Personal Interview for Freshers

100 Questions that can get you your first job!

1. Tell me about yourself.

 Check out the answer on this in ‘Training Write up’.

2. What are your strengths?

Sample Answer:

“I think one of my greatest strengths is I am a problem solver. I have the ability to see a situation
from different perspectives and I don’t leave the problem unless I have solved it.

I don’t do things on time, I rather do things before time … so that I don’t complete my work in a
hurry and compromise the quality of work.
I am a committed learner. I have a plan where I have to learn min. 2 things a day. 1 before lunch
and 2nd after lunch. So, I analyse my day and see how am I becoming better at my work on a daily
basis.
Why We Like It:
Just saying that you’re a “problem solver” and have “good time management” can sound bland
and rehearsed. You have to add some detail and colour to make your answer more believable
and memorable.
Notice that he did not include a specific example for each of the strengths cited. Sometimes you
want to avoid squeezing too much detail into one answer. You don’t want this answer to turn
into an endless monologue. This candidate gave a little bit of detail for each strength and then
left an opening for the interviewer to ask for more information. He should, of course, be
prepared with an Interview Story for each of his strengths. That way, he will be ready when the
interviewer asks: “Tell me about a time when you solved a difficult problem” or “Give me an
example of the things that you learnt recently/yesterday/last week.”
3. What is your USP/greatest strength?

The interviewer wants to know if your strengths align with the needs of the company and the
qualifications for the particular job. When you are asked questions about your strengths, it's
important to discuss attributes that will qualify you for the specific job and set you apart from
the other candidates.

The best way to respond is to describe the skills and experience that directly correlate with the
job you are applying for. Be prepared to answer by making a list of the qualifications mentioned
in the job posting. Then, make a list of your skills that match those listed. This list can include
education or training, soft skills, hard skills, or past work experiences/ experience of working in
 different clubs of college and school. Narrow your list of skills down to 2 - 3 particularly strong
skills.

Next to each skill, note a particular example of how you have used that strength in the past. This
will prepare you for when the employer asks you to elaborate on a particular strength.

On the other hand, you do not want to answer this question with a laundry list of vague
strengths. Stay focused on a couple key strengths that relate directly to the position and the
company. A focused, relevant answer with one or two examples will impress your interviewer.

Sample Answer :

I have an extremely strong work ethic. When I'm working on a project, I don't want just to meet
deadlines. Rather, I prefer to complete the project well ahead of schedule. In my college also I
used to submit all my assignments 3 days in advance, consistently all the time. In fact I complete
any work in 4/5th of the given time limit and keep 1/5 th of the time to do the quality check and
add finishing touches to the work.

4. What are your weaknesses? / What is your weakness?

You can answer it in two ways.

1. The "Strength in Disguise" Weakness or

2. The weakness that you are working on

1.The "Strength in Disguise" Weakness

What do I mean by a "weakness that is really a strength in disguise"? The weakness is really a
good characteristic that has been taken a bit too far.

Notice that each answer has two parts -- (1) the Confession, and (2) the Recovery:

Weakness: Self Critic -- Strength: Meticulous/Careful

Sample Answer:
 (Confession)"I feel that my greatest weakness is that I am very critical of my own work. I have
always prided myself on producing excellent and error-free work. While this is beneficial to my
job performance, it is possible to go to extremes.

(Recovery)"I have also found that I can easily waste time checking and rechecking. Now I am
aware of what to look for in being such a stickler, so I am always making a conscious effort to
trust myself and my quality focus more and not be so incredibly critical of my work. I know that
there is a limit to proofreading."

2. The weakness that you are working on

You may share one of your weaknesses that you have sufficiently worked on and have improved
on them. Example, I feel that I can be more organized. A couple of years back I would hardly
score 5 out of 10 on being organized. I have worked hard on this and at present I can clearly
score 8+. I want it to reache 9+. Because I have experienced that being organized and being
productive are very much connected.

The interviewer may ask you for your definition of being organized and how does it make a
person more productive. The answer to this may be “ Making weekly plans and breaking them
down in daily plans is being organized, switching on FB and Whatsapp at certain times (like lunch
or tea break) and completing a work and saving it properly so that it takes the structure of a
process and becomes easy to replicate in future. Like if I have made a new report on our sales
performance and analysis, saving that as a template will lead to a lot of time being saved and will
help me in being more productive.

5. What is your biggest weakness?

You can use the above mentioned answer.

6. What is your biggest accomplishment?

 It is important that you pick an achievement that you are genuinely proud of, something that is
true to you. When we tell stories we naturally relive the emotions we felt during that time, and
you want to be passionate and engaging when talking to your interviewer.

If you tell me your biggest achievement was winning a management award in a recent college
fest, then the benefit to me is pretty obvious. However, if you choose to tell me that your biggest
achievement is losing eight stone and running a marathon (that is very cool by the way) then you
will need to sell me the benefit. You should tell me that this shows how dedicated you are at
hitting your targets. Tell me that you always achieve what you set your mind on. Tell me that you
are self-motivated and determined and don’t like failing. Try to use recent achievements. Don’t
go back too much in the past, as it shows that you have not been doing much in recent times.

Over time, people generally remember the way you made them feel rather than the words you
spoke, so it is essential you keep it real. Raise your energy levels, get excited, sit up proudly in
your chair and make that impact!

Sample Answer:

I was an introvert throughout my school days. In MBA I decided to change myself and set it as my
goal. I started volunteering for almost everything that came up, gradually I was made the
coordinator of a few simple fests happening in my college and then I was finally selected as a
member of the management club of which sees the overall student coordination and organizes
the yearly fest. Today I am a much known face in the college and I can mingle with people and
groups just in minutes. Bringing this complete change in my personality was difficult but I am
proud that I did it in a planned and phased manner.

7. Tell us some of your achievements.

Use the above mentioned answer for Q. No. 6 and with that you can add these too. Because of
being from Science background, I was not very good in Accounts when I joined my course. I
made a one year plan of how to become the top 10 students of my college in 1 year and with a
lot of effort, difficulties and discipline I finally achieved it. I was 3 rd top student in Accounts
among 225 students of my batch. I also started a Quiz club in my institution and set the well-
defined processes for that, today this Quiz club is an integral part of the institution and it figures
 in our Orientation programme. These are a few things that make me feel very strong and I am
convinced that I am an achiever.

8. Where do you see yourself 5/10/1 year from now?

The interviewer wants to understand more about your career goals and how this position would
fit into your grand plan. They care about your career goals because they want to hire someone
who is motivated, proactive, and likely to stick around and work hard if hired.

If succeeding in this role is important to you as part of your long-term career strategy, you are
much more likely to perform well.

“My goal right now is to find a position at a company where I can grow and take on new
challenges over time. Ultimately, I’d like to assume more management responsibilities and get
involved in product strategy. But most importantly, I want to work for an organization where I
can build a career.”

Why this answer is good?

This answer offers some insight into the candidate’s goals and interests (becoming a manager,
being involved in product strategy) so it’s not too generic. This response also strongly expresses a
desire for a long-term career with the company.

9. What is your life goal?

Basically they want to know your Career goal. So, don’t give them examples of your personal life
goals.

Sample Answer:

“I believe long terms goals are achieved when we break them into smaller achievable goals. My
short term goal is to get a job in an organization that is progressive and performance driven. I
wish to join a competent team wherein I can add value to projects and in turn, take home
learning as well. My long term plan is to secure a challenging position as XYZ in the organization
and deliver my best.”
10. Why should we hire you?

