The
interviewer usually asks this question to initiate the talk and put the
candidate to ease. You can smile and answer this question by saying:
“It wasn’t difficult to find this place".
Tell me about yourself
This question is usually the first question that HR might ask you. This question could form a basis for further discussion.
Discuss your family background in short
Discuss your qualification
Discuss your characteristics that will help you professionally
Discuss your interest, hobbies
Tell me something about yourself that is no written in your resume.
If you missed out on some points while writing your resume this is your chance to discuss them:
Whenever talking about yourself, be confident, but not over confident.
Do not praise yourself all the time.
You could discuss some personal traits or achievements
What do you want to be in next 5 years?
This answer shows your ability to make plans for yourself, have an ambitious but realistic plan:
Say you would like to acquire certain skills and move up the ladder
If you are interested in Management, say you would like to take up a part-time course/full time course in x years time
What do you know about this organization?
This
question is one reason to do some research on the organisation before
the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going.
Why do you want to work for this organization?
This
may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research
you have done on the organisation. Sincerity is extremely important here
and will easily be used. Relate it to your long-term career goals.
What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
Try
to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide
variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement.
Have some good ones handy to mention.
A
loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you
answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, that,s
a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most
cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that
it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.
Are you a team player?
You
are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready.
Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather
than for yourself is good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag;
just say it in a matter-of-fact tone? This is a key point.
What irritates you about co-workers?
This
is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything
that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with
folks is great.
Specifics
here are not good. Something like this should work: I,d like it to be a
long time. Or As long as we both feel I,m doing a good job.
The
interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do
you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That,s the type of
answer were that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit
to the organisation.
What are your greatest strengths?
Number
of answers are good to give, but in positive manner. Some good
instances are: About your problem solving skills, ability to work hard,
professional expertise, leadership skills, positive attitude etc.
Disguise
your strength as a weakness (your weakness should be strength to
company) . Beware this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten
the candidate list.
Being
on either of the extremes at work can be bad for you and the company.
Your behaviour at work should be as per the requirement. To answer this
question you can say something like: I behave as per the requirement of
the situation. For e.g. If I am representing the company at an event
which requires me to talk to a lot of people, I become an extrovert
while if there is some serious issue under discussion, I think quietly
and deeply on it.
The
purpose of this question is to see if you are really interested in this
job or you applied to this job just because you are jobless. Relate the
job requirements with your candidature and explain why do you believe
you are a suitable candidate for this job
Point
out how your assets meet what the organization needs. A company will
want to hire you if you can add some value to it. So, focus your answer
on your skills and how they can be helpful for the position you are
being interviewed for. Do not mention any other candidates to make a
comparison . Also, tell them about your ability to grasp new things
quickly, adjust well into a team and flexible attitude. These are the
qualities that employers usually seek in a fresh graduate.
This
is very important for a company, they want employees who are willing to
change roles, to meet business demands, so the typical answer here is
“Yes”. Say “I understand it will be in best interest of the business, if
my manager wants me to develop my skills and take up another role.”
This
is usually a closing question and they might want to know how actively
you are looking for a job. Usually give an honest answer and say why you
are looking for another job with that offer at hand.
This
answer needs to be answered tactfully, they want to know whether you
are going to stay for long or you are just there to use their training
resources and then say goodbye in 6 month’s time.
If you are pursuing further studies, say so. Tell them why you want to go for that course
If
you are taking up a distance education course or a part time course,
they should know, as you will need to take leaves when you appear for
exams
Browse
through the newspaper that morning they might ask you what was the
front page headline, they might ask you your favorite columnists name
Same goes for the magazine, make sure you have read the last edition
When giving names of books, remember the author(s) name(s) and be ready to give out some summary of the book
It is fine if you do not know anyone, but if you know it will be good to give out the name:
This
shows them about your level of interest, and it is human nature if you
know someone who works there you will ask them for feedback about the
company or the role
They could ask that person for your reference
Stay
away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are
contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is
it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this
position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A
job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can,t
wait to get to work.
Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.
Stay
away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are
contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is
it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this
position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A
job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can,t
wait to get to work.
Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?
Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.
This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement and Recognition.
Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?
This is up to you. Be totally honest.
Do you have any questions for us?
Always have a question ready to answer this one:
You can ask whether the company allows for lateral and vertical role changes
You can also ask whether the company encourages learning and development of employees
Ask whether the company has plans for expansion
You can also discuss your role in detail
