Most important Interview Questions you need to prepare to answer

Compiled by Maxwell Ranasinghe

He is a smart interviewer

• What characteristics that an interweaver search in you to select for the job?

• It depends on the type of the job. However, following could be listed as criteria that an interviewer adopts to select a job applicant in general.

Most of these will be verified

• Initiative• Stress tolerance• Leadership• Loyalty• Team attitude• Communication skills• Adaptability• Time managemnet

• Innovation• Persuasiveness• Analytical ability• Computer skills• Self discipline• Personality• Emotional intelligence

• • The above characteristics or skills could be checked in many

ways. • Your personal appearance, the way you answer questions, your

body language, the answers that you provide at the interview, the respect that you give it to the interviewer as well as others, your own resume and how you have presented.

• Your school record and professional experience, your social and other affiliations and work, your career goals and how you have performed in the past etc will provide answers to the interviewer in finding you the most suitable person for the job.

• • The number and the kind of questions asked

by the interviewer will depend mainly with the job that you have applied and the responsibilities involved in the job. Further it could vary whether it is a screening interview or one intended to probe in depth of the job candidate’s ability to do the job well.

• The questions given below are in general which could be used in any form of an interview for various kinds of jobs. It could be adopted for an entry level as well as senior manager level jobs. You will also observe that some questions are direct and others are open ended. You may select particularly on those, which you believe are most applicable to you or to the job that you are applying.

• There is no prescribed sequence of asking questions although a many could start with your personal details.

• How did you come to the interview today?• Where do you live?• How long it takes from your place to come to our office?• How did you learn about this vacancy?• Do you have any friends in this company?• Can you describe about your family?• Can you describe yourself?• How did you handle the toughest decision you ever had

to make, personally or on the job?• What do you consider to be your major strengths?

• What do you consider to be your major weaknesses?• From your resume, I see you have had many short

duration jobs?• What made you to leave the job you had with ABC

Company?• What do you know about our company?• Can you name few competitors of our company?• In your opinion, what are the special characteristics of

our company when compared to others in the same field?• How do you think that you will fit in to this job?

• How will employing you in this job benefit us?• How do you explain the long gaps in your employment

record?• You do not have the required experience for this job how do

you think that you would fit into this job?• How many times did you sit for your Advanced Level

exams?• Why did you give up Advance Level?• Why did you give up the job at ABC Company and joined

XYZ Company?• How did you get the job at XYZ Company?

• Have you selected your career?• What are your career goals?• What is your life-long ambition?• You said that your immediate goal is to reach regional

manger level by within three years. How do you plan to do that?

• What is the model of the car you use and the type?• Do you wish to travel by car to work or by any other

means of transportation?• Do you own your home or rent?

• What are your hobbies?• You just now told me that one of your hobbies is reading,

can you tell the name of the book that you read last?• How much time do you spend with your family?• Have your education and training prepared you for this

job?• Do you prefer working as a team or working alone?• What are your accomplishments at school?• Although you have done well in other subjects you have

not done well at math. Can you explain why?

• Although you have obtained a credit pass for English Language, there are few English mistakes in your application and you are not very fluent in the spoken English. Can you explain why?

• You have done arts subjects for your degree. There is no relevancy of the subjects that you have done for this job. Can you explain how you are going to perform this job?

• What are your accomplishments at work?• Are you a member of any volunteer organization?• What was your favorite subject at school and why did you like

it?• What was the name of your school principal?

• What are the extra curricular activities that you take part at school?

• Why didn’t you take part in extra curricular activities at school?• You told me that you played for the 1st eleven-cricket team,

what were you in the team?• Can you explain where the position “gully” in the cricket field?• What was the highest score you scored and against whom?• What is the motto of your school?• Can you explain how many seats the major political parties

secured in the last election?

• What is the name of the Finance Minister?• What do you mean by UNESCO?• Who is the Secretary General of the United

Nations?• Can you name the member countries of

SAARC?• Who is the current chairperson of SAARC?

• What trade or professional journal that you read?• What is your opinion on the ethnic problem in Sri Lanka?• How do you propose to solve the ethnic problem?• What do you think about the proportional representative

system in Sri Lanka?• What new skills have you developed after formal

education?• Do you smoke?• Do you take alcoholic drinks?• Do you have any problem working under a female

department head?

• If you are selected, how long do you need to commence work?

• What plan of action do you take to tackle a tough problem?

• How do you start your day?• In what ways are you innovative? Can you give few

examples of your own?• Why are you planning to leave your present job?• To what extent, if any have you supported you’re your

family or assisted in meeting their educational expenses?

• Does your current employer know that you are going to leave the company?

• This job entails lot of fieldwork. Are you ready to work in outdoors?

• You will have to stay away from your home for at least four days per week if you start this job. Can you do so?

• How do you keep your family alone?

• What is your current salary?• What was your salary progression in the last three

years?• What other benefits that you get form your job?• What is the salary do you expect?• We are not in a position to pay you the salary that you

expect, what would be the lowest that you can accept?

• Do you have any references we can follow up to verify your credentials?

• We offer you the job subject to a medical test. When was your last medical checkup and what were your findings?

• How do you react to criticism by superiors?• If you are given an opportunity to study again

will you be able to do so by attending evening or weekend classes?

• Can you do overtime?

• Can you work on weekends?• What is your favorite TV program and why do

you like it?• Every one of us has few close friends. Who are

your close friends?• What section of the newspapers do you read

first?• What type of people do you have no patience

for?