Here is a list of Most Frequent
Interview Questions :
1
) Introduce yourself !
9 out of 10 times, you will find
this as the first question of an interview. Quite surprisingly, over 80% people
aspiring for their first interview find this difficult. The basic idea behind
this question is to make you feel comfortable. There is nothing tricky in this
as the interviewer is giving you space to get your senses together. The most
general answer to this question is :
“I am ABC, currently pursuing MBA
from XYZ university. I am currently working with EFG Limited as a Developer. I
am currently drawing a CTC of Rs.10,000 p.m. I have done my graduation from
….so on.”
Avoid such kind of answers as this
can ruin your first impression. All these details are mentioned in your CV and
there is no point on reciting same things again. Another important thing to
take care off is Grammar. Avoid using sentences like “Myself Mr. ABC,…… so on.”
The term Myself Mr. ABC here is grammatically incorrect. Be careful. Take this
question as an opportunity to get up close & personal with the interviewer
and create a healthy atmosphere for interaction. Infact, one of the earlier
posts by Mr. Vaibhav Mittal on “How to introduce
yourself in an Interview” will provide you a complete idea to answer
this question. However, an example answer to this could be :
“I am a fun loving person, who
believes in Live life as it comes. I am very fond of classical music and have
acquired a professional degree in this also. Playing online chess is my
favourite pastime. I believe Internet is the future of human civilization and
would love to see myself as a successful Marketing Manager.”
2
) Where do you see yourself after 5 years from now ?
Here, the interviewer wants to check
your instincts. He wants to know whether you are a practical person or a day
dreamer. This question is to check your planning skills. Avoid giving answers
like “CEO of this organization or HOD of a department.” If you are an
executive, Manager is the maximum you can attain in five years. (The
designation maybe different according to your industry but the common thing is
that you will be in Middle Level Management.) Some of you might be thinking of
another answer i.e “I want to see myself as the best in my profile.” Be very
clear on a fact that nobody can be the Best. You can only be first among
equals. By giving such answers, you are reflecting that you have no vision.
Rather you are happy to be the same after 5 years. Therefore the following
answer can be the most suitable one :
“I would imagine myself being in
middle level management after 5 years from now. “
3)
If not selected today, what will be your future course of action?
This is the second check point for
your practical instincts. Here the interviewer is analyzing your approach
toward failures. The most popular answer to this question is – “If I am
not selected today, I will try in some other organization.” This is an
answer which can ruin the positives you have attained/will be attaining in the
interview. You need not tell your worth at any point during an interview. It’s
the job of the interviewer to decide how efficient you are. Avoid leaving the
impression of an opportunist. The most apt answer to this interview question
can be :
“I believe in Learning from my
mistakes. Likewise, if I am not selected today, I will kindly request you
to tell me my shortcomings so that I can go back, work on those and sit again
in front of you (obviously if rules allow) to turn my failure into success.”
4)
If in case you are working on bidding for a project which is very important for
organization’s growth. Will you consider bribing the authority to ensure
decision in your favour?
Now it’s time for a personality
test. At the first level, the interviewer wants to test your diplomacy. Be very
clear that this question has no connection with your family values or
principles. It’s just to test your art of handling tricky situations. Every
organization wishes to hire people who can think smartly. Thus, avoid giving a
Yes or No straight away. The best possible answer to this can be :
“Sir, I have been brought up in a
family with high moral values. I consider my workplace as my family. If an
awkward situation arises, I will try my level best to resolve it amicably.
However, if it requires me to bribe someone for the well being of my family, I
will definitely consider it.”
By giving this answer, you will
surely sink deep inside the mind of your interviewer.
5)
How many hairs on your head?
Since your diplomacy has been
evaluated in the previous question, it’s time to judge your smartness. Be
crystal clear that this question isn’t to create a relaxing atmosphere, rather
it aims to test your presence of mind. Don’t give any vague answers like “As
many on your head” or “I have never counted”. Just let them know your smartness
by saying :
“As many stars in the night sky”.
(Don’t forget to put a little smile on your face.)
This way you will maintain the
humour as well as prove your mental strength to the interviewer.
6)
What will you do when you come across a whistle blower at your workplace?
After diplomacy and smartness, now
it’s time for maturity. This question is to test your character as a
professional. There are many distracting people around you at the workplace.
