ten questions for a job interview

Ten Tough Interview Questions Alongwith Answers

Mental fear of the unknown is often what produces the physical symptoms of nervousness. In addition to preparing yourself physically, you also need to prepare yourself mentally. The best way to prepare mentally is to know what may be coming. Fear of the unknown can only exist when there is an unknown. Take the time to understand some of the "standards" when it comes to interviewing questions.
The following are some of the most difficult questions you will face in the course of your job interviews. Some questions may seem rather simple on the surface--such as "Tell me about yourself"--but these questions can have a variety of answers. The more open-ended the question, the wider the variation in the answers. Once you have become practiced in your interviewing skills, you will find that you can use almost any question as a launching pad for a particular topic or compelling story.
Others are "classic" interview questions, such as, "What is your greatest weakness?" Questions which most people answer inappropriately. In this case, the standard textbook answer for the "greatest weakness" question is to give a veiled positive--"I work too much. I just work and work and work"--which ends up sending the wrong message. Either you are lying or, worse yet, you are telling the truth, in which case you define working too much as a weakness and really don't want to work much at all. Think about it.
The following answers are provided to give you a new perspective on how to answer tough interview questions. They are not there for you to lift from the page and insert into your next interview. They are there for you to use as the basic structure for formulating your own answers. While the specifics of each reply may not apply to you, try to follow the basic structure of the answer from the perspective of the interviewer. Answer the questions behaviorally, with specific examples that show clear evidence backs up what you are saying about yourself. Always provide information that shows you want to become the very best for the company and that you have specifically prepared yourself to become exactly that. They want to be sold. They are waiting to be sold. Don't disappoint them!

• • 1. Tell me about yourself.
My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best _____ I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I've prepared myself . . .
• • 2. Why should I hire you?
Because I sincerely believe that I'm the best person for the job. I realize that there are many other people who have the ability to do this job. I also have that ability. But I also bring an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job-- my attitude for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. In _____ and _____ I have consistently reached for becoming the very best I can become by doing the following . . .

• • 3. What is your long-range objective?
Where do you want to be 10 or 15 years from now? Although it's certainly difficult to predict things far into the future, I know what direction I want to develop toward. Within five years, I would like to become the very best _____ your company has. In fact, my personal career mission statement is to become a world-class _____ in the _____ industry. I will work toward becoming the expert that others rely upon. And in doing so, I feel I will be fully prepared to take on any greater responsibilities that might be presented in the long term.

• • 4. How has your education prepared you for your career?
As you will note on my résumé, I've taken not only the required core classes in the _____ field, I've also gone above and beyond. I've taken every class the college has to offer in the field and also completed an independent study project specifically in this area. But it's not just taking the classes to gain academic knowledge--I've taken each class, both inside and outside of my major, with this profession in mind. So when we're studying _____ in _____, I've viewed it from the perspective of _____. In addition, I've always tried to keep a practical view of how the information would apply to my job. Not just theory, but how it would actually apply. My course project in my final semester involved developing a real-world model of _____, which is very similar to what might be used within your company. Let me tell you more about it . . .

• • 5. Are you a team player?
Very much so. In fact, I've had opportunities in both athletics and academics to develop my skills as a team player. I was involved in _____ at the intramural level, including leading my team in assists during the past year--I always try to help others achieve their best. In academics, I've worked on several team projects, serving as both a member and team leader. I've seen the value of working together as a team to achieve a greater goal than any one of us could have achieved individually. As an example . . .

• • 6. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor?
How was it resolved? Yes, I have had conflicts in the past. Never major ones, but certainly there have been situations where there was a disagreement that needed to be resolved. I've found that when conflict occurs, it's because of a failure to see both sides of the situation. Therefore, I ask the other person to give me their perspective and at the same time ask that they allow me to fully explain my perspective. At that point, I would work with the person to find out if a compromise could be reached. If not, I would submit to their decision because they are my superior . In the end, you have to be willing to submit yourself to the directives of your superior, whether you're in full agreement or not. An example of this was when . . .

• • 7. What is your greatest weakness?
I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would overcommit myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as I would like. However, since I've come to recognize that weakness, I've taken steps to correct it. For example, I now carry a planning calendar in my pocket so that I can plan all of my appointments and "to do" items. Here, let me show you how I have this week planned out .

