Common Interview Questions and Their Answers.

1. Tell us about yourself.

A sensible way to answer this question is to start with the present. That is, start by telling
the interviewer why you are qualified for the job. To do this, you should know what
exactly is required for the position and then match your skills with it. This is a very
important strategy for success in your search for a job.

Therefore, do as much of homework as possible before the interview. This includes

research about the company and industry in general as well as the specialized
requirements of the position you are interviewing for.

But that is not all. At the earliest possible point at the interview, ask the interviewer what
exactly is required of the candidate. You can present your question in this way: “I would
like to tell you about my accomplishments and qualifications, but I would like to make it
as relevant as possible to your needs. I have done some research about this and this is
what I already know… (then tell them what you know). But it would help if you could
tell me more about this position, like what are the highest priorities...”

2. What according to you are your greatest strengths?

As a general guideline, here are a few traits every employer desires in the employee.

• The employee with a track record of achievements. An ideal situation is when

these achievements are a perfect fit to the job’s requirements.
• An intelligent employee. However intelligence here need not mean a high aptitude
for some particular subjects. Rather, the employee should have general
intelligence and high sense of management principles and tactics.
• Being trustworthy. It is important for the employer to know that the employee will
conduct himself/herself with honesty and integrity.
• An employee who is a good team player and understands the corporate culture.
• Someone with a positive outlook and some sense of humor. An employee who is
likeable.
• Good interpersonal communication skills.
• An attitude of dedication. A person who will put in extra work if required to
achieve excellence.
• An employee who has well defined goals and a clear sense of purpose.
• Enthusiasm for work. A person who has high levels of motivation.
• A person who is confident and shows healthy leadership skills.
3. What would you rate as your greatest weaknesses?

One method is to present a strength as a weakness. You could say something like “I am a
little too aggressive when it comes to achieving targets. I have often found that everyone
working with me might not be on the same wavelength.” However this is a very
commonly used tactic and a seasoned interviewer can see through this.

Another method is to tell the employer that you do not really see any drawback in your
background that might affect the job at hand. If you plan to adopt this line, you will again
need to do the questions session of the question 1 when you start the interview. Once you
know what is required of the job, you can tackle the current question in this way: “Well,
no one is perfect, but from what I have learned from you about this job, I should make an
excellent candidate. I believe my background shows all the required qualifications for
this job, and I also have a track record of excellence in everything I took on. Therefore I
can honestly say that there is nothing in my background that should cause you
concern…”

4. Is there something you did- or didn’t do- that you are now somewhat ashamed
of? Tell us about one such instance.

Take a moment’s pause before you answer this question. (This gives the impression that
you are searching your memory for some such instance.). Now say that you cannot think
of anything of the kind”. Give a pause again and then proceed to state your principles.

” Let me add that I have followed the principle of prevention is better than cure in such
matters. At the end of every day and every major event, I pause to reflect and take stock
of what happened. I also try to understand what the other people involved with me might
be feeling. If I feel that there is something that needs a follow up, I put it to practice
immediately. This might be a small chit chat, a few nice words or a pat on the back-
whatever it is, I always work to clear up things and avoid misunderstandings”

5. Why did you leave/ are you leaving your current position?

Be careful not to sound negative while answering this question. Badmouthing your
previous/current industry, company, seniors or colleagues is absolutely not done. It will
reflect poorly on you more than anyone else.

You may feel that expressions like “personality clash”, “difficulty in getting along” and
so on are subtle ways of putting your reasons across, but they sound very suspicious to
the interviewer. These are expressions that bring your character and temperament under
the question mark.

If you already have a job, you are in a strong position. You are probably looking for better
opportunities- you might be looking at more growth potential, a better compensation
package or some such prospect. State this honestly and in a positive way. If you have
found out what the current job really requires and can match your expectations to these
requirements, you will have given the best answer.
 6. Situation: The interviewer keeps silent after you answer a question. This is
also called ‘the silent treatment’.

