Common Interview Questions

The interviewer wants to know how you will deal in stressful situations by asking this question.

Sample answer:

I react to situations rather than being stressful. I want to make the situations not to be stress for anybody. If a situation seems overwhelming, I mentally break it up into smaller steps and just focus on reaching each one on the way to accomplishing the larger task. Once I had a situation that in the same week i had to submit two projects which is very pressure to me. As i was skilled in multiple tasks, i just break down all the works i have in to smaller assignments and just worked one by one to complete the whole task. By this way i handled my stressful situation and submitted my projects within the due time.

Ofcourse, such situations helps me to stay motivated and productive.

Sample Response :

When I was a resident assistant at my college, a student I did not know asked me if he could use my phone to call another room. Although I did not know the student, I allowed him into my room. He used the phone and in the course of his conversation, he stated that he had just come from a fraternity party and was high from taking some drugs. Well after his conversation, I had to enforce the student conduct code by writing him up. He became very hostile towards me and would not give me any identification or information. I stood in the doorway to prevent him from leaving. I noted the serial numbers on his keys, so when the situation got to the point where I felt unsafe, I allowed the him to leave. I still preformed my job without jeopardizing my or his physical welfare. 

When asked the job interview question "How did you handle a challenge?" be sure to include specific examples of how you handled a particular difficult situation. Discuss how you researched the issue and contributed to finding a solution. Examples of good responses include:

• During a difficult financial period, I was able to satisfactorily negotiate repayment schedules with multiple vendors.


• When the software development of our new product stalled, I coordinated the team which managed to get the schedule back on track. We were able to successfully troubleshoot the issues and solve the problems, within a very short period of time.


• A long-term client was about to take their business to a competitor. I met with the customer and was able to change how we handled the account on a day-to-day basis, in order to keep the business.

The interviewer wants to know what motivates you. If you can relate an example of a job or project when you were excited, the interviewer will get an idea of your preferences.

Eg: "I was very satisfied in my last job, because I worked directly with the customers and their problems; that is an important part of the job for me."

Standard interview tips and techniques still apply. Do not speak negatively about any supervisors, coworkers or former jobs. It is acceptable to share a specific situation that occurred with a former boss, but do not go into detail about the disagreement. Focus instead on what you did to help the supervisor see your point of view.

You may be asked a follow up question, such as “Did they ultimately see your point of view?” Be honest. Did they follow your advice or didn’t they? The answer is not as important as the presentation. Do not sound bitter in your response if they did not. “They did see my point of view. They chose a different path, but they understood my concerns and beliefs in the end.”

When you're asked what didn't like about your previous job, don't be too negative. The reason is that you don't want the interviewer to think that you'll speak negatively about the new job or the company when you're ready to move on, if you get this job.Rather, it makes sense to talk about yourself and what you're looking for in a new role.

I enjoyed the people I worked with. It was a friendly and fun atmosphere and I actually enjoyed going into work each morning. I felt the leadership team was great as well.

One of the reasons I am leaving is that I felt I was not challenged enough at the job. As a new employee in the working world, the company offers a great opportunity for a good entry level position. However, after being there for so many years, I felt I was not able to reach my full potential because of the lack of challenge and there was no room for advancement in the company. While I did enjoy working there and appreciate the skills I developed while with the company, I feel my  skill set can be better utilized elsewhere, where my capabilities are more recognized and there is the opportunity for growth.

The people I worked with at ABC Company were top notch at what they do. Through my experience there, I learned a lot about different management styles, and strategies for maintaining cooperation in a large group project setting. I feel that as valuable as that experience has been, I am anxious to work on more specialized projects where I will have the opportunity to be more of a leader.

While the people at XYZ Company were terrific to work with, I felt that the opportunities for me there were limited by the structure and size of the company. I believe that a larger company with an international presence can offer challenges, as well as opportunities unavailable at a smaller firm. The position with your company is a great match for my skill set, and I feel that I would be an asset in your marketing (or HR or IT) department.

The interviewer wants to know that you don't just jump into a solution without knowing the problem in detail. You want to study the problem by determining the cause of the problem, what the problem is, and what the possible solutions are. You then decide on a solution.

Following steps for problem-solving and decision-making can be very helpful.

- Define the problem to be solved and decision to be made.
- Gather the necessary information.
- List all possible choices.
- Consider possible outcomes for each choice.
- Check out how you feel about each of the choices.
- Relate the choices to your values and priorities.
- From the possible alternatives, choose one.
- Commit yourself to your chosen decision and disregard the others. Concentrate your energies   in one direction. Once we made our decision, we must focus all our work on that itself.
- Take steps to turn your decision into positive action.
- Evaluate your progress from time to time. Change your decision if necessary.

Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to be able to provide the details of their compensation history. Be prepared to tell the interviewer how much you earned at each of your prior positions.

Make sure that what you tell the interviewer matches what you listed on your job application. Refresh your memory prior to the interview by reviewing your salary history, so, you can speak in detail and accurately. Don't exaggerate or inflate your earnings. Many employers will check references and confirm your salary history prior to making a job offer. A discrepancy between what you reported and what the employer says could knock you out of contention for the job.