How to answer 12 of the toughest job interview questions

The interview may be the last phase of recruitment but is the most important one. It is the final step in your quest to land your most coveted job and therefore, must be steady and solid. The obstacle in your path are the questions and you must deal with them appropriately. Your most important tool is self-awareness and confidence in yourself.

Interviewers usually ask questions that don’t have an assigned correct answer. It all depends on how you portray yourself and handle the pressure and showcase your decision-making abilities. Read more to know how to ace questions to achieve your preferred job position!

Check below How to answer 12 toughest job interview questions:

1)    Tell us something about yourself apart from your resume:

This question is usually asked to check the communication skill and self-awareness of the interviewee. You should be well prepared to speak about your achievements, interests and passion.

Tip: Focus on your strengths. Apart from academics, incorporate the achievements and your motivations in life.

Answer: I have done many social events like “Open mics”, fundraisers for NGOs and I was the ambassador of the “Robin Hood Army’’. I have participated in many debate competitions and won two Inter college and District Level competitions. I am fond of writing articles on my blog. All these activities motivate me and have given me a different perspective to experience life. Open mics have enhanced my communication skills and helped me overcome my stage fear. Volunteering at NGOs XYZ and ABC I came to know the importance of CSR in corporates. My life has sharpened me to be an individual who can now look life in the eye when it looks at me.

2)    Can you tell me why you want to leave your current company?

This question checks the stability of a candidate. It helps to check how do they describe their employer. It shows the outlook a person has towards his/her own choices and priorities of life.

Tip: You can start with your experiences at your current company and why a new challenge is something that would drive your career forward.

Answer: In my current company I have learned a lot about technical skills but in order to grow and survive in the competitive market I want to learn management skills as well. For that, I need a challenging environment where I can improve and enhance my overall skills.

3)    Why we should consider you among others?

This question is asked to figure out your capabilities to see how the company can utilise them for the best. They just want to see your competitive spirit and how good you are on presenting your.

Tip: Try to a summary of your abilities and try to connect them to the requirement of the company.

Answer: You can consider me because this is the best platform for me to showcase my creative thinking along with my analytical dexterity. I think project completion within the stipulated time period is essential. I am flexible to strengthen the yield of the company.

4)    After 5 or 10 years where you see yourself?

This question determines how focused you are on your career. It also helps the interviewer figure your future with the company.

Tip: Don’t say vague answer because this conveys a message that you have low value for this job. Try to structure your career plan in front of the interviewer briefly.

Answer: I am planning to learn and understand the market and want to invest my energy in understanding the entire product lifecycle in the next 5 to 7 years. After that I see myself heading a product development project.

5)    What is your salary expectation?

This is asked to gauge your expectation and weigh that with respect to your worth to the company.

Tip: In this situation, be realistic and try to do research about the company salary scale and connect to the people working in similar roles. You can also check in many authenticated web-sites for the salary reviews as well. It is safe to ask for a 30% jump at the least.

Answer: I am looking at CTC of 8 lakhs per annum. My current CTC is 5 lakhs and I am due a promotion at the end of this quarter.

6)    You see yourself as a leader or follower?

This question is asked to determine your work style, team work abilities and self-management skill. The interviewer usually asks this to know how you tackle different situations.

Tip: Never try to stick to one style of working but on the flexibility, you offer.

Answer: Over the year, I have held many positions of responsibilities which required strong leadership skills. I have been a part of many teams as well. Being leader or follower depends on the situations but I believe I posses both the qualities and can mould myself according to the requirement of the company and role.

7)     Tell me about an accomplishment that you are most proud of?

By asking this, the interviewer is trying to not only access your potential but also checking how self-aware are you.

Tip: Make sure you give context and highlight the reason behind your choice.

Answer: I have earned many awards and appreciation but the best accomplishment that made me proud is when I won the “Inter-university Hackathon Challenge”, because the success reflected the immense amount of hard work and effort I put in to learn and master programming skills which I only had rudimentary knowledge of.

8)     What was your biggest failure?

Interviewers are well aware that every interviewee tries to highlight their positive aspects. By asking this question the interviewer wants to know your low phases and how you handled such times.

Tip:  Now, in this competitive market you have to prepare yourself to portray the best you have even if the question is about failures. You can show that you stayed optimistic even when you failed but learnt how to overcome the situation and you are capable enough to mould your life accordingly.

Answer: I believe my biggest failure was when my team was not able to meet the target, that was a tough situation. We were just a mile away but things were not in our favour. Being the team leader, I highlighted the positives to everyone and yes of course where we failed to put extra effort. But this failure taught me a lot and in future we made sure we reach our target achievement and project completion.

