Interview Common Questions 1

In any job interview, there is a set of common questions that almost all interviewers will ask you in one form or another. The questions will typically relate to your education, work experience, knowledge, technical skills and your attitude. We have compiled a list of the most common interview questions with answers for your easy reference. Practice answering these questions and we can assure you that you will be able to answer these questions convincingly and confidently in a ‘real’ interview.

Be prepared for difficult questions that might crop up in the interview. These are questions that are ‘unexpected’ and hence will catch you off guard. What is important to remember is to not get ruffled by such questions and maintain your calm and answer them to the best of your ability with confidence. How you answer these questions will eventually determine your success or failure.

Note: These are only indicative answers/guidelines and hence the facts have to be modified as per your individual case. Please do not blindly memorize these answers and reproduce them in an interview! Once you have gone through all the answers thoroughly and understood the underlying principles behind those answers, you will be able to answer these questions on your own in a convincing and impressive manner.


QUESTION 1-

 Tell me something about yourself.

It's one of the most frequently asked questions in an interview: "Tell me about yourself?" Your response to this request will set the tone for the rest of the interview. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer, as they wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include.
The secret to successfully responding to this free-form request is to focus, script and practice. You cannot afford to mess up the answer, as it will affect the rest of the interview. Begin to think about what you want the interviewer to know about you.

This question is also considered to be an ice-breaker. Its objective is to put you at ease as you are talking about the most comfortable topic which is - yourself. Helps you to relax and reduces your nervousness.



Even if you are not asked this type of question to begin the interview, this preparation will help you focus on what you have to offer. You will also find that you can use the information in this exercise to assist you in answering other questions. The more you can talk about your product - you - the better chance you will have at selling it.


For candidates with prior work experience
"I have been in the customer service industry for the past five years. My most recent experience has been handling incoming calls in the high tech industry. One reason I particularly enjoy this business, and the challenges that go along with it, is the opportunity to interact with people. In my last job, I formed some significant customer relationships resulting in a 30 percent increase in sales in a matter of months."
Next, mention your strengths and abilities:
"My real strength is my attention to detail. I pride myself on my reputation for following through and meeting deadlines. When I commit to doing something, I make sure it gets done, and on time."
Conclude with a statement about your current situation: ........



QUESTION 2-

"What I am looking for now is a company that values customer relations, where I can join a strong team and have a positive impact on customer retention and sales."

For freshers
You can begin to answer the question as under:

‘My father works at J & J as a Production Manager. My mother is a home maker. I have 2 brothers. My elder brother is working in HDFC Bank and my younger brother is in his 10th standard.

I completed my Bcom from ABCD college securing 75%. I completed my 12th standard from the same college. I passed out of 10th std from Park Lane school.

I am very fond of reading fiction. I am interested in gardening and stamp collection.”



QUESTION 3-

 What do you know about this company?
You will be able to answer this question if you are up-to-date about the organization w.r.t their nature of business, their competitors, etc. This information can be found on the website of the company. If you do not know the

website of the company give a google search as ‘website of ABCD Ltd’. You do not have to go into each and every detail of the company’s operations. What is important is to have a good idea about the company’s line of business, their culture, vision, etc.



QUESTION 4-

 Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along. Or they could be trying to gauge your level of ambition.

If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you someday hope to win, you’ll sound presumptuous. If you’re too vague, you’ll seem rudderless.

This question is generally asked to see how focused you are about your future. Your interviewer is looking for reassurance from you about your interest in making a long-term commitment to their organization. There is nothing ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in what you say here.


It throws light about you – whether you have given some thought about your future, are you focused about what you want and what plans you have to achieve the same.
Eg 1
You can break up the 5 years into 2-3 parts and answer the question as ‘In the first 2 years as a trainee programmer I see myself learning as much as I can both in the technical aspects as well as soft skills. I guess then I will move up as a Group Leader and by the end of 5 years I see myself as a Team Manager.’
Eg 2
‘I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to this position. Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking for and what I am very well qualified to do. In terms of my future career path, I’m confident that if I do my work with excellence, opportunities will inevitable open up for me in this organization.’



QUESTION 5-

 What are your strengths and weaknesses?

You will be able to answer this question confidently if you have spent some time reflecting on your strengths and weaknesses. You don't want to come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble.

Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.
You should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold even after being shaken awake at 2:30 a.m!
In order to assess your capabilities and the job market around you, you can do a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
Strengths and Weaknesses are ‘internal’ and refer to your personal strengths and weaknesses. For example, one of your strengths may be that you are very meticulous in your work. A weakness can be that you take a long time to take decisions.

Hints For This Question -

‘Opportunities’ and ‘Threats’ are ‘external’ factors. An opportunity is when a software company begins its operations in your city and starts recruiting freshers. This creates fresh opportunities for you. On the other hand if the company decides to recruit only Post Graduates and if you are a Graduate then it poses a Threat to you.

We recommend that you devote some quality time in writing down your strengths and weaknesses.

Examples of strengths can be:

•Organizing and execution skills
•Planning ability
•Communication and Inter personal skills
•Self Starter and self motivated
•Setting up new processes, systems and corrective actions
•Strategic perspective
•Influencing ability
•Relationship building
•Customer orientation

It seems that these days most interviewers want to know what your weaknesses are. This is not an easy question at the best of times, but in an interview situation when you’re trying your best to impress it can be extremely trying and, if you’re not careful - dangerous.

As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:•

A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

•Intelligence...management "savvy".
•Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.
••Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player who meshes well with interviewer's team.
•Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.
•Good communication skills.
•Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.
•Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.
•Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.
•Confident.
Four things to always avoid:
•Never say you don’t have any weaknesses.
•Never say something that’s really going to hurt you.
•Avoid clichéd weaknesses like ‘I work too hard’ or ‘I am a perfectionist’ as too many people use them.
•Never offer more than one weakness



Note: Avoid making a long laundry list of your weaknesses. Keep it to a bare minimum of one or two. It is understood that every human being is a package deal of strengths and weaknesses. The recruiter is more interested in knowing your strengths which will benefit the organization. Underplay the weaknesses as no company will be interested in recruiting a person whose weaknesses far outweigh his strengths.



QUESTION 6-

 Why do you want to work for this company?

Avoid statements like “I would like to work for this company as I have heard a lot about it’. Its too clichéd and predictable.

Don't talk about what you want from the company. Indicate to them how you can contribute towards the growth of the company.

Suggested answer ‘I have good interpersonal skills which can be utilized effectively in the Customer Care division of this organization’.



QUESTION 7-

How would your friends / previous boss / colleagues describe you?

Do not go overboard in describing your positives that can inadvertently land you in trouble.

You can say ‘I think they would mention my traits as reliable, determined and a positive thinker’.



QUESTION 8-

 What are your salary expectations?

When this question is being asked for the first time in the interview you can say ‘Salary is not the most important thing to me. Job satisfaction and growth opportunities that an organization can offer is much more important to me. I am more interested in an organization like yours and in meeting the challenges of the job than in the size of the salary package. I am sure that you will make an appropriate offer to me which taken into account my qualifications and skills’.

By giving this answer you are focusing on the job rather than on the salary. Moreover you have also avoided answering their question and committing yourself to a salary figure.

Answer with a question, i.e., "What is the salary range for similar jobs in your company?" If they don't answer, then give a range of what you understand you are worth in the marketplace.

If the interviewer keeps insisting with the same question you can try this one “I am confident that the company will make a reasonable offer to me after taking into account my skills’. Here again notice that you have still not committed to any specific figure. Most of the employers would not like to push beyond this limit and will end up making an offer after taking into account your skills, experience and educational qualifications.

For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these 3 guidelines:

1.Never bring up salary. Let the interviewer do it first. Good salespeople sell their products thoroughly before talking price. So should you. Make the interviewer want your skills first, and your bargaining position will be much stronger.

2. If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, before you’ve had a chance to create a desire for your qualifications/skills, postpone the question, saying something like, ‘Money is important to me, but is not my main concern. Opportunity and growth are far more important. What I’d rather do, if you don’t mind, is explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk about money. Would that be okay?’

3.The #1 rule of any negotiation is: the side with more information wins. After you’ve done a thorough job of selling the interviewer and it’s time to talk salary, the secret is to get the employer talking about what he’s willing to pay before you reveal what you’re willing to accept. So, when asked about salary, respond by asking, “I’m sure the company has already established a salary range for this position. Could you tell me what that is?” Or, “I want a salary which is commensurate with my ability and qualifications. I trust you’ll be fair with me.




See next Interview Common Questions 2



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