INTERVIEWING SKILLS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Practicing for the interview means practicing several behaviors - not just answering questions.

You must dress well, watch your body language and posture, and practice your manners and eye contact as well as practice answering questions correctly, smoothly, and with confidence. The practice questions below, in one form or another, account for a large percentage of interview questions. With each question, you are given a series of choices as to how you might answer the question. When you select an answer, you will learn whether your answer is correct-and why. Answering these questions will help you polish your interviewing techniques. The questions and answers in this exercise are generic and, in many cases, must be tailored to your individual situation. Still, the logic behind the answer remains essentially the same. Human Resources (HR) Section HR Section In your HR interview ie human resources interview the main effort on the part of the interviewer will be to bring forth your true personality.They may ask you some routine questions , few of which have been mentioned below, but be expecting questions of varied type regarding sexuality ,music , authors etc. anything to get to know what you really are. Some Commonly Asked Questions Describe yourself Start with a handy smile and good posture, say briefly about ur self like i am 'X' doing my B.Tech ( academics ) be brief about u r academics . just give some minor details about u r family members . try to focus on your ambitions and long term goals and talk some thing about general factors like " i want to be the most responsible person at all times as it makes a man to become perfect " like this , u can add one or two sentences but it should not be exaggerated . be confident in u r voice and maintain eye contact ( a very important factor ) . be serious when u say something about Technical stuff and long term ambitions. and be smily when u r expressing about u r hobbies, short term goals etc. Why are you better than the next person Start like this, " Infact everyone is better person when compared to the test of the world in some point or the other. But the basic difference lies in his SWOT analysis - Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threatening and above all his attitude. I proved myself to be better in the past as i utilised the opportunity and i am so meticulous to achieve my goal and i want to retain the same attitude.I am dedicated and hard-working in nature so this makes me better than others." Your strengths and weakness and what you are doing to rectify your weaknesses a: My strengths are Hard-working, Determination, Attitude , Mental & Physical Stability , Instinctiveness . Coming to Weakness i can't bear lonliness and always wants to be a part of

team, sentimental towards God and family matters. Regarding rectification, TO err is human and there is always scope for improvement in this vast Universe, i will write Diary daily and i used to read it as if i am third person and analyse where there is a scope for improvement w.r.t my attitude, time management, stress management, effective utilisation of resources etc. i try myself to my best to rectfy it and i achieved several goals with the same process. Take out an example of any one item like temp i impoved my % in improvement with clear analysis in my B.Tech. inormation regarding what kind of work your parents do a;) be straight that my father profession is so and so and my mother is a house-wife. The magazines and newspapers you read , their cost and at times their editors ; and that days headlines a: i think its very clear when u knew the hindu details. You prefer a team sport to an individual sport A;) i prefer to be a team sport as i used to play cricket,swimming etc. i think u can manage clearly this one. Why you want to join this particular company and not some other one. a: just quote few of u r friends or seniors name working in it and mention that they told that this company's management is very good and care taking is very impressive. don't say about pay.say it has Brand loyality in market and it can be achieved only if the company is performing well. so i opted this company believing that my future will be limelighted with Company Name. What are your career objectives ( long term and short term ) My long term career objective is to become a good human being .( be serious ) , a man is of highly complex in nature with all sorts of emotions, feelings ,responsibilities, temperness . there are lot of factors influencing a man's mind before he acts some thing. I am trying myself to improve and control all these things which looks a simple task but very difficult to handle. Take an example " if some one blames us for some thing , then we become angry or depressed or any other feeling, this happens to every individual but everyone may not take in same level, so one needs to be complacent this can be achieved only through an art of perfection " this is my longterm goal. coming to short term goals - i want to see myself in pivotal position is a big company after 5 or 6 years and want to prove myself. just convince them that u r potential. Why you plan to switch over to software field (for those who are from streams beside computers ) Software field is quiet challenging field with all sorts of tasks involving human resource mangement, group dynamics , good work culture , to hone our instinctiveness and skills to make up to the day to day competition. its a promising field for challenging minds so i want to prove myself to be one among them. At the end of the interview they ask whether you have any questions to ask them. It is better to stick to one or two questions regarding the company and not dwelve into how you performed or the pay package or any personal questions to the interviewer. u better ask how the grade system lies in the company and what kind of training will be given for freshers??? 1. Why are you the best person for the job?

2. If asked a point blank question such as: Are you creative? Are you analytical? Can you work under pressure? Etc. What is the best way to answer? b. Answer yes and give a specific example. 5. What are you looking for in a position? a. "I'm looking for an opportunity to apply my skills and contribute to the growth of the company while helping create some advancement opportunities for myself." 6. What do you know about our organization? b. "Everything I've seen and heard makes me want to be a part of this organization. I understand your industry is ________ and your primary customer is __________. A particularly exciting part of your business appears to be _________ ." 9. What are your strengths? c. "I would have to choose between two skills. I am very proud of my determination and ability to get things done. At the same time, I am very proud of my analytical abilities and problem solving skills. These skills combine to give me a unique ability to solve problems and then implement the solutions." 13. What are your short term objectives? c. "Short-term, I'd like to find a position that is a good fit and where I can contribute to a company's bottom line. The position we are here to discuss today would appear to be such an opportunity. Could you tell me more about it?" 14. What are your long term objectives? b. "If selected I would hope to meet my goals and take advantage of opportunities to learn so I will be considered for other positions within the company. I hope to build my career with a company such as this one." 15. Where do you see yourself in five years? c. "That really depends on the firm I join. I would like to take a position with some responsibility and room for growth. The key is with the right challenge I intend to continually contribute and grow with the firm." 16. Before we go any further, what kind of money do you need to make? b. "My salary requirements are negotiable. Your firm has a reputation of compensating employees fairly and I trust you would do the same in my case. I am very interested in finding the right opportunity and will be open to any fair offer when I do so." 10. Do you know anyone who works for us? Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of.

4. Do you consider yourself successful? You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others. 5. What do co-workers say about you? Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself. 6. What do you know about this organization? This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players? 7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year? Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job.A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-mprovement. Have some good ones handy to mention. 12. Are you a team player? You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point. 15. What is your philosophy towards work? The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That's the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization. 16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you? Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it. 17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position? If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved. 18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organization You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship. 19. Why should we hire you? Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison. 20. Tell me about a suggestion you have made Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus. 21. What irritates you about co-workers? This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great. 23. Tell me about your dream job. Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love

the work, like the people, can contribute and can't wait to get to work. 24. Why do you think you would do well at this job? Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest. 25. What are you looking for in a job? See answer # 23 26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with? Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner. 27. What is more important to you: the money or the work? Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer. 31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure. You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for. 32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely? Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one. 33. What motivates you to do your best on the job? This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge, Achievement, Recognition 34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends? This is up to you. Be totally honest. 35. How would you know you were successful on this job? Several ways are good measures: You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success. Your boss tell you that you are successful 36. Would you be willing to relocate if required? You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief. 37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own? This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes. 40. Do you have any blind spots? Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them. 41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for? Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have. 42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position? Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss? Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits. 45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others. Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled. 46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project? Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out. 47. Describe your work ethic. Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work is good. 48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment? Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings. 49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job. Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization. 50. Do you have any questions for me? Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples. Questions You Can Ask the Interviewer Ask about the information you researched. Describe my job duties. Is this a newly created position? What are the companies short and long term goals? What do you like most about working for this company? What is a typical day like for you? To whom would I report? Whom will I supervise? Tell me about the training program I will experience. What is the company's promotional policy? With whom will I be working most closely? When can I expect to hear from you?