INTERVIEW QUESTIONSFlame Institute

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Since there are no fixed rules in an interview, you should be prepared to face any eventuality. However, there are some standard questions that panels pose to the students in order to assess a variety of personal traits, professional attitude and suitability of the students for a particular institute. This does not mean that mastering the answers to these questions would mean that you would sail through the interview with flying colors. The questions listed here are only probable ones. The list is indicative and not exhaustive.

The following questions have been frequently asked by the panel and many students remember having fumbled in answering the questions, as they are deceptively simple. It is therefore very important that you take a hard look at the following questions and firm up the answers with adequate arguments. We shall see how the following questions could be answered. In order to answer them effectively, it would be important to know what all lies behind them.

Let’s try to catch up with the following FAQ’s :

Tell us about yourself ?
Why do you want to do an organization?
What are your career objectives ?
How have you fared academically till now ?
Which is your favorite subject ?
What are your hobbies ?
One significant achievement in your life till now ?
What are your plans presuming that you do not make it this time ?
What are your strengths and weakness ?
Who is your idol ?
Why should we select/not select you ?
Where do you want to see yourself, ten years from now ?

Tell us about yourself ?

Most interviews start with a very standard “Tell us something about yourself”. Please read this question as “Give us a brief background about your family and self that is not there in the form.” This question is the most frequently asked one as it breaks the ice and attempts to gauge your overall ability to relate the past data in a coherent and meaningful manner. Prima facie, this question looks very simple, yet it is a critical one. This is so because many are not able to decide what could be said in response and falter as a result. The candidates must answer such a question in a way that gives the panel all the relevant details not only about themselves, but also about their parents and brothers / sisters. Many students are not able to handle this question as they either become too verbose or too opinionated. Try to relate all the relevant background information in your answer. You must also try to package the information so that it sounds. So make sure that the speech does not list out every certificate you won since school, just keep it general — a little about your father, mother, siblings, your current status in life and finally your interests and hobbies. Do not detail your marks and academic performance since it is there in your form. Put this answer on paper and make sure it does not go beyond 40 to 60 seconds. Also if you are a member of something unusual like the literacy mission, this is the time to mention it. Try to speak about your hobbies because typically the next question will follow from this question.

Why do you want to do an organization?

This answer could be the difference between in and out. This is another question that is frequently encountered by the students while facing interviews. This question is designed to probe deeper into you goal (s). Your answer in a sense also reveals the finer elements in you that render your “suitability” for the said organisation valid or invalid. The answer therefore has to take care of both your long term and short-term goals. One tip at this stage – use as little jargon, adjectives and not-so-common words as possible in your interview. Do not say “I will learn the nitty gritty of management “Just say, “I will learn a lot more about management.” Structural adjustment? If you know the meaning of the term good, else just say something simpler. Remember everything your friends would laugh at the panel will laugh at. So keep it plain and simple.

What are your career objectives ?

This is another frequently asked question. Asking you this question is to assess your clarity about the career you are going to take up. In other words, your suitability (your understanding about what you are heading for, attitude, aptitude and goal etc.) vis-a-vis the institute / course is being ascertained by the interview panel. Many students err here as well, as they are not able to relate their career goals adequately enough to their answers. Answer the question in a manner that encompasses your academic background, and your interests, linking it to your career goals.

How have you fared academically till now ?

This is another critical area that the panel is interested in finding out as it has a direct implication both on your past performance and also on your future course of action. Your studies at the institute presuppose many factors that are expected of you. One factor that is critical is your academic background. Though the institutes ask only for 50% in graduation for you to appear in the entrance exam, the fact remains that the panel has a bias towards those with a good academic background. This is perhaps not without reason. Those with an average academic record need not feel eliminated right away without giving a try. As a matter of fact, those with average backgrounds have been star performers at leading business schools.

Which is your favorite subject

This is one of the fundamental questions that almost all the panels normally ask the candidate. The same questions may be asked differently, or may further be twisted to know about your knowledge of the subject that you must have pursued at graduate or postgraduate levels. It is, however assumed that the pedagogical techniques adopted in management education are no different from that of social science. You should also be ready to face questions from other related areas / subjects. This is clearly meant to assess your understanding about interdisciplinary areas as management education is not an isolated discipline.

What are your hobbies

Hobbies are one of the important inputs that go into making a person human Most of us are unclear what we mean by hobby and write about it casually. The bottom line is that you should not mistake hobby for interest and vice-versa. I know that if your hobby is watching Govinda movies it is difficult and seems foolish to answer “Why?” Just remember that they need the answer, so give it your best. Now for Govinda movies the answer could be as simple as I think they are funny and always feel good at the end. You can answer these questions in 2 ways: (A) What do you get out of it?

What do you get out of it?

What it does for you?

Obviously those of you who like to party, listen to loud music cannot try and call it a spiritually uplifting experience. But then you can say it’s a good way to unwind and take your mind off worldly Worries for a while to prepare yourself with a clearer mind to face tomorrow. However if you say “I like watching movies,” then be prepared to discuss the movie and describe your learning. Know as many relevant details about the movies.

One significant achievement in your life till now ?

The panel is interested in assessing your sensitivity towards incidents that have made an indelible impact on your life. This question is normally an add-on to a question on your strengths and weaknesses and therefore, you must prepare yourself to cover both areas. On the face of it, this question may seem an insignificant one, but is capable of generating immense information about you. Be very cautious while preparing this answer.

What are your plans presuming that you do not make it this time ?

At times, the interview panel is ruthless in asking you about your back-up plans. Though the question seems very blunt, do not get nervous or offended as the panel is trying to gauge both your perseverance level and also the clarity about your career objective(s). Technically speaking, the panel is looking for a suitable answer to your short-term contingency plans and also your Consistency on relevant issues. It is therefore necessary to chart out well-argued reasons to prove your “seriousness” about planning in case of an eventuality.

