How to answer the most important Job Interview Questions?

“How to answer the most important interview questions?”

Never even try to learn what to answer but always make an effort to understand how to answer! 

Photo by CoWomen on Unsplash

Are you ready to touch another milestone of your life? It is always good to be prepared well in advance than to sit back during the interview and plan your answers. No, absolutely not, you must never learn how to answer which question, but certainly learn the art of what needs to be answered, and how the answers the framed.

Since the questions during first (generally the HR round) are pretty common and the least managers expect from you to at least know how to frame them, usually, they check your presence of mind, confidence, how well are you able to answer and justify what you intend to say, how convincing you are and most importantly do you possess the right set of skills required for the job? Which otherwise isn’t mentioned in your RESUME!?

Before we jump to what is the right way there are two most important things to note

Interviewers are humans, not aliens, you do not have to fear. Be who you are.

Respond naturally, it is a discussion between two people, not an interrogation. Confidence will follow.

We cannot read the interviewers mind but can try to look at and study the most common questions being asked so far to prepare them well in advance. 

Following are the 20 Most asked questions

1. Tell me something about yourself
2. Tell me what products and services our company deals with and why they important?
3. What do you know about the company?
4. Why do you want this job?
5. Why should we hire you?
6. What are your weaknesses?
7. What are your strengths?
8. What are your achievements so far?
9. Where do you see yourself incoming 5 years?
10. What is your dream workplace look like?
11. Is there any other the company you’ve applied to?
12. How do you deal with pressure and stressful situations?
13. How are you going to spend the first 30 days if you’re hired?
14. What are your salary requirements?
15. What are your other interests/passion/hobbies?
16. Are you planning to get married?
17. How did you learn about the opening and what made you apply?
18. How other people describe you?
19. What are your long-term goals?
20. Do you have any questions?

Let us begin the preparation!!

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

Tell me something about yourself

Don’ts

1. Do not start narrating your resume.
2. Do not give family/personal history.
3. Do not start the monologue.

Intention

1. The interviewer wants to know that does the job offered suits you, and if you are the right match.
2. They want to know do you have the skills required to be shortlisted?
3. Do you have confidence and are you able to answer about yourself, do you have the same excitement to grab the job, just as the interviewer has to fill the position?

Do’s

1. Prepare a short the pitch that includes your relevant strengths and skills in accordance with the job description and specification.
2. Tell them what makes you the best candidate out of the others lined up.
3. Share your interests that might help you and the employer if you’re hired. Show them you are well-read and prepared, confident and fluent. 

Note: If you do not possess those skills mentioned in the job specification and you do not understand what the job description is asking for, please go a step forward, try a little harder and gain those skills, online or offline, because these are vital for you to succeed.

Tell me what products and services our company deals with and why they important?

Don’ts

1. Do not try to learn the mission, vision and goal segment from the “about” page.
2. You cannot become someone you are not.
3. Remember you cannot fulfill other’s goals and mission, unless you truly believe in them.

Intention

1. To make sure that you are well read at least about the company you are applying to.
2. No one forced you to sit for the interview.
3. You consciously applied and you need the job because you care about the company and your goals are in line with the company’s goals.
4. To make sure that you respect the other people and their job.
5. To check your presence of mind and are you future-oriented?

Do’s

1. Read about the company profile.
2. In which locations they work, how many employees are there, company history and about the owners?
3. What job are they offering, what is their mission, what are their goals?
4. Tell them that this is what the company deals with and these are my long-term goals, and what you believe with this association, you will be able to stay associated and maintain a long-term relationship.
5. Tell them that you believe in their mission and vision and their policies.

 Note: if you really do not believe in the products or services or the goals and mission, please do not apply, you won’t be able to stay. Don’t fake it, if you can’t make it. Getting a job is important but SUSTAINING a job is the necessity.

Why do you want this job?

Don’ts

1. Do not tell them that you wish to leave in a year, and you want this job because the location is preferred.
2. Or that you want to prove somebody that you are capable of doing this. (getting shortlisted/selected).
3. Don’t tell them that is temporary and you have your own business plan, and all you need is enough money for the startup.

Intention

1. Companies want to know that you are passionate about the job you are offered.
2. They want to know that you are goal-oriented and you are aware that this role will help you achieve your goal and in turn, you will help the company achieve theirs’s
3. You have a similar experience and you know this is your call.

Do’s

1. Identify the factors that make the job role best fit for you “I love customer support, because I love interacting with people, managing them and dealing with their issues.”

Note: If you are not able to figure out, why do you want this job? However, money could be the reason or self-dependency or still exploring. But if, altogether, the idea does not excite you, please look for more opportunities and apply somewhere else, you do not like it when people waste your time when you turn out to be an offer dropout, that is bad too.

Why should we hire you?

