FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS(FAQS) IN INTERVIEWS

Q). Tell us somethi! "#out $ou%sel&'

Purpose: - Asked as an introductory (comfort) question, to get the interview started and make you
comfortable, settle down to know about your communication speaking style! get an initial "feel#
of your suitability
$ou have to reply back in a minimum of % to & sentences or a ma'imum of ( to )* sentences! which you
think to be a word portrait of you but relevant to the +ob e'pectations that the interviewer may have in
mind,
-he answer should be crisp . economi/ing on words yet not so short as to inform nothing much, 0over
your academics, family, special abilities qualifications, aspirations! hobbies (and if confident . your
strengths about which you are in a position to answer more), -hose with e'perience should definitely
speak the salient part of their e'perience,
Q). Wh"t "%e $ou% !%e"test st%e!ths'
$ou should know your strengths to speak realistically,
A probable model answer:1 believe that 1 can get along well with people could integrate gel with the
work team thus add contribute to the group effectiveness, 1 am both a smart hard worker and can
work under pressure, 2eing a regular yoga enthusiast, 1 have e'cellent physical mental fitness can
destress regain energy quickly! so necessary in today3s demanding work situations,
Q). Wh"t "%e $ou% m"(o% )e"*esses'
Purpose: - -his is an eliminator question! designed to quickly cut short the unwanted, -herefore, the
admission of a weakness or fault that is not visible very obviously! may earn you an 4A3 for honesty but an
453 (5ailure) for the interview,
-herefore very often students disguise strengths as a purported weakness, but even this the interviewers
are quick to interpret, 2etter is to talk off a weakness that does not impact the +ob very substantially and to
add stress . that you are making sincere efforts to improve overcome the weakness
Q). Whe%e +o $ou &i+ $ou%sel& &i,e $e"%s (o% te $e"%s) +o) the lie'
6ample Answers:(5or 5ive $ears)7h8 1 will certainly be amongst the high performers and with great
passion for work achievement and 1 think 1 would like to go as far as possible within the companies 9:
policies . may be a couple of positions up from the entry level into one of greater responsibility where 1
could handle responsibility more independently,
(5or -en $ears) 2y this time, 1 hope to have crossed the middle management level and may be on the
threshold of becoming a senior management (or e'ecutive) professional- ;ay be a ;arketing ;anager or
a <onal ;anager===
Q). Wh"t +o $ou )"t to +o i $ou% li&e' O% Wh"t -"%ee% !o"ls $ou h",e i mi+ (o% $ou h",e set
&o% $ou%sel&)O% Wh"t "%e $ou% !o"ls' (A%e $ou " !o"l o%iete+ .e%so') / simil"% 0uestios
Purpose: -o check if you have a goal focused approach,
A 6ample Answer: $es! 1 have certain vision of what 1 want to achieve in the long run 1 have also set
short term goals to achieve them, 1 have set goals all by myself but 1 am open to discussing it with my
parents, teachers or mentors#,
(===then you can go on to narrate a few career goals=,,)
Q). 1o) +o $ou .l" to "-hie,e these !o"ls'
A 6ample Answer: -he keenness to learn and high motivation (passion) to achieve perform! 1 believe!
are driving forces for me, 6o through learning, acquiring e'perience skills, through committed hard
work and ups killing upgrading informal education 1 think 1 will achieve these goals, 1 am already
on the verge of completing my basic qualification (2, -ech > ;2A > 2, Pharm) aspire to get into a good
company to begin a career soon then 1 will gradually work my way up ! with keenness passion as 1
+ust spoke! 1 believe, in a timeframe of )& to ?* years! 1 should attain whatever 1 am aspiring for,
Q). A$ "-hie,emets2 th"t $ou (usti&i"#l$ )oul+ li*e to 0uote'
A 6ample Answer: 1 have consistently done well academically scoring above @*A (or first class marks) all
through, and thus 1 have been better than an average student, 5urther 1 have read B papers in symposia
organi/ed by ;anagement 1nstitutes of repute! and 1 got a 11nd pri/e in the one that 1 presented at 1,1,;,
(2) 1 am also a member of my college 0ricket C1 represented in the inter college meet where our team
reached up to the semifinal stage, -hese are some of the significant achievements,
Q). Wh"t "--om.lishmets h",e !i,e $ou the most s"tis&"-tio i $ou% li&e'
A 6ample Answer: 1 derive satisfaction from good performance and achievements, -he one notable
achievement that was very satisfying was the (you can now describe as above at D, @ ( later at D,)?