9)      How do you handle difficult situations?

This is usually asked to determine your stress management and ability to work under pressure. It helps the interviewer understand if you can step up when it counts.

Tip: Showcase your ability to remain calm and not lose your focus when you are put in an alien situation or under extreme pressure.

Answer: If there is a difficult situation, the first thing I do it to make sure that I mitigate the immediate negative repercussions of the situation. Once that is done, I start analysing and finding the root cause so that I can figure out a solution to make amends. Difficult situations come with their share of pressure, but I am fortunate to say that pressure does not impale me but improves my performance instead. The best way is to figure out what went wrong, come up with ideas to improve the situation and make sure such a disaster does not occur in the future.

10)            If you are asked to fire someone then how you will do it?

This question is asked to test your emotional intelligence and as well as your soft skills. It will also check your situational understanding and ability to take tough calls.

Tip: Explain how you will try to maintain your tone as sympathetic yet firm. Mention that you prefer to follow the company policy in such a case.

Answer:  Firstly, I will go through the company procedure regarding dismissals. I will speak to the concerned person and provide a solid reason behind the decision. I will appreciate their positive contributions for the company but will also show them negatives points which eventually led to this decision and why it is irreversible. I will forward the decision with reasons to the HR manager.

11)            What questions have I not asked you?

This question checks your creativity to come up with innovative questions that interviewer might be interested to ask It determines your presence of mind and alertness throughout the interview session.

Tip: This is considered as the best question to impress the interviewer. For better communication, prepare yourself for this before the interview session and try to come up with different questions.

Answer: Mention only those question for which you are prepared well and interviewer haven’t asked from you.

·        If you had a chance to meet someone from history who would it be and why?

·        If you could ask three questions to your mentor, what would those be?

12)  Tell me why we shouldn’t hire you?

Most interview questions are about personality and many interviews are all about positive contributions, but this question is asked to know if you know yourself in terms of weaknesses. Interviewers are keen to know how you explain and measure yourself if a situation is against you.

Tip:  Answering this question needs self-introspection. Try to answer the question showcasing the positives in you even when a situation in not in your favour. Show you are eager to learn and overcome the flaws you have.

Answer: My background is technical but my job experience is in management as well. I see myself as a learner, but if you consider only management degree for this job then this can be considered as a loop hole for me to grab this opportunity.

Conclusion:

Career development is a continuous process and for the better success story all you need to focus on career development on every step of life. Before any regrets for not trying the best, you can do for yourself. Career development is the key to unlock the improvement phase for yourself and after getting pro at the career development will help to face the toughest questions of job interview at ease.

For more comprehensive interview question details, Click Out this link :  Common Interview Questions

AUTHOR BIO

Abhyank Srinet holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe & has an engineering degree with a specialization in Instrumentation & Control. His interest in the digital landscape motivated him to create an online start up for Masters in Management application consulting (MiM-Essay), focused on spreading quality information about the MiM degree & performing application consulting services for clients. He is the chief consultant of the company and takes care of Business Development and Digital Marketing side of the company. He is very passionate about writing and marketing. 

How to Answer Questions About Family at Interview

Have you ever come across personal questions at a job interview? If you’ve answered “yes”, you are certainly not alone. A lot of candidates often struggle to find a proper answer when it comes to their family and personal life. It’s not surprising since such questions often infringe upon your privacy and may well undermine your career achievements if your answer is not carefully thought over. The questions may vary, covering topics like gender, marital or family status, relationships, kids or dependent persons.

 

Despite being illegal in most countries, personal questions are still considered an integral part of job interviews by some employees. Let’s try to figure out what intentions lie behind personal questions at job interviews and what you can do to be fully prepared for them.

What lies behind personal questions?

Personal or family-related questions are often meant to learn more about the candidate. The problem is that many employers abuse this opportunity in order to discriminate against the applicant based on his or her family or personal life. For instance, many employers refrain from hiring young women in their twenties, since they may soon ask for a parental leave.

However, there are more reasons behind those questions. If the question arises in the middle of an interview, it may be used to catch you unalert. This way an employer may try to understand if you are adaptable to handle unusual situations and problems appearing during work. Thus, if you start hesitating or stumble over words, an interviewer might infer that you are not that good at crisis management or worse – that you are not flexible enough.

Another possible reason for the question is to see if you have people dependent on you. Candidates who do, seem more preferred for the employer since they will be more committed to the job and are unlikely to look for a change of working conditions very frequently. Moreover, during salary negotiations, such employees will be at a disadvantage as they need the job in the first place.

