Ten most commonly asked questions in an interview

Cracking an interview and receiving an offer is not a tough nut if you know how to answer the questions posed to you. Generally HR managers frame questions from what you answer, so you have to act little smart while answering the recruiters leaving no scope for them to gruel you.

Here we are providing a list of ten most commonly asked questions by the recruiters which can catch you off guard:

Did you plan to quit your present position earlier? If yes, why did stay there till now?

An intelligent answer to this question would be: “ I am not looking actively for job opportunity but would welcome tentative conversation on opportunities which can lead me towards growth.

On the basis of your current knowledge about this company, what we could do more efficiently?

Here the candidate has to play safe while answering it. One can answer as it is tough to say anything being an outsider and what one knows is a basic knowledge. Another answer could be one can talk about new ideas that company must visualize and how the candidate could contribute in implementing them.

How would you rate your present company?

As per managers, candidates should not talk about the shortcomings of their present company. Instead one must focus on their strengths and weaknesses. One must tell about why that company is not clicking for you and what is making you to move on.

How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10?

Most candidates play safe while answering this question, by rating themselves between 6 and 8. Some appearing for frontline sales interview would rate them as 9-10. They justify it by expressing that they have been a d top team performer and a consistent player. The next question to such candidates is if you want to go to the next level, what will be core areas of development?

What can you do to grab your boss’s job?

This is a tough question to answer. An impressive answer could be “ to achieve the next level (avoid using the sentence “boss’ job’) I would continuously outperform in my present role while working on my present skillsets.

How would you market a pen?

This shows how spontaneous you are. This is generally posed to marketing professionals. A deserving candidate would immediately start selling the pen when posed the question.

If you find God before going for an interview, what will be your three wishes from him?

Some candidates get selfish while answering it which is only focused to them; others want to do something for others. This question actually evaluates candidate’s philosophy of life and to asses if it tallies with that of a company.

How do you deal with an embarrassing situation?

This helps HR managers to understand candidate’s ability to cope up with delicate situations. For instance this reveals how a candidate would convert a crisis situation into an opportunity. The answer to this question could depend on professional or personal experience but focus should be on what the learning’s were and how they managed to convert crisis moment into an opportunity.

What is the wildest thing you have done in your life?

This question determines one’s passion, determination and commitment. Answers may differ for different people.

What will you do if someone approaches you to do something unethical? Have you ever indulged in such actions?

This is one of the trickiest questions. Most students do not know how to answer it. Here candidates must show their honesty. It is always advisable to confess about your mistake if the provided reasons can justify your act instead of faking it.

Source: Economic Times

Tips for freshers to handle tricky questions in an interview

Do you at times ponder on the fact that despite of creating an excellent resume why are you still looking for a job?

What a student/ fresher needs to realize is that always the right resume does not land you the right job. At times what becomes more important for a fresher is his presence of mind and level of confidence during the interview while handling tough questions.

A few pointers to help you tackle the tricky questions:-

• Don’t play the blame game - At times the interviewer will try to put pressure or create stressful situations by asking “why have you scored less percentage”? Now if you answer this question by blaming your college or teachers, it creates a very negative impact on the interviewer. You’ll project yourself as a person who doesn’t take responsibility for his own actions and blames others. Employers want people who want to take responsibility of their own actions. You should try to give more positive answers in negative situations like this, such as “I can definitely do better than this and would like to prove myself at the job front”.
• Market yourself - What one needs to understand is that an interview is essentially a platform where a fresher is required to market himself. You need to convince your prospective employer that you have the right skills, attitude, background and flexibility to pursue the job.
• Give realistic and credible answers - At times the interviewer may be really tough and can ask questions such as “What value addition can you do to our organization?” or “What skills have you acquired from your course which can benefit our organization”? In such situations always praise the institution from where you are pursuing or pursued your course from in a realistic manner. Try mentioning attributes that your prospective employer will identify as well as agree with.
• Be positive and maintain your calm - One should always be very positive and smiling while tackling tough questions, frowning, getting agitated or flustered will never help you get through any interview. Most of the candidates get rejected due to tension and fear and employers generally look for employees with high emotional quotient.
• Prepare yourself well before interview - Preparation for an interview is very important. One needs to plan as well rephrase his resume verbally. Mostly the question “Tell us about yourself” is asked. Freshers should have a well prepared answer to this question and it should be well-suited to the job requirement. Write down a list of expected questions in an interview and prepare them well. Also make a note of the areas where you would want to throw maximum light on in an interview. Always research about the organization where you are going for the interview.
• Communication skills are the key to land the dream job - Having the right communication skills especially verbal skills is very important. Having good technical knowledge and bad communication skills will really not help you. So, start developing your verbal skills now. Try citing a lot of examples while answering question. Facts and figures always help in an interview.

No magic ever works in an interview. It’s only you who can get selected or rejected based on your efforts.  Thoughtful answers, selective background presentation and good amount of preparation will definitely land you your dream job.