or some other achievement of your life- from the good pro+ect you have done etc, we leave it to the
imagination of the student > incumbent to prepare their own suitable answers) All these achievements have
been satisfying,
Q). Loo*i! #"-* (o% i& $ou )e%e to li,e $ou% li&e "ll o,e% "!"i) )h"t )oul+ $ou +o +i&&e%etl$ i
$ou% li&e'
A 6ample Answer: 1t has been a good life so far, rich in learning e'perience! and being on the threshold of
a career! 1 believe the best has yet to come, 1 believe every e'perience so far has taught me something
made me wiser! 1 don3t think of anything much 1 could want to change, yes! in future 1 wish aspire to
occupy a position of responsibility challenge in life! and given the opportunity again would like to
economi/e on some wasted moments and missing opportunities through lack of awareness and improve
my score by &A more and also play more cricket learn to dance en+oy the music of A, :, :ehman
=,
Q). 1o) +o $ou +e&ie su--ess' 1o) +o $ou thi* $ou -" #e su--ess&ul'
A 6ample Answer: -he best definition of success 1 have come across is that "success is the progressive
reali/ation of a worthy goal#, a goal that one aspires for or has set for oneself#,
6ome people may aspire for a lot of money, others for a lot of fame or a lot of power and authority! 2ut 1
aspire to grow to be a management professional and manage at the helm of a reputable company in my
domain and 1 believe 1 should accomplish this in about )( to ?* years time,
As a first step 1 have already acquired the basic qualification and now 1 am on the verge of starting a
career and through intense motivation, hard work, commitment, creativity and building healthy
relationship based on mutual trust and respect with all those whom 1 work with, 1 believe! progressively 1
will achieve the goal 1 have in mind -hat will be the moment of my success,
Q). Des-%i#e " situ"tio i )hi-h $ou )e%e su--ess&ul'
A 6ample Answer: 7ur college celebrates a national level festival which in this region is amongst the
most popular one3s in which about %*** students from over &* colleges participate in various fun and
technical events, models e'hibition, paper presentation! and cultural and dance and drama shows, 1 was
amongst the team of chief coordinators consisting of )* members, ultimately we organi/ed it as a grand
success and won praise and accolades for the smooth conduct and flawless events management, from
teachers, visitors participating students alike,
Q). A%e $ou " te"m .l"$e%'
A 6ample Answer: $es, 1 am very much a team player! as 1 believe that "pulling together# produces the
best results! and therefore, 1 value the effectiveness of the group 1 work for 1 can work well in groups,
1n a group of si' classmates, we are currently working on a very interesting pro+ect, 5urther as a member
of college band, 1 have given performances in many colleges in various events, 1 think good team work is
very essential for success of the organi/ation the team, ($ou can study more about team work in a
separate chapter devoted e'clusively to it),
Q). Wh"t moti,"tes $ou'
A 6ample Answer: 1 am driven by a passion to perform and achieve in all things 1, do so basically 1 am a
self driven person "the fear of nonperformance# weighs a lot with me, 5urther good ambience, a good
compensation and encouragement from the seniors also reinforces my motive to achieve more more,
Q). Wh$ shoul+ )e hi%e $ou'
Purpose:Ehether the interviewer asks you this question e'plicitly or not! this is what he must answer in
his mind favorably before he decides to hire your services, 2asically, the interviewer is checking up
whether you as an applicant clearly understand the position3s requirements vis-F-vis your own suitability,
-his is what you have to state, following each important reason with a short e'planation why you meet
the requirement so well,
-he answer will substantially involve competencies highlighting your strengths to match the +ob
requirements- Gnderstanding corporate e'pectations,
Ee are providing two answers . one each from the point of view of entry level (read fresher) and the
other for some what more e'perienced applicants:
An entry level (fresh college graduate) A 6ample Answer: "As 1 see the +ob! managers will have to plan,
