Describe an instance when you had to think on your feet to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.
Correct Answer
Sample Response : When I was a resident assistant at my college, a student I did not know asked me if he could use my phone to call another room Although I did not know the student, I allowed him into my room He used the phone and in the course of his conversation, he stated that he had just come from a fraternity party and was high from taking some drugs Well after his conversation, I had to enforce the student conduct code by writing him up He became very hostile towards me and would not give me any identification or information I stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving I noted the serial numbers on his keys, so when the situation got to the point where I felt unsafe, I allowed the him to leave I still preformed my job without jeopardizing my or his physical welfare
Correct Answer: The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you've given this some thought and are not sending out resumes just because there is an opening For example, "I've selected key companies whose mission statements are in line with my values, where I know I could be excited about what the company does, and this company is very high on my list of desirable choices"
Correct Answer: Why Are You Looking For A New Job? Purpose - This question is asked to get some insights into your personality and your relationship with your last job, colleagues and employer So you should be careful while answering this question 1 Never bad-mouth your former employers Why? It is very simple as the interviewer will envision that you will bad-mouth them when you decide to leave, and nobody wants bad rumors about themselves or their company 2 Never bad-mouth your previous co-workers Why? This world is too small, your co-workers could be a friend, relative of the interviewer 3 Never bad-mouth about the responsibilities and tasks you performed at your previous job Why? Thinking that the new employer would give you great responsibilities and tasks and if you give a hate speech on the previous job responsibilities and activities and to your surprise if your interviewer is thinking about similar tasks for this position, you have already given a reason to quit the new job which you have not yet got So guess, the chances of you getting the job is Nil Keep the answer short and try not to disclose too much A straight answer is best and as stated above avoid negative statements about yourself, your work, or your ability to get along with others Eg My organization was forced to downsize Our department was eliminated due to corporate restructuring I am looking for a bigger challenge and to grow my career I am relocating to this area due to family ( Marriage, Kids Education etc) I received degree and want to utilize my new skills in this new position I am interested in a job with more responsibility and challenges I am seeking a position with a stable company with room for growth and opportunity for advancement
Correct Answer: What are your strengths? Purpose - The question is asked by the interviewer to understand your key selling point and get to know if it is relevant and helpful to handle the responsibilities that the person will handle if hired Note - All Most all Interviewers/Hiring people in management who assign tasks and responsibilities feel that a person is productive in work if his strength matches to the responsibilities of the role So expect this question in most interviews Also, be aware Strengths give clues on your interest Approach - Pick 2 or 3 strengths and give examples for each 1 to demonstrate how you used it in the previous job or in life You can identify Some of your strengths from below list Continuous learning Problem solving Multi-tasking Self learning Flexible Team Player Hard working Like Challenges Quick Learner Self Motivated Communication, Oral and Written Process Oriented Analytical Pre-work -Understand the job requirement in detail and get to know in advance what are the responsibilities the role you are applying and accordingly pick your strength that is relevant to the role It would be advantageous to know the problems are issues the company is facing and what was the reason for the opening You should be prepared for this question It is one of the most commonly asked interview question Eg: Communication and presentation - Communication and presentation is my strength In my previous job, I was given additional responsibilities to present and facilitate project status meetings with executive management and team building activities across departments
4. What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision ?
Correct Answer: The interviewer wants to know that you don't just jump into a solution without knowing the problem in detail You want to study the problem by determining the cause of the problem, what the problem is, and what the possible solutions are You then decide on a solution Following steps for problem-solving and decision-making can be very helpful - Define the problem to be solved and decision to be made - Gather the necessary information - List all possible choices - Consider possible outcomes for each choice - Check out how you feel about each of the choices - Relate the choices to your values and priorities - From the possible alternatives, choose one - Commit yourself to your chosen decision and disregard the others Concentrate your energies in one direction Once we made our decision, we must focus all our work on that itself - Take steps to turn your decision into positive action - Evaluate your progress from time to time Change your decision if necessary
Correct Answer: Maturation refers to the ways in which we grow and develop throughout the lifespan Maturation is the process of becoming mature; the emergence of individual and behavioral characteristics through growth processes over time
6. What do you do when things do not go as planned ?
Correct Answer: This question will gauge your ability to adapt to certain situations Interviewers ask this question because they want to know how well you can manage problems and changes at work This is necessary because changes happen in the workplace and those who show adaptability and flexibility are the ones who are still able to perform well in spite of the change The interviewer, therefore, will give plus points to candidates who are able to prove that they possess these qualities They are looking for people who are able to respond quickly and positively to changes and unexpected demands A lot of people might be tempted to simply say, "I have never had problems when things do not go as planned" or worse, "I have never experienced that before" The first answer is fine as long as you are able to provide a supporting answer to it and be able to really show that you are, in fact, someone who can easily adjust yourself when changes occur On the other hand, saying you have never had any experience on the matter would only make the interviewer think of how naive you are, which is not really going to help you land in the job It is recommended that you summarize your answer in one sentence and then expound further later on Answers such as "When things do not go as planned, the first thing I do is to take a deep breath and tell myself it will be okay" An answer like this can immediately give the interviewer an idea that you are a levelheaded person who knows how to handle situations properly
Correct Answer: Sometimes it's best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future For example, "My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility"
8. How Do You Manage to Balance Career and Family?
Correct Answer: If you're attempting to give an answer that is as unrevealing as possible, try something like this: " I have been a dedicated,loyal,hardworking employee throughout my career and nothing in my personal life-family obligations, hobbies, or volunteer work-has ever affected my performance Nor would I ever expect it to"
Correct Answer: What are your weaknesses? This is a very common interview question for many jobs across industries Most people feel Answering strengths is easy but weaknesses is difficult If approached the right way this question will give you chance to build trust You have 3 options/approaches to answer this question 1 Deny having any weaknesses This approach is least common and surely not the way to go 2 Spin a Weakness into a strength Like, "I'm a perfectionist" or "I care too much" Note - This is very common approach and some interviewers think you are not being honest 3 Give an honest answer (Recommended) the question honestly without shooting yourself in the foot Eg My weakness is public speaking, I am working on it Ofcourse make sure this is not the primary requirement of the job
Correct Answer: The most important thing to remember when answering this question is that it really is not about what you did wrong It's about how you handled a difficult situation and what you learned from it Describe your biggest failure and discuss what you've learned from it and ideally how you've been successful because of that lessonThe real reason why interviewers ask about your biggest failure is that it reveals a lot about your ability - to take risks - face challenges - acknowledge your mistakes and - learn from them