The document provides guidance on preparing for a job interview. It recommends thoroughly reading the job description and researching the company to understand how your qualifications match the role. Some key elements to focus on include common interview questions, having relevant examples from your experience ready, researching the market salary, and dressing professionally. The document then lists and provides responses for frequent interview questions such as introducing yourself, discussing strengths and weaknesses, why you are the perfect candidate, why you want to work for the company, how coworkers would describe you, challenges you have faced, accomplishments, career aspirations, hobbies, salary expectations, and questions to ask the interviewer.
2. Preparing for an interview generally
entails giving careful attention to how
your objectives and credentials match
to those of the position and company.
For this, attentively read the job
description and conduct research on the
company to see why you'd be a good
fit. Let's explore how to be ready for an
interview.
Secret of Success
4. Key Elements
Job Description Common Interview Qs Number and Details
Resume Salary Research Professional Attire
Read job description thoroughly and find
relevant examples from your experience.
Practice common interview questions like
Introduction, strength, weakness etc.
Revenue figures, numbers, budget or team
sizes, percentages to create impact.
Bring resume copies for every person you
meet and one for your reference.
Figure out the market competitive
salary for easy negotiation.
Always go for an interview in
Professional Attire and reach timely.
6. Introduction
Q: Please introduce yourself?
Recruiters need to know briefly about your basic details.
• Your Name, current designation and company / fresh
graduate.
• Qualification and University, Academic Achievements.
• Brief family introduction and their expectations from you.
• Short and crisp interest of yours in the job role you're
being interviewed for.
• Gratitude statement for providing interview opportunity at
closing.
Strength
Q: What are your greatest strengths?
Stay humble, strike the right balance between confidence
and humility.
• Be authentic, don’t make false strengths to match with
hiring manager mindset.
• Provide evidence for that strength by giving story from
work experience.
• Share the strengths that are relevant to the position you
have applied for.
7. Weakness
Q: What is your greatest weakness?
Don’t give the interviewer a perception whether your
weaknesses will get in the way of doing the job.
• Be humble, communicate a story that shows you're self-
aware of your short comings.
• Choose something that is not so much relevant to the
job position or role you are applying for.
• It’s good to be honest about what you’re not great at but
don’t confuse it with job description.
• Share the steps you are taking to actively overcome this
shortcoming.
Perfect Candidate
Q: Why should we hire you?
Elaborate your key qualities to demonstrate how persuasive
you are towards your career.
• Pick qualifications and experiences that help them
understand why you're a fit for this job.
• Enlist the reasons why you think yourself a best fit for
the role compared to others.
• Cite results, credentials, and other people’s praise so you
don’t seem self-absorbed.
• Be concise and invite follow-up questions at the end.
8. Work at this Company
Q: Why do you want to work at this company?
State your reasons that you can learn, earn and grow in a
better way at this position and company.
• Make it about them first and say clearly about the
growing pattern of their company.
• Comment the research you have done about the company
before coming to the interview.
• Make a difference with competitors by highlighting how
you can add value to their team.
Co-Worker Thoughts
Q: What would your co-workers say about you?
This question can help you highlight strengths without
feeling of bragging, tell them how you can fit in their team.
• Read the job descriptions carefully and look for the points
that will go well for answering this question.
• Share something that relates to the job description and
back it with an example.
• Look to your recommendations and reviews of peers for
ideas.
9. Challenges
Q: Describe your most challenging task / Project?
Interviewers want to know how you handled the challenging
situation in a calm way.
• Describe the situation in a story way, have a clear story
with a specific challenge. Start with a mild stage and
than progressing with the problems you faced.
• State what needed to be resolved and what resources did
you have at that time.
• Discuss action steps you took and talk about the positive
impact.
Accomplishments
Q: Tell us about something you’ve accomplished?
Recruiters assess how you define a professional success.
You should focus on the impact and outcomes.
• Describe the problem in a story way that existed before
you took action.
• Talk about how you took initiative to solve the problem.
• Explain why you are proud of the outcome and what
would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in.
10. Career Aspirations
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Recruiters determine your seriousness towards your career
to see if your goals matches with corporate objectives.
• Break the years, tell them what you will be achieving in
initial 2,3 years.
• Focus on what you can give, rather than what you can
get in return and don’t bring up a specific job title that
you want to move into one day.
• Make it specific to the company and position you have
applied.
Post Work Activities
Q: What are your hobbies outside work?
Interviewers want to know you’re going to be enjoyable in
team or not. Set yourself up as interesting, fun, curious, or
a go-getter.
• Go ahead and share something about your hobbies,
volunteer work, or the places you enjoy traveling to.
• Keep it short and sweet. Share something that paints a
favorable picture.
• Don’t bore them with long stories. Steer clear of the
inappropriate zone.
11. Salary Expectations
Q: What are your salary expectations?
Recruiters assess whether your salary requirements are
aligned to what they have budgeted for this role.
• Know the market trends, salary ranges offered by other
companies for similar roles.
• Talk about ranges, rather than exact numbers, let them
know there’s room to negotiate, give them a salary range.
• Don’t go too high, or you may freeze yourself out of the
opportunity.
Questions from Hiring Team
Q: Do you have any questions for us?
Interviewers are intended to see if you’re prepared and to
assess how curious and thoughtful you are.
• Show them you’re paying attention and come prepared
with 3-5 thoughtful questions.
• Ask questions that show you’re engaged, intelligent and
interested.
• Avoid no-brainer questions or ones related to salary /
benefits.
12. Do’s
• Do your pre-research and make a good first impression
by listening and responding accordingly.
• Sell your expertise in a way that you hold the valuable
side and is considered worthy.
• Prepare smart and open-ended questions to ask the
interviewer.
Don’ts
• Don’t speak bad about your current or previous employers
whether you have had good or bad terms.
• Don’t quote any false work experience or skill that you
don’t actually equip.
• Don’t let any past rejection become a hurdle, every
interview is a new opportunity.