interview questions

1. Tell me about yourself:

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short

statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound

rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise.

Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to

the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest

back and work up to the present.

2. What experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for.

If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

3. Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good

explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are

on track to achieve the others.

4. What do co-workers say about you?Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific

statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith

Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It

is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

5. What do you know about this organization?This question is one reason to do some research on the organization

before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are

going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

6. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide

variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement.

Have some good ones handy to mention.

7. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus

on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is

a distraction.

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

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the

research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely

important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term

career goals.

9. Do you know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This

can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not

relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought

of.

10. What kind of salary do you need?

A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if

you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like,

That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?

In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not,

say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide

range.

11. Can you work in team or as an individual ? 

You should be ready for both .  Be sure to have examples ready.

Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather

than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag,

just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. 

12. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like

it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.

13. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you

like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the

right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the

individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the

organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in

force.

14. What is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here.

Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the

type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a

benefit to the organization.

15. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type

of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

16. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying

negative things about the people or organization involved.

17. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to

highlight your best points as they relate to the position being

discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

18. Why should we hire you?Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not

mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

19. What are your strength?

 Adaptability, hard working, honesty , flexibility, optimistic, fast decision making, persistence , self motivation.

Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability

to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your

professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

20. Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you

are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another

job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with

this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something

like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and

can’t wait to get to work.

21. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization,

violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will

label you as a whiner.

22. What is more important to you: the money or the work?

Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is

no better answer.

23. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an

example that relates to the type of position applied for.

24. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?

Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want

another job more than this one.

25. What motivates you to do your best on the job?

This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are:

Challenge, Achievement, Recognition

26. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest.

27. Would you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if

you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get

the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems

later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself

future grief.

28. Describe your management style.

Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive,

salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions

depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational

style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the

situation, instead of one size fits all.

29. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well

qualified for the position.

30. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about,

bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working

quick learner.

31. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.

Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique

and not the dispute you settled.

32. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?

Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

33. Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to

get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

34. What is your weakness?

Straightforward, more talkative, I cant say no when someone ask for help, speaking lie  is difficult for me

Dont talk negatively about your weakness. make your weakness a good thing to the origination.

35. Do you have any questions for me?

Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are

examples.

Good interviewers always study up on their subject’s background .If you can do advance, research the person or people with whom you’ll be speaking. A bit of familiarity will make you feel more confident  and will prime your subject to open up to you. But during the moment of truth, you rarely see a professional interviewer following a script or referring to notes. 

A better and casual approach is to stay in the moment and allow talk to flow naturally. A  interviewer knows how to make subjects comfortable enough to open up and reveal something real and true about themselves–and that only comes when both parties get a little vulnerable. 

The more comfortable you make someone feel, the better interview you’re ultimately going to get. how do you make someone feel more comfortable? Great interviewers do it by meeting subjects on their level. That means matching their mood, energy level, language style and the body language. 

Calibrating your tone and energy level sets the stage for an evenly matched conversation and puts your subject at ease, while mirroring the body language of the person you’re speaking with is a nearly subliminal cue to show that you’re fully present in the conversation. Just keep it subtle. Body language can also help defuse a tough conversation or argument try moving so you’re facing the same direction as the person in question and let you know when your subject is ready to leave the conversation Are their feet facing toward the door? Time to let them go.

What seems like the simplest part of holding a conversation or conducting an interview is often the trickiest. It’s listening–the right way. The Skilled interviewers become adept at listening not just to the words their subject is saying but also the tone in which the words are said, the pauses and nuances of the answer and what’s being left unsaid. This active, flexible listening lets them know when to move onto a new subject and when the moment is ripe to probe a little deeper with a follow-up question. Off-the-cuff questions often yield the best answers – but the opportunity only arises from deep, engaged listening .I think you need to use your questions as sort of a template, but you have to be willing to listen and veer off in a totally different direction.

 When a pro interviewer feels a subject is holding something back on a particular topic, they’ll be of silent at the end. our natural tendency is to fill in a silence, the pause can also work as a power play in a tougher scenario say, a A true passion for learning more about those around you goes further than any trick or even the most polished communication skills. You can cultivate curiosity in your daily life by noticing more details, delving deeply into the ideas that grab your interest and being alert to those around you and what makes them light up. 

 the last and the most important thing is to keep a smile on your face , it makes a difference. be confident what ever you tell either correct or wrong.

ALL THE BEST.....