Sample Interview Questions

41. What has been your greatest contribution so far?

Answer: This is another chance to tell a success story. Usually people tell about the success or an achievement that they have achieved. If you have done something else that has resulted in the over all well being of the employees or organization, then you can talk about it too.

42. If you decide to stay in your current job profile what do you think you can achieve in the coming years?

Answer: There are times when the same question is asked in various ways and this is one such type. This is another way of asking your short term goal. You can answer here as how would you like to explore the possibilities that you see in your profile. If there are any other goals that you see in the coming years and your current profile is a stepping stone, you can mention that too.

43. What has been your worst experience so far?

Answer: We all make mistakes in life and it is ok to make them. Any person will learn from his mistake so don’t be hesitant in saying so. You can say what happened when you went through a bad experience and what you learnt from it. Point out the loop holes and then the related alternate ways that you could have opted for.

44. What has been your one such experience in your professional life so far that will turn out to be a benefit for our company?

Answer: This is another way of asking as what are your short term goals? To this question you can answer how your qualities can turn out to be a benefit for the company. If you have made new customer contacts in the past and even made new territories, then you can do the same in this company. This is just one such example, you can narrate similar more such examples.

45. What is that one change that you would like to bring in your past organization and why?

Answer: This questions judge you on how well aware you are about what’s happening in your organization. This is expected from the management from its responsible employees. You can state here the changes that you would like to bring but make sure you give proper valid reason for the same.

46. What factors motivate you in a working environment?

Answer: When you accomplish a task successfully, you expect an appreciation. These small factors motivate you to do the task ahead in a positive state of mind. Even though we are all professionals, psychological and emotional factors also contribute to the performance of the work.

47. How do you manage stress with work? 

Answer: Stress is a part of life so one must accept it as it comes in the way of life. When I am confronted with stress, I tend to find out the cause of it. There are various causes for stress, it may be due to self reason or may be due to others too. So what ever be the cause, I approach it with a flow chart method, i.e. starting with the root cause and doing the follow up. One tends to loose temper but life/work teaches you to stay calm and use logical ways to find out the solution.

48. Your experience is not as per our expectation, I wonder that’s bit worrying.

Answer: An ideal way to answer could be “My experience may be just 18 months as a team player but in these 18 months I have gone through the highs and lows of work. The highs have encouraged me while the lows have taught me to learn from my mistakes. I believe that it is not just the time you spent in gaining experience but the challenges that you face. I have learned a lot from my experience.”

49. What activities do you indulge in when you are free?

Answer: This question is another way of asking about your hobbies. Here is a sample answer, “I have always been interested in sports, so during my free time I play tennis. Swimming keeps me active and fit all day so that is a part of my daily routine. I also enjoy my leisure time by meeting friends and watching movies.”

50. How fast do you think that you will adjust in our company?

Answer: When asked something like this you should say “I believe that life around us changes, sometime for the good and sometimes for the bad. One must be prepared to accept and deal with every new, challenging situation.”    

Sample Interview Questions

31. How do you react when confronted with a difficult situation?

Answer: Mostly people use “I” when asked to answer such questions. Make sure you do not repeat the same mistake. You can answer that you first analyze the problem and try to find out its root. There is no harm in saying that you take the expert’s opinion in dealing with an issue as it is for the benefit of the organization. Mention the time factor and on what basis you decide the deadline. You can term a problem as urgent but at the same time must be allotted to a problem depending upon the seriousness of it.

32. What do you do to make people working with you feel light?

Answer: This is a question where the interviewer is trying to judge your interpersonal skills. The answer to this question will cover the various parameters that one faces in a work culture. Things can be handled with one on one discussion as well as a group discussion. The body language, personality, eye contact also matters a lot when one intends to make the situation light.

33. How do you deal with conflicts?

Answer: One must be prepared for this question before hand. It is very normal for people to face conflicting situation. You can mention by narrating the situation and mention in detail how you solved. You can first start by mentioning the common strategy that you follow and then begin with the example that you have to narrate. Dealing with a problem makes you stronger and helps you understand the various issues that rise in a corporate life.

34. Do you think that you handle a problem in a better way than others?

Answer: Remember that answers to these questions require diplomatic as well as intellectual approach. You can narrate an incident where you were a team player and the manner you solved the situation. Here you have to mention that how your decision was accepted and what suggestions you got from others. The team’s response to your decision is a crucial factor, so lay stress here. The acceptance of your decision by the team will establish your competence in making better decisions than others.