This includes all those “Boss Favourites” and “Office Politicians”. The
interviewer wants to know how you tackle them. Don’t reply with “I will go and
discuss if there is any personal problem with him.” Nobody is interested to
share his/her personal life at the workplace. Be careful not to answer this way.
Also, avoid answers like “I will complain to his/her reporting authority”. This
answer devaluates your rating as a team man. Just give a simple answer :
“I will not repent until his/her
activities start hampering me or my team’s productivity. If the situation goes
beyond control, I will kindly bring the matter to the notice of his/her
reporting authority.”
7
) Tell me something about your previous boss.
Your personality test is now over.
It’s time for professional aspects. Here, the examiner wants to analyze your
track record. Be very judicious with your words usage because this is a
showcase in which the interviewer expects himself to be in after 2-3 months.
The most general answer to this question is :
“He is one of the best professionals
I have come across. But unfortunately, I had a number of disagreements with
him. He is not open to suggestions and always insists on his sayings. Infact he
is one of the reasons I am leaving that organization.”
This shows that you have a malicious
track record. Answering in this negative way will surely hamper your chances of
selection. Another popular answer to this question is :
“He is a very good man with
exceptional skills. He always encourages me to learn new things. He has helped
me a lot to develop my skills and it’s he who has brought me to this level.”
Avoid this one too. Don’t
overemphasize on your boss or else you will be judged as a stooge. If your boss
is such an eminent personality than why are you leaving the organization? You
will end up in a web of such questions. The best possible answer to this can be
:
“He is an excellent person to work
with. Always ready to share his experiences. I have learnt many things from him
and will always count on him at difficult situations.”
8
) Ask me 2 questions of your choice.
This is the second level of your
professionalism test. Many of you may consider this as the simplest of all
questions in an interview. But to your surprise, this is the most important
tool for an interviewer to verify your candidature so far. He wants to know
whether your answers are a result of “overnight preparation” or you actually
own that sense of professionalism. That’s why you should be cautious to ask
questions. Avoid asking things like “How is the incentive structure”, “What is
the employee strength?”,”What will be my reporting hierarchy?”, “Can you
elaborate your business model?”and one most general one “When will I get the
response for my interview?” All these questions are miles away from the mind of
a professional aspirant. Even talking about the business model is no less than
stupidity. Whenever you come for an interview, you are expected to have already
gone through the company website and other stuff. The most preferred answer could
be :
“There is not much I would like to
ask but if you could give me a brief idea on future expansion plans it would be
great.”
9
) Why this company ?
This is the last level of your
professional test. Till now, the interviewer is almost done with you. He just
wants to confirm his evaluation. I assume that nobody of you would say stuff
like “As the call came from your HR department regarding an opening, so I am
here.” The most obvious answer to this is :
“I think working in an esteemed
organization like yours will definitely help me to evolve as a complete
professional. I believe that I can make the best use of my existing
capabilities in a constructive working environment like herein.”
10)
Why should I select you?
Now this marks the end of an
interview. But don’t conclude that you can take it easy. Rather a judicious
reply can assure you a place in your dream organization. The interviewer is now
completely aware of your in & outs. Now he is just enquiring if something
has gone unnoticed. Thus, a little word here and there from your side and you
will create a trap for yourself. Just reassess what you have said and assert
only those facts. Generally people say “You should select me because I am a
hard worker and will do my best to achieve organizational goals. I will prove
to be an asset to the organization.” Simply avoid such replies. You have
already told your worth with your answers. Don’t elaborate yourself. The most
preferred answer is :
“Since you have now evaluated me on
all your benchmarks, I believe you would know better if I should be selected
for the profile or not. As from my side, my job is my passion and that’s a one
word summary of my candidature.”
Remember that an interview is the ultimate gateway to your dream
organization. If you are not amongst the few unlucky ones, your interview shall
be a 20 minutes interaction with someone who will test your personality &
professionalism. Each & every question will check your level & sense of
understanding.
This concludes my post on “How to
Crack an Interview.” I wish you can get maximum answers to your queries on
aspiring for an interview. Feel free to share your opinion on any of the above
points. All the questions and answers discussed are solely based on my online
research and Business Communication lectures of SAMEER (MBA – RISE PRAKASAM)
----------> ALL THE BEST..