How to prepare for family-related questions?      

The thing is it’s not advisable to refuse to answer personal questions completely, since it may result in a failed interview. Meanwhile, if you write down a list of questions that may be asked during the interview and try to find the most appropriate way to answer them, you won’t be caught off guard.

So as not to be completely unprepared, there are a number of tips to consider before answering questions about your family or personal life.

 

1. Make an answer emphasize your strengths

Say that you are always committed to your job regardless of what happens in your personal life. Highlight that you always keep personal and professional aspects of your life separate so that they don’t impact one another. Add a bit of extra insight into your way of living. Say that you’ve always been able to organize your day carefully. You can even mention writing daily schedule as your advantage. This will show the employer that you are a level-headed person that can manage both aspects of your life successfully. If the employer asks about kids or marital status, you can respond with an answer highlighting your professional achievements at the previous position, regardless of your family life.

2. Ask about the purpose of the question

Say that you have never been asked such a question and that you're wondering why the matter is important for the employer. This way, you will learn more about what matters to the company and what the overall working environment looks like. Because I doubt that you will want to work in the conditions, where professional qualifications are secondary to the personal lives of the employees.

3. Don't answer the question straightaway

If you feel that the question is inappropriate, don't answer it from the very beginning, since it may give an employer an unreasonable insight into your personal life. Too much information about your personal life always puts you at a disadvantage. Moreover, your potential boss can then use it to discriminate you or to restrict your future promotion opportunities.

4. Keep calm

Even though the question about your personal life is inappropriate at least, you have to brace yourself so as not to fire up. You don't have to disclose all your cards, but do it a diplomatic way. Often enough, such personal or family-related questions are asked to assess your ability to act in stressful or unexpected situations. Thus, an aggressive response may tell the employer that you're emotionally unstable and won’t be able to stay cool in the emergency. Instead, if you don't want to answer the question, state your position friendly but firmly.

5. Use the question to your good

Actually, you can turn things over and find out more about your potential employer’s policies by observing the reaction to your answer whatever it is. If the interviewers pay too much attention to the subject, you may conclude that the company is overly obsessed with its employees’ personal life, which clearly is a bad signal. At the same time, if the employer adds that the company has certain guidelines by which no discrimination is allowed, you will see that there's nothing to worry about.

In any case, you’ll know that by the time you are hired, so you will be able to make a sounder decision, whether the company is the right one for you.

Summing Up

Personal questions are something every candidate tries to avoid. However, very often, they’re a common part of an interview that you cannot just skip. If you come across a personal or family-related question during it, there’s nothing to be afraid of if you have spent some time on preparation prior to the interview.

To stay confident in the event of an unwanted question, be sure to write down thought-over answers before the interview.  Moreover, keep calm and polite so as not to seem ill-bred.

Using the tips above, you can find the most appropriate way to respond to personal questions and even use them to emphasize your professional qualities and personality traits.

Author's Bio:

Richard Nolan is a writer and a private tutor, sharing his experience in spheres of  writing, blogging, entrepreneurship and psychology. Richard writes for numerous blogs and gives useful tips for bloggers and students. Currently, Richard works as a general blog editor for ProWritersCenter. Follow him on Twitter

Some Basic Interview Questions for Freshers

First job interview fares quite high in the professional lives of a fresh college graduate. It is a stepping stone for them into practical life. Mostly, they are quite apprehensive about the questions they’ll be asked by the interviewer and have no clue what kind of answers are best to give that may impress the employers and showcase their knowledge and acumen in their related field.

Most of the time the questions are of quite basic nature and they are asked from the fresher no matter which field they belong to. These basic enquiries are more related to the personality of the interviewee rather than the field he’s applying for. Here, in this blog post we are going to discuss some of these basic questions that can be asked and the most appropriate ways to tackle them.

1.     TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF?

This is the most likely asked question and is asked to start the conversation basically. It is to generally know about whom you are regardless of which field you belong to. Employers try to assess your personality and your self-assurance through this basic question. You can start by telling them about your education, some information about your family, professions of your father and mother, number of siblings you have and your hobbies to start with. This kind of information provides an insight about interviewee’s personal life to the employers.

2.     WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS FIELD?

This question is directed toward the fresher’s to gauge their enthusiasm for the field they are applying for. Now, most of the students who steps into professional life know what they want and what their calling is. But let’s be honest not everyone is that sure about the direction he wants to follow professionally. So, this question may be a little troublesome for them. But even if you lack passion for the job you should have an answer to this question. You can always prepare a good answer by knowing the basics of the field. At least, to the employers your passion should be evident in your answer. 