How to answer this question:

While answering, firstly, take one of the job requirements, then focus on one of your related
strengths/skills and give a concrete example (a success story) based on your past experiences
(may be in College) to support your point. Break the job requirements into fragments and
continue in this manner.
For the last sentence, a phrase that can be used is:
The job is tailored to my (or – I will bring my) experience, knowledge base and abilities and I
believe I can maximize my skills for the benefit of the company.

My high energy and quick and consistent learning style enables me to adapt to any work
environment. In our college, I was selected as a placement coordinator and I didn’t know
anything about placement. On the very first day I wrote down all the questions and doubts that I
wanted to clarify. And then I went to our Placement Coordinator and sat with her for 3 hours and
after those 3 hours I was full ready to take care of my responsibility. So, I can say that I learn
quickly, and learn in an organized manner and that’s why I do almost everything well. I am a
good team player because I can handle my ego and others ego very well. I am positive and
always find the way to solve problems. So, I am confident I would be a good addition to your
team. And its my responsibility to prove that you took a right decision by hiring me.

11. What can you do for us that other candidates can't?

Use the above answer. If the interviewer emphasizes on comparison with other candidates, talk
about them in positive and still place yourself in a better position.

12. What salary are you seeking/expecting?

“Before I answer that question I’d like to ask what you typically pay someone with my experience
and education in this type of position?” (Good Answer)

“I’m sure you must be having a set range of salary for freshers like me. Of course I will offer my
best so I expect that you also offer me the best in that range.
13. What is your expectation?

Ask the interviewer whether he means salary expectations or career expectations. In case of
salary expectations, please use the above answer. In case of career expectations/other
expectations answer like this :

In fact I am highly adaptable. So, my expectations from others is less. At work front, if I get a lot
of challenges, more exposure and some guidance, I will be very happy.

14. Why do you want this job?

The first thing that caught my eye when I saw the position posted was definitely that it was at
Britannia, one of the most famous brands that I have grown up with from my childhood. I know
that you build a lot of successful brands and are well established in the market. As I want to learn
and understand the field of marketing thoroughly, I am sure this job will offer me enough
experience in the role of a marketing executive and I will be able to contribute well to the
organization because I am committed to make a good career in marketing.

15. Why do you want to work with this company?

"Through interning at company X and fundraising for charity Y, I developed the ability to think of
innovative and cost-effective solutions to problems. I know that your company values the ability
to find new ways of doing things, so this is one of the reasons I think I would be a great fit for
you."

I want to learn almost everything about Finance. After reading enough about different
companies and hearing from some of your employees/our placement head, I am confident that I
will get enough challenging works here and guidance to be productive for the Organisation. This
will also enrich my knowledge as well. So, I want to work with this company.

16. How do you handle failure?

Choose a real failure. Don’t raise red flags by sharing a failure that was the result of a serious
personal mistake or character flaw. Don’t pass the buck completely, take responsibility for your
share of mistake. Focus on the learnings from the mistake.

Sample Answer:
 In college, when I was working for college fest, I was given the charge of handling the guests and
some honorarium given to some of them. After putting the cheques in envelopes, when we
wrote the guest names on them by mistake we swapped the names resulting into phone calls by
the guests. I feel that as a head of guest committee, I should have checked some envelopes. Now
onwards, I always re-check my work and others’ work too.

17. Describe a difficult work situation / project and how you overcame it.

Interviewer may ask this question to know about your behaviour in tensed situation. Be positive
in your answer and be practical and specific as well.

Sample Answer:

In my third semester, I was not prepared well for the exams, especially in accounts. It was only
20 days left. So, instead of panicking and feeling sad about it, I made a study time table and gave
10 hours out fo 30 hrs a week to accounts. In a week’s time I gained confidence in the subject
and then comfortably passed the paper wih 68%. I learnt that even if the situation is bad, if we
plan well and execute patiently, we will succeed. After this experience, I have made it a principle
of my life.

18. Tell us something about your college/state/native place.

My college days are unforgettable. I have learned a lot from my professors. When ever i was
wrong they corrected me. They were very friendly but highly professional. Like if the class has to
start at 3 PM, it will start sharply at 3 PM, no changes in that. This inspired me to develop
discipline in myself. No matter whether we win the competition or not, but they used to tell us
participation is very important. Our Director was a very very tough man, but I feel that he taught
us a lot without teaching us anything. Like getting organized, how to drive for perfection etc.

Talk positive. Talk mostly about those things that you have gained. This gives the interviewer an
impression that you are a positive person. Know about your state and native place well. Like
population, CM, literacy rate, no. of districts, 3 best things of your place and present them well
in a positive and impressive way.
19. What will your HOD/Director/previous boss speak about you?

Understand the job profile requirement. Think of 2-3 qualities that you have which connect to
the job and share them.

Example:

3 things. I am responsible. If I have taken a work, I will somehow do it. I can do new and
challenging tasks. Like when I was given the job of going to a management fest for Business Quiz,
I was not good at it. I spoke to all my seniors who had experience in business quiz and prepared
thoroughly and got the third rank in Business quiz. So, he will tell that I am responsible,
challenge taker and disciplined.

20. What are three positive things your last boss/teachers would say about you?

Same as above.

21. What negative thing would your last boss/teachers/parents say about you?

The Interviewer are trying to find out your weakness/negative traits. They also want to know as
to how you respond to these type of questions. Do not share a big flaw. Share something that is
good about you but still there is scope for improvement.

Sample Answer:

My parents/HOD will share that I need to improve my ability to relax and enjoy. Usually on some
important occasions I get too much preoccupied with work and my tendency to deliver it in the
best manner. I tend to lose the fun part. So, they will certainly tell you that I need to improve
that part of my personality.

22. Are you willing to relocate?

They want to know how flexible and committed you are towards the job. Please speak to your
parents on this topic in advance and be clear on this.

Example:
 “For the right opportunity I am definitely willing to relocate. I believe that this position and
company is that opportunity. And I am adaptable so I don’t think adjusting in any city will be an
issue for me.”

23. Are you willing to travel?

Yes, if the Organisation needs me to travel. Again, discuss about it with your family and be clear
on this before the interview. There is nothing wrong in asking “How frequently will I need to
travel?”. Knowing the answer to this will certainly make life easy for you and the Organization in
the long run.

24. Are you willing to work in shifts?

Again, discuss about it with your family and be clear on this before the interview. Or else you
may say yes now and regret later. As you are a fresher and young person, you may not have
serious issues working in shifts. In that case, give them a very clear yes. Yes, if the work needs
me to work in shifts or sometimes on weekends, I will not have any issues. I am sure you must
not be working on all weekends.

25. Would you work holidays/weekends?

Yes, if projects are important and the work needs to be completed. In fact I will feel proud that I
did a good job by taking care of Organizational priority. Of course, it wont happen on all the
weekends.

26. What are your hobbies?

The employer has a simple yet vital reason for bouncing off this question. They want to get a
broader perspective about you. Your life outside work may tell a lot about you.
What you do in your free time may highlight interesting aspects about you. You wouldn’t want to
miss this opportunity. Select those activities that can give you an edge over others as a
candidate. Don’t use general statement to describe your hobbies: “My hobbies are listening to
music, watching television”. Such an answer makes you one among the ordinary.
 Example:

If you have applied for Sales Job and the employer asks you about your interests, you may
elaborate upon your involvement in your college sports team. This way, the employer will note
that you are result oriented person- An aggressive/focused player who set to achieve targets.
Just like any sales annual targets.