This is not a very common situation. Be prepared for it nevertheless. Unless you are
prepared, chances are that you will undo all the good that has been done so far in the
interview. The interviewer is obviously trying to see how you respond to stress.

It usually goes like this. You answer a question and then the interviewer just stares at you
in silence and does not proceed to the next question. You wait and grow more and more
uneasy with each passing second of silence. It feels as if the interviewer doesn’t believe
what you said. It might also feel that you have violated some fundamental principle of
interview etiquette. It can be all the more frightening if the silence comes after you have
answered some very difficult question like a question about your weaknesses.

An unprepared person interprets the silence in the ways described above and rushes in to
fill in the void. He or she feels that the interviewer is silently inviting him or her to
provide a clarification on the previous answer that has caused some problem. But he or
she doesn’t really understand what the mistake was. In the confusion and embarrassment
that follows, he or she goes on and on with information, some of which might be
irrelevant and even damaging.

First of all, refuse to be intimidated by the silent treatment. The interviewer is just trying
to assess your response to stress- be clear on that count. If this situation arises in your
interview, just keep calm and quiet for a while. If the silence continues, after a while ask
politely “Is there anything I should add to this?” Take care to avoid any sarcastic tone in
your question. Avoid rushing in to fill the silence at all costs

7. Why should we hire you?

The interviewer may choose to ask this question directly like this or not. But remember
that this question is the very essence of the interview. The interviewer must find a
convincing answer to this question for him to hire you. Therefore be prepared to help him
find the most positive answer. Go through each of the most important wants and needs of
the job and show how you are the perfect fit to each of them.

8. Why do you want to work for this company?

The more depth your study about the company had, the better you are equipped to tackle
the question. Annual reports, the company’s newsletters and in-house magazines, the
contacts you have at the company or among its suppliers, the company’s advertisements
and media reports about the company- all of these make excellent sources of study.
 9. What options do you have in your career now?

The interviewer is trying to gauge how badly you want this job. You should show
sufficient interest in the job, but avoid sounding desperate. Rather, you should position
yourself as a desirable candidate.

This is a little easier if you are still working. You can describe the opportunities you may
have with your present company. You are appreciated with this company, but you are
looking for better options (pay, responsibilities or challenges). You can also add that you
are looking at offers from one or two other companies.

10. How would you honestly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your
previous/current company/boss/team?

This question is nothing but a trap. The interviewer is the least interested in the
company/boss/team. They are simply checking how you deal with a situation like this.
You might be really tempted to unburden your soul- but don’t. Do not stonewall from the
question, but emphasize the good points.

Remember, your loyalty is coming under scrutiny here. If you criticize your
current/previous boss/team/company behind their back, the interviewer will immediately
know where to place you.

11. Describe a situation when your work didn’t produce the desirable results/
backfired/ got criticized

This is a subtle and clever way of unearthing your weaknesses. It also examines how you
handle such situations. It does not make sense to pretend that you have never faced some
such situation- everybody does. At the same time it is positively harmful to admit your
faults and failures- a sure way to be left behind.

Start your answer with the highly positive feedback you have consistently got throughout
your career. If your performance reviews have always been marked excellent, do not
hesitate to mention it. You can then follow it up with saying that no one is perfect and you
have always been open to suggestions on how you can do better. Give an example from
sometime early in your career that has been a learning experience. Of course avoid
experiences of highly damaging nature. Also relate how you have learned things from this
experience and put them to use since.

12. What are your hobbies/ extra-curricular interests?

Take care to present yourself as a well-rounded person, someone who is interesting and
active. But at the same time you should not appear to be more interested in these
activities than your profession. This will only damage your prospects at the interview.
However remember that your interviewer is above all interested in your professional
aptitude, and level your answers accordingly. Too much of enthusiasm while talking
about your extra curricular activities is bound to get them suspect that these interests will
take away from your commitment to your job.

13. How comfortable are you about reporting to a younger person/ a person
from a minority/ a woman?

Avoid automatic responses to this question. Look at it this way- if this firm has promoted
someone to this senior position based on ability alone, that shows what the firm believes
in- and they are likely proud of it. Probably they will want to work with people who share
their sense of fair play.

