“Tell me something about yourself”.

How do you come up with an

answer that has it all? Before you begin answering, keep in mind that
recruiters now care less about grades and academic performance and
more about softer skills: how quickly and creatively a candidate thinks,
whether he or she will be able to cope with high-pressure environments,
and how well the candidate will fit in the organization.

“Why should we hire you?”

Your response to this question can be steered to indicate “a fit”.

Demonstrate confidence  and present your ability to match personality

traits with organizational culture.  A response such as, “My
achievements match with your requirements” is a starter to lead the
recruiters in a direction that’s comfortable for you.

Sure enough, the next question will be something like, “What are your
achievements and how do you think they match with our requirements?”
Now is the time to talk about what you have achieved in life – be it
sports, academics, extracurricular. Be careful, though, to link this to
learning that is relevant to the position you’re discussing. For instance,
tie your accomplishments in sports to leadership; in academics to project
management; your extracurricular activities to team work. The objective
is to lead recruiters in a direction in which you are comfortable without
boasting of accomplishments and achievements.

“What are some of your weaknesses?”

This is an interesting question designed to test your honesty.

Spell out a couple of weaknesses  as honestly as possible. You are human
after all! The weaknesses, though, should not seem detrimental to the
work processes. For instance, responses such as, “I nitpick”, “I am in the
habit of interrupting”, “I sometimes tend to talk while eating” are neutral
and probably won’t hurt your chances to get the job . Be careful not to
open up too much or reveal too many of your flaws. Be different and
original in your statements. Do not copy or emulate your seniors or other
students. And you don’t have to list more than two weaknesses.
“What is more important for you — goals or rules?”

A question that addresses the long-standing debate on whether the end

justifies the means.

For decades, philosophers have argued the dominance of one over the
other and, to the best of my knowledge, have still not found an answer.
Expecting you to give a definitive response to this question is a kind of
test to check how well you think on your feet. Consider these sorts of
answers: “I’ve learned to score goals while playing by the rules”; “Are
there goals that can be scored when one doesn’t play by the rules?”; or
“Would you consider a goal scored if we don’t play by the rules?”

“Do you have any questions for us?”

This is normally the last question in the interview cycle.

Your response to this question should be structured after you have

carefully assessed parameters critical for the organization. This
assessment can be part of your interview preparation  phase. Is the
organization in its growth phase or mature? Structure your responses
accordingly. For instance, “What are the targets you want me to achieve
in the first year?” or “What are the jobs and responsibilities for an entry
level/lateral hire?”

Remember that from the minute you walk through that door to success,
someone is critically observing you and forming an impression. Its’s not
just what you say but also what you do not say – that is, your non-verbal
cues. The first impression  created by a candidate is usually what helps
them sail smoothly through the interview process. Walk in confidently,
maintain eye contact, and begin with a nice, firm handshake and take
the interview questions  by storm!