3.     WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK HERE?

This is a trick question and you have to tread very carefully as this could prove to be very dangerous grounds. Mostly employers want to know whether you just randomly picked the company or just applied because there was an opening. Your answer should never be afore mentioned reasons. You shouldn’t start praising the company relentlessly either as it would look too vulgar and would be considered an attempt at buttering up your way into the company. Rather, your response should be addressing general aspiration of yours. You could tell them things like the companies you were willing to work for should have same values as yours, etc. This could generalize your response without sounding too contrived.

4.     WHAT ARE YOUR KEY STRENGTHS?

This is another basic question asked quite a lot from the fresher’s. The employers are looking for the best candidate for the said position and through this question; they are assessing your standing in the job market. So it is quite imperative that your answer encompass your key strengths comprehensively. This question should be answered with great care as this could prove, make or break point in your virgin job interview. You should know your strength inside out. You can talk about your positive nature or can relate to any project in your college life in which you had input, showcased you as a team member. Depending upon the interview, you can change them. Just point out your strength without sounding boastful or arrogant.

5.     WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS/AMBITIONS?

Never leap too far ahead into future as far as your goals are concerned while answering this particular question. Always state your short term goals. If you actually have any plan, state it with reasons. If not, then keep your answer generic. You can state your answer in line with professional growth with the company with long term ambitions of getting a responsible position to make significant contribution to the growth of both yourself and the company. Whatever answer you choose it should be delivered with conviction. This will impress the employers about your passion and you have a better shot at getting the job.

These are some of the questions that are mostly asked by the employers and fresher’s can respond to them in a better way if they follow these guidelines and be positive in their attitude.

AUTHOR’S BIO: Harold Brookes is a motivational speaker and Masters in Psychology. He regularly contributes valuable articles for Pay for Essay Writing and is quite passionate about social work. He is an ardent music lover.

8 Body Language Tips To Shine Out As A Candidate For a Job Interview!

Martha Graham once quoted: “The Body Never Lies."

As true as it sounds, our body sometimes say more than our words. For hiring managers, the body language servesas an important clue to learn about the temperament of a candidate. Therefore, it is important that you stay wary of your body languageright from the moment you enter the interview room.

Here are some of the tips that would help you stay in control of your body while you are being interviewed:

1.      Greet Like A Gentleman

First things first.

When you enter the interview room, you will be expected to greet the interviewers. Considering that it is your first attempt to create the impression on the interviewer, you need to do it with warmth.You need to have a firm handshake while seeing in eyes of the interviewers. Keep a smile on your face to show that you are self-assured andconfident.

2.     Sit Properly

During an interview, the most crucial part is when you sit on the chair. It is when you sit that the interviewers begin to form some opinion about you. So if you sit with both your shoulders leaned forward while your head is tilted downwards, it shows you as a lazy and lethargic.

To create the right impression, you need to sit like an army man by keeping your back erectwhile keeping your headupright.

3.      Maintain A Firm Eye Contact

A firm eye contact suggests that you are self-confident and composed. Therefore, it is important to maintain eye contact with the interviewers through the interview. This sends the message that you are poised and confident as an individual.

4.      Be Wary Of Hand Gestures

Your hand gestures suggestdifferent meanings at different times. So you need to be particular about how you use thehand gestures when you are talking with the interviewers. Avoid pointing your fingers to the interviewers as it implies intimidation or warning. Similarly, you should keep away from using your hands to suggest anything that is considered a taboo.

5.      Nod Your Head

A nod ensures that you are attentive and alert. When you nod your head while responding to the questions of the interviewers, it adds weight to the conversation and makes a strong impact on the interviewers.Therefore, it is important to nod your head to keep yourself engaged with the conversation.

6.      Avoid Fidgeting During Interview

Fidgeting not only distracts the interviewers but it also irritates them after a time. This is why fidgeting is one of the biggest turn-offs for any interviewer.So if you are a restless person who cannot stay still for more than a second, you need to quit this habit before leaving for the interview.

7.      Use The Right Facial Expressions

Your facial expressionsgive hints about your state of mind. Avoid giving blank looks to the interviewer and rather keep giving smiles in between the conversation. Make sure that your facial expressions appropriate for the type of topic you are discussing with the interviewers.

8.     Stylize Your Walk

Your walk says something about your personality. The moment you enter the room, you send a signal to the interviewer with your style of walking. A firm walk towards the interview is what makes you come across as a confident person.