If you have applied for a managerial position but do not have prior managerial experience, you
may talk about you were skilled to manage and initiate community service or working as a class
coordinator/management coordinator or any such social involvement.

Most importantly, be honest and back up whatever you say about your hobbies.

27. Describe an ideal job/company.

By asking you this question the interviewer wants to find out what you are really passionate
about in your work. The ideal answer is to choose an element of your work tied to the position
you are interviewing about which you are truly passionate.
"My ideal job would involve a lot of challenges, opportunity to gain practical exposure in the
field of finance & working with people who know more than me and are professional so that I
get the training to be the best in my field". A company that has these elements in place and
recognizes my efforts is an ideal company for me.

28. What is your dream job?

Saying you want to be CEO or Head of Department during an interview can automatically pigeon
hole you in a hiring manager’s mind, so avoid this by steering well clear of talking about specific
job titles.
While you’ve always dreamed of running your own hotel, that’s not the answer the hiring
manager is looking for. (unless you have applied for hotel jobs).
Instead, keep your dream job relevant to the role you’re applying for. For example, if you’re
going for a Digital Marketing Assistant role, say you’d love to have a larger input within the
marketing team one day – this shows ambition and a willingness to stay within a particular
profession.
 Don’t say your dream job is the one you’re applying for, or even the one above that. While a
business will want someone who’s happy doing the job they’re being hired for, they also want
someone with drive and ambition – and this must be demonstrated in the interview.

Sample Answer:
My dream job would be to be one of the best in the field of Finance. A job where I can learn the
complete game of a company’s finance from production to selling to revenue to expenses. A job
where I can master the A to Z of financial matters.

29. We find gaps in your CV, what were you doing during this time?
It is important to answer this question intelligently. The best way to anwer this is to share the
things that you did during this gap. If you were working for sometime share with them that you
were looking for some work experience before continuing your studies. If you were preparing for
any competition share about it. Share about the courses and certifications that you have
obtained during this time.
Sample Answer:
In fact 2000 to 2002, I was preparing for Engineering. In the first year I missed it because I didn’t
do well in Physics. So, I decided to give it one more year with my parent’s consent. I missed the
second chance just by 5 marks. As we were financially not prepared to take up the Engineering, I
continued with BBM/B.Com.
30. Who is the president of Bulgaria? (how to respond when you don’t know the answer)

I am sorry I am not aware.

31. What was your last mistake and what did you learn from it?
It may reassure you to know that hiring managers don’t expect you to be perfect. They know
that everybody fails.They ask this question to understand:
• Are you someone who can learn from failure?
• Are you self-aware enough to acknowledge failure and weakness?
• Do you take smart risks?
• How do you view success, failure, and risk in general?
After all, if you’ve never failed, then you’ve probably never succeeded on any significant level
either. Prospective employers want to know: Do you know how to fail smart and learn from your
mistakes?
 Share any one of the mistakes along with the learning that you got from that mistake.
Sample Answer:
My accounts faculty was very friendly. When she told me to submit the project report by the last
day of the month, I took it casually. And went to her with the project after 3 days of the
deadline. She refused to accept it. I had to request almost everyone in my college to speak to her
and finally she agreed to accept it only when I agreed to handwrite the complete project. On
that day I learnt the biggest lesson of my life to take deadlines as deadlines. And this has brought
me a lot of respect because now people have confidence in me.
32. Which was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it?

Answer as above.

33. Do you have any questions for me?

Asking good questions shows that you are interested and prepared. Employers usually have
several candidates for every job, and they aren't interested in a candidate who isn't really
interested in them or the opportunity. Typically, a job seeker with no questions is assumed to be
either not really interested or not very bright.

What can you tell me about this job that isn't in the description?

What is the key thing someone does to be a success at this job?

What are the most important skills of the person who does this job?

What is the biggest challenge someone in this job faces on a daily (or weekly or monthly) basis?

If anyone has failed at this job, why did they fail?

Who does the person in this job report to?

34. Questions related to News; International, National & Local Affairs, business etc

Keep abreast of the current affairs. Knowing them may help you in using them in your answers
and analysis which will be appreciated by the interviewer. This is how you show them that you
are different than other candidates. Remember, there are a lot of people who are smart in
 answering questions, but there are very few who know the facts and remember them. They
always stand out from all the others.

35. Sell me this pen (especially for marketing people).

CEO: Do me a favor, sell me this pen. (reaches across to hand me the pen)

Me: (I slowly roll the pen between my index and thumb fingers.)

When was the last time you used a pen?

CEO: This morning.

Me: Do you remember what kind of pen that was?

CEO: No.

Me: Do you remember why you were using it to write?

CEO: Yes. Signing a few new customer contracts.

Me: Well I’d say that’s the best use for a pen (we have a subtle laugh).

Wouldn’t you say signing those new customer contracts is an important event for the
business? (nods head) Then shouldn’t it be treated like one. What I mean by that is, here you are
signing new customer contracts, an important and memorable event. All while using a
very unmemorable pen.

We grew up, our entire lives, using cheap BIC pens because they get the job done for grocery
lists and directions. But we never gave it much thought to learn what’s best for more important
events.

This is the pen for more important events. This is the tool you use to get deals done. Think of it
as a symbol for taking your company to the next level. Because when you begin using the right
 tool, you are in a more productive state of mind, and you begin to sign more new customer
contracts.

Actually. You know what? Just this week I shipped ten new boxes of these pens to Mr. Prakash
office.

Unfortunately, this is my last pen today (reach across to hand pen back to CEO). So, I suggest you
get this one. Try it out. If you’re not happy with it, I will personally come back next week to pick
it up. And it won’t cost you a dime.
What do you say?

CEO: (picks jaw up off floor) Yes.

36. How do you handle stress/ pressure?

The best way to answer this question is to give an example of how you have handled stress in a
previous job. That way, the interviewer can get a clear picture of how well you work in stressful
situations.

Example:

Pressure is very important to me. Good pressure, such as having a lot of assignments to work on,
or an upcoming deadline, helps me to stay motivated and productive. Of course, there are times
when I get stressed if the pressure is too much; however, I am very skilled at balancing multiple
projects and meeting deadlines, which prevents me from feeling stressed often. Recently, I once
had three large projects like organizing my college cultural fest, my studies and working at a local
club. It was very very difficult but I created a schedule that detailed how I would break down
these things in simple steps. Then I fixed a deadline for them and achieved them one by one.
Somewhere I read that the best way of handling stress is to ‘eat the frog’. Do the toughest job
first, the job that you don’t like/enjoy doing. I have been doing this and it has helped me a lot.
 I actually work better under pressure and I've found that I enjoy working in a challenging
environment. I thrive under quick deadlines and multiple projects. I find that when I'm under the
pressure of a deadline, I work more quickly and efficiently.

37. What kind of personality do you work/gel best with and why?

I gel well with all. I am a good listener and I appreciate the good qualities of all the people I
meet. This sense of appreciation for others helps me click easily and quickly with others. I can
also be assertive and firm when things go wrong, this way I am able to maintain almost all the
relationship while getting important things done. So, for me, working with others is about me
and not about others.

38. Who was your favorite manager/teacher and why?

They are trying to find out which qualities you find admirable in your seniors and how do you
perceive them.

