Interview Question

An interview board is the last stage of selection of a candidate as an employee. So, both the interviewer and the interviewee try to adjust themselves with each others. The interviewer mostly like to make the interviewee hesitated so that the real weakness of the interviewee get out. And the interviewee tries to hide all the weakness and demonstrate all the strongest qualities s/he has. This is not too easy to deal with the interviewer as the demand of the two differs a lot. An interviewer can ask any question as there is no fixed question to ask about, but the interviewee must to answer the question no matter how much irrelevant the question is. The matter which should be kept in mind that not the question and the answers are considered in the interview the matter of consideration is the strategy you follow to answer the question. If you are unprepared for the interview it will be very tough to meet the demand of the question. You must have a prior preparation for any interview. Before getting in an interview you must know some basic information about the company/organization including the duties and responsibilities of the position you are applying for. The question of the interview board does not match with each other, so it is not possible to decorate few questions for your interview. But there are some typical method which most of the employers follow to entrap their candidates. Here we tried to show a way to answer the toughest and mostly asked critical questions of interview.

1. Tell something about yourself?

This is a very simple and innocent question for the interviewer but the toughest for the interviewee. Most of the interviewers like to start with this question and most of the interviewees are unprepared for answering properly such question. The difference between the desired and given answer makes the interviewee disqualified. If you are the candidate never be trapped with this simple question and do not start your answer with the recapping of your life story or delving into ancient work history or personal matters. The question may seem that it is looking for your historical background of your life, but the reality is the questioner wants to know your compliance for the position. Prepare a short statement in your mind about yourself relating your quality and the position you applying for. But do not tell it like a rehashed dialogue; keep your voice normal and easy. Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Limit your answer to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Tell them about your previous works and jobs in such a way which describes your efficacy in the position you are interviewing for. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. Try to include all the success of your previous life but in a very short statement. Concise but meaningful speech increases your personality and demand to the interviewer.

2. What is your greatest / best strength? Or, what is your strength?

This question does not trap the interviewee with the elements of the answer but the way of answering matters for the question. There are a lot of strengths in you but all of these are not essential here to describe or mention. Make a trick and convince the interviewer with your speech delivery power. That means describe any of your strength in such a way which illustrate that this one strength is enough to fulfill the lacking of others and make you fit for the position. You need not to enlist the strength one after another, emphasis on any one of your strengths and prove it. You may take the example from your recent experience or an old story but you must remember the incident will be impressive and attractive. For instance you may tell about your sense of responsibility and power of management by a story like managing a doctor at midnight in a backward village. Or the description of the days when your wife was in hospital and you were in the official difficulty to emphasis your ability to work under pressure. You also may tell any other story related to the qualities the employer looking in you. Generally an employer looks for the following qualities in an employee.

• 1. A proven track record as an achiever, especially the achievement which matches the demand of the employer. .
• 2. Intelligence (Problem solving strategy).
• 3. Honesty and integrity.
• 4. Ability of working under pressure.
• 5. The sense of responsibility to your duties.
• 6. Communication (sense of humor and interaction with others) skill.
• 7. Dedication (positive approach) to the organization and works.
• 8. Adjustment with corporate culture.
• 9. Academic background, leadership ability, prior organizational experiences also have a good impact here.

3. Tell something about your weakness. Or what is your weakness?

This is a question which is designed to shorten the candidate list. On the one hand the question is asked to know how honest you are with yourself and on the other hand your weakness decreases your probability of being selected. Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview. Never admit any weakness straight, disguise your strength as weakness. That means describe your weakness in such a way which illustrates the weakness as an essential quality. For instance say- I sometimes take a little more time to do a job than others, even then I cannot compromise with the quality of my work. This answer on the one hand admits your weakness that means your honesty and on the other hand makes you dependable on the question of quality that means your professional attitude.

