FAQ and Guidelines To Answer

Guidelines for Personal Interview
Q. Tell us about yourself

Answer
A. This question should not be answered by telling your resume. It is already available in
the form you filled up. Repeating the same will be a waste of time creating a bad
impression.
B. Do not speak something stereotyped or something which appears having been practiced
before the mirror number of times.
C. You could narrate some incident highlighting your personality but be brief.
D. You could also answer like - Apart from the details in the form submitted, I am a quick
learner and learn from mistakes. I believe in human values, a sharp and clear vision of life.
I am confident enough that the various levels of learning that I have had till now and will
have in this Institute will help me to bring out the finest of me which will enhance my
competence, aptitude and skills.
Q. Why have you pursued MBA after graduation in Engg/ Medical/ paramedical/ arts
& literature/ commerce etc.
Answer
A. Since your decision to join MBA has been taken after lot of discussion and information
shared among -you, your family and friends- you can be categorical in stating that the
decision is taken after a careful thought. You would be able to do job better with enhanced
knowledge and skills. Managerial role requires other skills apart from your technical
knowledge so it will be the right decision.
B. Beware of being a tall talk, asking for trouble, on the question.
Q. What are your hobbies and interests?

Answer
A. The hobbies that you filled up in the form should be clarified. If your hobby is music-
you must know number of things about it – like events, instruments, personalities, various
parts anything. You could be asked – Pt. Ravishanker has recently gone for his heavenly
abode – Awards won, the instrument he played, where was he born, where did he die, his
family members, achievements etc. You must also be aware about the instrument you play
and the environmental details of the same.
B. If you are in the job-you may be asked the question –how do you get time to practice,
what inspires you, how did you get to this hobby. You may present the things straight. If
there is anything you don’t want to tell, you may hide it but don’t bluff to hide something.
C. Even if other hobbies and interests, apart from one, are there like – reading books,
trekking, travelling, playing with toys etc. Anything can be your hobby but you must know
as many things as possible related to it.
Why do you think should we take you for this job?
This is another way of asking the last question. A company will want to hire you if you can add some
value to it. So, focus your answer on your skills and how they can be helpful for the position you are
being interviewed for. Also, tell them about your ability to grasp new things quickly, adjust well into a
team and flexible attitude. These are the qualities that employers usually seek in a fresh graduate.
Remember to keep an example ready for each personal quality you offer.
Are you an Introvert or Extrovert?
Being on either of the extremes at work can be bad for you and the company. Your behaviour at work
should be as per the requirement. To answer this question you can say something like: I behave as per
the requirement of the situation. For e.g. If I am representing the company at an event which requires
me to talk to a lot of people, I become an extrovert while if there is some serious issue under discussion,
I think quietly and deeply on it.
What is your greatest strength?
This is also one of the most commonly asked questions in any interview. Your answer to this question
demonstrates your preparation for the interview. Your same set of strengths can not be an advantage in
every interview. This needs you to tailor make your answer as per the requirement of the position you
are being interviewed for.
Before every interview, analyse the requirements of the role carefully and list out the qualities required
to perform that role. Now, make a list of the qualities you have and match them with the requirements.
You can offer these qualities as your strength for the role.
What do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?
This answer shows your ability to make plans for yourself, have an ambitious but realistic plan:
- Say you would like to acquire certain skills and move up the ladder
- If you are interested in Management, say you would like to take up a part-time course/full time course
in x years time.
Would you be open to change your project/profile when required?

This is very important for a company, they want employees who are willing to change roles, to meet
business demands, so the typical answer here is “Yes”. Say “I understand it will be in best interest of
the business, if my manager wants me to develop my skills and take up another role.”
What skills do you want to develop to succeed in this role?
Again talk about some key skills that are necessary for the role, this will show them that you are ready
to learn and are aware of your shortcomings.
Tell them that you, as a fresher, have the ability but require formal training to enhance your skills for a
professional environment
What newspaper/magazine/book do you read?
- Browse through the newspaper that morning they might ask you what was the front page headline,
they might ask you your favorite columnists name.
- Same goes for the magazine, make sure you have read the last edition
- When giving names of books, remember the author(s) name(s) and be ready to give out some summary
of the book
Tell me something about yourself that is not written in your resume.
If you missed out on some points while writing your resume this is your chance to discuss them:
- While talking about yourself, be confident, but not over confident.

- Do not praise yourself all the time
- You could discuss some personal traits or acheivements.
What is your greatest weakness?
This is another common question which increases the anxiety level of the candidate. The interviewer is
not interested in your answer to the question unless you tell about a weakness which will directly affect
the work. He is more interested in the way you deal with the question.
Here are some ways to deal with the question:

a.) Offer a weakness absolutely un-related to work – For e.g. I can’t cook though I have been staying
alone for years now.
b.) Offer a strength posing it to be a weakness – For e.g. My friends often accuse me of being too
conscious about the time to do everything but for me it is discipline and punctuality.
c.) Offer a humorous weakness – For e.g. I have a passion for speed and bikes are my weakness.
What is your greatest achievement?
I stood first in the order of merit in class Xth sounds like you haven’t achieved anything big since then.
Find out something from the near past that makes you proud of yourself. If you do not find an aswer to
this question in your professional or academic life, it is absolutely fine to offer an answer from your
social life. For e.g. I managed to save the life of an accident struck stranger by taking him to the hospital
on time and donating a bottle of blood for him. This example demonstrates that you are a responsible
person.
What was your biggest mistake?

To answer this question try to find out a mistake you did long back. It demonstrates that you have not
committed a mistake as big as that since then.
Are you ready to relocate?

Say yes only if you mean yes. The employer might be planning to recruit you for a position in some
other city or might have a plan to shift you after some months. Giving them a false hope will not be
good on your part professionally.
How do you feel about doing repetitive work?

Any job you take up will have an element of redundancy and the interviewer wants to see if you get
bored of it. You can say something like: I like to do creative work but I also know that any job has an
element of redundancy. So, it is fine with me.
Are there any kinds of people you cannot work with?

Most of the work these days requires you to work in teams. This needs you to be able to adjust with
all type of people. So, you can say something like, I am fine with working all type of people as long
as they are sincere to their work.
If you face a problem with your own performance, what would you do?
Your answer to this question signifies whether you can identify problems with yourself or not. So, you
can say something like: “If I see a problem with my own performance, I’ll try to find out and analyse
the factors behind it & work on each of them.”
How much salary do you expect?

As a fresher you will usually not have much bargaining power in terms of salary. Still, you can ask the
interviewer about the package they offer to fresher graduates. Most of the big companies have a fixed
salary for each level and there will not be a room for much negotiation.
However, if you are required to spell out a figure, offer a range rather than an exact figure. For example
you can say something like: I expect something around mid twenties.

FAQ and Guidelines To Answer

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FAQ and Guidelines To Answer

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Guidelines for Personal Interview

Q. Tell us about yourself

Q. What are your hobbies and interests?

Are you an Introvert or Extrovert?

What is your greatest strength?

What do you want to achieve in the next 5 years?

Would you be open to change your project/profile when required?

What skills do you want to develop to succeed in this role?

What newspaper/magazine/book do you read?

Tell me something about yourself that is not written in your resume.

- While talking about yourself, be confident, but not over confident.

What is your greatest weakness?

Here are some ways to deal with the question:

What is your greatest achievement?

What was your biggest mistake?

Are you ready to relocate?

How do you feel about doing repetitive work?

Are there any kinds of people you cannot work with?

How much salary do you expect?

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