MY favorite teacher was Ms. Abc in UG. Though a lot of my teachers were very good, I think she
was the best. She was very positive, disciplined, firm and lively. She used to teach and mingle
with us in a friendly way but when it came to assignments everyone of us knew that we cant
mess up with the quality of her assignments. Her favorite line that I really appreciate was ‘I am
not here to be popular, I am here to make you better’. And she was popular too.

This way the interviewer gets an idea that you appreciate fun and discipline both.

39. Who is your mentor/role model?

Of course one is Ms. Abc (mentioned in Q. 38) because she helped me become professional.
Second is steve Jobs. His best thing was wherever he went, be it pixar or next or coming back to
apple… he made them all a world class company. So, whatsoever I do, I want to do it the best in
the Organisation and in the country.

40. When were you most satisfied in your job/life?

The interviewer is trying to get an idea of what motivates you, and if that fits the job for which
you’re applying.
 Sample Answer1:

“It was our college fest. I was a part of the management club. We were responsible for making
plans, getting sponsors for the event, handling a group of volunteers and making all the
arrangements for the occasion. It was my best time. I really enjoyed it, I learnt a lot like how to
make fool proof plans, how to make people understand their roles and how to network for
getting things done easily. It was fun and it was like completing a professional course.”

Sample Answer2:

I was very poor at typing. I used to see the keyboard and type. I made a plan to take my speed to
40 words a minute and wanted to type without seeing the keyboard. I could achieve it by
working consistently in just a month’s time. This has been the most satisfying time.

41. What are the traits that make you a good team player?

You don't have to just recite a list of qualities that make you a good team player. Share 2 to 3
qualities that make you a good team player and back them up with incidents & examples.

Sample Answer:

One of the qualities that make me a good team player is whenever I am free I offer to help
others without being asked and whenever I need help I ask others for help without feeling shy. I
have experienced that this makes everyone’s job easy and we complete works in time, even in
emergency situation.

Example:

Like once we were given the task of getting some documents photocopied, and then spiral bind
it and neatly present it to the Principal. What I did is I went for paperwork with my friend and
completed it fast and then we came back to do the stage work. This way it was easy and fun and
we could complete both the jobs easily. In stage work we also asked our other friends help and
after we finished all tasks successfully, we gave a small tea party to those friends who had helped
us succeed. I am open minded and an effective listener, this is why a lot of my friends come to
me with new ideas for brainstorming sessions and many times to share their difficulties with me.
So, given the freedom, I will rate myself as a very good team player.
42. Give examples of ideas you've had or implemented.

I used to take a lot of notes in my bad handwriting. When my friends used to ask me for the
notes, I used to give it to them. Though they found it difficult to read but they used to say that it
is really useful. So, I got an idea and changed my notes completely. I started documenting all my
notes on computer. Today, some of my juniors are reading my soft notes because they find it
easy to revise with it. This experience taught me the power of designing a system so that works
can be easy. I also documented the complete process of conducting a fest. This made training
new people a very easy job year after year. We didn’t use to have Independence Day
celebrations at our college, it just used to be a college holiday. I with my friends promoted the
idea of celebrating it in college and doing some social work on first half of these days. With our
promotion and College support, now it has become a trend. These are the few ideas I can recall
at present.

43. What are you looking for in terms of career development?

It is similar to Q. No. 27 ‘Describe an ideal job.

Example:
In my opinion, career development is in direct proportion to self development. So, in my career
development I am first looking for opportunity to gain practical exposure in the field of finance.
Then I am looking for challenges, & working with people who know more than me and are
professional so that I could develop similar traits in me. Once I achieve that I am sure that
company will give me more exposure and more challenging tasks and so I will become an
important asset for the organization and will be rewarded in the similar manner. This is what I
am looking for in my career development.
44. How would you feel about working for someone who knows less than you?

Principle no. 1, Boss is always right. So, if someone has reached a senior position he/she will
certainly have some qualities in them. Like Andrew Carnegie didn’t know about steel making
more than his engineers but he knew how to do steel business and that’s why he was the boss.
So, a boss who knows less than me technically, may be much more capable in handling
emergencies, networking with people for functioning of the department, more strategic, better
at making a process, better at demanding a better quality of work from the team. So, I have to
 identify that in my boss and then work as a team and become successful. I have my own flaws,
my boss will have his/her own flaws, we will work together and help the organization grow. I
think that’s what matters in the end.

45. Was there a person in your career who really made a difference?

My maths teacher in school was the biggest influence I had in my career development. He
removed the fear of maths from my mind by telling me again and again that maths is so easy.
This I have used as a way to motivate all my friends and family members. Make things look easy.
He also taught me the importance of organized learning and helped me understand that by
being organized I can be more productive in all domains. I feel that he made the biggest
difference in me to become more successful.

46. What are you most proud of?

You can answer it by combining the answers of Q.No. 3(What is your USP/greatest strength?) &
Q.NO. 6. (What is your biggest accomplishment?).

Sample Answer:

I was an introvert throughout my school days. In MBA I decided to change myself and set it as my
goal. I started volunteering for almost everything that came up, gradually I was made the
coordinator of a few simple fests happening in my college and then I was finally selected as a
member of the management club of which sees the overall student coordination and organizes
the yearly fest. Today I am a very known face in the college and I can mingle with people and
groups just in minutes. Bringing this complete change in my personality was difficult but I am
proud that I did it in a planned and phased manner. I am also very happy and proud that I am a
good problem solver, I finish my work in time and I am a committed learner. I keep learning every
day, almost every hour.

47. What did you like least about your last job/course?

You see tough times everywhere. This interview question probes to find out your pain points and
what you do about them. The fact that the question begs for negative answers simply masks the
intent: how motivated are you to handle the things you don’t like doing? Don’t complain about
 your teachers/HOD/Principal. Don’t complain about your friends and other students. Don’t
complain about the college.

Turn the negative into a positive. A situation which was distasteful to you in the beginning but
has helped you become a better person and now you can manage it.

Sample Answer:

I am basically a people oriented person. In B.Com. we had too much of writing work which I
hated. As I wanted to make a career in Finance I knew that I had to work on this. I made plans of
only writing for 3 to 4 hrs a day. As I progressed, I started doing it well. It helped me develop a lot
of patience and precision.

48. What do you think of your previous boss/HOD/Director?

Don’t talk negative. Or else the interviewer will think that your approach is negative. Talk
positive!

Sample Answer :

Our director is a very friendly, very firm and a highly professional person. He used to mingle with
all of us, just stand somewhere and chat with us often. But he was very firm in terms of students
coming to class on time, assignment submission, dress code etc. If we were late, he will simply
not allow us to go to the class. This made almost all of us develop a disciplined approach. This
has helped us a lot. And he was very professional, if he told us anything; even while having a
casual conversation; he used to follow it up, he always used to keep his commitment. He taught
us a lot without teaching anything.

49. How do you think I rate as an interviewer?

The best way to answer is to pick out qualities of the interview and compliment them, keeping
the focus away from “you are perfect” and instead on “you do this, this, and this really well.”
Avoid rating them on a scale of to 10 or telling them very good or excellent. You can modestly
tell them that as a fresher you don’t find yourself adequately qualified to judge a senior person.

Sample Answer:
 It’s clear that every question you ask has a purpose, which tells me that it is important to you
that the interview is productive. You have also asked some very in depth questions which tells
me that your interviews often lead to the hiring of capable candidates with excellent job
experience, something that I can appreciate as an applicant, knowing that my coworkers will be
competent workers. So, In my short time with you, I observe that you are goal oriented, focused
and precise with your work.