The aforementioned are some of the body language tips you can use to make the right impact in the interview room. Hope you’ll find them helpful for your next interview.

Author Bio

Scarlett Erin is an HR Manager at Assignment Star. She has been serving in this profession since 2010. As a blogger, she is interested in writing articles on education and career topics. She also provides expert help to students by offering assignment service UK. On the weekend, she gives online consultation services to professional workers and fresh graduates. 

Dos and Don’ts of a Job Interview

Job interview is one of the most important parts of your professional life. Many people are so scared of interviews that they consider it as a nightmare and that’s the reason they make so many mistakes while giving an interview for the job. Always keep in mind that you can never ever run away from interviews, you will have to face the HR people and professionals and scare them with your talent and skills to get a job. And Write my Dissertation also writes that, Interview is the step of the ladder that cannot be skipped at all and to reach your goal and get a successful profession interviews are must.

On the other hand there are some people who are over confident. Being confident is good but being over confident is not really a good idea. Many people lose their chance of getting hired in good firms because of the inappropriate attitude which sometimes do not match the professional environment.

Here you will get to know about all the dos and don’ts of a job interview so the over confident slot will get an idea as well as the scared ones who has a fear of interviews. Let’s start with the dos of a job interview:

·       Body language and gestures should be appropriate: your body language plays an important role in an interview. You should prepare yourself about this and practice it before walking in to an interview. Your posture should be straight and you should not look tired, make sure you sit in an appropriate manner don’t cross your legs and hands keep then straight. Use your hands while talking this makes you look confident and interactive.

·       Facial expressions should be pleasant: your facial expressions say everything. If you are nervous and scared your facial expressions will tell that. Make sure you keep an eye contact throughout it’s true that it gets uncomfortable if it’s a long one then you can look at their eyebrows instead to make yourself comfortable.

·       You should be confident: you have to prove yourself that you are confident enough to work with them. No matter if you are giving wrong answers but if you are confidently answering them and trying to justify them this will work perfectly.

·       Do prepare yourself: practice a lot for the interview. We all know some basic questions prepare yourself, plan everything what to say when and how. The first few seconds of an interview are very important. “Tell me about yourself” should be prepared perfectly and answered confidently.

·       Do show them your interest in the industry: let them know how much passionate you are about your career and this industry and show your interest in the work and the company, this will leave a good impression.

·       Do a research about the company: you must know everything about the company so that you don’t end up saying wrong things because you should know where you want to work and why.

·       Do ask questions: ask as many questions as possible but relevant ones. Ask about their team, their work their logo, website whatever but do ask to show your interest. Try to be interactive throughout the interview as this is the plus point.

These were the things that you should adapt for a job interview and making yourself mentally prepared for these will make your interview easy and fun. Now let’s talk about the don’ts of a job interview:

·       Don’t say bad things about your previous boss or the company: no matter how bad your relation was with your ex boss or the company never says bad things about your boss or the company. You have to be diplomatic and play smart.

·       Don’t ever lie in an interview: do not lie AT ALL! If you don’t know the answer tell them you don’t know the answer instead of telling a lie. Lies leave a very bad impression. You can always give a wrong answer confidently but telling a lie should not be an option at all.

·       Don’t show them that you are needy: don’t let the company know that you are dying to get this job, they should not know that you are needy and need this job even if you are. You should be confident enough to impress them and show them that you have other opportunities too but you will be glad if you will join this particular company.

·       Don’t ask about leaves: asking about the number of leaves you will get annually will leave a very bad impression, don’t ask this question ever as you will get to know this soon once you will join. Asking this question will make a negative image of yours in their minds.

·       Don’t try to be funny if you don’t have a good sense of humor: Over confidence of the candidate makes the interviewer think that your attitude is not appropriate for professional life or you can mess things up with your attitude. Be funny where there is a need keep your common sense and sense of humor along.

·       Don’t ask them the job description: never ask the interviewer that what this job is about? What will be my responsibilities? This is something you should know before applying that what post and position you are applying for. However, you can definitely ask which clients you will work on.

·       Don’t over dress: make sure your dressing is appropriate for an interview. Don’t over dress. Wear a nice formal dress. Make sure your hair and beard is neat and trimmed and yes do wear some good perfume. For girls do not wear jeans and do not wear lots of makeup. Very light make up should be worn so that you get a natural look also make sure you wear appropriate accessories.

Following these dos and don’ts will provide you Dissertation help you a lot in your interview and you will definitely get the job you just have to practice and prepare yourself. Good luck!