14. Would you be prepared to lie for the company?

This is yet another tricky question. The interviewer is trying to get you choose between
loyalty and integrity. Avoid making any such choice and form your answer in such a way
that it covers all the basic principles. Say something like you will never take any step that
would hurt the company. In case the interviewer presses you to make a yes/no answer,
stick to integrity.

15. When you look back, what are the things you think you should have done
differently in your life?

The interviewer here is looking for traces of negativity, like mistakes that have had a
major impact on your life, regrets, disappointments or other problems that may still have
an effect on your personality and performance.

Do not bring up any such issues at the interview- it will only lead to negative marks. It
might suggest that your heart may not be fully with your work. Your answer should
reflect that you are a happy, fulfilled person and that you have a cheerful and optimistic
outlook.

E.g. “I have so far had a good life, with plenty of opportunities and experiences to learn
and grow. I also believe that the best is yet to come. I can’t think of anything I would like
to change”

16. How confident are you of working under pressure?

The answer is obvious, but you have to make it convincing. Support your answer with
one or two good examples of targets achieved under severe pressure. The more vivid your
account, the better.
 17. Tell me what makes you angry.

If you are a feisty/ sanguine person or the position requires a tough talking boss.

“Well it is very simple. It is when people… (find what are the most objectionable/
problematic traits/ deeds for the position and use them to describe what gets you angry. It
could be an unsystematic approach, lack of initiative, rudeness towards people etc.)”

18. Who has been a major source of inspiration to you and why?

This is a fairly straightforward question- two things that could mar the situation are being
preparedness and being irrelevant. It should not take too much of time searching for an
answer- it suggests that you have had no role models. If you speak about a football coach
you worked with in high school, you are missing out on a chance to talk about qualities
and values relevant to the company.

It is pretty easy to prepare for this question. Be ready to talk about a few heroes from
your industry, history or someone who has personally led you in your career. Again be
specific about their words, deeds achievements and teachings. Be clear on how these
have inspired your own achievements. Your answer should be as close as possible to the
qualities that are important for the position at hand.

19. What has been the most boring job you have ever held?

Many of us would jump at such an opportunity to pour out our woes in graphic details.
But think of the result- it can have only one consequence. The interviewer associates you
with this image of a bored person.

Never admit to being bored in any of your jobs. You have never allowed such a situation
to arise in the first place and you cannot even understand why or how others let it happen
in their careers.

E.g. “It might have been plain luck, but I have never been bored with any of the work I
have done so far. I have always enjoyed what I did. I feel it is somewhat like drama or
movie scripts- no part or role can be too small- every bit is important to the whole.
Similarly every company, department and job has very exciting challenges and problems-
every one of them has opportunities for energy, enthusiasm and adventure. If someone is
bored, it is probably because they are not being alive and alert to those opportunities…”

20. If you came on board with us, what changes would you make in the system?

Your answer should therefore reflect that you would like to take a good look at
everything before you make suggestions.

E.g. “Well I don’t think I could really pin point anything unless I got to know things first.
Should you take me on, as I hope, I would like to take a good look at things and also
understand why they are being done that way. I would also need to have in-depth
meetings with all of you to understand things here- like what you feel is done the right
way and what could do with some improvement…”

21. You don’t have as much experience as we need in …. (Some particular area
of work). I’m a little concerned about this…

The tactic to tackle this question should start before you go to the interview. Analyze your
background from the company’s point of view and try to see what they might view as
your weak points. This will help you to prepare the best answer that defends your
candidacy.

Next, bring out your skill match strategy as in question 1, that is to match the employer’s
greatest needs with your own greatest strengths. Here are more specific guidelines on
how to go about tackling this objection.

1. First of all, agree with the interviewer on the importance of the area they
mentioned.
2. Show how your strength may be greater than what shows on the resume
because…
3. Now state how this strength combines with other strong points in your
background to form a useful combination to the company.
22. Imagine that your boss is very excited about an idea and keen to implement
it. But you think it useless. What would you do?

