A business blog recently described a list of interview questions HR might ask you to try to get inside your head.  Some of them I’ve actually used on interviews with candidates.  I’m not an HR person, but hey, seeing if someone can describe the technical projects they’re most proud of helps me to see that they take pride in their work, as well as what they consider to be something worth bragging about.

The question I’d never asked anything near is what someone would do if they won $5 million dollars.  I’m certain: I’d be done working for anyone in particular.  I’d keep doing technical work, but I’d only do that which particularly interested me.  That’s not a very reasonable scenario for working for someone else…  there is this thing about keeping the customers happy and paying the bills that is worthy and valuable. But without the need of an ongoing paycheck, I could definitely see geeking out on open source projects, working as a technical contributor for a non-profit, etc…

I’d actually be interested were someone to ask me the $5 mil question…  their response to _my_ response would help me understand how big they think their impact on my life ought to be overall…    So, a highly useful question if it helps us each winnow the other out.