Popular interview questions: How do I answer these?

Question 1: ‘Tell me about yourself’ or ‘Run me through your resume’

Expected answer

• Prepare a three-minute introduction about yourself:
• Basic information (one minute each)
• Educational background (one minute each)
• Work experience (one minute each)
• Do not go on and on about yourself, just a quick introduction is all what is required
• Be prepared to answer any questions which comes your way regarding any aspect of your introduction.
• Be confident, take pride is introducing yourself.

Question 2: ‘What are Strengths?’ or ‘What your Weakness?’

Expected answer

• Prepare a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats analysis) for yourself:
• You will need to identify 3 to 5 strengths or weakness; it could be related to your work or general.
• How have you identified your strengths and weaknesses?
• How do you use your strengths?
• How do you work on your weaknesses?
• What have you done regarding your weaknesses?
• Have you tried overcoming your weaknesses?
• What would your colleagues say are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What would your ex-bosses/ current bosses say about you?
• Have you ever thought about your strengths and weaknesses?
• Do not go on and on about yourself, just a quick reply is all what is required with a small instance or situation or example to explain why it’s your strength or weakness?
• Be prepared to answer any questions which comes your way regarding any aspect of your strengths or weakness.

Question 3: Why do you want to join this company? Or Why have you applied to this company?

Expected answer:

• All recruiters want to understand why you want to join their company?
• What have you heard about their company?
• Are you interested in joining or company or just getting a job?
• Do you read the latest newspaper articles, magazines?
• Are you curious as an individual?

Question 4: Where do you see yourself 5 years or 10 years down the line?

What are your short term or long term plans?

Expected answer:

• Are ambitious?
• Are goal-oriented?
• Are you an achiever?

Is what the recruiter wants to understand.

Question 5: What aspect of the job description interests you the most?

Expected answer:

• Genuine interest in the role
• Do you have relevant skills- set required to do the job?
• Do you have past-experience in that specific area of work?

Question 6: Why do you think we need to select you for the position?

Expected answer:

• Candidate will detail the skills-set they possess which other candidates may not possess.
• To evaluate the work experience and background of the candidate which may have been over-looked during the recruitment process.
• Highlight the strengths of the candidate.
• Highlight specific work experience which the recruiter may find interesting and relevant for selection.

Question 7: Do you have any questions for the interview panel/recruiter?

Expected answer:

Yes, you need to prepare a list of 3 to 4 intelligent questions you would like to ask the recruiter. It should be prepared based on:

• Job role
• Expectations of the manager from this position
• Any other relevant information you wish to know about.

Question 8: What are your top 3 greatest achievements?

What are your top 3 greatest achievements in the last one year?

Expected answer:

Have this answer ready in your pre-interview ready.

Question 9: What aspects do you like most of your job/ role?

Expected answer:

Here the recruiter wants to understand:

• What motivates you to work?
• What specific areas of your current job you like the most?
• Do you see positivity in everything you do?
• Does the recruiter’s position have these aspects in their job description? Or are you looking for something totally different?

Question 10: Why did you leave your previous job/ plan to leave your current job?

Expected answer:

Employees want to leave or left their jobs for a specific reason or multiple reasons. Here, the recruiter wants to understand the reason for quitting your job and may probably ask you the reasons you quit your previous jobs as well.

You will need to answer this with all honesty. Keep in mind you need to give a specific response and not down-grade your previous/ current manager or previous/ current company.

Question 11: Tell me of a situation with a customer in the last 12 months where something went wrong and how did you handle it?

Expected answer:

• Describe the situation with details.
• How did you handle this situation?
• Did you manage this situation on your own?
• Did a supervisor or superior intervene?
• Were you able to convert the bad situation into a good situation?

Question 12: Tell me of a situation in the last 12 months where a colleague did something illegal/ against company policy which you became aware. How did you handle it?

Expected answer:

• Were you aware of the situation?
• How did you get to know of it?
• Were other colleagues aware to?
• Did someone report it to the senior management of the company?
• Were you the person to report it?

Question 13: Tell me of a situation, where your manager made a mistake and you had to take the blame for it?

Expected answer:

• What was the situation?
• How did you handle this situation?
• Did you report the mistake?

Question 14: Tell me of situation, where you made a mistake and how did you handle this?

Expected answer:

• What was the situation?
• How did you handle this situation?
• Did you report the mistake?

Question 15: What is the toughest decision you had to make in your life? How did you make this decision?

Expected answer:

• What was the decision? Was it a personal or professional decision?
• How did you handle this situation?
• Did you take any person (s) help to make this decision?
• Was it the correct decision?

Question 16: How many people report to you? What are the challenges you face?

Expected answer:

• Mention the organizational structure? Team size?
• What was the challenges you face? Is it with all the team members or a particular team member?
• How did/do you handle this situation?
• What strategy did/ do you follow? Did it work?
• What lesson did you learn from this on leadership?

Question 17: What is your leadership style? What approach do you follow to manage your team?

Expected answer:

• You do follow a leadership style?
• How do you manage a difficult situation?
• If a team member is not performing, what do you do?
• If a team member is creating conflict among others, how do you handle this situation?
• If a team member is not motivated, how do you handle this?

Question 18: How would someone who works for you, describe you in 3 words?

Expected answer:

• To understand your leadership style.
• This is a self-reflection exercise, how do people perceive you?

Question 19: Describe your best manager? Describe your best CEO? Describe your best Sales Director?

Expected answer:

• Understand your preference of leadership style and approach.
• What are the values and culture aspects you like to work in?
• What leadership qualities bring out the best in you?

Question 20: Tell us about a project or job assignment you enjoyed working on? Why?

Expected answer:

• Describe the project or job assignment.
• It could be something other then your routine work or apart from your role and responsibilities.
• Does working alone or in a group bring out the best in you?

Question 21: What is success according to you?

Expected answer:

• How do you define success?
• Does success really exist?
• Have you experienced success?

Question 22: What do you expect the most from people you manage? What are the top 3 expectations you have from people working for you?

Expected answer:

• What is your value system?
• What drives you as a manager?

Question 23: How do you cope with stress and work pressure?

Expected answer:

• Ways to cope with stress
• What are your hobbies?
• Do you simply don’t find time for yourself?

Question 24: Tell me of a time where you had to work with a difficult person.

Expected answer:

• Who was this individual? Was this person a colleague or manager?
• How did you handle this person?
• Was it difficult to deal with?

Question 25: The recruiter or interview panel could ask a number of technical questions based on the job, position, job role, level or seniority of the position, job requirement, skill based questions, soft skill based questions, stress questions, general industry level questions, questions based on a particular field. These questions will all be individual specific.