50. What do you look for in terms of culture -- structured or entrepreneurial?

Sample Answer :

Its combination of both. If the processes are set and well structured, its easy to operate and train
new people about the company practices. At the same time, bringing innovative practices, and
doing things a bit differently will give us competitive advantage over others. So I prefer a culture
where we can blend the structure and entrepreneurial style both.

51. What are your lifelong dreams?

The answer will be similar to Q. No. 9. (What is your life goal?). They want to know whether this
job fits in with your life dreams or not. Along with your career goals you can also share 1 or 2 of
your personal dreams like going around the globe, skydiving etc. By sharing your professional
dreams, you are considered a professional and by sharing your personal dreams you prove that
you are open and honest.

Sample Answer:

My lifelong dreams are to establish myself in the field of finance, have so much of practical
knowledge and experience in the field that I get respected for that. I must be seen as an expert
in my domain and as a person who can bring a lot of growth in the organization that I join. One
more lifelong dream would be to understand about the practices in my field all over the globe
and if it works out, to go on a world tour with my family.

52. What do you know about this industry?

 Read & research about the industry, company & its competitors before the interview. A lot of
candidates do not do this and this can help you stand out from all others.

You may not have a lot of experience in the field yet, but make sure you have researched and are
ready to discuss current trends. It’s also extremely important to refer to specifics from
internships or work experience you’ve had in the past or topics you’ve recently studied in
college.

Sample Answer :

According to some research done recently it indicates a clear consensus that there are two
primary drivers of change in HR: technology and talent management. Talent management will
become a critical priority for the nation’s businesses—and the strategic purpose of HR’s future
role within organizations. The Google HR head who joined as VP when Google had 6,000 people
and grew the employee strength to 60,000 has been the key factor in making policies that get
the company ‘The best place to work’ title and so gets 2 million applications every year and gets
the opportunity to hire the best talent. So, HR role is going to be more diversified and will help
the business aggressively.

53. What do you know about our company?

Use google.com or company website for collecting the information.

All that research you gathered is very useful to YOU when deciding if you want to work for a
particular company. Or whether you’ll be a good fit. And it also helps you figure out how to aim
your interview answers to show how well you do match.

Talk about the following things :

Year founded, Name of CEO, Name of the person heading up the department we are interested
in, A few of the lines of business that the company is involved in and how they are doing. A few
of our clients and specifically what we are doing with them. Our competition, where they are
strong and where they are weak. Recent news within the company. If the company is public,
revenue, market cap, stock symbol, stock price and an analyst rating or two
 Regardless of the company’s reputation, tell me about how you feel this is a great place to work
based on something you read. You cold be applying at a Mongolian prison, but figure out
something good to say about us as a workplace

Sample Answer :

MakeMyTrip is an Indian online travel company, founded by Mr. Deep Kalra in 2000.
Headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, the company provides online travel services including flight
tickets, domestic and international holiday packages, hotel reservations, rail and bus tickets. In
2011 and 2012, this company made strategic acquisitions in pursuit of growth through new
channels and markets in Southeast Asia. Recently, it launched Travel Apps for mobile devices.
The company has been consistently recognised as one of India's best travel portals in spite of
advertisement by Salman Khan for Yatra or promotion by cleartrip.com. I appreciate one thing
about your advertisements is that you focus on touching the clients’ emotions through
innovative ways like ‘cancel the trip’ ad to ‘uncancel the trip’ ad. Makemytrip has been managing
revenue of $ 255 million with 1700+ employees. It was originally launched for NRIs in US market.
It was launched in India in 2005 and since then makemytrip has been a leader in this field. In
2010 it was listed on the NASDAQ. MakeMyTrip's other acquisitions include travel operators like
ITC Group and Hotel Travel Group to enter new markets in the South-East Asian region in the
year 2012. In coming time also I see this company retaining its no.1 position in the market, so I
am excited to be a part of no. 1 online travel company in our country.

54. What is the name of our CEO?

Rajesh Magow was appointed as CEO - India in August 2013. (makemytrip.com)

55. Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you
handle it?

The interviewer wants to know how you manage working with different kinds of people

Sample Answer :
 Yes. I have experienced it once. We were a team working for a symposium at our college and
there was one of our team member who was not co-operating with the team. He was in
hospitality wing of our team where he was supposed to invite important guests, follow it up with
them and welcome them when they come. He was heading the hospitality wing so it was
important that he comes along with us. First I started going out with him and spending time. I
used to listen more and let him speak. This build a rapport between both of us. Then I started
finding what good work he was doing and appreciate it. Gradually he became a part of our
forum and started performing and he really did a great job. Its just that he needed more
appreciation and recognition. Whenever I work with people who are generally a bit difficult to
manage, I find their domain of greatness and then work as a team complementing each other.

56. Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?

Choose an example of a time you had to give negative feedback and that person took it well and
changed the behavior to lead to the desired outcome. Walk the hiring manager through the
situation, your thought process in deciding how best to approach the individual, and how you
gave the negative feedback in a way that produced a positive outcome.

Sample Answer :

There was a gang of 5 students in my class who always used to come late and disturb the class.
One day I found one teacher quite disturbed by this and thought of fixing it. I spoke with them in
the class and took them to the canteen to give them a party so that we could discuss these
things in a lighter environment. There I spoke to them about their late coming and the trouble
that others face due to them. In this conversation I listened to them more so that they
understand that I am not there to give them a sermon on time management and I agreed with
them on a lot of points so that they could also be ready to agree with my major point. At the end
I also suggested them that if they come a bit late, they can wait for the next class… this way they
will have fun in life without spoiling anyone else life or they can come a bit early. They couldn’t
improve much in being punctual but they didn’t disturb the class when it was in progress. So, I
could give them a feedback which helped all of us. I think in giving a tough feedback, we need to
listen more, agree more and then present 1 major point where we are looking for a change.
57. What is your personal mission statement?

The objective mentioned in your CV is your mission statement, but you must present it in your
own words so that it doesn’t appear rehearsed. You should share your aim and your action plan
to achieve them.

Sample Answer :

I am committed to become an expert in the field of HR and this I will achieve by working with
experienced people in HR industry and by handling important and challenging projects.

58. What is your greatest failure, and what did you learn from it?

They are trying to find out your approach towards failure. Whether you are a person who
becomes negative after facing failure or you tend to learn from it and move forward. So, do not
share about your failures without sharing the learnings thereof.

Sample Answer:

My greatest failure was not being able to clear the Medical Entrance Test. I feel that I didn’t
prepare for it on the war footing from day one and by the time I started preparing for it I had lost
a lot of time and this resulted into me not clearing the test. It has taught me a great lesson and
now I start things in a very planned and aggressive way from day 1. And this has made me very
successful in most of my endeavours.

59. What irritates you about other people, and how do you deal with it?

The interviewer wants to have a clear picture of your inter personal skills. How do you deal with
different kind of people, how do you manage your anger and whether you are going to be an
easy person to work with or not.

Sample Answer :

I am quite adaptable and so it takes a lot of time and effort to get me irritated. Whenever I work
with people I focus on completing the task and not on their style of functioning and the petty
 issues. So, I don’t get irritated often. Yes, if someone is a bit lazy and not putting the best in
finishing the work that we have taken, in that case I get a little concerned and then before I get
irritated I speak to them and we fix deadlines and frequent discussions on the work. This usually
simplifies the matter. If it goes to the extreme, I give myself and the other person a break so that
we could discuss things when we are relaxed.

