Interview Question for Junior Field Engineer at Schlumberger:

Be creative.

I once met 'MacGuyver' (Richard Anderson) in a coffee shop in Vancouver in ('85?). OK, met is not the right word; perhaps I should say, "...had a run-in with him, back in his out of control ego days..".
I was a construction foreman then. I walked into the coffee shop next to our site, sat at the counter, ordered, and picked up the newspaper on the counter (common practice there at that time).
The big-feathered-hair guy next to me sneers "...Do you MIND? That's MY paper....."
"Oh, sorry. I was just..."
"Why can't you people leave me alone. (blah blah blah rant rant).. Don't you know who I am? "

"Uhhh. an arrogant jerk who thinks the world revolves around him? I dunno, give me a hint Buddy. " ( I had not seen MacGuyver yet, so really didn't quite recognize him)

This question is just a creative way to ask you how you solved a problem at work that required you to think outside the box, improvise or invent a solution that was not proposed by someone else. Proper preparation for this question is identifying a significant project where you had substantial impact on the success of the outcome, hopefully by identifying a solution on your own.

This question contains a dated cultural reference. You'd best explain up-front to 20-somethings who McGuyver [sic] is, lest you annoy the young whippersnapper sitting across from you. Also, if you wish to impress astute candidates, spell the friggin' character's name correctly.