Let’s start with the answer, because it’s not really the point of the piece: according to Google, the UK had 8,422 petrol stations as of December 2017.
Of course, Googling the answer would be far too easy an option for an interview…and, while I’m not denying that someone who knew this statistic off the top of their head would impress me, what I’m really looking for is 10-15 minutes of interesting discussion about things like Estimates (how many cars there are and the average size of petrol stations); Maths (how these figures can be put together to get something close to the number of petrol stations); and the Co. (i.e. what else they might try).
Some applicants may find it difficult to make any guess at all, but I believe it is worthwhile to pursue this line of inquiry. In our employment, we all need to be able to deal with the ambiguity of working without comprehensive information, as well as be willing to try new things. Candidates are sometimes prepared to try but struggle to generalize, for example, ‘although all petrol stations are different sizes.’ I try everything I can to help them get past it, but if they can’t, it’s a warning to me that they’ll struggle to see the broad picture or come up with creative solutions in their roles.
While the question isn’t a math test, it does give an indication of how comfortable people are with numbers. Under the stress of an interview, a mathematics specialist may easily calculate 60% of 60 million and come up with 360,000. Candidates who are more naturally mathematical will notice their error when I ask them to look at the answer they received.
When the best candidates reach the end of the computation, they begin to suggest ways to improve their estimations and what they might do differently virtually without being asked. They’re also paying attention to the recommendations and queries I’m making. If I feel like it’s been an uphill battle to persuade the applicant to engage with me on the issue at the conclusion of the question, it’s likely that I’ll feel the same way about them on a non-petroleum-station-related topic later on in the job.
The number of petrol stations in the United Kingdom is a fascinating topic! But it’s consistently what provides me with the most information about a prospect. And, yes, there are candidates who excel in all of the aforementioned areas.
How many gas stations are there in the United Kingdom?
The number of petrol stations in the UK was 8,385 by the end of 2020. This was much less than the country’s total number of petrol stations, which stood at 21,750 across the country.
How many gas stations are there in the United States, according to the interview question?
- To your 7-year-old nephew, describe a database in three sentences.
- How many golf balls might a vintage American school bus hold?
- How many gas stations are there in the United States?
- How much should you charge to clean all of Seattle’s windows?
- How likely is it that a stick will break into three pieces and form a triangle?
- Why are manhole covers shaped like this?
- To preserve your original density, you are shrunk to the size of a 10p piece and your weight is similarly lowered. After that, you’ll be placed into an empty glass blender. In 60 seconds, the blades will begin to move. So, what exactly do you do?
- You’re at a party with a friend, and there are ten individuals in attendance, including yourself and your friend. Your friend bets you one dollar for every person you discover who shares your birthday; he bets you two dollars for every person who does not share your birthday. Would you be willing to take the bet?
Explain a database in 3 sentences to your 7 year old nephew.
Answer A database is a system for storing and organizing data. It’s like having a genie who knows where all of your toys are in your room. Rather than scouring the entire room for specific toys, you can ask the genie to find all of your toy soldiers, or only X-Men action figures, or only race carswhatever you choose.
How many golf balls could you fit into a classic American school bus?
Furthermore, a school bus can be treated as a cylinder with a radius of 4 feet or 48 inches and a length of 22 feet or 264 inches with all of the materials within. The volume of a cylinder is (pi(r)2)h. 401,420 cubic inches is the total volume. The ball has a diameter of 1.6 and is surrounded by a cube with a volume of 4.096. 401,420/4.096 = 98,001