• • 8. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say? I believe they would say I'm a very energetic person, that I put my mind to the task at hand and see to it that it's accomplished. They would say that if they ever had something that needed to be done, I was the person who they could always depend on to see that it was accomplished. They would say that I always took a keen interest in the subjects I was studying and always sought ways to apply the knowledge in real world settings. Am I just guessing that they would say these things? No, in fact, I'm quite certain they would say those things because I have with me several letters of recommendation from my professors, and those are their very words. Let me show you . . .

• • 9. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
The key quality should be leadership--the ability to be the visionary for the people who are working under them. The person who can set the course and direction for subordinates. A manager should also be a positive role model for others to follow. The highest calling of a true leader is inspiring others to reach the highest of their abilities. I'd like to tell you about a person who I consider to be a true leader . . .

• • 10. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?
That's a good question. I realize that it can be very easy to continually look back and wish that things had been different in the past. But I also realize that things in the past cannot be changed, that only things in the future can be changed. That's why I continually strive to improve myself each and every day and that's why I'm working hard to continually increase my knowledge in the _____ field. That's also the reason why I want to become the very best _____ your company has ever had. To make positive change. And all of that is still in the future. So in answer to your question, there isn't anything in my past that I would change. I look only to the future to make changes in my life.In reviewing the above responses, please remember that these are sample answers. Please do not rehearse them verbatim or adopt them as your own. They are meant to stir your creative juices and get you thinking about how to properly answer the broader range of questions that you will face.







Some Tricky Quetions Asked


Q1. Mr. xxx, what is your feeling about achieving success in this interview?
Ans. Sir,I am sure to come out successful.

Q2. How do u assess this?
ans. Sir, i have never failed in the past in any pursuit and am sure to get through this test as well.

Q3. What will you do if you fail this time. ?
Ans. I have not yet thought on these lines, because i have full confidence about my self.

Q4. Suppose we reject you now, will you take a second chance.?
Ans. Sir , firstly i am sure this won't happen . however if it does happen i will try again and again.

Q5. Suppose u exhausrt all your chances and become over age by that time and are still unable to clear then?
Ans. Then i shall explore other avenues. i may go in for an executive position or join a private company because by that time i would have gathered sufficient experience to dos so.


Q6. What is so good about this morning Mr. xxx?Its quite warm and there's nothing special about this morning.
Ans. Sir, the time is to say goodmornig. As far as goodness of the morning is concerned i must say the atmosphere inside the room is very good and comfortable.


Q7. How do you consider fit for this job? Or why should we hire you?
Ans. Sir, i have the aptitude for a job such as this one. Name some projects undertaken........


FIND GOOD ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.





• • What are your long range and short range goals and objectives.
Hint :---Short Range - To excel in whatever i am doing right now.
Long Range ........

• • What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

• • How do you work under pressure.
Hint :---Pressure brings best out of me. As u may be knowing when coal is pressurised Diamond is obtained.

• • Can you take instructions without feeling upset.
Hint :--- I Try to analyse the instructions rather than blindly carry them out and also get clarification if required.

• • What are your hobbies. (Be frank, if you dont have any say so. It does not make any difference, dont tell lies. Dont give them a chance to catch you in trap. )

• • What is the significance of your name.

• • What do you really want to do in life.

• • Which all subjects you had in your course.(Name all the subjects sem vice )

• • How do you plan to achieve your carrer goals.

• • What do you think to be your greatest strengths and weakness.
Hint :--- While naming the bad qualities such that they are good but some times may prove to be bad.

• • What motivates you to put your greatest effort.

• • How has your college experience prepared you for a carrer.

• • In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organisation.

• • What do you know about our company.
Hint :--- Visit the companys website.

• • What have you learned from your mistakes.

• • Can you take instructions without feeling upset.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY ASK THE RECRUITER.


• • What type of orientation or training do new employes receive?

• • What are the possibilities for professional growth and promotion.

• • What kinds of projects do you undertake.

• • Can you describe a typical workday in the department.

• • What do employes seem to like best and least about the company.






