SamuraiInterviewQuestions

BoPeterson

1. Bushido
a. WhatisBushido?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionteststheintervieweeonhowpreparedheor
sheistobecomeasamurai.
ii.
ThinkingBushido(wayofthewarrior)isoneofthemostimportant
thingsasamuraishouldknow.
b. WhyisBushidosoimportanttoasamurai?
i.
ImportanceThisquestiontestshowwelltheintervieweeknowsand
understandsBushido,anddigsdeeperintoimportantpartsthatthe
intervieweeshouldknow.
ii.
ThinkingIfanintervieweeisbeingquizzedonsomethingimportant,he
orsheneedstobeabletodemonstrateadeeperunderstandingofthat
subject,ratherthanjustscratchingthesurfaceofit.
c. WhatisthemostimportantcorevalueBushidoemphasizes?
i.
ImportanceThisisaneasyquestionfortheintervieweeifheorshe
knowstheanswerstothefirsttwoBushidoquestions.Thisquestion
askstheintervieweetodigdeeperintothekeymessagesofBushido.
ii.
ThinkingAnysamuraishouldknowthemostimportantcorevalueof
Bushido.Itisakeyconceptthateverysamuraicandidateshouldhave
memorized.

2. ServiceandLoyalty
a. Whatdoestheword
samurai
mean,andwhyisitrelevanttohowasamurai
shouldact?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionisaleadintoexplorewhethertheinterview
knowshowasamuraishouldact(since
samurai
meanstoserve).
ii.
ThinkingIfanintervieweedoesntknowthemeaningofthenameofthe
jobheisapplyingfor,whyisheorshegoingtoaninterviewforthatjob?
b. Wouldyoufightforyourself(wealth)oryourdaimyo(lord)inwar?Why?
i.
ImportanceIftheintervieweehasonhisorhermindthatbeinga
samuraiwouldmakehimorherwealthy,theinterviewisapplyingforthe
wrongjob.
ii.
ThinkingSamuraiwerealwayssupposedtoobeytheirmasters,and
neverthinkaboutbecomingwealthy.Ifanintervieweeanswersthis
questionwrong,youknowheorshewouldntberightforthejob.

3. ArmorandSwords

a. Doesbeingasamuraijustmeanwearingarmorwhilecarryingtwoswords?
Whyorwhynot?
i.
ImportanceTobecomeasamurai,anintervieweeneedsspecialathletic
andcombatskills.Therefore,carryingtwoswordsandwearingarmor
wouldn'tmakethecut.
ii.
ThinkingIfanintervieweesaysyestothisquestion,itislikelyheorshe
isnotsuitableforthejob.Also,asamuraicandidatehastogothrough
specialtrainingfromadaimyotoreceivetwoswords,soitwouldntbe
possibleforhimorhertonotbeasamuraiandcarrytwoswordswithout
someonenoticing.
b. Whatdoescarryingtwoswordsrepresent?
i.
ImportanceThisquestiontestsifanintervieweeknowstheimportance
ofearningtherankthatgiveshimorhertheprivilegeofcarryingtwo
swords(a.k.atherankingofasamurai),thereforegivingthedaimyoa
tasteofwhethertheintervieweeknowswhatitreallymeanstobea
samurai.
ii.
ThinkingIfanintervieweedoesntknowthisanswerrightaway,heor
sheobviouslydoesntdeservetheprivilegeofcarryingtwoswords.
c. Whyisasamuraismetalarmorhiddenunderalayerofwovenpattern?
i.
ImportanceThisquestiondigsintotherichhistoryofthesamurai,and
anintervieweewiththiskindofknowledgewoulddefinitelybesuitable
forthejob.
ii.
ThinkingSamuraiworesteelarmorunderalayerofwovenpattern
becausetheirstrengthwashiddenfromtheenemy,soaninterviewee
thatknowsaboutthisdefinitelyhastheappropriatebackgroundtobea
samurai.

