Interview Tips For Success

Here are some important tips for success in personal interview.

• While answering any question, be consistent with the information you have provided in the resume.

• Never tell untruth or manufactured stories. Be honest.

• No short answers of one or two words. It shows disinterest.

• When you state any fact, support it with the real data points or statistic. It strengths the answer.

• Come what may, ever answer should end with an upbeat note.[Even when asked about your failures.]

• Every question asked is an opportunity for you to narrate your success stories though the question may not directly demand so. Hence each of your response should contain a success story.

What is your opinion about working on weekends ?

Just YES or NO is not sufficient for such question, You always need to support what you say. Such Interview Questions may have following Insights.

Possible Insights:

• To know if you are flexible enough to come on weekends to work if need be.
• To know how is your work style and planning and do you usually overrun schedule.

Insights:

• Response should say that are flexible to come on weekends, holidays; work over time etc. whenever it is critical for the project.
• Make sure that overrunning the schedule is not a usual case for you because you plan better.
• Proactively you can also add what you will do, so that you do not have to face this situation often.

Example Answer:

I will be ready to work on weekends or holidays if it is really critical for the project. However, generally, that is not the working style I would like to adopt. In my opinion, if the initial planning is done with care, such situations would not occur frequently. In my last project, we had similar issues in the schedule, after the first client delivery, we had team meeting to understand the schedule slippage and then corrective action of adding a domain of expert in the team who was missing initially to deal with the problem.

Anti Pattern:

• Do not just say "yes" or "no". Elaborate.
• Never say that in my last project we have worked all weekends and holidays thinking that your hard work impress the interviewer.

Interviewer's Interpretation;

• Just saying yes indicates you are gullible whereas saying no indicates your inflexibility.
• Interviewer would form an opinion that if you have to work all weekends for a longer duration, someting is wrong with you or previous organization you worked with.

What additional knowledge other than academic knowledge have you learned?

This is one of the most anticipate question in the list of questions asked in interviews. This question has following:

Possible Intention:

• To know if you are aware and care about other aspects like soft skills required for a job.
• To know if you take initiative and learn something additional other than what is mandatory or easily available.

Insights:

• People always like somebody who takes initiative and has a positive outlook and is keen to learn.
• While responding, substantiate what you learn with examples.
• This is an opportunity for you to push forward any of your achievements in extracurricular activities, sports. social work etc. Demonstrate your strength.
• Small and simple things like time planning during exam preparation, discipline for project, punctuality etc are good enough.

Example Answer:

Other than academics I acquired and implemented many skills like time management, planning activities for project, and working as team member. I was reserved initially; however i have become more outspoken now and do not hesitate to make new friends. While presenting a technical paper, learned how to put a new concept or knowledge concisely. I have also participated in sports competitions for which regular preparation, practice and discipline is important.

Anti Pattern:

• Never say that you did not learn anything extra excepts academics. This can not be true; you may not be aware of it.
• Do not use big words like management, interpersonal skills, etc. That may sound like a rehearsed answer and not spontaneous or true.
• A list of things you learned without any evidence or example would fail to create the desire impact.

Interviewer's Interpretation:

• You are open to learning only from academics but from the environment.
• You are good observer.

Where do you see yourself in next 5 years.

"Where do you see yourself in next 5 years?" This question is strongly asked to not to know your future goal but to know the steps you takes to achieve the goal.

Possible Intention:

• To know if you have really thought through on what you are going to do in your career.
• To know if you can think of bigger picture.

Insights:

• Think through what you want to do in life and why? write down and have a tentative plan of what you want to achieve.
• Obviously expect a next question like how will you achieve it? Or how this job which you have applied for fits into the gamut of what you aspire to do.

Example Answer:

I was passionate about technology from my childhood. I am very curious to know how things work. Applying technology and doing new creative things is what gives me satisfaction. I want to become a software architect who will be able to use technology in the best way to create solution for real world problems. I know that it is easier said that done. I have discussed this and understood about an architect's role from some relatives who have that kind of experience. I have read many articles and related blogs about architecture. From my study, i came to know that the basic characteristic required to become a good architecture are thinking skills, technology knowledge and hands-on experience. I think this job would give me the required exposure to that i can move a step further towards achievement of my goal.

Anti Pattern:

• Do not give standard answer like CEO or interviewer's position like project manager without thinking.
• Do not suggest any role without knowing what they are or what it takes to became that or what you will get if you become one?

Interviewer's Interpretation:

• Any well thought answer displays seriousness and commitment towards your career and hence the job work.
• Any shoddy answer without substance would ruin any good impression created so far.

Why should we hire you?

The question Why should we hire you? is mostly in the end of Interview. This may have following intentions..

Possible Intention:

• To know if you believe that you are better fit for the job in hand.
• To know how you position your strengths, skills and experience in context of their usefulness for the job.
• To know if you can really defend and handle such type of questions.

Insights:

• This question is asked with the positive intention that you may be a good candidate for the position.
• You need to know what are the skills and competencies needed to perform the job well.
• You also need to demonstrate with the example your other relevant skills which make you stand out.
• When you are fresher for a particular industry, play the card of potential.
• Confidently answer whether an experienced or a fresher.

