Stranded on a Desert Island? My Honest Answer to the Classic Question

There are many questions that circulate endlessly during the creative job hunt, but none have a chokehold on publishing applications quite like the desert island situation. It’s appeared everywhere; including that infamous Fire episode of The Office US which had answers all the way from the Bible (Angela), The Da Vinci Code (Phyllis), and a hollowed out version of Physician’s Desk Reference with survival gear and a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Dwight).

Now, I’ve answered this question more times than I can count; always professionally, as educated as possible, with the distinct desperate scent of “please hire me!”.

But this day was not that day.

I had a university deadline looming. A retail shift in one hour. And thirty minutes to write something spectacular. So, in a moment of delusion, I wrote the most unfiltered answer I could have.

You're stranded on a desert island and can take three books with you. What have you picked and why?

The first book would be The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The book follows a young boy who is promised to discover a wealth of treasure if he travels from Andalucia to Egypt, but what he doesn't expect is the length of the journey or the sacrifices he will have to make. Eventually, he travels all the way to the pyramids to discover that the treasure is not what he expected. I believe that this book would push me through the mental hurdles of being stranded as it addresses setbacks and mindsets, serving as a brilliant reminder to continue persevering towards opportunities and solutions. Additionally, my copy is fairly small, so it would be easy to carry around a desert island.

The second book would be more focused towards my physical survival, so I'd select Deadly Factbook: Fish, Squid and Jellyfish by Steve Backshall. Although this book is more aimed towards younger audiences, I think that the lexicon selected and light-hearted approach to visuals would actually be really reassuring and calming when assessing potential predators in a life-threatening situation. Furthermore, I think it would get straight to the point compared to books for older readers, and would be clearer to read and comprehend in a very stressful situation.

Finally, I would bring Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. I studied this novel as part of my undergraduate degree and absolutely hated it, however, his situation is very similar to my own, and I would hopefully be able to read it more enthusiastically as a survival guide rather than a classic piece of literature. This text is an uninspiring 350 page account of a lone man stranded on an island. After using it as an imperative tool to learn life-saving tips, I would use it as kindling to create a big life-saving fire.

So there you have it! The most honest answer I’ve ever given in a job application. Maybe next time the question pops up, I’ll choose to answer sensibly. Or perhaps I’ll choose chaos again. Who knows? Either way, what would your honest response be?