Ideal answers for the frequently asked questions in a job interview

Ideal answers for the frequently asked questions in a job interview

While its difficult to predict how an interview will go, there are some questions that are commonly asked at interviews. The best approach to answer these questions is to be prepared for them.

Basic rule

Listen to your interviewer’s questions carefully. If you are not clear of what is being asked, don’t hesitate to clarify. It’s better to clarify rather than giving an irrelevant answer. Make positive statements and be ‘to the point’. Don’t get carried away with long explanatory answers. Limit your answer to one minute or a maximum of one-and-a-half minute. In case there is an explanation required, you will be asked for it. But do not limit all your answers to one or two words either. And yes, never say anything negative about any of your former or current employer.

Listed below are some of them and what you should keep in mind when you are answering them.

Tell me about yourself
This is one of the most common opening questions, which usually follows right after you handed your CV / resume over. Prepare for this one in advance. Plan to speak for about a minute about yourself. Mention your latest degree and your work experience and highlight some of the responsibilities that you have undertaken work-wise. Avoid personal details here. In case you have no work experience, talk about your academics and any special projects, extra-curricular activities that you’ve done.

Why are you looking for a change / why are you leaving your current job?
Avoid negative reasons like problems with boss, problems with colleagues, etc. This will reflect negatively on you. Even if you are leaving your previous job because of problems at the workplace, avoid mentioning this as far as possible. For your reply, use words like better growth opportunity, more responsibility. Focus on the positive.

Why should we hire you?
For this one, you should know the job responsibilities of the job that you are applying for. Highlight your skills, your work experience, any projects that you’ve worked on that is relevant to the new job that you are applying for.

What do you know about our company?
It pays to know as much about the company you are applying to as possible. Study the company website to understand how the company sees itself. Study newspaper / media reports about the company to see what the public opinion about the company is. If possible, speak to some employees so that you gain and understanding of how the company works internally. Between these three sources, identify information relevant to the position you are applying for and prepare your answer accordingly.

Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses.
Highlight your strengths as per the job requirements. Then comes the tough part, the weaknesses. For this, ideally select one weakness only. Even this weakness should not really be a weakness but rather a strength. You have to be able to weave a strength into a weakness. For example, being a perfectionist. Being a perfectionist is something a person wants because it means he or she will take the effort to get the job right to the best of his or her capability. To make this sound like a weakness, you can say that you spend extra time or effort on a job just to make sure that you’ve got it right.

Tell me about how you’ve dealt with stressful / difficult situation.
Any interviewer would want to hire employees who can deal with the stress and pressure of the job. Before your interview, think of any difficult situation that you have dealt with. Try and identify one, which is most relevant to the current position that you are applying for. In case you are a fresher, prepare one from your academics or any extra-curricular activities that you follow. Key words to understand and follow while highlighting your experience is objectively looking at a situation / problem, decision- making, leadership, empathy, ability to communicate your ideas with others, and being able to maintain a dialogue in a tense environment.

Hypothetical situation / hypothetical question The interviewer will put you in a hypothetical situation to gauge how you would act / react.
Be prepared for this question if you are a fresher or if you are switching over to an industry that you do not have experience in. This question is used to understand your awareness about the industry, both macro and how you think the company works. You need to have an understanding of the business to be able to answer this satisfactorily.

What are your goals for the next 10 years? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Another question to prepare for in advance. This question is used by the interviewer to understand your loyalty to the company, your personal goals and your self-confidence. Be realistic when replying to this one. Keep your goals restricted to your career, talk in terms of responsibility and growth rather than job positions. Since no company wants job-hopping, avoid sounding like you will quit this job as soon as a better opportunity presents itself elsewhere.

We do not have a job opening at your level but at a level lower than yours, would you like to take it up?
This question is to gauge your self-confidence. Avoid taking up the offer as you will end up under-selling yourself. This becomes more difficult if you’re applying for that dream company of yours. Think over this in advance so that you do not have to think it over or hesitate if the question comes up.

Do you have any questions about the company / job position / profile? About the end of the interview, the interviewer will ask you this question.
Prepare a couple of questions in advance but be prepared to go with the flow that the interview has taken. Avoid asking questions, which can be answered in a yes or a no, ask open-ended questions instead.