Example Answer:

I am B.E./ Bsc with specialization in computer science. I am passionate about programming and information technology. I like to keep track of new technologies like cloud computing, mobile application etc. When I realized during my project/ internship that i am better at finding errors in programs, I started studying software testing and quality assurance in more detail. 

            I completed training in software testing and even completed ISTQB certification. In one of my recent projects, I was responsible for creating test cases. Compatibility testing on multiple browsers and hand-held devices was really challenging. I enjoyed doing information research for various hand-held devices along with an approach of testing them. With all my past experience, my passion for technology and quality assurance, i feel i would be able to carry out my responsibilities really well and deliver the best performance.

Anti-Pattern:

• Do not think that this question has something to do with experience and would be asked only to experienced candidates.
• This question is not asked with a belief that you are not a good and now you need to prove this to them.
• Do not take in a negative spirite.

Interviewer's Interpretation:

• Knowledge of job competencies and skills shows that you are serious and have studied the industry in which you want to make career.

Given a chance, which few things would you like to change about you?

Given a chance, which few things would you like to change about you ? This question reveals following intentions..

Possible Intention:

• To know about if you have been introspective and found some things about you that could have been different, e.g. had you studied consistently well throughout you academic life, you would have had better opportunities earlier.
• To know that you have courage to admit your mistakes and take them positively.

Insights:

• Choose weakness in such a way that it is not seen as big hindrance in your job performance.
• Also narrate how you are working on improving it.

Example Answer:

I am little impatient when it comes on my work. While learning some technology or creating some program, if it doesn't work quickly according to my expectations then sometimes i get annoyed. This actually increases the time to reach the correct solution. I have realized this and trying to cope up with it. Sometimes still it take over. I would really want to change it so that i do not lose my focus even for some amount of time.

Anti Pattern:

• Do not say you get angry quite often.
• Do not demonstrate your aggressiveness while answering such questions.

Interviewer's Interpretations:

• If weakness is not going to affect the team spirit and the work to be done on the job, it is acceptable.
• You are aware of weakness and working on improving them. Such candidates are always welcome.

Tell me about any of your three strengths.

The question "Tell me about any of your three strengths" is asked to check your top qualities and preferences in your professional life.

Possible Intention:

• To know how you look at your strengths and are they really strengths considering the context.
• To know more about you personality.

Insights:

• Remember whatever you regard as strength has downside of being weakness when put in another context.
• Substantiate your strength with an example situation where you demonstrate this strength.
• You need to be ready with analysis of your strength.

Example Answer:

I have a lot of patience, perseverance and am hard working. During our final year project, there was one module which was not working at all. Everyone in our group vainly tried to debug. Finally, i took it upon myself to take a lead and solve the problem because we did not want to accept a defeat and do some petty work aground. We together worked for around 8-10 days to fix the issue and finally the module was working. We enjoyed the efforts put in and things which we learnt in various tryouts. We were able to achieve success only because of co-ordinated team effort.

Anti Pattern:

• Do not tell something completely irrelevant like "building muscles" is my strength. it's out of context.
• Do not give just a list with no relevant example.
• Do not state your strength, however attractive, perseverance, hard work, team spirit, passion for learning and for making things work against odd.

Selection Process In Recruitments.

Selection Process

As a candidate seeking a job, the selection process may appear like a race of hurdles where you are to beat other candidates to get job. The selection typically has following stages. The exact numbers and nature of the stages would vary based on the policies of recruiting companies.

Short Listing of Profiles:

It is done to filter out the most suitable candidates since application received by any organization. Often, selection criterion is the candidates with a first class academic record (Graduation, 12th, 10th class). Many candidates are filtered out here. If you have an excellent academic record, you need not to worry about this round.

Written Test (Aptitude, English, Technical):

There are various type of aptitude tests - Verbal, Logical, Numerical and so on. These aptitude tests are designed on the basis of skill requirement of a particular job. For example, quantitative and verbal (English) aptitude are predominant tests for IT jobs. Some times the test papers also contains very basic technical questions about information technology and programming.

Group Discussion:

This round judges your ability to think logically and with the clarity and express your opinion and ideas in front of group. This round may be prove to be difficult for candidates who are a little reserved and shy and can not express their ideas. Excellent communication skill, presentation skill and clarity of thoughts will get you across this hurdle in the race. This is a stage that may not be conducted by every recruiting company.

Technical Interview:

Technology or subject matter knowledge is tested here. The questions asked are related to core discipline you have studied and on your work experience. When you are a fresher, questions are asked to judge your technical understanding and the work you have done so far related to it.

HR Interview:

This is final round. Here, your personality traits, and your behavior is observed. The purpose is to find how well you will adapt to the work environment and company's culture. Interviewer tries to seek answer to questions like Are you fit for the profile you will be assigned to? Will you be able to support the team members and work happily in the environment? Will you cause trouble due to your behavior and attitude? Will you stay for a long time?

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