35. State your some brainstorming experiences?

Answer: Here you have to go back to the pages of your work life to come up with tough situations. There can be various tough situations like dealing with complicated customers, deciding between two projects or coating better tenders than competitor companies. When you mention any such incident, it is suggested to give evidence (in case of tenders & dealing with clients). If you are able to give evidence then there cannot be a better strong point than this.

36. State one of your good decisions and one of your poor decisions?

Answer: When asked such question you get the opportunity to show your strength as well as weakness. It is easy to speak about good decisions but we do not experience the same when asked about a bad one.

For the first half of the question, you need to say in details about the tough situation and what strategy you made in dealing with it. You can also mention it in a flow chart format with step wise decision making. If you have taken help of seniors in your organization you and mention that too. Also mention how the situations were favorable according to your decisions made. 

When speaking about a bad experience, there are various reasons that are responsible for the same. May be you did not had sufficient information, data was not correct or the source was not correct, etc. Say honestly and also mention how you reacted to the situation. Speak about the lesson that you learned from there and the important things that you follow after that. You can choose to tell about an incident that was not much of a disaster.

37. How do you decide what data is required to start a job?

Answer: There is some work which requires the usage of a lot of data to work. The answer to this will depend upon your experience and the kind of work you deal with. Remember that the correct data is as important as the time factor. If work is done in a hurry then the result may not be satisfying in the long run. If you are taking too much time, then it might affect the revenue. In situations like this you need to manage time and work accordingly. Getting the best work done in a limited time is the key to success over here. You can give a general answer here but it would be better if you can stress on the evidence and then speak. Remember that you need to talk based on evidence in an interview.

38. What do you do when you have to do some thing that is against your will? 

Answer: It is suggested to give a diplomatic answer to these types of questions. An example is stated below. “There are times when the management makes a decision which one may not agree to completely. A good team player will not disagree to the management’s decision completely. In case one has any other opinion or the team has something different to say, then such points can be discussed with the management. 

A good management will encourage a two way communication both from the management’s as well as the employee’s side. At the end of it, the focus should be on the welfare of the company and of the employees.”

39. Tell us about a time when you had to go against the management’s decision?

Answer: For this question you can give an example, if you have faced any such situation. It is ok to speak when you disagree with any decision. What matters here is the way you present yourself. You are an employee of the company and not a slave, so you can have your say. The management may agree, disagree or find a mid way to the issue. Whether to stay or leave the company is again your discretion.

40. Tell us about an instance when you build a strong relationship?

Answer: The answer to this question will be based upon your personnel experience and not on a hypothetical one. If the candidate is a sales person, then such questions are very important from the interviewer’s point of view, as they help to judge the candidate. 

You can start with an example where you made a call that was quite professional at the beginning and how after sequence of call, it turned out to be really close. Here you do not have to narrate the happenings of all the calls but just highlight on the points that made the relation strong.    

Sample Interview Questions

21. Do you believe that humor can diffuse a tense situation?

Answer: To this question the answer must be “yes”. You can narrate any situation be it from your college or work life and narrate the incident in short. Also speak how humor helps in general the conditions in which it can be used.

22. State a situation when you wanted your team to look the way you want?

Answer: When you answer this type of question be sure that you do not answer it in a manner that will portray you as Mr perfect who thinks that his ways are always right. To this you can answer that you think for the over all benefit of the organization and give explanations to your team mates about you choosing a particular way to do work. You can also say that you invite opinions and judge all the options before choosing a particular path.

23. What are your work ethics?

Answer: Give a small and a sweet answer! Say general things like honesty, deadlines, working in the budget limit, etc.

24. What mistakes have you done so far in your work life?

Answer: If you have done a very big mistake which has cost the company a huge budget, please do not mention it. You can say that humans are not perfect and so are you. Narrate some small mistakes and also mention the necessary steps taken by you to work on those mistakes.

25. Tell me about your creative work?

Answer: Do not come up with stories if you have not done any creative work so far. Be honest in your answers and if you have done something creative then give its outcome too. You can also say about some of your dream situations where you wish to conduct work in a particular style.

26. How do you set priorities?

Answer: Working in a corporate environment is not an easy task, you are always surrounded with work and all must be met with perfection. When working as a part of business, growth is essential for the company. The work which will get the maximum revenue to the company is more important and needs the first attention. There are, however other factors that need to be considered. If a project is not earning good revenue at the present but will be beneficial in the long run to the company, then it must be taken care of first.

27. How do you make decisions in tough times?

Answer: To this question, you must give examples and narrate past incidents. This is the one question that is asked to managers and team leaders usually. You must not say things which never happened. While answering, concentrate more on the problem and state the strategy that you followed in dealing with the situation. You must also give explanation as to why you choose a specific way to deal with the situation. The interviewer may also ask you the outcome of your decision.

