Most commonly asked Interview Questions

By GSRK Babu Rao Look at some of the questions, which are most commonly asked at the interviews usually. Revising One's Own Subject Interviewing members will also ask questions on the subjects you have studied in college. Several young job aspirants sheepishly tell the board that since it's long time, they don't remember it. This will be looked down as sheer effrontery. Therefore, it is expected of the candidates to occasionally revise the subjects that they have done in college and quickly browse through just before the interview should there be any questions on them. Autobiographical Questions Be prepared to talk about yourself. You should organise your biography. Begin with your parents; proceed to your school life and then college. If you have some working experience already, give it too. The purpose is to make you talk on something that is familiar to you. Do not boast about your ranks and divisions. List any prizes you have received for academic excellence or in extra-curricular activities. Tell us about yourself. What is your family? What do your parents do? There is nothing to feel touchy about it. Some employers wish to know the family background of their prospective employees. They will ask about the number of family members, what they do and about the parents, profession. There is nothing to feel shameful to tell what they actually do. They will appreciate the fact someone who comes from an agricultural labourer's family has come up in life. Evasive or false answers may later be detected. Sample Stock Questions at Interviews A study of the questions asked at actual interviews for recruitment of bank clerks, officers, UPSC and some private organisations reveals the fact that most of the questions are common. Yet, the candidates are different and answers are certainly different. Some of the questions are listed below with a brief description. Hobbies and Extra-Curricular Activities  A question on hobbies is a usual question. Tell them what you really do. Don't bluff. If you say gardening, there may be an enthusiast on the board who knows a lot about plants balsams to bougainvilleas or daisies to dahlias. He may ask several supplementary questions on the manure or pesticide to be given to a specific plant. If you were bluffing, the world begins to spin with such searching questions. Therefore, pick on harmless hobbies unless you have a real one. What are your hobbies? Have you participated in any extracurricular activities in school or college? Do you like dances? Classical or others. Who are your favourite dancers? Who are your favourite actors? Why? Who are your favourite directors? What are your favourite movies? AspirationsTell about your aspirations modestly. Don't give them a feeling that you are boasting or being unrealistic. If your language proficiency in English is not up to the mark, and yet you say that you want to write poetry or stories, people will be amused. If you are not good looking, and yet say that you want to become a TV anchor or a cine hero, it looks odd. At least, come down to some comic or character acting. What do you want to become in life? What is your ambition in life? How do you want to fulfil them? Why do you want to take up this job? It is obvious that you want a job and this is a chance you got it. But, find out more about the organisation in advance. List the advantages or benefits. Put the organisation in good light but don't overdo it. Prepare yourself for this question. Some organisations would like to hear about their public image through the candidates. If possible, pick up some statistics about the share value, equity, profits, market share etc. Contemporary Issues You should keep yourself abreast of latest happenings around the world. Please go through the newspapers at least for a week keenly. Read about the current topics in latest magazines. This will impress the board. What are the reasons for Kashmir violence? What is the country got highest medals in the latest Olympics? Who are medal winners for India in Beijing Olympics? When are next general elections? When will the term of present Lok Sabha expire? Who is the new Governor of RBI? Sports and Games Don't restrict yourself to cricket. There are other games too. Know about the legendaries in some important games. If a World Cup in Cricket or Football or Olympics are going to be held, gather some information about them. Simply telling that you are not very keen about sports is not enough. What is your favourite sport? Who is your favourite player? Why? When is the next World Cup going to be held in that sport? Who is the player who scored highest runs in Test Cricket? Who is the player who took maximum wickets in Test Cricket? Why has India lost its prime position in Hockey? What should be done to improve the standard of sports and athletics in India? Who is the national hero in athletics for India? Why do you think Dhoni is successful in short version of Cricket? Why do you think India did badly in England in 2011? Books and AuthorsThe usual question is about favourite book or author. Then there will be supplementary questions. You should pick on at least one author and all his works. You should be very familiar with at least one of his books and be very clear about why you like it. Also there are some books which have permanence. Learn about them - the names, the authors, and if possible a pen-sketch of the contents. Latest books that have received awards or prizes are hot favourites at interviews. Who's your favourite author? Which of his books do you like? What's your favourite book? Why? Who received Nobel Prize last year in literature? For which book? Name some Indian writers who made a name in international scene? What is the latest book that brought prestigious award to Arundhati Roy? Cinemas It's not enough to have some knowledge of current movies. Read about classics in your language, Hindi and English. Find out who the director was, what was the cast, when it was released, what awards did it receive etc. How often do you watch movies? Who's your favourite hero? Why? What are films you like why? Which director do you like most? Which language movies do you like? Music If your knowledge doesn't go beyond film music, say so. Never try to indulge in- pretence about classical music. Ardent lovers of classical music will