Interview Question: 10 Non-Traditional Uses for Pencils

Job interviews are always pretty stressful situations, no matter how much time you spend preparing beforehand. Google is just one of many companies that have been known to ask, “What are ten non-traditional uses for pencils?” Here is how I would respond (in this scenario I’m interviewing for a job as a secret agent. If you happen to be looking for someone to fill a position as a secret agent, please consider this my application!):

10 Non-Traditional Uses for Pencils

1. A properly-sharpened pencil is the ideal tool to have in your arsenal. Every master of disguise can use a pencil to instantly alter their appearance. Rub your finger over the graphite and draw on a mustache, beard, or goatee, or apply (carefully!) to eyelids to get that international-woman-of-mystery smokey eye look.

2. Then use the pencil to put up your hair, and you’re sure to fool even the most diligent observers. Plus, tactical missions are easier without your hair getting in your eyes.

3. If you happen to have several pencils, you can make a nifty pencil crossbow to defend yourself.

4. Graphite also has many useful properties, and pencils contain a handy supply of it. Graphite makes an excellent dry lubricant for metal machine parts, so it can be used to ensure the dumbwaiter you’re hiding in slides silently into position.

5. Graphite is also an excellent conductor of electricity, so you can use it to complete a circuit in a pinch.

6. Pencils are made of wood, so you can light them on fire and use them as torches if you find yourself trapped in a dark spot. If you have an abundance of them, you can build a bigger fire and keep it going for longer – send smoke signals, cook a meal, or use your pencil-fueled blaze for warmth.

7. If you’re performing a delicate operation, you can hold a pair of pencils like chopsticks, and use them to pick up objects you ought not touch with your hands.

8. Similarly, hand-eye coordination and the ability to perform visual calculations of trajectory are very important in this line of work. Flick Football – that game you played in elementary school where you used a pencil to flick a folded piece of paper between your friend’s pencil case and their water bottle – is a great exercise that simply would not be possible without pencils.

9. In this dangerous line of work, injuries are likely in the field. A pencil makes a handy splint for a damaged finger, as well as being satisfying to bite down on if your partner has to set a broken bone or help you pop a dislocated one back into joint.

10. Last but certainly not least, a pencil is vital for covering your tracks. A nice, pointy tip can get the mud out from the treads in your soles, and an eraser can get scuff marks off of floors. You’ll be able to vanish without a trace as long as you have a pencil in your pocket!