4. Why should I hire you?

This is the most important question either asked or not asked. The employer must think of why he should hire you for the position. If the question is asked make proper utilization of the opportunity of proving yourself as the mostly fit candidate for the position. To do that you must know the demand of the employer and the requirement and duty of the position. Walk through each of the position’s requirements as you understand them, and follow each with a reason why you meet that requirement so well. You have to remember that only this question will allow you to be hired if you can prove yourself fit for the position. For the fresher this is very hard to describe reason of hiring as they do not have prior experience or proven quality. For them it is better to revise qualities and make example of previous activities relating the future responsibility of the position. For instance you are applying for an administrative job, you may tell- I have organized programs in college and university like study tour, reunion, rag day, cultural program, debate etc. For an experienced interviewee it is easy to make example of his/her previous activities, the fact is to relate the activities with the newer one. Most of the interviewees are not prepared for this question, so you have a good chance to prepare yourself before facing the interview.

5. Can you work under pressure? How do you handle stress and pressure?

The only answer of the first question is yes and definitely. You have no way to answer negative in this question. But in the second phase of the question you have to take a strategy to overcome the hesitating condition. You may differ stress from pressure saying that no pressure becomes stress if I think them so. That means pressure is a part of work and it is essential in order to complete duties within fixed time but stress is the extreme level of pressure. A pressure reaches to the level of stress when I fail to manage pressure in primary level. In other words I always like to be punctual and disciplined. These two terminate the probability of stress. Even after there a condition of stress or over pressure creates I try to share my working strategy with others and want to get feedback to overcome the situation. Because when I think my decision might cause trouble I want to consider the best from others and that does better.

6. The silent Treatment

This is not a question but a big challenge as most of the interviewees are not prepared for the situation. This treatment is not employed by all of the employers, it’s normally used by those determined to see how you respond under stress. After your answer of a question, the interviewer instead of asking another just stares at you in a deafening silence. You wait for the question and get a bit uneasy, and there he sits, silent as a monument as if he doesn’t believe what you’ve just said, or perhaps making you feel that you’ve violated some cardinal rule of interview etiquette. Most unprepared candidates become nervous and rush in to fill the void of silence, starts to move uneasily and his/her talking become unnecessary and irrelevant. Do not do that, if your interviewer apply it on you, keep yourself quiet for while and then ask with sincere politeness and not a trace of fear “Is there anything else I can fill in on that point?” This question is asked by you and the employer is bound to answer you which definitely break the silence and make you free from the hesitating moments.

7. Are you not over qualified for this position?

Whenever you try to prove yourself fit for the position and describing examples to prove your efficiency in this sector, the interviewer place a new trap for you just in the opposition of your stand by this question. You have no chance to agree with the question as your over qualification disallows you and you cannot deny your speeches and qualities you described to prove your efficiency and perfection for the position. So you are in a big trouble now. So you have to make a trick here. Do not answer the question directly rather pass it by a side. Describe qualified or over qualified as a comparative matter. That means it may vary person to person. So this cannot be the major concern, the major concern is the work and the process of working. A more qualified person can complete the work within relatively short time and make the proper utilization of opportunities. If you think I am over qualified then I would say it will promote your organizational works more quickly. You should remember that the main concern behind the “overqualified” question is that you will leave your new employer as soon as something better comes your way. Anything you can say to demonstrate the sincerity of your commitment to the employer and reassure him that you’re looking to stay for the long-term will help you overcome this objection.

8. What do you know about this organization?

Every successful interview requires researching the organization. You must take a preparation to answer any question related to the organization. Best sources for researching the organization are- annual reports, the corporate newsletter, advertisements, articles about the company in the trade press and you may contact the organization for more detail. This will help you to understand the organization’s need and demand and the focal point of the organization. When you are asked such question to tell anything about the organization you should not show that you know everything rather be selective to quote the most important information about the organization which shows that you have expended enough time to learn about the organization. Tell them briefly their prior and current position in the market among similar organizations. Then discuss on the products or services, reputation, goals, management style, history of the organization. Then you may add the problems of the organization as you understood by your research and it will be best if you can show a way of solution of the problem. You have to emphasis on the sector you are applying for.