e'ecute, deliver, 1 think the company would want managers with sound domain knowledge! who are
good in e'ecution . planning, co-ordination etc, and can get the output from people, 1 believe, 1 posses
these requirements, 1 have done optional papers of 5inance and ;arketing. which goes to show my
interest, 5urther, 1 have taken training in a manufacturing set up at ;a' Hew $ork Iife one of the best
equipped for precision product manufacturing and lastly 1 can manage the workers confidently as 1 have
done plenty of event management successfully and am good in interpersonal dealings,, 2esides that, 1 am
highly motivated and posses3 traits that fit in with the +ob,
And so 1 believe 1 have a strong case for being considered,
6ome what e'perienced 0andidate- for selling precision machined components to 7J;6 (7riginal
Jquipment ;anufacturer3s . in this case 0ar manufacturer3s),,
A 6ample Answer:As 1 understand the +ob! it involves a strong 0:; (0ustomer :elationship
;anagement) capability to retain e'isting buyers and add more 7J; buyers to e'pand 6ales of
components that our 0ompany produces, 1 am already working on a similar assignment, where the
company supplies gears and transmission gear bo'es to the Auto ma+ors and 1 believe, 1 have the right
contacts, methods and e'posure to such a +ob and can assume this responsibility at the higher level, given
my track record of past achievements, 1n my innovative promotional ideas, 1 first doubled and then tripled
the total sales at my current 0ompany of course aided by an upswing in 0ar demand and 1 am confident 1
can do the same for you#
Q). Wh$ )oul+ $ou )"t to )o%* )ith us'
Purpose: -his question tests whether you have done your homework, about the company how do you
value view the employment opportunity being offered, 1f you have not, there is little you can speak- if
you have - you will win big reward, -hanks to the in depth preparation that you have done, this question
will provide you the opportunity you badly needed to speak, 2est sources for researching about the
company are as already previously stated . its website, annual reports, corporate news letters, brochures
and pamphlets sent to your placement deptt, advertisements, articles about the company in the trade press,
contacts (such as your college seniors) working at the company etc,
$ou have to basically show the "Kalue# offered by the company3s +ob is understood by you and how you
find it to be a very good opportunity, and would be happy to accept it
6ample Answer (a): (An applicant for a +ob at H11- -or . 0lub ;ahindra , $ou can provide answers some
what on the lines given below)
"1 think 1 am very keen to work for H11- (or 0lub ;ahindra), 1t is not only about the money alone .
which is no doubt good . but more about the overall value proposition that is offered by your renowned
company, $ou spend a very high amount on training and provide one of the best training to the fresh
recruits, . which adds a lot of valueL -hen you have very impressive client list so there will be so much
to learn! in the guidance of world class superiors and world class peers . and above all in a demanding but
very constructive ambiences the opportunity to get e'posure to truly world class practices managerial
policies, 6o there is much more to absorb and progress - and as the company is successful growing fast
the opportunities for growth are good, better than most other places, -hat3s why this is a "dream
company# not +ust another opportunity, 1 will truly feel a wish has come true if 1 am offered the
opportunity,
6ample Answer (b): 1 definitely know the 0ompany reasonably well, 1t is a market leader in its space,
having renowned clients, -he thing that impresses me most is the culture and 9: Philosophy, -he
compensation is good but more importantly there are constant challenges and those who meet these get
quickly rewarded, and thus one gets to e'plore ones full potential, -here is good team feeling and a rich
ambience and world-class superiors to work with on world-class pro+ects, (or to work on high class
pro+ects of high class clients=,,)
1 will be pretty well happy if 1 am granted an opportunity for it will be a "dream opportunity# as far as 1
am concerned,
Q). Do $ou h",e " %ole mo+el ()ho h"s is.i%e+ $ou i $ou% li&e)'
