Upon further thought I remembered that the way I read to answer such questions was to try to phrase a positive trait as a negative. For example, if someone asks you what your weakness is you say, “well, when I have a goal I just become so singleminded about achieving it that I tend to lose perspective. I need to learn to step away from the task from time to time to recharge and keep my balance.” This makes it sound as if you are so very passionate and hard working that you find it hard to rein yourself in. The problem with this approach is that when I say things like that I make myself want to puke! It sounds so fake and so not me. I like to be direct and honest. But if they want to make it a game I guess I have no choice but to play along, right?
Taking this approach to the “what person you would be if you weren’t the person you are?”
I had an inspiration that it would be funny to get all philosophical on them and say, “Well now, that supposes that I would have a crystal ball and I don’t. Does any of us know where we would be if we took the other diverging road in the wood? Life is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. We make the best choices we can given what we know at the time we need to make the decision. It would be disingenuous of me to second guess myself.” But then, I am assuming you want the job, lol.
That’s just the problem. It’s hard to think of an interview as a game when what’s at stake is your ability to support yourself and your family. The people who use these questions to thin the wheat from the chaff don’t seem to get the idea that a person can be very good at what they do and just not be good at mind games. Maybe the best thing you can do is try to think of things that you would say ahead of time if these kind of questions come up. Having a sort of repertoire of stupid “tell them what they want to hear” answers that you can pull out of a hat if need be.
If you are interviewing a lot I highly recommend the book What Color is Your Parachute by Richard N. Bolles
http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2012/dp/1607740109
.Get the most up to date copy that you can since he is constantly revising it based on his research into current job hunting conditions and what is going on in the marketplace and employer expectations. He has a real positive attitude that isn’t about strategy. It’s about helping you find a job with the right fit and giving practical, up to the minute advice on how to go about looking for it.