The Most Important Aspect Of Interviewing

The key element to successful interviewing is not your experience, your grades, what classes you took, your extracurricular activities, or any of the other basic necessities. Those skills are what got you the interview. The key element to successful interviewing can be summed up in one word: attitude. If you want to rise above others with better experience, better grades, or better anything, you will need to work on developing a highly positive work attitude.
Your attitude determines whether you will "make the cut" or be discarded. Remember, there are plenty of competitors with the ability to do almost any given job-- especially at the entry level. The way most employers differentiate at the entry level is by candidates' attitudes toward the job. Your attitude is often what recruiters will remember when the dust has settled after reviewing 10, 20, or even 100 candidates--the one who was sincerely willing to put forth their very best effort. If you have the attitude of wanting to do your very best for the company, of being focused on the company's needs, of putting yourself forth as the person who will be committed and dedicated to fulfilling their needs, you will likely be the one chosen.

Why is attitude so important? Because most companies already have their full share of multi-talented superstars who care about no one but themselves. Ask any manager who the most valuable member of his team is, and he will point not to the overrated superstar, but to the person who has the "can do" attitude, the person who can be counted on in any situation, the person who truly strives for excellence. Give me a team player who is achieving at 99% and I will take her over a flashy superstar who is running at 50% efficiency any day of the week. And so will 99% of all hiring managers.
So don't worry if you are not "superstar" quality. If you can show me, in your words and actions, that you are ready to put forth your very best effort toward achieving excellence, you will be chosen over the superstar.
You can show your winning attitude in the way you present yourself. Incorporate the actual words "positive attitude," "excellence," and "striving to be my best" into your interview language. Then show by your stories and examples how these words positively affect your life. Show me when and where and how you have put forth extra effort above and beyond the call of duty. Show me how you beat a deadline, how you excelled in a project, or how you made a difference by going the extra mile.
If you can show me, by words and examples, your "can do" attitude, it is you I will hire, while all of the superstars will receive polite rejection letters to add to their growing collections.








Ten Critical Success Factors Nearly Every Company is Looking For

With all the different questions being flung about, you may wonder what exactly the employer is looking for. And I will tell you. Following is the list of ten critical success factors that nearly every employer is looking for:

• • Positive attitude toward work
• • Proficiency in field of study
• • Communication skills (oral and written)
• • Interpersonal skills
• • Confidence
• • Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• • Flexibility
• • Self-motivation
• • Leadership
• • Teamwork Show your competence in as many of the above critical success factors as possible and you will rise above the competition.










Tips for Interviews

• • Arrive on time or few minutes early

• • If presented with an application, fill it completely

• • Greet the interviewer by his surname if you are sure of his pronunciation. Shake hand firmly

• • Do not sit without permission. Sit upright, look alert and interested at all times. Be a good listener and good communicator.

• • Have direct eye contact

• • Before interview always get the full detail about the company, background, products, services management etc.

• • Show enthusiasm

• • Always bring more copy of your resume.

• • Do not smoke. Do not chew gum.

• • Do not answer with a simple yes or no. Explain where ever possible.

• • Do not criticise your current or former employers.

• • Do not disclose confidential information of previous employers at the time of interview.

• • Do not make counter questions

• • Do not enquire about salary bonus etc on the initial interview.

• • Practice asking yourself questions, then answer them with confidence in front of the mirror. This will give an idea of your facial expressions, pronunciation. Keep your answer brief.

• • Never talk non-stop. You must know where to stop and start while answering questions

• • Listen carefully to the interviewer's questions. Understand the questions and start your answer by recollecting your experiences and knowledge.

• • If you are not able to understand the questions clearly. Ask the interviewer to repeat it. Request for more related information.

• • If you do not know the answer say, "I do not know the answer" or "I have not experienced that situation." HOWEVER TRY TO ANSWER AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

• • Keep a copy of your resume in front of you. The interviewer may ask about individual project details, your role, responsibilities etc. Refer to your resume quickly and answer the question promptly.

• • Never show or express unwillingness to be interviewed.

• • After completing the interview process if interviewer asks, "Do you have any questions?" clarify issues related to company background, place of work if hired, starting date and timings.

• • Do not use abusive words

• • Always be positive

• • If you feel you lack adequate communications skills, attempt to regularly converse with friend on general topics. Listen to radio, watch discussion oriented TV programmes. Talk to yourself in front of mirrors and watch for speed lip movements and language.