never pardon you for this. Places of Interest (Tourism or Pilgrimage) The questions will be to know how you can express about a thing you have seen. The members in all probability have seen them. It's only to put you at ease with a familiar thing. Talk about places which you have seen or know well through reading. What are the places you have visited? Which place have you liked most? Why? What differences have you noticed there? What is special about it? Asking about the Organisation? Familiarise yourself with the structure of the organisation through secondary sources. Ask someone who works there well in advance. Read about it if possible. Collect data about its profits, share market, organisational set up, number of branches, names of the important persons, founder etc. This will impress the board that you have done your homework. Why do you want to join the organisation? What do you know about ourselves? Friends and Enemies This is just to know about your psyche, your mental make up for things, your outlook. Don't express very freely about your negative feelings. That will mar your chances. Who are the persons you like most? Why do you like them? Who are the persons you dislike? Why? What things you dislike in them? Why? About the State and Place you live This is the usual question at most of the interviews. It is expected of you to know about the place, state you live in. The places of interest are more important. A brief sketch of every place has to be learnt. Several times, foreigners know more about India than people who live in it. What are the rivers in your state? What reservoirs/ dams have been built across them? Which wild sanctuaries are there in your state? What are the famous pilgrim centres in your state/ district? Where do you come from? What are the tourist places in your district or state? During the Interview Think carefully about what you want to say and try not to rush your responses. If there is a question that you do not understand, do not hesitate to ask the interviewer for a clarification and you could request for a repetition politely. Dos and Don’ts for the Interviews Knock the door, while entering the interview room. Close the door gently when you enter and when you leave. Banging the door is bad manners. Greet everyone with cheerful face. Do not overdo it. Do not try to shake hands with the members, unless they offer it to you. Restrict yourself to a namaskar. Do not sit until you are asked to. Sit properly - - do not bend or be excessively erect and stiff. Look at all the members while you are answering questions. Do not look down while answering or when you do not know the answer. Do not wring your hands or tap your shoes. That will irritate the members and also will be indicative of your nervousness. Keep your hands on the table in a relaxed way. Be polite, but not servile. That will certainly not impress your prospective employer. You are asking for a job on the strength of your qualifications and experience and not a dole. If you have not heard a question properly or not understood it, ask for it politely, "Beg your pardon" and not "Please repeat it sir." Organise your certificates and papers in a systematic way. Don't mess around as it will waffle the board. Also carefully collect your papers when you leave the room. Mind your voice. Don't talk very loudly even though you are excited. Similarly, don't murmur if you are nervous. Pitch you tone and voice at a pleasant level, yet audible. Don't try to elaborate an answer until they ask for it. It would be foolish to elaborate the role of banks to someone who is an AGM and spent more than 25 years as a bank officer. Tobacco wreaking smell from either a pan or a cigarette is a very bad manner. Avoid tobacco altogether, if you cannot, at least before the interview. Don't over react to controversial questions and display emotion. Never argue with the members, even if you think you are right. Don't try to answer before the question is asked completely. Nor should you interrupt him when he asks you a question. Don't boast of yourself. Nor try to flatter the members. Talk to some senior members in the society before you take the interview. Their experience will help you. Often the same kinds of questions are asked at the interviews. Human repertoire is unlimited, yet not everyone has it. Campus Interviews Campus Interviews are very popular and sought after in professional colleges. Many big firms flock to a college Placement Officer to make selections to the young graduates. It is very convenient to the students to select a job and have the satisfaction of taking up a job immediately after completing the course. They can begin with confidence. They also give opportunity for more than one job to choose from. However, some graduates take things little arrogantly. Since the company has come to them to recruit, they feel that they are at an advantageous position. They do not decide quickly and create problems for both the Placement Officer as well as recruiting companies. Now days, the Placement Officers of colleges/universities are stipulating that no candidate will get more than two jobs to choose from. Once they are accepted, they have to make their final option and no further interviews. This will help to avoid fluid situation. Here are some tips for Campus Interviews Carry multiple copies of your resume with you to the interview venue. Also carry some passport size photographs of you. Review your project/dissertation. Be prepared to elaborate it in not more than two minutes. The interviewers will ask you the areas you are interested in. Do not pretend on the areas you are not confident about. Focus on what you are thorough. Find out what the company is offering generally to the freshers. If they ask you about salary expectations, you should be able to quote the range. If the company of your choice does not visit your college, you could sneak to some other college and talk to the recruiting team. There are several occasions such moves are appreciated and they respect your keenness. Normally ID cards are not checked at job melas. If you are not cleared by any company, do not despair. There will be several opportunities for direct recruitments as well. Be keen but do not sound desperate to get a job. All other questions and guidance applicable for job interviews hold good for campus interviews as well.