60. What is your greatest fear?

Pick something which isn't too related to your job and try to downplay it as best as you can,
subtly weaving into your answer ways in which you combat your fear.

Example:

Snakes are my greatest fear. I don’t feel comfortable at all. Otherwise I get somewhat nervous
about having to give presentations. Though I have been appreciated in this domain from +2 itself
but somehow before any presentation I feel quite nervous. Once I start I take care of it very well.
I also work hard to prepare very thoroughly for presentations. That really helps to boost my
confidence.

61. How do you feel about taking no for an answer?

I believe in finding ‘What is right and not who is right‘ and so when I get no for an answer I
always discuss it and share my viewpoint and listen to others viewpoint. Sometimes I agree with
others point and sometimes others agree with mine. With seniors I present my point firmly if I
felt I was right in my analysis but the final decision doesn't rest with me. If that's the route
management wants to take I would simply accept it as I may not be aware of other factors privy
to senior management.

That way the interviewer knows that you are analytical, persistent but open and can and will
follow directions.

62. What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?

The interviewer doesn’t want to know about your parents’ divorce or your breakup with your
girlfriend. He wants to know how you overcame the situation: your ability to handle stress, your
 critical-thinking skills, your problem-solving skills, your ability to lead and work within a team,
etc. In general, replies should center on successes and triumphs. Focus answers on results
achieved despite hardships rather than emphasizing the difficulties of what occurred.

Sample Answer :

When I took admission in BBM, my communication was very poor, especially my English. When I
used to get up and speak something in class, the whole class used to giggle and pass comments.
I was so depressed that I had decided to leave the course. This difficult time lasted for almost 2
months. But then I saw the movie ‘Om Shanti Om’ and was motivated to fight my problem than
running away from it. First I analysed that my English is not weak, I am not able to SPEAK
fluently. So, I made a plan to speak on different topics 200 mins per week. I took admission in an
English Speaking course so that I get a platform to practice my language and gain more
confidence. I also continued speaking in the class so that I keep my fear in check. In just 3
months time, the giggle of the class turned into appreciation and my selection to different clubs
in the college. I feel that this was my toughest time so far in life and I became very strong after
that.

63. What assignment was too difficult for you, and how did you resolve the issue?

Again, the interviewer wants to know how you respond in challenging situations. You fight or
flight.

Sample Answer:

The toughest assignment was being a part of the admission team in our college. We were given
the responsibility of talking to the students who were interested in taking admission in our
college. Informing them about the college was easy, but getting them converted to take
admission was too difficult and I always had a goal in my mind that if I talk to 30 parents in a day
around 15 should take admission and I found that persuading someone to do something was
very very challenging. So, I prepared what I will talk, what are the specialities of our college and
then how will I present that our college has an edge over other colleges. This helped me
succeed. I was almost getting 12 admissions out of 30 people that I spoke to.

64. What is your favorite memory from childhood?

 The purpose is to just engage in simple talks and get to know the person better. If you share mor
e negative things, that means you are more of a negative person. If you share some of the
challenges and how did you overcome them, it shows a winners attitude.

Sample Answer :

My favourite memory of my childhood was being on a boat all alone in the river and being alive
today. We used to live near a river ‘Koshi’. There used to be so many boats on the bank when we
used to go in the evening to play. One fine evening I was hiding in the boat during hide and seek
and someone pushed the boat away from the bank. After sometime when I looked outside I
found myself far away from the bank. I was scared to death. It was getting dark and I was in
tears, didn’t know what to do. Then out of my helplessness I started sailing the boat and after a
lot of difficulty I managed to reach back. No one was there to receive me, everyone had gone
back home and my family members were searching for me everywhere. I survived that day. I was
7 years old then. And till today that incident works as an anchor in my life in all my difficult
situations that I will somehow sail through.

65. Give me an example of a time you did something wrong. How did you handle it?

The interviewer wants to know how do you react when you do mistakes. Like before appointing
a person Steve Jobs always used to find out that if there is a mistake done by this person
whether he will accept it and correct it or push it under the carpet. The interviewer also wants to
know the same. So, share an incident where you did something wrong and you accepted it and
corrected it as well.

Sample Answer :

When I was given the list of important people with their contact details by mistake it was
misplaced. I was supposed to invite them to a college function. This was a big mistake and was
not acceptable from any standards. I had to muster courage and after that I went to my Principal
and first accepted my mistake. He was not happy with my irresponsible behavior and was angry.
I requested him to give me one more chance with a promise that I will not disappoint him again.
 Finally he agreed and gave me the list again. First I took a photocopy of that paper and kept it
safe. Then I called all the guests immediately and then mailed them the invitation. Next day itself
I updated the Principal about the status of my work and he was very happy. I think everyone
does mistakes and what is important that we accept and fix it rather than crying about it.

66. Tell me one thing about yourself you wouldn't want me to know.

Any answer you give during an interview must be a positive, even if the nature of the question is
negative. Don’t provide an actual weakness about yourself. Provide something that you may not
have really said otherwise but makes you seem like a stronger candidate.

Sample Answer :

I check the quality of my work 3 times. Though it makes my work almost error free but gets me
stressed. I am working on developing the habit of checking my work only twice. I think this will
take care of the quality issue and moreover, I need to allow myself the possibility of some errors
once in a while. In fact, this is the thing I don’t want you to know, so please forget it ;).

67. Tell me the difference between good and exceptional.

Good is just getting the job done at bare minimum. Exceptional is going the extra mile and
making sure the job is thorough and complete. For an example, if you ask me for details on
insurance and I copy the stuff from internet and present it to you, I call it OK work. If I have
checked it for spelling errors and checked whether it meets the objective, it is good work. If I
have checked spelling errors, found out about the competitors, different kinds of insurance
services in India and abroad, the trend of insurance market in last 10 years and the future
forecast and summarize my 5 point opinion on the subject, I will call that exceptional. Always
give extra… Quality + quantity.

68. Why did you choose your major?

Interviewers who ask why an applicant chose a particular major not only want to know the
reason for selecting the specific field of study but also the steps taken to arrive at the decision. In
addition to academic background, the question deals with the planning skills and goal-setting
abilities of job seekers. Employers want to see evidence of thoughtful planning in terms of
making important decisions, such as choosing a college major. Interviewees therefore need to
 describe the decision-making process in a way that shows careful consideration of all available
options. The most effective responses usually establish a clear connection between the chosen
major and the long-term career goals of candidates.

Sample Answer :

I chose the field of marketing because of my belief that marketing plays a very important role in
making a business establish and grow. I found myself good at convincing people with my ideas;
be it a picnic trip or plan to watch a movie or to participate in our college activities; I was able to
persuade people with enthusiasm and don’t quit unless they say yes approach. I liked the idea of
promoting and selling concepts. I love working with deadlines because I feel that’s the only way
to do good work. And this field operates with targets and goals being in the center, so I am
convinced that I am a good fit for it and that’s why I chose marketing. And I am glad that I did.

69. What are the qualities of a good leader?

Sample Answer :

In my opinion, a person who can lead himself first and then guide others with the help of his
experience is the leader. A leader must have vision and communication to reach that vision to
the team members. Once he has communicated that vision, he should be influential enough to
inspire people to go and achieve that vision, he should be persistent in achieving those goals and
should help and coach people whenever needed. Once the team goal is achieve, he should be
generous enough to share the credit with the team members. The quality that makes me a good
leader is my ability to take the team along.

