Tips on answering some common questions in HR interviews.

1. Interview Questions for Freshers
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2. Points to Remember
• You have only 5 minutes to make a good impression. The
first 5 minutes are the most important
• An interviewer does not know anything about you. How
you project yourself is very important.
• The interviewer himself/herself may not know the
answers to all the questions. Your confidence in
answering and approaching the problem is more
important.
• The interviewer should get the impression that you are
keen to learn and make a difference.
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3. Common Questions
• Tell me about yourself
• Why should I hire you?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work at our company?
• Are you willing to relocate or travel?
• What are your goals?
• Give me an example of your creativity
• How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
• What are your outside interests?
• What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
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4. Common Questions. . . Contd.
• Explain how would be an asset to this organization?
• Can you work under pressure?
• How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
• How much salary do you expect?
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?
• Are not you overqualified for this position?
• Tell me something about our company.
• Do you have any questions for me?
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5. Tell me about yourself
• Give a brief of your education (last degree completed), your place
and family background. Keep it simple to 2 or 3 sentences.
• Do NOT say “I am BASICALLY from…”
• A few lines about the core technical skills.
• Brief about hobbies so that interviewer understands what other
interests you have
• Do NOT go into strengths and weaknesses because it can lead to
other questions.
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6. Why should I hire you?
• “I am a fresher and do not have any practical experience. But as I am
a quick learner, I will focus on any opportunity given to me at work
and deliver to the best of the company’s expectations. I am also very
adaptable to changing work conditions and will give my time and
effort wherever required. I intend to grow with the company.
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7. What are your strengths and
weaknesses?
• Strengths
• Quick learner, Excellent communication skills, Perseverance skills,
Hard working, Determined, Analytical skills, Team player, Adaptable
• Weaknesses – State weaknesses that can be strengths. DON’T say
things like dishonest, thief, anger, violence. Instead, say
• Workaholic – getting too involved in work
• Slow decision maker due to too much analysis
• Perfectionist – Take time to get everything right
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8. Why do you want to work at our company?
You need to appear unselfish while at the same time learn and grow in your
career. So frame your answer like this:
“I think that great companies are made by great employees. Your company has a
reputation in the market as one of the best. I would like to be a part of this
company which will give me the opportunity to learn and grow and also give me
the satisfaction of contributing to its growth”
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9. Are you willing to relocate or travel?
As a fresher, you should prove that you are adaptable and willing to go the
distance.
“I will be willing to travel as it will give me a good opportunity to learn about
new place, new cultures and make me a more rounded person to handle various
situation. Besides, I already have the experience living outside for a few years
and this will not be an issue for me.”
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10. What are your goals?
State a short term and long term goal to keep it clear. You
can say:
“My short term goal is get placed in a reputed company
that offers me a chance to learn and grow”
“My long term goal is to grow with the organization to a
position of responsibility and accountability”
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11. Give me an example of
your creativity
• Keep in mind, one example of where you used your mind
in resolving a problem of any kind in any place.
• The interviewer is looking for an example to see how you
think differently
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12. How long would you expect to
work for us if hired?
This question should be answered in a way that the
employer is happy and also shows that you are looking after
yourself.
“I will work with this company as long as I am able to
contribute to both the company and myself in parallel so
that the company is profited and I am in a position to
improve my skills by learning”
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13. What are your outside interests?
Make sure you specify a creative interest or a learning
interest. You can say anything like:
• Traveling, Chess, Meditation, Playing instruments, NGO
work.
Do NOT say interests like only
• Watching movies, watching cricket, going out with
friends, surfing net. This makes you sound lazy and unfit
for new jobs
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14. What was the toughest decision
you ever had to make?
• Be very specific on your answer. Your answer should show that you
have had to sacrifice on something important.
• If you feel that no difficult situation has happened, then you can tell
the interviewer that no situation has been that difficult to handle.
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15. Explain how would be an asset to
this organization?
Use your positive productive qualities to say something
like:
“I believe I am a hard working, original thinker. I am also
punctual, honest and a dedicated worker”
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16. Can you work under pressure?
Always say “Yes” to this question otherwise there is no
point in hiring you.
“I can work well under pressure because it becomes a new
learning experience and prepares me for the next stages in
career growth”
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17. How do you feel about working
nights and weekends?
Be honest here because even the employer knows that you
will not like to work night shifts. And since you are a
fresher, there is no strong excuse to deny working night
shifts. So you can answer
“Frankly, I would not like to work night shifts but if it is to
contribute to the company’s growth, I would be open to it. I
will also work weekends if there is a deadline to meet”
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18. How much salary do you expect?
As a fresher, your primary objective is to gain knowledge.
Treat your initial experience as purely learning with some
compensation to get by.
“My priority right now is to learn and contribute to the
company if I intend to make a career for myself. I will
adhere to the company policy and accept my salary
according to it”
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19. Where do you see yourself
five years from now?
Most employers may not expect you to stay for 5 years in
the same company though they would like it. So to keep it
professional, you can answer
“After 5 years, I see myself in a position of responsibility in
the organization after learning continuously and handling
different situations at work and with people. I see myself
achieving this through honesty, patience and
determination”
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20. Tell me something about our company.
There is no doubt about this question.
• Read the internet for as much information that you can
obtain
• Know what the company business is and their core
competencies
• Ask your friends or acquaintances about the company.
• Find out how many offices/branches the company has.
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21. Do you have any questions for me?
Many good employers ask this to see what you are thinking.
You can ask questions like:
• Please tell me what the exact role is that I am being
considered for
• Please let me know if I need to equip myself with any
other skills in your opinion
• In case I am not selected, I request you to please give me
feedback on myself so that I may answer better in the next
interview
• Do Not ask questions about company benefits, perks,
company revenue
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