Give your best shot at a job interview
While a resume loaded with your accomplishments can get you an interview call, but it is your smart answers during this interview that will fetch you the dream job. Irrespective of the field you work in, there are some tricky questions that are frequently asked to test your social skills and professional attitude. Here’s how to respond to these in the best way and be at the top of your game. You can thank us later!
Tell us about the last time you had an argument with your manager?
Beware! It is not an opportunity to start a rant session against your manager and list down all the things you hate about them. In fact, the interviewer wants to know how you handle a conflicting situation with your boss and how it impacts your work.
Share something about a project or task which did not pan out as expected
Again, do not start complaining about your team or seniors and use this question is to smartly blow your own trumpet. The interviewer wants to know how you deal with your team when things do not turn out as expected. Do you start panicking and playing the blame game? Or, you put your leadership skills to use and get the work done? Be prepared with a project or a task related incident where things got haywire and you took charge of the situation. Emphasise on how you had a solution-oriented approach and how all was sorted by the end of the day. Just make sure you paint an honest and pragmatic picture!
Tell us something about yourself
The interviewer is not keen to know about your personal life, hopes and travel plans. All you need to do is to summarise the important professional information and throw in some personal details (like your hobbies) to end it. Subtly highlight your achievements, why you love your work, your professional aspirations and do not make your answer more than a minute long. The idea is to sell yourself and convince the person on the other side of the table that you are simply the best candidate to hire.
What are your salary expectations?
This is probably the trickiest question. Obviously, you are expecting a good raise but you have to put it in a way that you don’t look greedy. Hence, choose your words carefully and try not to quote a figure immediately. Say something on the lines, “The money part is important but it can be negotiated. What matters is that I am a good fit for the profile and able to contribute for the organisation.” Try to negotiate the salary in the end of the interview and also, imply that you are not just after the pay check.
Why do you want to leave your present job?
Instead of talking about the loopholes in your organisation, present job profile, projects you are working on or cribbing about your senior, put up an optimistic attitude and talk about learning opportunities, new challenges and promotion-related matters as the reason to switch the job. Be appreciative (at least sound like one) about your present job, and your answer should project you as a hard-working and motivated professional.
Why do you want to work in our organisation?
The interviewer wants to gauge how well you have done your homework and how serious you are about this job. Make sure you google about the company and gather information about it. What does the annual report indicate? Is the company making headlines about anything, or is it employee-oriented? What are its major achievements or the best projects undertaken by it? Your answer should show your proactive approach and how you are an engaged, well-informed professional.
(All images used here are representational)
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