28. What other opportunities you are facing along with this one?

Answer: Here the interviewer means that what are the other job opportunities you looking for along with their company. It is ok to be honest in this question. If you are expecting an offer letter or have already got one, you can mention that. You can also give a brief reason why you think a particular company has hired you. Do not hesitate to speak up over here but at the same time do not boost too much about yourself. Remember that as company wants best employees, the same right candidates also hold in terms of being employed by a good company. A proper approach will show your confidence level and build a good reputation for you at the same time.

29. If given a choice to start it all over again, what career would you like to choose?

Answer: Be very careful when you answer such a question. A wise person will surely not answer that had he been given a choice, he would like to be a doctor or an engineer. The way you answer, shows your stability and how happy you are in your current career. Any good company will require people who are confident about the decisions that they make in their life. 

Do not exaggerate your answer here. You can say that, “I have always dreamed to be a part of the corporate world”. Mention all the struggles that you have gone through to reach at the level that you are in. Also mention that you love your work and take challenges with a positive state of mind. At the end you can conclude by saying that you are happy in the decision that you took.

30. How do you motivate a group?

Answer: You need not be a team leader in your past profile to answer this question. You can talk about situations where you had an opportunity to make a decision along with your team and state what was your contribution to it. Mention the idea that you suggested and why people liked it. You can also say that how you involved other members of your team to participate, especially the introvert ones. When you answer such question, do not focus on your attributes but on the effort that you made.

Sample Interview Questions

11. How would you like your boss to be?

Answer: This is a tricky question and to this if your answer is opposite the characteristics of your interviewer then you should forget the job. So, when asked such a question give an answer which is universal (A tip: Do not drag this answer too long). The general attributes of an ideal boss would be;

• Fair/honest
• Supportive
• Helping and guiding team members in new/difficult job profile
• Mentor/coach
• Good listener
• Good communication skills
• Technically competent

12. What is your dream job?

Answer: People may choose to answer this question differently. If your conversation with your boss has taken a light casual turn, then you can add a sense of humor to this answer. If you are not sure then do not try out innovative ways of answering it. Just be simple and give points that will connect your dream job with the work profile that you are looking for. If you give a completely different description then you may loose out in the interview.

13. Why have you been unemployed so far?

Answer: This is the most unwanted question that you can ever be asked. It will be asked if they find a gap in your work experience section, especially from your last job. You can say that you did not get the profile that you have been looking for so it took time to get employed. Continue by saying that job satisfaction is as important as money for you. If you are just working for money and not enjoying the job then your performance will be affected.

14. How do you deal with situation where someone else wants all the attention and side lines others in a team?

Answer: This is a sample answer, “In these situations its better to keep cool and think logically. Loosing temper will take the matter to a worse condition. I believe that performance and quality are noticed sooner or later. One may have a very extrovert personality but at the end of the day it’s the result that matters. I believe in giving my best as a team player and as an effective employee, what matters to me, is what the company expects from me.” (A diplomatic answer like this will help you in the long run)

15. How many employees have you promoted in your career so far?

Answer: This question is asked mostly to a manager. When you answer such a question be specific and mention the reasons for your taking such decisions. If the last person you promoted was a long time back then you may be in trouble.

16. How do you handle conflicts?

Answer: Conflicts arise in every organization. It is better to answer in a way that will show your strengths indirectly as a team player. You can say that “you go to the depth of the matter and see the reason behind the conflict. If required you also conduct a one on one discussion and solve as per the situation”.

17. How to you deal with a team member who is not performing well?

Amswer: A sample answer, “I believe that sometime there are situations when a certain team member may not able to perform well. I do not rush at conclusions first. I do a one on one discussion and try to find out the reason behind the bad performance. If required, I give the training and then evaluate the results. I also seek to know if the person is having any other issues and then try to solve them accordingly”.

18. Give me an instance where you handled a person who was under-performing?

Answer: To answer this you can talk about your past experience. Be well prepared about the question before hand and answer in points. The flow of the answer is very important and this will help your interviewer understand your strategy well.

19. What is your way of motivating your team?

Answer: Do not give silly reasons here to motivate the team. If you are talking about incentives and bonus, then thats not the only factor. You can say that you talk to a person who is under performing and try to know the reason. You can also say that “not everyone can perform at the same level, so you assign work as per the ability of the person. You praise a good performer in front of all and discuss bad situations in person”.