This question juxtaposes two values- loyalty and honesty and wants to see which you
choose. The right answer is always to choose integrity/honesty. But remember to frame
your answer in the most constructive manner.

E.g. “First of all, I believe in looking for the positive in everything. Therefore I will look
for elements that I believe are good about the idea. But I will also mention any
reservations I may have about the idea, as honesty is the most important thing I owe my
company and seniors.”

“I will present my views in the most constructive manner possible and also try if there is
any way my boss and I could work together to strengthen the idea to both our approval.
However if my boss chooses to do things his/her way, I will give him all my support and
try to make it work as best as possible”

23. Can I contact your current employer for references?

In all probability you wish to keep your search for a new job to yourself. If this indeed is
the case, you will not want the interviewing company to contact your present employer.
However if you show reluctance, it would seem that you are hiding something. Therefore
the best strategy is to show your concern openly and say that you would like to keep this
private. However you can also assure them that it will be perfectly okay in time.
E.g. “I haven’t informed my current company about my job search, for obvious reasons. I
would prefer to keep it confidential right now. However when the time appears right to
both of us, you should by all means contact them for references. I have an impressive
record with this company and I am sure you will find the information useful to you”

24. Tell us an instance of your creativity/ analytical abilities/ managing skills etc.

Being prepared with examples is the key to success here. If you fumble for an answer, it
appears that you can’t recall the last time you did anything worth mention. Like question
2, you should have a ready list of your recent and greatest achievements. When you have
a list at the tip of your tongue, it is easy to narrate an example that matches the quality the
interviewer seeks to probe. The astounding success you managed with the sales
promotion of the last season, an out-of-box solution you brought to a nagging logistics
problem, could all be examples.

25. What are the areas where you need some improvement?

This is another way of getting you to confess a weakness. Handle this with care. Frame a
positive answer. You can for instance mention a new, exciting branch of your profession
that you would like to add to your skills in the next few months. But be careful to
mention only areas that are not very essential to the needs of the employer.

26. What are the areas of your worries?

You cannot afford to look like a worrier. A worrier sounds like a loser. However it doesn’t
sound credible to say that you seldom worry. Therefore you should give ‘worry’ a new
twist so that it appears as a positive quality.

E.g. “Well I can’t really call it worry, but I am very focused on goals. I keep analyzing
factors that might be coming in my way, and keep going till I solve them. I guess it is part
of my tenacity”

27. We would like to hear about your goals.

It reflects poorly on you not to have any goals or have only generalities. Remember that
those people who are in a position to hire you have reached there most probably because
of their goal setting habits. They would want to hire people who are like them. Thus
being non specific about your career/ personal goals could act as a big turn off.

You should therefore have a well laid out plan for every area of your life- career, personal
growth, family, health and community. If your interviewer appears to be spiritually
oriented, you can also refer to your spiritual goals. This helps to project yourself as a well
rounded person. Every goal should be talked about in terms of milestones and time
periods set to achieve them. However you need to be concise and be careful not to speak
for more than two minutes at a length.
 28. What are your salary expectations- how much do you want to be paid? (The
interviewer might also ask how much you are earning at the moment)

Needless to say, this is a crucial question. You need to handle it very carefully- one step
in the wrong direction and you end up either losing your chance or being offered less than
what you might have got. Follow these guidelines when you are negotiating salary.

1. Avoid bringing up salary on your own-let the interviewer do it first. Successful

salespeople sell their product to the customer before talking about the price. When
the interviewer shows interest in you, you are in a better position to negotiate.
2. If the interviewer brings up the question too early in the interview, try to stall
answering it at that point. E.g. “Money is of course important, but not the first
concern for me. I am more interested in the overall growth opportunity. I would
therefore first see if I am the right person for this position. Would that be alright
with you?”
3. Being well informed is the key to winning any negotiation. Once you are done
with selling yourself and the time comes for discussing salary, try to get the
interviewer mention how much he/she is willing to pay. When the interviewer
asks about your expectations, you can counter it with “This company must be
having some norms of emoluments for this position. Would you be able to tell me
what that is?” You can also say “I am sure you must be having fair standards that
meet people’s ability and experience. What does this position pay?”
4. Go with an idea of what you will accept as a fair deal. Make sure that your
expectations are reasonable, by researching the job market and any information
available from within the company. Most people in executive positions aim a 20-
25% raise when they change jobs.
5. Do not lie about your salary. However you can include the fringe benefits which
could show a 25-50% higher amount than your cash-only payment.
29. When you look back on the position you held last, do you think you have
done your best in it?

