not to point out that these interview strategies often send a message about an organization’s values and corporate culture. If a company sees nothing wrong with keeping you waiting alone in a room for an hour, or insulting your personal beliefs, you should probably give careful consideration to whether the working environment would be a good fit for you before accepting an offer.

To perform well in a job interview today, you simply must be ready, willing and able to think quickly and articulate your message through interviews designed to disarm. Being relaxed and confident sends a message that you can handle high-pressure situations with grace and good humor- traits we all value in our co-workers when the going gets tough! Don’t wait until you have an interview scheduled. It’s important to start preparing now. You never know what opportunity might arise tomorrow.