20. What actions have you taken to bring changes to your team’s performance?

Answer: Here you can say that “you first see how the team is performing and then state each person’s performance in different situation. Traits of each performer are noted down separately and a one on one discussion is conducted with each member. Overall the problems that a team is facing are also noted down to take relevant actions”.  

Sample Interview Questions

When one has an interview appointment there are various things that go in the mind of the candidate. Be it for the first time or an interview for the second or third job, there are various things that require to be prepared for. Here we present before you some sample interview questions that will give an idea to get yourself prepared for an interview.

Most Common Interview Questions

Here are the most commonly asked interview questions with the possible answers (If the reader has better answers which he/she thinks fits well to the situation, they can go for it)

1. Tell me something about you? (The common first question asked in any interview) 

Answer: Start by telling your name and where you work at present or which was your last job. If you are a fresher then tell the employer what are you studying currently. If you are an experienced professional then tell the employer about your current job, years of core experience and about your job profile in the previous companies. Also, tell your designation in your present and past companies.

2.Tell me something about your greatest achievement so far?

Answer: You must prepare for this question well. Here you have to talk about the greatest challenge that you have encountered so far in your work life and the strategy that you usually prepare to deal with it. Do not exaggerate the matters, say in short yet adding the important points. It would be better if you could present some proof for your achievement, although as the interviewer is an experienced person so he/she will understand the relevance of your statements. Remember that the way you present yourself here will portray your strengths indirectly.

3.Why do you want to leave your previous job?

Answer: This is a tricky question but be very careful not to fall in any trap. Begin your reasons with a positive note and talk about the logical, professional reasons for leaving the job. Remember that there are issues in every company but don’t give this reason for leaving the job. Good companies look for team players who will not grumble about the situation but will look for the solution instead. You can state business reasons or say that you want a job where you can see yourself growing along with the organization. If you have personal reasons for changing the job, then you can mention them too but make sure not to display your week side too much.

4. Do you take your work home often?

Answer: This is another tricky question and to this one, shorter the answer better it is. When answering to this one, do not portray yourself as exceptionally good. Be genuine and honest in your reply. You can say that in unusual circumstances when work demands extra time and effort you realize the situation and act accordingly. You can also mention that there can be unexpected work in every field, so if required you can go out of way for the work.

5. How to you deal with stress in your work life?

Answer: If asked, then you can mention the reason behind the stress and try to figure out the solution to it. Further you can add something like this “If I see there are people who are adding to my stress level then I believe in discussing with them and focusing on the professional as well as personal issues that lead to such stressful situation. I also believe that humans may have psychological issues which affect their work. So, when I talk about performance I focus on the human side also apart from just being a professional. Over all I would focus on the working environment as it greatly contributes to the performance of individuals. ”

6. Why do you want to join our organization? 

Answer: The answer to this question will include various parameters on the basis of which you intend to be a part of the organization. You can talk about your interest in the job profile that the company has to offer you (give reasons for the same) and the position of the organization in the industry that it operates in. Also, speak about the growth of the organization and your willingness of being a part of that growth. 

You can talk about the work and corporate culture of the company. Be prepared to give logical reasons for the same, for instance talk about mission and vision of the company publishes on the internet and how it interests you.

7. What goals have you set for the next three years?

Answer: Always remember that it’s necessary to realize in which direction you want to go and what are the things that you need to plan for the same. When you answer questions like these you must relate your intentions along with the work that is required to be done. For instance if you say that “I want to be the zonal head”, then it’s not enough. You must give a proper explanation like as a team leader what all work you have done previously and how you will use your abilities to achieve the next level.

8. How do you prepare yourself to make path to reach goals?

Answer: There is no set answer to this question. Hence, when you give answer to this one remember to attach a valid reason behind your plan/strategy. Your answers may include “switching companies to get a wider knowledge about the industry”, (one more example). Talk about interest in taking new assignments so to get a deeper, wider knowledge. Also mention about being a team player and what attributes are required for that.

9. What is your definition about the ideal job?

Answer: If you want the job, then your answer to this question will include the qualities of job. This does not mean that you will narrate the job description line by line. You can relate your interests with the job profile. Present your answer in a manner so that it sounds genuine and not copied from some where.

10. What are the major challenges that you have encountered so far in your career?

Answer: When asked about the major challenges you must focus on the hurdles that you have faced in your work life and not the achievements. Be honest when you reply for this question. You can prepare this by noting down the difficult/challenging situations and how you dealt in it. Give reasons and proofs for every statement that you say.

There are various sample interview question that an interviewer may ask but these were the tricky ones where we have tried giving you some ideas. Other professional questions will be based upon your work type and years of experience.