If you say that you did, it could mean that your best is already behind you. If you say
‘no’, the interviewer takes it to mean that you don’t give your all to the work at hand. You
should therefore indicate that you always put in your best efforts. Also show that this time
of your career (it includes both your previous work and the current moment) is your peak
phase for several reasons. Support your statement with instances and reasons from recent
developments in your career.

Summing Up

In the last pages, you saw some of the toughest questions asked in interviews across the
board. These questions are intended to unravel aspects of your personality, value system
and attitude. In order to be able to respond to these questions in the right way, you need to
do more than learn the responses by heart. It won’t work as you need to modify your
answers to match your specific situation.
Further, these questions might take other forms and other words. Go through the answers
here, do the required research and most important of all assimilate the right attitude
shown here, and you are sure to come out with flying colors. Here’s wishing you the very
best of luck in your job search.

Some Useful Questions

Before you set out to ask questions, keep the above reasons in mind. It would be good to
sincerely thank the HR person for such an opportunity. You can start with something like
“I have really enjoyed this opportunity to meet you and your team at .. (the company
name). Yes, there are a few things I would like to know, thank you for asking” However it
is not wise to ask the HR a volley of questions and turn it into a counter interview.
Consider the questions below and choose one or two from them that you find the most
useful to you.

• What do you personally find the most enjoyable part of working for this
company?
• May I ask why or how you joined this organization? / What brought you here?
• I would like to know about the work atmosphere here…
• Would you be able to tell me about this company’s vision/philosophy?
• How would you evaluate this organization’s strengths and weaknesses?
• I would like to know a little about my day-to-day responsibilities.
• Is this an immediate requirement? How soon would you be taking people on
board for this position?
• I would like to know how my skills compare with the other people who have
applied for this position.
• I am really interested in this opportunity and I feel I have the required skills for
this position. What would I have to do next?
• Now that our interview is coming to close, is there anything you would like to
know about my ability towards this job?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about what the company expects from its
employees? What are the most important assets and skills for this company?
• Does the company follow a structured path in promoting the employees? How
does it go?
• If the company finds me good at the job, how would it advance me? What would
be the next step in my career growth?
• If I performed well in the current position, what are the additional likely
opportunities for me within this company?
• Are there any special areas in this company that the top leaders emerge from?/
Are there special areas like say sales or engineering that have more prospects for
growth within this company, or do the leaders come from a cross section of
different areas?
• The company has decided to recruit for this position from outside. How does the
company choose between recruiting from within or outside?
• How far does this particular position contribute to the bottom line?
• What advice would you give to someone selected for this position?
• What are the current challenges of this position/department within the company?
• Before I leave, can I have a formal/written description of the position? This would
help me to review the activities and evaluate what is expected of me.
• Is this job likely to lead to other positions in the company? What is the usual
route?
• Would you be able to tell me a little about the people I will be working with?
• Before I take your leave, let me check my understanding of the position. The
designation is …., the responsibilities are …., it is in the ….. department, and I
would be reporting to ……. Please correct me if I have got it wrong anywhere.
• How does this company promote equal opportunity and diversity?
• Would you be able to tell me who the company regards as its stars? What have
been their most important contributions?
• How do the subordinates address their seniors in this company?
• Could you tell me about the management style of this company?
• If you selected me for this position, what assignment would I be starting on?
• Does this company have a formal mission statement? Am I allowed to see it?
• What are the most important parameters along which this company evaluates an
employee’s contribution?