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

This question also requires study on the organization. You must be clear about the goal of the organization. Since you know both of the goals- the organization and yours; relate them to a single statement. In this case you should show a long term career option in this organization.

10. What kind of salary do you need?

The most important negotiation and the most risky part too. Just remember you can never win this negotiation if you mention the number figure first. Let the interviewer mention it. If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, you can avoid the question saying something like, “Money is important to me, but is not my main concern. I believe in opportunity and growth. If you don’t mind, explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk about money. Would that be okay?” You may talk about relative matters which vary the salary for the same position in various organizations. In other cases tell them that every organization has a separate and specific salary structure for every personnel and I think you also set an amount for the position, then ask- “Can you tell me the range for this position in this organization?” or “I want an income appropriate with my ability and qualifications. I trust you’ll be fair with me. What does the position pay?” Or, more simply, “What does this position pay?” In most cases, the interviewer tries to avoid the figure and insist the interviewee to mention the figure, if the condition is so then say that it can depend on the details of the job since all of the responsibilities and duties are not mentioned in the advertisement and then give a wide range which you expect or wish to be paid. But remember that most executives who switch from a job to another look for a 20-25% more salary than the previous. If you think you’re grossly underpaid, you may want more.

11. Why did you leave your last job?

If you leave an organization and trying to enter a new organization this question is an important matter to the interview as interviewer want to know how much responsible to your organization by this question. Never mention that you were in a personality clash or the staff was not friendly or cooperative. Stay positive about your job and avoid all kinds of speeches which can make negative impact on your previous organization or company. This is an inevitable rule that if you badmouth your previous organization the interviewer will consider that you will do the same for them too. So, be careful, emphasis on your personal facilities you expect to get here like more salary, organized responsibilities, easier transportation and other personal opportunities. But do not describe them like a greedy but as a professional to serve the organization more easily and effectively.

12. Will you leave us if you get more facilities?

A question to make you confused about what you want. If you describe the cause of leaving the previous organization just for personal facilities this is obviously the next question. You have to be prepared to understand them leaving an organization depend on not only getting personal facilities but also the opportunities to utilize them. Since you are leaving an organization you have a goal to set your career to a higher position, without using the opportunity changing organizations cannot bring you the success. So it is completely a relative matter.

13. Tell me about your dream job.

Whenever an interviewer thinks that you are over qualified for the position and will leave the organization to get more facilities this question will be asked to examine you whether his/her thinking is right. Do not mention a specific job. That will disqualify you at the first chance. The easiest way is to mention the applying job but this may not be credible. So you have to select a different answer which keeps the both side neutral. It will be best to answer the question passively. That means you describe some criteria of a job like which provides facilities, and let you enjoy working. Try to emphasis on the proper assessment of your work, the scope of promotion as facility and the environment of the office or the scope of leisure amid working as enjoyment of working. But do not forget to relate your applied job to your dream job.

14. What are your goals?

You are talking about goal- yours and of the organization- so the simple math insists you to recite some memorized goals to the interviewer. Be careful this is one kind of trap. Most of the unprepared candidates fail to express their goals and prepared candidates misunderstand the question. Both may face trouble if they do not pay enough concentration on it. Many executives strongly believe in goal-setting. Without goal no one can reach to higher position, and selection of goal is a prime factor to build up a successful professional career. So since you have no goal or having a goal copied from other you cannot be perfect and proficient for the position. Set your goals carefully and discuss them with the interviewer. Not only career goals but also goals for each major area of your life including personal development and learning, family, physical (health), community service should be discussed here. If you become sure that the interviewer is a religious person you could briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals. Describe each goal elaborately with time schedule, reaching process and the importance of goal. But do not take extra time which may bother the interviewer and cross the general time limit of your answer.

15. Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?