A 6ample Answer: ;y father, 1 think, is the person 1 appreciate most- not because he is my father but
because 1 have watched him grow as a self made man from very humble beginnings! with sincere hard
work, patience perseverance, 9e has faced odds difficulties without loosing confidence or his affable
cheerful dispositions, shouldered his responsibilities at work the family so 1 admire him would
want to develop the same way my life too, through hard work, devotion, with courage to face
challenges with full hearted enthusiasm,
Q). Do $ou thi* it is -o%%e-t / ethi-"l &o% the -om."$ to "s* t%"iees to &ill " se%,i-e #o+ o& 3
$e"%s' Do $ou h",e "$ issues i& $ou "%e "s*e+ to si! " se%,i-e #o+ o& 3 $e"%s'
A 6ample Answer: A fresher coming out of the college does not have work e'perience and generally lacks
application or process capability and an initial training is required to make the person productive and
deployable the company incurs costs on it, As the 0ompany incurs cost on training, the person
benefits out of it so a reasonable time should be allowed to the company to recover its costs and 1 do not
see anything wrong in the ?-year service bond,
As far as 1 am concerned! 1 have simply no issues and 1 am perfectly ready to sign the bond, 1nfact 1 am
delighted by the company3s work culture and 9: Policies and 1 am looking for a long term commitment
to learn and contribute and grow . so ? yrs bond is +ust not an issue with me,
Q). 4" $ou )o%* u+e% .%essu%e' A$ e5"m.le $ou -" 0uote i su..o%t o& $ou% -l"im'
A 6ample Answer: $es, 1 am confident 1 can handle pressing situations and deliver the results, As a cricket
player also 1 have faced pressing situations and thought and e'celled, 1 believe in accepting all challenges
that can reasonably be met! and 1 remain calm and focused and proceed methodically to quickly solve and
overcome the problem, 9owever, the e'tra concern does create e'tra eagerness to respond quickly does
create some amount of stress, but 1 think some stress is good,
(Duote some believable e'ample from your life or of those whom you know closely saying that in your
own life . you have not faced a really pressing situation . but you have observed closely a case which
taught you the way one should handle pressures narrate)
Q). Wh$ +i+ $ou -hoose to "tte+ this -olle!e'
A 6ample Answer: -his is a premier and highly rated college of this region! and academic standard is
high! and discipline and ambience is very good and infrastructure, labs, workshop, libraries are all well
equipped and best part is that faculty is knowledgeable and very helpful, And the placement opportunities
are very bright as several very good companies come here for campus recruitment and our seniors are
working in all the top class well known companies many are abroad,
Q). 1o) h"s $ou% e+u-"tio .%e."%e+ $ou &o% $ou% -"%ee% '
A 6ample Answer: -he education 1 have undergone has given me the conceptual clarity technical
(domain) knowledge about my professional field groomed my personality and attitudes, Miven these
inputs with some application e'perience and process ability that 1 can gain by initial training in a good
organi/ation, 1 am confident of pursuing a good career,
Q).A%e $ou s"tis&ie+ )ith $ou% "-"+emi- .e%&o%m"-es till o)'
A 6ample Answer: 7ur college schedule is quite demanding, 2esides curriculum studies, we have to
attend many co-curricular activities like seminars and PNP classes 6essions and also participation in
e'tra curricular activities is also mandatory, 6o 1 have done reasonably well, though 1 think with a little
better time management and e'tra focus 1 could improve by another BA to %A, . which now 1 am trying
to do,
(6ometimes if you3re academic scores has gone down over the years or fluctuated there may be questions
aimed at this and you have to include a viable e'planation for the same which is believable)
Q). Wh"t 0u"lities +o $ou &eel " su--ess&ul m""!e% shoul+ h",e'
A 6ample Answer: -he +ob of a manager is to bring out the best results through his people making
optimum use of resources available and so he should have, good leadership skills, be people friendly and
capable of motivating his team, result oriented and a sound decision maker, 5urther he should +udge his
subordinates based on the performances they deliver and not on other e'traneous considerations, Also he
