"I'm looking for how deeply instilled their work ethic and independence are versus entitlement," she said. "If they worked part-time in high school and college because they needed to, especially in jobs that were just hard work, that shows a huge level of personal responsibility," she added. "I love people who have to patch success together from a number of different angles." Peter Thiel: Tell me something that's true that almost nobody agrees with you on "It sort of tests for originality of thinking, and to some extent, it tests for your courage in speaking up in a difficult interview context," explains PayPal cofounder Thiel. Related stories: Are you asking the questions that job-seekers hate? Five "outside of the box" interview questions to ask Two interview questions you should be asking