Interview checklists:Some Do's and Don'ts

Some Do's on the day of interview


Read the morning newspapers and note important headlines.

If there is time, try to hear the latest news bulletin.

Get ready little before time so that you have sufficient time available for collecting your folderand other things to avoid a last-minute panic.

Try to reach the venue of the interview at least half an hour early. While starting from your house, keep a margin for unforseen traffic jams or any other factor that may delay you.

While you are waiting to be called in, talk to other candidates and discuss with them important current affairs and news items of the day.

Some Don'ts on the day of interview


Don't study late in the night before the interview. A full night's sleepis a must before the interview to remain fit and fresh during the course of the day.

Don't eat an exceptionally heavy breakfast on the day of your interview as it might make you feel uncomfortable or heavy.


Some Do's during interview


Take more than one copy of your Resume so that if there are 5 interviewers u can provide each one of them with it.

Be attentite and alert throughout the interview.

Speak in clear voice and make sure each word is audible to the interviewers.

Be a good listener.

Look at all the members one by one while addressing your answer do not concentrate all the time on the chairman or any particullar member of the board.

When you are replying to a question asked by any particular member, look at him directly and address our answer to him .

If any member appreciates your discussion or the poinjt you hacve made, take the opportuinity to immediately thank him for the compliment.



Some Don'ts during interview


Don't forget to close the door after you have entered the interview hall.

Don't forget to ask permission before coming in . Ask "May I come in, please".

Don't sit down on your own. Wait for the chairman's instructions to take a seat.

Don't start on your own . Let the chairman iitiate the proceeding.

Don't be emotional on any particular point just to win the favour of the interview board.

Don't interrupt the others. Let the chairman or the member complete his qestion. Only after he ha finished speaking, in case you have not followed , you may request him to repeat.

Don't enter into arguments.

Don't readily agree with everything the interviewer says if you have valid arguments to support your point of view. In case of disagreement be polite and say,"Ibeg to differ , sir because ..." and try to ckonvince him of your own point of view.

Don't miss the opportuinity to complement the interviwer .



Some Do's after the interview


Keep sitting. Get up only when the chairman askes you to do so.

Thank the chairman and the members of the board while getting up.

After the interiew, if the chairman extends his hand, shake hands with him confidently and thank him while holding his hand firmly. Don't take a feeble grip as it shows that you have an inferiority complex and lack of self-confidence. Afirm grip , on the other hand, idicates you have confidence.

Put your chair in its proper place with grace and confidence.


Some Don'ts after the interview


Don't extend your hand for a handshake with the chairman . Let him offer his hand first if he wants to.

While leaving the room, don't turn back to look at the members. Don't forgett your manner of leaving the hall ,it is being observed by the interviewers.

Don't forget to close the door after you.









Outstanding Questions

No, I am not referring to questions that are considered to be wonderful. I am referring to questions that are still outstanding, questions not yet fully answered. If these questions still exist when the offer is made, you have two choices: ask them at the same time the offer is made (best choice) or add them to your list of potential concessions you request when you accept. You should always be ready for the offer to come through--at any time, under any circumstances. If you are not ready in advance, you will miss the opportunity to ask some "free" negotiating questions that can give you additional career commitments above and beyond what has already been given. These questions are invaluable since they cost you virtually nothing from a negotiating standpoint.

So if you are on your toes when the offer is made, you can ask these key questions (if yet unasked in the interview process) at little or no risk:

"What are the promotional opportunities of the position?"
"To what position/level?"
"How and when will my performance be reviewed?"
"Will this include a salary review?"
"What kind of salary progression would be expected in the first three to five years?"
Be sure to take careful notes of the answers and who gave them. These may be the most "liberal" responses you ever hear with regard to your position. Don't be afraid to refer to these promises and guarantees later when they become important in your work. But realize that they are not true job offer negotiations. They are "gifts" given to you at the time of your job offer, possibly never to be uttered again. Take careful notes.





