There was a joke/parable that my dad used to tell.
Three accountants go in for an interview. They start talking while waiting for their turns, and learn that they all have approximately similar qualifications.
First accountant goes in, and the interview goes pretty well, until one interviewer asks a final question: “What do you get when you add 2+2?”
The first accountant reflexively answers “Four.” The interviewers look at each other, clearly disappointed, and tell the candidate “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”
The first accountant leaves, and when the others ask about the interview, the only answer they get is, “The last question they asked is really weird.”
Second accountant goes in, and the interview, again, goes pretty well, until that last question: “What do you get when you add 2+2?”
The second accountant, assuming (correctly) that the first candidate had given the obvious answer, says, “Five.”
At this, the interviewers look at each other, alarmed, and tell the candidate, “Don’t call us.”
The second accountant leaves, and storms out without even acknowledging the third candidate.
Third accountant goes in, and does about as well as the other two for the main part of the interview. Again, they ask that same last question: “What do you get when you add 2+2?”
The third accountant answers with: “What do you want to get?”
The third accountant got the job.