70. Do you think a leader should be feared or liked?

The interviewer is looking for the traits that you favor the most in leaders.
Sample Answer :
In my opinion a leader should be a combination of both. First of all, a leader should be
responsible for the goal that he has taken up along with the team. In order to get the best out of
a team, team members must appreciate the capability of a leader, and must be happy with his
interaction with them. So, he must be liked. But in case of people not putting their best or being
lazy they must have a fear that this person will ask them questions and hold them responsible.
 They can’t just get away with poor quality of work. So, I feel a leader should be liked and feared
both.
71. Have you ever been a leader?
They want to know which are the leadership qualities you possess and how well you handle a
team, if needed.
Yes. I have been a leader quite often. In fact we were two kids in our family and being the elder
one I had to take care of my younger sister from 4th standard itself. In school I was in Scouts and
guide where I learnt to be more responsible and disciplined and then in college I learnt to work
with people and as a head of cultural club I had to organize, plan and prepare reports about our
activities and this all involved getting works done from others as well. So, I have learnt to be
good at managing people, persuading them, keeping low if others are a bit emotional &
strategizing, the qualities that can make a good leader.
72. What is your biggest regret, and why?

The meaning behind the question: The assumption is that you do have some regrets and they're
hoping this question will uncover those. It's all very useful information to them. Greatest
regrets; it's highly emotive language, isn't it? But you definitely need to avoid giving a highly
emotive answer.

Sample Answer:

I could perhaps have scored more in my first semester of UG to get a better overall aggregate
this is the only mild regret that I have otherwise I don't think I'd say I have any specific regrets
about the path my career has taken, let alone any major regrets. I'm very pleased with the path
my career has taken to date. All of the decisions I've made along the way have been for specific
reasons and, ultimately, those decisions have led me to where I am today.

73. What are three positive character traits you don't have?

They just want to know your weaknesses and they have framed the question differently. Share 1
attribute that you feel you don’t have and doesn’t have any connection with the job.

Sample Answer :

I tend to listen to people more. Sometimes when I know that the person is sharing only
nonsense and doesn’t have anything worthwhile to share still I listen. I need to learn to avoid
 those conversations from being long. So, I want to learn how to end a conversation without
being impolite.

74. If I were to ask your last supervisor/HOD to provide you additional training or exposure, what
would she suggest?

They want to know whether you are technically poor in any area that affects your job. Share 1
technical area where you are good but can become better with additional training.

Sample Answer:

I am good with Excel and my ability to manage and interpret data was appreciated by my HOD.
My HOD will suggest you to give me some additional training in Excel so that I could really do a
great job in the field.

75. If you could choose one superhero power, what would it be and why?

Don’t share your fantasy here. Share something that makes people perform better and be
perceived as a superhero.

Sample Answer:

I think the ability to solve problems is what I rank as the best superhero power. You give them
any situation, they figure out the ways to handle it. I would like to develop the same in me rather
than flying in the air or having a car which fires bullets.

76. What techniques and tools do you use to keep yourself organized?

They want to know how well you manage your time and whether you are organized enough to
be productive for the organisation.

Sample Answer:

I am of the opinion that if we can be organized we can be productive. They go hand in hand.
Basically I use 3 tools to be organized. The first one is be a bit early. Whether it’s a meeting or a
presentation or an appointment, I go a bit early. In hurry we tend to forget things and panic
which leads to poor quality of work. Second is I plan my day and only then I proceed. This gives
 me direction and saves me a lot of time. This planning I usually do one day in advance so that
when I come to my workplace I am ready and excited. And the third tool is to review my work
before lunch so that I know that I am on track.

77. What was the most boring job you have ever had?
The interviewers want to know whether any part of this job may be boring for you.

Sample Answer:
I think all my jobs have been very exciting for me because everywhere I could find something
that I didn’t know and wanted to learn and that makes all my jobs exciting enough. Be it a class
monitor or writing a newsletter for the college or taking care of some management fest logistics,
I focus myself on what I can learn from it and become better and so it gets exciting for me.

78. What was the most important incident of your life? And why?
Talk positive and focus on how that incident made you more capable.

Sample Answer :

As I shared with you earlier (Q.No. 17) In my third semester, I was not prepared well for the
exams, especially in accounts. It was only 20 days left. So, instead of panicking and feeling sad
about it, I made a study time table and gave 10 hours out fo 30 hrs a week to accounts. In a
week’s time I gained confidence in the subject and then comfortably passed the paper wih 68%. I
learnt that even if the situation is bad, if we plan well and execute patiently, we will succeed.
From this day onwards, I do not accept defeat as a final thing.

79. Your most formative years?

Sample Answer:
My college days were the most formative ones. As I told you earlier, I was an introvert and used
to avoid talking to people. In college I got a lot of opportunities to participate in different events
and interact with people so I became quite expressive and popular in my college. Apart from this
 I learnt to deal with people, work together in a group, giving tough feedback and working with
seniors and faculties. So, I evolved as a mature and responsible person in the college. This is why
I feel these 5 years were the most formative ones.
80. In what ways have you contributed to the growth of your family and society?
Sample Answer:
I am active when it comes to do something for our area. I am a volunteer for our layout
association. I have been participating in the cleaning and plantation drive for almost 6 years now.
I have done blood donation 12 times so far and during every summer vacation, I volunteer for
summer camp activities in our area. So, I try to contribute my best.

81. What did you get out of your academics?

Talk positive.
Sample Answer:
There are so many things that I learnt and developed and most important of them were
knowledge about my field, Ability to work with others and values. These things have made me
independent and confident that I can manage my life well and can contribute to the society and
people positively.

82. If selected for this position, can you describe your strategy for the first 90 days?

The question is aimed at finding out how fast you would settle into the role and start being
productive for the organisation. Your first 90 days at a job are very crucial because the employer
evaluates if you are fit for the job. To answer this question, ensure you have a 90-day plan that
clearly demonstrates how you’ll settle in the new position. You were hired for a reason. Is it to
generate ideas? To train others? To add design or technical skills that were lacking? Learning
where you fit within the overall business strategy is something that may seem obvious but is
often overlooked. Figure this out early.

First I will introduce my work and my portfolio to my colleagues so that people around me know
my work context, a view into my work style, and an idea of how I complement them in their
work. At the same time I would like to know their work and their work style so that I could gel
well for better productivity. Second thing I will do is to know my boss expectation and his work
style. Whether he wants me to report daily or biweekly. And then within a week learn about the
 culture and the way our department and the whole organisation functions so that I could fit in
fast.

83. If you found out your company was doing something against the law, like fraud, what would
you do?

They are finding out your commitment to ethics.

Sample Answer:

I will first bring it to my senior’s notice and try to understand the situation. If I understand that it
is something against law I will request him to raise the issue at a higher level and fix it. Then I will
follow it up with him and find out what is the action taken in that regard. If I find it alarming I will
share it with the top people and request them to fix it.

84. Describe how you would handle a situation if you were required to finish multiple tasks by the
end of the day, and there was no conceivable way that you could finish them.

The interviewer wants to know your planning skill, delegation capacity and ability to take others’
help.

Sample Answer:

First, I will calculate the extra time that I need to finish the work. If it is too much, I will explain
this to my superior and ask for a little extra time to complete it. If we are helpless and we HAVE
to meet the deadline, I will ask him for some help in terms of 1 or 2 extra dedicated people for
the work. And then I will ask my colleagues to take care of some part of the work so that we
could complete it in time without compromising the quality of it.