What are your strengths and weaknesses ?

This question is basically posed to know about your ease in revealing your strengths and your evasiveness in disclosing weaknesses. The question assumes the fact that you know yourself well. Many have emerged as winners by adopting a judicious approach to this question. You must ponder over the question and firm up your answer without letting the panel take offense to your statements. After all, being honest is being disarming and being disarming influences the panel.

Who is your Idol ?

The panel often asks you about your “idol”. It is presumed that you choose an “idol” that fulfils your values, quest for excellence and aspirations. This question reveals a lot about your personality. Therefore choosing your “idol” has to be a cautious exercise backed up with sound reasoning and logic, in case the panel asks you to explain why. Remember, your “idol” is nothing but a symbolic expression of yourself.

Why should we select you ?

The panel may ask you the reason for selecting you or rejecting you. And this is where the catch is. When faced with this, you have to put yourself honestly in the shoes of the panel and evaluate the entire interview process judiciously both for and against, as the case may be. Often, your observations about yourself are no different from that of the panel’s about you.

Where do you want to see yourself 10 years from now ?

Though the panel is aware of the fact that answering such a questions is difficult, it is to your credit if your can answer with some clarity. The panel might further ask you about your dream company/industry or the combination of the two. But here lies the catch again as the panel might probe you deeper about the company/industry after you have pinpointed one. Therefore it’s important to prepare well for answering such open-ended questions as your knowledge about the said industry may well be under microscopic investigation. All that the panel is on the lookout for is your ability to convince them on the broached issues. Success in the interviews depends largely on your will ingress to steer the panel and negotiate the potholes unhurt.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER OVER

I. PERSONAL

A. Background

Tell me about yourself / What would you like me to know about you that is not on your resume?
What are the three most important events of your life?
What were you doing during this gap of time I see here on your resume?
Where did you grow up?
What are your three major accomplishments?
What was an experience in your life that you would want to go back and change?

B. Self Description

How would your friends describe you ?
Give me three words to describe yourself

C. Goals

What new goals have you established for yourself recently?
What are your five to ten year career goals?
What are your career and educational goals?
What would you like your lasting impression to be?
Do you have a final statement?
What are your career options right now?
How could you have improved your career path?

D. Values

What does “success” mean to you?
What does “failure” mean to you?
Which is more important to you: money or the type of job?
Who do you admire ? Why ?
What do you get passionate about?
Who is your hero, and why? (The greatest answer is if you can use a family member or friend, try to stay away from celebrities.)

II. MANAGEMENT / LEADERSHIP STYLE

Define leadership.
Tell me about a time when you successfully resolved a conflict.
Give me an example of a leadership role you have held when not everything went as planned.
What qualities should a successful manager possess? Do you have these attributes (of a good
- manager) ?
What two attributes are most important in your job?
Why Management ? Why this Institute? How do you know that management interests you?
- Can business and ethics go together ?
- What is management ?
- How do you think it will help you ? What are your career goals?
- Tell me how it will help you in business decision process?
- With management you’re closing options & you’ll be serving only the corporate section?
- Suppose you have an assured monthly salary because of which you don’t face any compulsion to work, what would you do then?
- Would you still like to do an organization?

III. STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES AND SKILLS

Are you creative? Give me an example. What have you done that you consider creative?
What are your strongest abilities?
What is your biggest weakness? (Never say that being a perfectionist is your biggest weakness.
You may think that this makes you look better, but it makes you look insecure.
Give me an example of something that you have done that shows initiative.
What makes you stand out among your fellow students?
What have you disliked in your past jobs?
What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?
Are you able to work on several assignments at once?
What has been your greatest challenge?

IV. INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Define cooperation.
What kinds of people do you enjoy working with?
What kinds of people frustrate you?
Have you ever managed a conflict? How?
Have you ever spoken before a group of people?
How large?
With what kind of people do you like to work with?

EDUCATION / MANAGEMENT / INSTITUTE

Why did you decide to get an organization?
What makes you think you would be successful in management?
How would you go about evaluating a business?
Why <name of the institute>?
What do you know about our institute?
What are you looking for in our institute?
What would you add to this institute?
You have five minutes to describe the most relevant and specific items in your background, which shows how you are uniquely qualified for admission to our institute.
- What area of specialization do you plan to get?
- Why?
- What college classes you enjoy the most? What is your favorite subject?
- What college classes did you like the least?
- Why?
- Did your grades accurately reflect your ability?
- Why/Why not?
- Describe the course that has had the greatest impact on your thinking.
- Demonstrate/illustrate skills that you can transfer from past experience.

VI. EXTRA CURRICULAR

What extra – curricular school activities are you involved in? (While it is a good idea to show that you are well rounded, it is a good idea to stress those activities, which show team involvement and leadership.)

What have you learned from your activities?
Were your extracurricular activities worth the time you put into them?
How did you become involved in your extracurricular activities?
What do you enjoy doing outside of work in your free time?
What is your favorite book/movie/song/painting or author/actor/singer/artist?
Which magazines / newspapers do you read regularly? Which books have you read recently?
Have you ever done volunteer activities?

VII. IF YOU HAVE WORK EXPERIENCE

Describe your job and areas of responsibility
Describe your job profile. Tell us something interesting you have done in your job.
What are your achievements outside these responsibilities?
Where did you work? What are the developments you have done there?
Which company were you working for?
What were the products/services?
Is it listed on the stock exchange?
What is the strength of the company in terms of the number of people working in the company?
Who are the major suppliers/ clients/ customers to the company?
Who is the Director of the company? Can you give us a brief description about the hierarchy in the company?