4. Skills
a. Whatkindofskillsarerequiredofasamurai?
i.
ImportanceAnyintervieweeforthejobofasamuraishouldknowwhat
skillsarerequiredofthatjob,sothisquestionisanothermajoronethat
teststheknowledgeoftheinterviewee.
ii.
ThinkingAnintervieweeneedstohaveknowledgeaboutthespecific
skillsneededtobeasamurai,sogettingthisquestionwrongisa
significantproblemfortheinterviewee.
b. Whymustasamuraihavetheseskills?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionisimportantbecauseitbuildsoffofquestion
a,makingiteasiertoseewhichintervieweeisrightforthejobofa
samurai.
ii.
ThinkingThisquestion,combinedwithquestiona,willeasilynarrow
downthenumberofqualifiedinterviewees,makingtheselectionmuch
easier.

5. Obedience
a. Whenshouldasamuraiobeyhislord?
i.
ImportanceAnygoodsamurai(orinterviewee)knowsthatasamurai
always
obeyshisorherlordtherefore,thereisbasicallynohopeforan
intervieweethatgetsthisquestionwrong.
ii.
ThinkingThisisoneofthemostimportantquestionsinthewhole
interview,soitwillmaketheselectionmucheasier.
b. Howmuchobedienceshouldasamuraigivetohis/herdaimyo?
i.
ImportanceOnceagain,anyqualifiedintervieweewillknowtheanswer
tothisquestion.
ii.
ThinkingBeingverysimilartothepriorquestion,thisquestionisalso
importantanddemandsarightanswerfromanyqualifiedinterviewee.

6. Battle
a. Doesasamuraievergivehimselfuptotheenemy?Whyorwhynot?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionwilltestthewillingnessofanintervieweeto
fightinbattle,andfurthermore,neversurrendertotheenemy.
ii.
ThinkingThisquestionwillhelpadaimyodeterminewhichinterviewees
aretrulyqualifiedtobesamurais.Ifanintervieweeisnotwillingtofight
tothedeath,heorsheisnotqualified.
b. Whatmentalityshouldasamuraihavegoingintobattle?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionwillshowtheworthinessofaninterviewee,
andhowreliableheorshewillbeonabattlefield.
ii.
ThinkingThementalityofasamuraiisanimportantpartofhowheor
shegoesintobattle.Furthermore,heorsheshoulddisplaythatsame
fightingmentalitywhentryingtogetthejob.
c. Shouldasamuraieverhaveanyfeartowardstheenemy(beforeorduring
battle)?Whyorwhynot?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionasksaquestionthatissimilartothepriortwo
Battlequestions,butitisimportantbecauseanintervieweecanbe
willing,butmightnotbefearless.
ii.
ThinkingAnyintervieweethathasfeartowardstheenemyislikelynot
goingtobechosenbyastrongdaimyo.

7. TraitstoDisplayinSociety
a. Whattraitsshouldasamuraialwaysdemonstratewhenoutinsociety?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionteststhesecondthingasamuraineedsto
knowhowtodo:actcalmlyinopensociety.
ii.
ThinkingThisisanotherkeycharactertraitthatanydaimyowillbe
lookingfor,sotheintervieweesanswertothisquestionisvery
importanttothedaimyo.
b. Howdothesetraitsaffectasamuraissocialranking?

i.

ImportanceAgain,asamuraineedstobecalmandhelpfulonthe
street,soagoodintervieweewillknowhowthesetraitsaffecta
samuraissocialranking.
ii.
ThinkingThiswillreallyhelptheeliminationprocessforadaimyo
becauseitwillhelpbringoutthebestcandidatesamongthe
interviewees.
c. Whattraitsshouldneverbedisplayedbyasamuraioutofcombat?
i.
ImportanceThisquestionisimportantbecauseitbuildsonthetwo
questionspriortoit,andtiesthebowonhowmuchasamurai
intervieweeknowsabouthowtoact,andhowreliableheorshewillbe
asaworkerforthedaimyo.
ii.
ThinkingThisisanotherveryimportantthingasamuraineedstoknow,
so,onceagain,thisimportantquestionwillhelpadaimyodecide
whetheranintervieweeisgoodenoughordoesntmakethecut.