Freshers job interview preparation tips

Anything that we do for the first time gives us some trepidation and even more in the current Job Market in India & across the world.

For entry level job seekers & Fresher Graduates, the struggle to secure Freshers jobs in India is getting competitive day by day. However, practice makes us all perfect and reinforces the skill in us. Attending interviews is one such skill. The more interviews you attend the better you become at it.

Let us look at the things what a Fresher or Entry level job seeker needs to do the first time round to get better at it.

• Always exhibit punctuality. Plan to arrive at least a few minutes before the stipulated time. This will give you time to catch your breathe and be calm and composed when it is your turn. It will also give you some time in case you are stuck in a traffic jam or so.

• Plan ahead. Choose what you are going to wear. Wear your best business attire and anything else that makes you feel good and confident. Wear comfortable shoes, and pay special attention to your overall appearance. You do want to convey professionalism at all times.

• Take a few deep breathes before you enter. Once in front of the interviewer greet him/her with a firm handshake or a polite greeting & Hand over your resume. Try to use the person’s name the way he would like to be addressed that is the title and last name e.g. Mr Smith or just his first name e.g. Bill. You want to start building rapport with him from the word go.

• Remember that he is interviewing you. Hence, let the be asked by him. Listen carefully and comprehend the questions well before responding. In case you are not sure of the question, ask it to be paraphrased and confirm your understanding of it. Answer relevantly and appropriately to the questions.

• Be careful of the language and words that you use. Pay special attention to grammar and pronunciation. Speak clearly, confidently and coherently. Answer to the point in an interesting manner. Say things that will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

• Mind your overall body language. Smile and appear pleasant throughout. Sit up straight and lean slightly towards the interviewer to show your interest. Speak in an expressive manner and feel what you say.

• Remember this is your time to sell yourself. Showcase your achievements at college and university in your resume. Expound your skills that can benefit the employer. Blow your trumpet at the same time sound modest.

• Be energetic and enthusiastic throughout. Show your zeal for joining that particular company. Let the employer know that you have done your homework well and you do know something about the organization and maybe its latest products or projects.

• See that you have all the necessary documentation in place. Bring extra copies of your resume. Have all the certificates and photocopies of them ready if asked for. Appear organized and efficient by the way you carry all your documents.

• When asked questions do not just resort to yes and no answers. Justify your answers. You could do this by stating the circumstance, what action did you take in the given circumstance and ultimately what results did it bring.

• Be prepared with a few typical questions that you are usually asked at interviews such as tell me something about yourself, what have been your key achievements so far, how do you handle stress and so forth. At the same time, remember to be spontaneous and not sound rehearsed. An employer wants someone who can think on his feet.

• Try to put yourself in the employer’s shoes and imagine what you would be looking for if you were on the other end of the table. Give the employer just that and you will clinch this top job.

• Leave the room by thanking the person for his time and with a firm handshake. Ask few questions about the company & make sure the firm is genuine in order to avoid any suprise later on. In case you feel that the interview has not gone the way you would have wanted it to hold on to your body language. Do not let your feelings be known be they disappointment or exuberance. Afterwards send across a thank you note or an email.

Try to do all this and you will be sure to come out a winner if not at the interview then definitely in a game called life.

50 Most useful interview questions

50 Common Interview Questions and Answers :

Review these typical interview questions and think about how you would answer them. Read the questions listed; you will also find some strategy suggestions with it.

1. Tell me about yourself:

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

2. Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co- workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward- looking reasons.

3. What experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

4. Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others.

5. What do co-workers say about you?

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

6. What do you know about this organization?

This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players?

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

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

8. Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

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

This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

11. What kind of salary do you need?
A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That's a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

12. Are you a team player?
You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

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

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I'd like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I'm doing a good job.

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?

This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

15. What is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

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

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

19. Why should we hire you?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made.

Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

21. What irritates you about co-workers?

This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

22. What is your greatest strength?

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills, Your positive attitude

23. Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can't wait to get to work.

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?

Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest.

25. What are you looking for in a job?

See answer # 23

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

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

Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer.

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?

There are numerous good possibilities:
Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor.

Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor.

30. What has disappointed you about a job?

Don't get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:
Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

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

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

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

Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

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

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

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

This is up to you. Be totally honest.

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?

Several ways are good measures:
You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that you are successful

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself uture grief.

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?

This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

38. Describe your management style.

Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all.

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

40. Do you have any blind spots?

Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

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

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

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

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?

Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

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

Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

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

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

47. Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good.

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.

Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

50. Do you have any questions for me?

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

Tell me about yourself

Here are three different examples of how to answer the question.

Model 1: Activity-geared answer

(This would be for students who participated in some really unique extracurricular activities that they’d like to focus their interview on.)

Interviewer: So, Kevin, tell me about yourself.

Kevin: Well, just to start off generally, I’m a senior at Somewhere High School, and in addition to academics, throughout high school I was really involved in three (or two) activities that I really enjoy and spend a lot of time on. First, I am really involved in music. I played the tuba in our high school band, and by senior year, now I’m drum major. Second, I’m really active with local politics. I interned for our state’s senator whose offices are located in my city, and I learned so much researching issues for the campaign. Also, I’m an avid soccer player. I’ve been playing since I was five, and I was really excited when I was voted team captain of our club team last year.

Interviewer: Oh, that’s great. Tell me more about being drum major. What does that involve…?

Other follow-up questions to expect:

What does being a drum major involve? What are your responsibilities? What’s your leadership style? What campaign issues did you research? What was the most interesting learning experience you had while working for the state senator? What surprised you about politics during your internship? How do you as soccer team captain handle a loss? How do you motivate your team?

Model 2: Personal traits answer

(This would be for students who want to be really general about themselves.)

Interviewer: So, Kevin, tell me about yourself.

Kevin: Sure. Well, I’m now a senior at Somewhere High School. I’m a really energetic person whose a real self-starter. What I mean by self-starter is that in the past I’ve loved being independent and taking on new projects and developing my fresh ideas. For example, last year I started an Internet-based company that sells cookie recipes and the site has increased in traffic by 20% since three months ago. But, sometimes I’m also more introverted too, and enjoy just reading and writing, and painting as well.

Follow-up questions to expect:

Tell me about your company? What has been your biggest success thus far? Your biggest failure? What did you learn from that? What are your goals for the future with your business? Do you see yourself continuing with that through college? What’s your favorite book, and why? What style or what genre or what form of writing do you do? What do you paint? Do you take classes or are you self-taught? What piece of work are you most proud of?

Model 3: Background information answer

(This would be for students who have particularly interesting personal or family backgrounds.)

Interviewer: So, Kevin, tell me about yourself.

Kevin: I just started my senior year at Somewhere High School. Actually though, I wasn’t always in standard schools. When I was younger, my mom was in the military so I spent most of my childhood on military bases going to school with other military kids. It was a really interesting way to grow up because we were moving around a lot, so it was really new and exciting for me to start school at sort of a standard, American high school. My mom was actually inspired to join the military because of her father, who was a general. And, by seeing my mom work in so many different countries, she’s really inspired me in what I want to study in college too.

Follow-up questions to expect:

What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome? What skills or qualities did you gain from your experiences? How have you learned from that experience? How has your experience shaped who you are today and what goals you have for the future? Who’s your role model? What’s your family’s background?

Note that these CAN and should be tweaked to fit your own personal needs. These are just the samples for the three styles that I think are best to answer the quintessential “tell me about yourself” question. For more about this interview-starter, refer to the post, “Ah, the quintessential ‘tell me about yourself.’”