This question may seem aggressive but this is a tactful question which wants to know your necessity in the organization and your specialty in this position. In other words it represents the interviewer’s own dilemma over this common problem. No matter why the question is asked just answer it. Show your qualifications that only you can offer. You may compare between you and an employer from inside. Show the difference and prove why you would be better for the position as an outsider. You must not prove the insider is less qualified or reliable rather prove that an outsider consists new inspiration and is able to introduce newer idea in a known area of regular work. You may inspire him/her saying that you need an employee able to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position appropriately not a known person since the outsider is more efficient than the insider.

16. How do you define success…and how do you measure up to your own definition?

Success is a relative matter. It may happen that my personal goals were fulfilled but the professional goal of the position may remain unfulfilled I do not call it success. A success definitely covers all of the aspects of the organization. I define success as the progressive movement towards a worthy goal. The goal may be personal or professional but both of them should have an interaction between them. When you answer the second question as to how you would measure up to that definition, you should express yourself both successful and fortunate… then summarize your career goals and how your achievements have indeed represented a progressive path toward realization of your goals.

17. What changes would you make if you came on board?

Is the question making any confusion in your mind? Pressing you to indecision actually what should you do, what changes would you make since you do not know where the problem of the organization is. You need not to think about the changes you would make rather think about if this is a promise or trap. This question can derail your candidacy faster than a bomb if you miss the track of the answer. No matter how bright you are, you cannot know the right actions to take in a position before you settle in. You cannot know the operation’s strengths, weaknesses, key people, financial condition, methods of operation, etc properly from outside of the organization. If you become passionate and start making changes in the organization to show your management skill you should remember that you are in a trap. You, of course, will want to take a good hard look at everything the company is doing before making any recommendations. “Well, I wouldn’t be a very good doctor if I gave my diagnosis before the examination. Should you hire me, as I hope you will, I’d want to take a good hard look at everything you’re doing and understand why it’s being done that way. I’d like to have in-depth meetings with you and the other key people to get a deeper grasp of what you feel you’re doing right and what could be improved.

“From what you’ve told me so far, the areas of greatest concern to you are…” (name them. Then do two things. First, ask if these are in fact his major concerns. If so then reaffirm how your experience in meeting similar needs elsewhere might prove very helpful).

18. Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.

This is not only a tough but also a clever question which waits to see you embarrassed. Because you can’t dodge the interviewer by pretending you’ve never been criticized and you cannot describe it easily as admitting potential faults and failures will terminate your probability of being selected. No one is perfect and everybody has been criticized but the matter you should care about is the feedback of the criticism. This question is also intended to probe how well you accept criticism and direction. So be careful to answer such question. Begin by emphasizing the extremely positive feedback you’ve gotten throughout your career and (if it’s true) that your performance reviews have been uniformly excellent. Then, describe the incident shortly and do not forget to add an incident which proves that you have learned something from that criticism and applied your learning in that situation. Add that you’ve learned from this, too, and over the past several years/months, it’s no longer an area of concern because you now make it a regular practice to…etc.

19. Would you lie for the company?

Telling a lie can never be positive; on the other hand you cannot deny that you will never make any lie for the company. This will raise a question of sacrifice and your dedication to the organization. As most of the question try to avoid the mainstream of the question, answer the question passively. Assure them if you become a part of the organization the prestige of organization will be attached to your own and you will never expect your dishonor. That means the organization have no fear to be dishonored by you.

20. On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.

This is the last trap which can divert your success to the failure. It is easy to please him giving ten on a scale of ten but not effective. On the other hand, giving less than ten may drop you in trouble. So what should you do? The only way out do not approach negatively but stay away from giving any numerical rating. Simply praise whatever interview style he’s been using. If he’s been tough, say “You have been thorough and tough-minded, this is a necessary quality to conduct a good interview.” If he’s been methodical, say, “You have been very methodical and analytical, and I’m sure that your approach will be able to hire excellent employee for your organization.” In other words, pay him a sincere compliment that he can believe because it’s anchored in the behavior you’ve just seen.