Don’ts

1. Do not exaggerate.
2. Do not lie.
3. Do not pretend to be the right person.
4. Do not over promise and over-deliver.

Intention

1. Can you sell yourself? And your skills you have worked hard all these years?

Do’s

1. This is the time to pitch yourself and sell the best version of you.
2. Tell them that you have the required qualifications and skills, what extra have you acquired, certifications, co-curricular, internship experience, and work from home experience.
3. Stay confident, conscious and focused.
4. You know how to manage between hard work and smart work
5. You understand the company’s requirement and you are prepared to deliver what is being expected.

Note: Apply where you are the best fit! And the job role fits you!

What are your weaknesses?

Don’ts

1. Do not be extremely straight forward, “I panic in stress”.
2. Or lie and boast, “Nothing! I am perfect and quintessential.”

Intention

1. They know no one is going to lie, sit back, stay confident.
2. Their intention is to know are you self-aware, how well do you take responsibilities of your failure and are you able to identify your weakness and mistakes.

Do’s

1. Maybe you were not confident before the internship experience, now you are.
2. Maybe you had no idea about a certain technical detail, but now you’ve learned how to di it.
3. Maybe earlier you were bad at public speaking, now you’re able to manage a team.
4. Maybe you were not a person who could stay by deadlines, but you experience have given you an edge.
5. You know you have certain personality issues, but you know how to deal with them, and not affect the people around. Try until you overcome them.

Note: If something is your weakness, and you know it. It could be, public speaking, technical know-how, dealing with customers, facing people, working on a deadline. It is your responsibility to improve!! Not the employer’s responsibility to bear.

What are your strengths?

Don’ts

1. Do not share what the interviewer wants to listen.
2. Do not just list them “top 10 skills required are…”.

Intention

1. What you say as your strength, do you have the tendency to back them with some fact or things for you are because they just exist?
2. Are you people’s person or you were born with those strengths?

Do’s

1. Share your true strengths.
2. Back your stated strength with examples, real situations, how did you learn them, how did you acquire them, what was the experience like.
3. Whom are you thankful to?

Note: Something you can prepare beforehand, say the truth and back that with evidence. No on the spot thinking.

Where do you see yourself in the coming 5 years?

Don’ts

1. Do not overestimate or underestimate yourself
2. Do not set unrealistic target. “in this job, somewhere else, a manager” NO

Intention

1. To see if you've set realistic expectations for your career
2. Are you ambitious (This interview isn't the first time you're considering the question, rather, you are well prepared because this is something that drove you towards this interview)
3. If the position aligns with your goals and growth. 

Do’s

1. See, where this the job might take you in 5 years.
2. What is your dream career, will you acquire expertise in the field?
3. At present you might have no one under you, but eventually, this job might help you lead a team of consultants/accountants/managers/co-workers/executives, etc.
4. May be managing other locations.
5. This might be a ticket or an opening to your dream career and dream place to land? Think!! What suits you the best!

Note: This is utmost important if you do not have any intention stated above, why on earth are you sitting here? If at all you took this dare, please have a goal. Go for a goal-setting workshop for yourself, talk to the experts, identify what you need, discuss, do not waste time. 

What are your salary requirements?

Don’ts

1. Do not overprice yourself
2. Even if you have a lot of experience (Internship) and a lot of certification and workshops attended, understand the company is hiring a fresher, you may state the higher end, but cannot be rigid. 

Intention

1. The interviewer wants to know what you expect to earn.
2. Are you able to negotiate?
3. Do you have enough qualification and skills you are proud of, have you worked enough to earn what you dream?
4. Do you fall within the salary bracket?
5. Will it be easy or difficult to connect and deal with your post joining?

Do’s

1. Conduct a thorough research, through Glassdoor, Payscale, LinkedIn, Asking the people in the industry, and estimate your worth given the experience, knowledge, and skill you have and the place you are at.
2. State the highest number in the range that you get after the complete estimation.
3. Keep the room for negotiation open. Most important.
4. Tell them why you are stating this figure.

Note: Knowing your worth is important, especially during the initial years when you still have time and you are still in the academic system. Once you are out you will never get time at least for the first job. In order to maintain and continuously improve your worth, please look around, what skills are required do you have those, do you have enough experience (an internship would do), are you capable to manage people? Do not just sit and believe what is being given to you, get up and earn it by yourself.

Do you have any questions?

Don’ts

1. Do not ask questions such as, do we get week offs or compensatory offs, how many leaves in a month am I eligible to?
2. Can I please join by next month? I have a personal/family issue
3. So, did I get the job?
4. Was I good, this is my first Interview.
5. No, I have no questions, Thank you
6. Do not be distracted

Intention

1. The intention is to give you a chance to ask the interviewer the most specific questions which are important to you, so you do not become an offer drop out.

Do’s

1. How much travel is expected out of this role?
2. Does this require long working hours and staying late till night?
3. Does this role require night shifts as well?
4. Is there any training outside (the city) before the joining?
5. How does one advance in the company?
6. If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start?

Note: Remember, this is the first step towards building an association with the corporate world, no matter how many internships you have been to. 

~Khushbu Bhardwaj