should be a balanced good person,
Q). Do $ou h",e "$ .l"s &o% &u%the% e+u-"tio'
A 6ample Answer: $es: 1 believe learning is a continuous process and 1 would want to add to my
qualifications, 2ut right now 1 am looking for a +ob and acquiring application and process abilities, 6ome
time in future when 1 am on the threshold of a managerial responsibility 1 may definitely want to go for
further education through 7n-line > distance learning mode (lot of Gniversities are providing such courses
nowadays), 2ut right now it3s the +ob that 1 want,
(-oo-often- Ee have seen the ;2A lure is taken to mean the applicant will use the +ob as a stopgap
arrangement or +ust a stepping stone) and otherwise certain offers are withdrawn due to this lack of
priority on the part of the student,
Q). Do $ou h",e "$ lo-"tio .%e&e%e-e' A%e $ou )illi! to %elo-"te'
A 6ample Answer: Ho! 1 do not have any strong location preference and can work any where in 1ndia or
abroad, 9owever, if 1 have a choice available then 1 will opt for (Hoida or Murgaon in preference to
2angalore (or Kice-Kersa) as it is nearer home and 1 could meet parents and relatives more frequently! but
it3s not a precondition,
1 am ready willing to relocate as per my companies requirement! it is only a preference 1 have
indicated,

Q). ("). Wh"t +o $ou *o) "#out us'
Purpose:1n this, the interviewer checks if you have done your homework have cared to know about the
company or by some nonchalant attitude on your part in this regard wishes to asses what esteem the
candidate feels about the +ob and the company! and the approach has to be reaffirm that you have cared to
know about the +ob and the company and that you admire and appreciate the company and the +ob,
Menerally if you have studied the company Eebsite and > or gone through a company brochure and
briefing etc, you would know well what to speak,
6ample Answer a), 1 am keenly interested in the company the +ob, 1t3s one of the best known companies
in the field ====,(-elecom>Aviation>5;0M>:etail==as the case may be) with an annual turnover
of =====-he company has ==(so many) branches ( overseas centers offices) and
offers===(product service details-mention a couple of its best known offerings>product), -he
companies vision==,(employment ethics)=,makes it a highly respected company,
$ou can thus add a couple of salient features about the company>0hief J'ecutive) special
recognitions>products offerings etc====
(#). A$thi! $ou )oul+ )"t to *o) "#out us'
Purpose:1t is more of a courtesy question to give the applicant an opportunity to clear his doubts-though
after very long questioning most of the interviewers will hardly have the capacity to respond to some true
sensible query by the student, especially if it requires a long elaboration! so some sincere
answers>queries could be clarified,
6ample Answer ): 6ir,> ;a3am! this being a very important opportunity! 1 already have a lot of
information gathered, 6ome small doubts that 1 had were settled when you delivered the pre-placement
talk which was very informative and therefore, 1 have no more queries to make 7r
6ample Answer ?:-hank you 6ir > ;a3am! 1 am already impressed by the 0ompany as it is so successful
and doing so very well, 9owever, 1 am +ust curious to know how you see your operations growing over
the ne't decade . as fast as now or likely to slow down, (under the effect of ====, Eorldwide
economic constraints, a stronger rupee! G,6, 0ongress imposing restrictions=etc,)
;anagement> J'ecutive capabilities:
Ehat are the qualities of a good manager
Ehat is ;anagement 9ow do you think you will make a good ;anagerL
Ehat is leadership-what e'actly does a good leader doL
:efer Duestion 2ank of ;anagement 1nterview question,
0onflicts . are they essential L 9ow do you resolve themL 7:
9ave you ever had a conflict with the boss or professor, 9ow did you resolve itL
0an you handle pressure stresses L Ehy do these ariseL 9ow do you think you should handle L
Ehat are the qualities of a team what in turn you see as important to become a good tem playerL
No attitudes have an effect on work performance-Hame a few such attitudes
Ehat is Positive ;ental AttitudeL
Ehat is Proactive nessL 9ow is it different from reactiveL
1n business negotiations is it good so be aggressiveL