On popular demand from the readers, we are bringing out the supplementary list of questions that are likely to be asked from you in an interview. This is a follow-up article for – “How to face the job interview”, which was published in the end of Feb’16. Here we have checked the interview patterns across various industries and prepared the list to make it easier for you to prepare for the interview. Here is the session of question and answers:
What is your weakness? While you may be able to speak impromptu about your strength, the answer to your weakness has to be well thought. If you are going for a maintenance job, your incapability to analyse breakdowns cannot be your weakness. In such a case you should be looking for a job other than maintenance. The right statement would be that you can manage up to three breakdowns at the same time but you are incapable of handling more than three.
What are you doing about it? Before the interviewer puts this question, you should actually be continuing with your strategy to cover your weakness. You intend to target the root cause and reduce the breakdowns by preventive and predictive maintenance. You are already doing an online certification course on predictive maintenance techniques which will be over in another three months. A person in HR can be doing an online course in communication in order to cover his weakness in the said area.
Why did you choose this profession? A question like this may completely puzzle you. If you are prepared you can answer it very well. You were inspired by a neighbour who is at the level of a vice president in a multi-national company. He happens to be an MBA from a private university but has worked hard in the company to move up the ladder. He has been your guiding force and you did B. Com with MBA from a well-known university in order to follow his career path. Through the campus placement, you joined as a management trainee in a manufacturing industry and you have gained experience in finance. You now want to join the interviewing company and continue your foray into finance and business management.
If you are made the CEO what are the three things that will give you sleepless nights? If you are the CEO and you have to run the company, you need to have a good sleep in the night. You will ensure that the issues and problems are resolved within the day. You will set up a team to handle the unresolved issues if any before you leave the office. You will also ensure that the difficult and problematic issues are given priority and are resolved in your presence. You will only tolerate an occasional disturbance in the night for an emergency issue requiring your approval.
If you are allowed to change one thing, what would it be? This question has to be answered practically with a doable solution. It must also be commensurate with your level, in the organization. Do not give silly answers like – I will automate everything and everyone will be working from home. The person appearing for HOD Finance interview can say that I will work on reducing the interest rates on the loans taken by the company. This is possible with relevant experience and may save the company lakhs of rupees. A person appearing for an AM job in HR may talk about improving the performance evaluation system. He must have taken a certification course or have prior experience in this activity, to be able to say this.
The list of the interview questions is seemingly endless, but we have provided you with the typical ones in the two articles. Sometimes the forms of the question changes and you have to be sharp enough to make it out. For example – What is your unique selling proposition (USP); what is the area of your strength; and do you want to be a jack of all trades and master of none – all point to the same answer and that is your skill set. Be relaxed and comfortable in the interview and learn to decipher the question that the interviewer is asking. Tell him that you do not understand and he will put the question in an easier way. All the best for your interview!
You are right, the same question can be put in many forms by the interviewer. You only have to ensure that you understand him fully before answering.
The question – why are you in this profession, had caught me unawares once. Though I had thought an answer after the interview, the one given here seems to be much better. Thanks.
I have read both the articles on the interview questions. The answers given are quite suitable. Thanks.
They asked me the question – What will you do as the head of the design department. I told them I will cut down the development time. I used the experience that I had gained during a project in the previous company, to explain how I will achieve it. I got the job!
Changing the one thing in a company must be linked to your strong point. If you have the skill to do it, you can make the difference.
Good examples for maintenance, HR and finance people. These can be used by the other people to generate answers relevant to their work areas. Thanks for a good informative article.
In the interview I was asked a technical question which was nicely framed by the interviewer. I thought that I did not know the answer. So, I requested that I did not understand the question properly. The interviewer said that he thought that I had done a project so the answer would be known to me. That was good enough a hint for me and I could correlate the question to my project and answered it well. I was finally selected. The last lines in this article point to the same situation. I hope the readers can take que from my experience.
The CEO position in any organization is filled with stress and work tensions. The CEO is responsible for the entire organization and has to be dynamic person. For him to have a good night’s sleep is possible only if he has a very strong control on the day to day activities. Good question possible in an interview.
I have liked the article. I would like to give it an “A” rating.
Thank you ,to guide us with your experience .& i ‘m sure this article will help me whenever i ‘ll face a best interview in the best company of my field. and yes please keep it on to share experience always.
Thank you for your time and article. Well addressed
It would be verye usefull, since you have covered almost all very tricky questions.
I hope you would continue !!
Need help in few BPO related questions like,
1.People & Process management.
2.What are you challenges.
3.What are your weakness and strengths.
4.How will you do the Appraisal for your team.
5.What KPI’s and KRI’s, how will you differential them (BPO/Contact center).
6.How will you control the attrition.
7.How will you do the Performance management of your team.
Team request you to answer these questions with a example from BPO/CC. please address me this question if these is not a paid service or else ignore.
That is a very specific requirement. Nonetheless we will try to cover these aspects either through an article for the BPO fraternity or through a new audio/video section which is likely to start very soon on the website.
Thanks a lot for all your contribution towards this article hats off.
Nice article!
Almost covered all the aspects related to specific questions however there can be n number of answers to every question but the important thing is that how we relate them to the job on sale.
Will wait for your article on BPO industry.
Thanks
The article on BPO is already published. https://job-mentor.com///the-six-interview-questions-on-bpo-management/
Is there any article on interview for legal field.
Thank you for your interest. At present we have 4 articles on the general interview guidelines and 1 article on the BPO interviews. We will definitely include articles in your area of interest in the future. We are adding you to the weekly mailing list so that you are updated on the latest publication.
Thanks for the unique articles in the Indian context.
Hello i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read
this post i thought i could also create comment due to this brilliant piece of writing.
Precisely what I was looking for, thanks for posting.
Hi good morning sir,
I am job market.
Think you
From
Mr. Sonu s/o Magenta singh