100 Prisoners, 1 Bullet

What it feels like to get an MBA

Getting an MBA was expensive. Candidate #13’s loan statements tracked by how much he couldn’t afford it. But the real cost was time—two years of night classes, leaving his wife to put the kids to bed alone.

But it would all be worth it if he could pass this interview.

Everything about the interviewer was tightly wound. Her blonde hair was pulled into a tight bun, her skin was stretched taut over her muscles and bones, and her professional pantsuit barely allowed her to move her legs. Her blue eyes made precise movements as they scanned Candidate #13’s resume.

Halfway through the first page, she set down the resume stared straight through the back of Candidate #13’s skull.

“You are standing in a field with 100 prisoners. You are tasked with ensuring that none of them escape. You have one gun and one bullet. The prisoners will attempt an escape if they are certain that they will not die in the attempt. What rules do you establish to accomplish your goals?”

Candidate #13 had expected to hear a question about PowerBI or to be asked about a time he had disagreed with a supervisor. Before that, he had expected to learn the interviewer’s name. He took a second to recenter himself.

“I guess I say I will shoot the first prisoner who attempts an escape.”

The interviewer cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.

“Define ‘attempts an escape.’”

Candidate #13 tried to think one step at a time.

“I paint a circle in the field. I tell the prisoners that I will shoot the first person to leave that circle.”

Speakers on the office’s ceiling emitted a steady hum of white noise. Studies showed it improved concentration by 6.3%. It also ate the silence that followed that answer.

When the interviewer was convinced the candidate had nothing else to say, she shook her head in disappointment.

“I’m sorry, but this is an unacceptably poor answer. The prisoners will conspire to throw the weakest member over the line. You will execute your rule and use your bullet; Ninety-nine dangerous criminals will escape, and you will have failed at your assigned task.”

Candidate #13 tried — and failed — to maintain his composure. “That is a fascinating thought experiment. Would you like to learn more about my experience and how it might prepare me for this role?”

The interviewer shook her head. “Out of respect for both of our time, I think it is best to end this interview. Thank you for coming in.”

Candidate #13 left, cursing himself for reading the Harvard Business Review instead of Dr. Seuss. He forgot to get his parking validated.

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“—What rules do you establish to accomplish your goals?”

Candidate #21 stared at the floor. The answer was not there. He checked the ceiling. The answer was not there, either. Finally, he found an answer. He rehearsed it in his head and then spoke it aloud.

“I make them police each other. They are to stand in a circle and hold the hands of the people on either side. I shoot anyone who lets go.”

The interviewer’s Botox helped her maintain a strict poker face. “When one clasp breaks, two prisoners will be implicated. How do you decide which one you shoot?”

Candidate #21 dismissively threw a hand in the air. “Doesn’t matter. I flip a coin. They will fight to make sure their hands stay clasped, and they will not run away.”

“They won’t?” The interviewer gave a smile of utter contempt, her eyes remaining as motionless as a mask. “It sounds like they will collectively walk away from you — while holding hands. One hundred dangerous criminals have escaped, and you have failed at your assigned task. This is the worst possible outcome. You are dismissed.”

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“—What rules do you establish to accomplish your goals?”

Candidate #34 nodded in earnest throughout the question.

“What items do I have on me?”

The interviewer revealed nothing. “What items do you need?”

Candidate #34 removed his wedding band and placed it on the table.

“I usually have this ring on me. At current prices, it is worth approximately $280. I explain to the prisoners that it is worth far more to them.”

The interviewer uncrossed her legs. The Candidate continued.

“At the first light of sunrise, I will randomly kill one prisoner who is not holding my wedding band. It does not matter where they run. I will hunt them down. Their only hope of guaranteed survival is to fight to the death and ensure that they, and they alone, hold the ring.”

The interviewer bit her lips, visibly aroused as she imagined the bloodshed.

“And what do you do in the morning when there’s only one prisoner left?”

Candidate #34 shrugged. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter.” He paused to think and then nodded. “I shoot them. That would be more efficient in the long run.”

The interviewer looked down at the candidate’s resume, noting his name for the first time. “Mr. Smith, you have assured the deaths of all of your prisoners.”

“Yes, ma’am. The assignment was to prevent them from escaping. I was not tasked with ensuring their survival.”

The interviewer set down the resume, stood up, and shook the candidate’s hand. “Welcome to Chick-fil-A. Thank you for joining our team.”

Lead Customer Service Representative Jonathan Smith clasped the interviewer’s hand with a firm but gentle touch.

“Ma’am, it is my pleasure.”