What one is asked during an interview can besomewhat bizarre, students say.

"Interviews can get pretty funny if theinterviewer knows a friend from previous years.You spend the entire time [talking] about yourfriend," Chatterjee says.

"Then you get asked really strangequestions...sort of brain teasers," Chatterjeeadds.

Bagby says one company she interviewed withgave her a "psychological exam [which was] made upin the '50s or '60s."

"They had questions like, `Would you ratherread the Bible or watch TV? Would you rather holda flower or hold a gun?'" Bagby says. "I guessit's to see what kind of moral character youhave."

"Then they had word associations. [Thequestion] would say, `tall people, short people,or small company, large company,' and you fill ina blank," Bagby adds.

Caplan says Monitor Company in Cambridge alsotested applicants' mental skills.

"There's an I.Q. test that's part of the secondor third round that a lot of people felt was a bitinappropriate," Caplan says.

According to graduating seniors whoparticipated in recruiting, interviews aresometimes designed to put candidates on the spotto see how well they can handle pressure.

"It's stressful....They tend to ask you why youare fit for this job...why you are interested insuch an area," Caplan says.

"Sometimes the questions simply involve adefense of your resume--why you did this, why youdidn't do that," Weisberg says.

It is often hard to figure out what aninterviewer is looking for, students say.

"You really cannot gauge how well you did bythe interviews. One firm, I walked out of therethinking, `Wow, that was the best interview I'vedone,' but the firm never called me. Anotherinterview, I thought I really bombed it, but Imade it to the final round," Gordon says.

"Recruiting is a Darwinian process. It'sbrutal. It's not always very clear as to thecriteria," Weisberg says.

But if students don't know what recruiters arelooking for, Cosentino does.