AMIT PAI


The Most Important Interview Nonverbals

Many interviews fail because of lack of proper communication. But communication is more than just what you say. Often it is the nonverbal communication that we are least aware of, yet speaks the loudest. Following are the top five nonverbals, ranked in order of importance, when it comes to interviewing:
• • Eye Contact - Unequaled in importance! If you look away while listening, it shows lack of interest and a short attention span. If you fail to maintain eye contact while speaking, at a minimum it shows lack of confidence in what you are saying and at worst may send the subtle message that you are lying. Do not just assume you have good eye contact. Ask. Watch. Then practice. Ask others if you ever lack proper eye contact. If they respond that they did notice, ask if it was during speaking or listening. Some people maintain excellent eye contact while listening, but lose eye contact when speaking. Or vice versa. Next, watch yourself on videotape. It does not necessarily have to be your mock interview; in fact, if you were videotaped informally (that is, you were not aware you were being taped), this will provide even stronger evidence. Then sit down with a friend and practice until you are comfortable maintaining sincere, continuous eye contact.

• • Facial Expressions - It continually amazes me how many college students are totally unaware of the sullen, confused, or even mildly hysterical expression plastered on their faces during the entire course of the interview! It is almost as if four years of college has left some students brain dead or worse. Some interviewers (not myself, of course) have been known to hang humorous labels on these students.Take a good, long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. Look at yourself as others would. Then modify your facial expressions--first eliminate any negative overall characteristics that might exist, then add a simple feature that nearly every interviewee forgets to include--a smile! Not some stupid , but a true and genuine smile that tells me you are a happy person and delighted to be interviewing with our company today. You do not need to keep the smile plastered on for the full interview, but remember to keep coming back to it. Think about it--who would you rather spend thirty minutes with?

• • Posture - Posture sends out a signal of your confidence and power potential. Stand tall, walk tall, and most of all, sit tall. I don't say this to offend the "short people" of the world. Height is not what's important, posture is. When standing, stand up straight. When you are seated, make sure you sit at the front edge of the chair, leaning slightly forward, moving within an overall range of no more than 10 back or 20 forward, intent on the subject at hand.

• • Gestures - Contrary to popular belief, gestures should be very limited during the interview. So please don't use artificial gestures to try to heighten the importance of the issue at hand (pardon the pun). It will merely come off as theatrical. When you do use gestures, make sure they are natural and meaningful.

• • Space - Recognize the boundaries of your personal space and that of others. however, not to back up or move away from someone who has a personal space that is smaller than your own. Hang in there, take a deep breath, and stand your ground. For most of us, merely the awareness of our personal space is enough to consciously prompt us to stand firm when speaking with someone. If you have a smaller than average personal space, make sure you keep your distance so that you do not intimidate someone who possesses a larger personal space.

P.S. If you want to have fun at a social gathering, step inside the personal space boundary of a friend. With some practice, you can back them up around the entire room without them even being aware of what is happening. But beware. It can also happen to you.











Body language during interview


Everybody uses body language during the interview, but very few are prepared to be a winner in the body language game. Body language is merely the smaller, less prominent nonverbal cues that we give others while communicating. Following are some typical interpretations of body language cues:

• • Openness and Warmth: open-lipped smiling, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning coat upon being seated.

• • Confidence: leaning forward in chair, chin up, putting tips of fingers of one hand against the tips of fingers of other hand in "praying" or "steepling" position, hands joined behind back when standing.

• • Nervousness: smoking, whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket contents, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails (action itself or evidence of), tongue clicking.

• • Untrustworthy/Defensive: frowning, squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, pulling away, chin down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, chopping one hand into the open palm of the other, rubbing back of neck, clasping hands behind head while leaning back in the chair.

As you can see, there are far more negatives than positives--possibly more than we are consciously aware of. This list is given not so that you can artificially adopt the positive body language techniques, but more to help you recognize and avoid the negatives. If you have a habit of doing any of the above negatives, remove that action from your pattern of behavior before it sends the wrong signal. Concentrate on removing it now so you will not have to think about it during the interview.
And keep in mind the opposite side of the desk. As you talk with an interviewer, be aware of (although not preoccupied with) their body language and nonverbal cues. Do not try to read in more than is actually being communicated, but try to develop a sense of the interviewer's reception of you. The most obvious example is the smile connection--when your smile brings about a smile from the interviewer. Do your best to stay connected with your interviewer--both verbally and nonverbally