85. Why are you leaving your present job? **

Talk positive. Don’t start complaining and criticizing about the previous job or boss. Talk in
relation to your career goals and how the job you are applying provides a better environment for
growth than your previous job. As always, angle your reply in such a way that what you had
learned in your previous job had enriched you with valuable skills for the current position.
 Sample Answer:

As you see I joined my first job as a finance executive and worked there for 2 years. In 2 years I
have learnt a lot in this job. To be honest, I wasn't considering a move, but, I saw this job posting
and was intrigued by the position and the company. It sounds like an exciting opportunity and I
am sure that I will be able to continue my learning graph here and will grow more. That’s why
this shift.

86. If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would
you do?

The interviewer wants to know whether you are too emotional in dealing with people and how
do you react when you disagree with others.

Sample Answer:

Sir, I will first present you my viewpoint on that and would like to know your logic on allocating
the work to me. There are many things that you can understand with your experience which I
may not be in a position to visualize. So, I will try to understand that. If still, I find it extremely
uncomfortable, I will just emotionally switch off myself and do it because I may not understand a
few things in the very beginning of my career itself.

87. What's the most difficult decision you've made in the last two years?

Being a college student, you must share something personal with them too. Otherwise they will
think that you are too much prepared for the interview.

Sample Answer:

My most difficult decision was to breakup with my girlfriend. I observed that my friendship with
other boys in class was getting affected because of her. She was in a relationship with 3 of the
boys of our class. So, after a lot of thoughts and talks with the girl I finally decided to say bye to
that relationship. Today also I talk to that girl as a friend and my relationship with others is also
great. It was difficult taking this decision… sometimes quite depressing. But I am glad I could take
a decision and implement it.
88. If you had to choose one, would you consider yourself a big-picture person or a detail-oriented
person?

Now, see the profile. If it is a job demanding more detailed knowledge like Finance and HR then
detail-oriented person is more suitable because they tend to learn things precisely. They work on
details. Otherwise, if they are looking for someone in marketing or a managerial position where
people need to focus on getting the job done rather than knowing about it thoroughly then they
will prefer a big picture person.

Sample Answer:

I am a detail oriented person. I believe knowing things more precisely and being accurate in
whatsoever I do. For example, if I am preparing a balance sheet, I want it to be absolutely error
free. I keep learning about my subject so that wherever I work, I am considered a very reliable
resource.

89. Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?

They want to know how you respond to criticism. The best way is to accept your mistakes, make
correction plan and show improvements

Sample Answer:

When I had submitted my project work to my HOD. He refused to accept it telling that the data
used in the project is not the real ones and are just imagined by me. I accepted my mistake and
asked him to give me some time. Then I scanned different resources for the data and mentioned
their references clearly in my project. My HOD was happy with this correction.

90. List five words that describe your character.

Avoid explaining. Just use 5 adjectives that describe you the best and project you as a better
candidate. The below mentioned answer shows 5 great attributes that can get you hired. Goal
oriented shows that you work with goals and are passionate about achievements, co-operative
shows that you are a good team player, sincere shows that you are committed and creativity
throws light on your problem solving ability and capacity to think differently.
 Sample Answer:

Goal driven, disciplined, co-operative, sincere, creative. And I have worked hard on developing
them in me.

91. What three character traits would your friends use to describe you?

Maintain continuity with previous answers. You can use some of the qualities that you just
mentioned in Q.No. 90.

Sample Answer:

Co-operative, Creative and fun loving. These are the reasons why I am having a big friend circle
and am able to maintain many of my friends for last 15 to 18 years.

92. If you were interviewing someone for this position, what traits would you look for?

Sample Answer :

I would look for commitment to learn and execute the work. The ability to work with others, and
taking ownership of the job. If the person had these qualities in him, I will hire him because rest
of the things he can develop with time and training.

93. How do you define success?

Sample Answer :

Success varies from person to person. My definition of success is working hard, doing good
quality work, recognized as an expert in my field and being physically, mentally and financially
strong.

94. How would you deal with an angry or irate customer?

Sample Answer:

If we listen to people who are angry they ultimately calm down. So, first thing I will listen to
them and let them speak. Once I feel that now they want to discuss the solution I will
understand the issue and address it. Once the problem is resolved, everybody is happy. While
 handling angry people I always remind myself that it’s the other person who is angry not me and
this helps me stay calm.

95. What motivates you?

Sample Answer:

A good start to the day. Completing something difficult in the first half and feeling successful.
Learning something new on a regular basis and the feeling that I am growing and a little bit of
appreciation by others keeps me motivated. Watching some good movies like Shawshank
Redemption, Avatar also inspires and motivates me to do something very good in my field.

96. Which book did you read last?

Sample Answer:

It was Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Half Girlfriend’.

They may follow it up with other questions like what do you think about Chetan Bhagat or the
book. Present your opinion with analysis of the author and the book.

97. Give a time when you went above and beyond the requirements for a project?

They want to know whether you go the extra mile to do a high quality work or you just finish the
work somehow. Confirm this is a regular occurrence versus a one-time thing – Even though
there is probably only time to give one example in the interview, make sure your interviewer
knows that this is something you have (and are willing to do) more often. Share your concrete
example.

Sample Answer:

I think this has been my work style. I want to do a good job. I just don’t want to do job anyhow. I
believe in wow factor. If people keep on feeling wow when they see my work, I feel that I have
done a good job. Like recently I was asked to submit 1 inspirational idiom for our college
magazine. I collected 12 of them for 12 months with meaning and how to use them in a
 sentence. The moment I handed it over to my faculty, she said wow ‘Umeed se duguna’ (double
than my expectations). So, I believe in ‘customer delight’ not in ‘customer satisfaction’.

98. Discuss your resume.

Do not share information about yourself like name and DOB. Share your academic and
extracurricular achievements. Talk about your personality traits and experiences that proves you
a more suitable candidate for the job.

Sample Answer:

My objective is to gain practical implementation of my academic knowledge and be recognized

and appreciated as an expert in the field of HR. My overall marks percentage is 61, but in my first
semester I had scored only 45%. It was then that I made plans to improve my marks and got
better with every semester like sem2 - 58%, sem 3 – 62%, Sem 4 – 73%, Sem 5 – 60% & Sem 6 –
68%. I am good at problem solving. I see the problem from different angles to find better
solutions. I am organized. I don’t do things on time, I rather do things before time … so that I
don’t complete my work in a hurry and compromise the quality of work. I am a committed
learner. I have a plan to learn min. 2 things a day. 1 before lunch and 2 nd after lunch. So, I analyse
my day and see how am I becoming better at my work on a daily basis.

Pause and see whether they want you to talk more. If yes, go on talking about your experiences
with responsibilities given in the college and sometimes at home and how well you executed
them.

99. What questions haven’t I asked you?

Don’t answer as if you are finding faults, criticizing or complaining. Just share 2 good questions
they haven’t asked.

Sample Answer :

I think you have asked most of the relevant questions. Yes, 1 question which you can still ask for a
better understanding of my character is ‘Which is my favourite quote’, this can give you an idea
 about my life philosophy. 1 more question that you can ask me is ‘What are the qualities I
inherited from my parents’ and so on.

100. What is our Company name and Tagline?

They want to know whether you have done your homework before coming for the interview. This
is the simplest question that they can ask an interviewee. So go ahead and give the answer.

Your company name is ‘Caterpillar 2 Butterfly’ and the tagline is ‘you to your possibility’. and I liked
both of them. They are very meaningful.

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