Common Interview Questions & Answers for Freshers

Q1 Tell me about yourself’

The interviewer asks this question to analyze how confident you are and
how you present yourself.
The best way to answer this common interview question is to tell the hiring
manager about your education and family background. However, this
should not look like your life’s story and you should quickly concentrate on
sharing a bit about your strengths that build the platform for further
discussion about your suitability for the job opening.
Don’t narrate what is already mentioned in your CV

Focus more on talking about your achievements and learning.

Keep it short

You can create a personalized answer to this common interview question ‘Tell me about
yourself’

I am a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills. I work

efficiently both as an individual contributor as well as along
with a team. I seek new challenges and try to think out-of-the-
box while looking for creative solutions to a given problem.
Besides the details given in my resume, I believe in character,
values, vision, and action. I am a quick learner and believe in
learning from my mistakes for I strongly feel that this virtue
will take me ahead in life and career.”
Personalizing the answers make it easier for you to sell your skills and support
them with relevant examples. It also shows that you have not crammed the stuff
just to crack the interview.
For example
My father is a Central Government Employee and my mother
is a Vice Principal at a private school.
My younger sister will appear her CBSE 10 board this year.
We are a very close-knit family. On an individual front, I
perceive myself as a confident, conscientious and hardworking
individual.
I carry out any task assigned to me without hesitation,
provided the instructions are clear. In the case of doubts, I
never hesitate to put forth my questions.
I have always been a fast learner, and I love to keep up my
process of learning to figure out better ways of solving
problems.
Moreover, I love to compete with my own past performances
than competing with my peers, as I believe that improvement
is always better than perfection!”

Q2.DESCRIBE WHO YOU ARE/TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND

“I am a very positive and practical person. Definitely the one
to fill the glass of water when there is a debate on whether it is
half empty or half full! This means, I spend little time brooding
over an issue and instead, try to find solutions. When the start-
up I was working for started losing a lot of money because of a
bad collaboration, there was a lot of debate on whose idea it
was, had they thought of this consequence. I took myself away
from the chaos, sat by myself for 20 minutes, wrote down
ideas and called for a short meeting. Were all my ideas
implemented? No. But it paved the way for us to start thinking
forward immediately and got everyone out of the shock. I just
pushed people to start asking the right questions. This quality
sets me apart.”
Q3. What are your strengths?
This is one of the most important fresher interview questions as the employer analysis
your strengths for the job role and tries to understand the challenges you might face in
the new job role. Therefore, be cautious about stating any of your strengths or
weaknesses. The good idea is to share strengths that are related to the job. One such
interview answer sample for an electrical engineer job interview would be to talk about
your expertise in evaluating electrical products, systems and, components if you are
confident to answer any question related to it. In the end, also saying that you are a
quick learner adds value to your strengths.

I am a team player. It is a skill I picked up in school as a

member and captain of the football team. I enjoy working in
teams and have been often told by both supervisors and peers
that I am the motivator of the group during stressful
situations. In college, during a group presentation, one of the
team members did not submit his bit of work. Given the short
deadline, everybody was worried. Analyzing the situation, I
called for a short meeting. I asked everyone to take equal parts
of the unfinished business and we managed to hand in a great
presentation.”
Q3. What are your weaknesses?
It becomes critical when you have to share your weaknesses, that too, with your hiring
manager. However, it is never recommended to say that you do not have any weakness
as it makes you look arrogant. Therefore, choose a weakness that doesn’t impact your
current job role. For example, you are afraid to sleep alone can be your weakness! PIQA
can help you create a smart as well as personalized answer for this interview question.
Do give it a try.
Tips:
Never brag about the strengths and skills that you cannot justify.
Always elaborate your strengths and weaknesses with some quick examples.

Q4. What are your hobbies?

In your fresher interview questions, you can even expect some basic interview questions
like what are your hobbies. Now if you think why the employer is interested in knowing
about your hobbies, it is an important interview question. The interviewer tries to gauge
about your personality, your energy level and how fit you can be for the company’s
culture. Therefore, share something that adds value to your skills such as travelling and
meeting people if you are appearing for a client-meeting role. Even sharing some
generic hobbies such as some sports or reading reflect well on your activeness.
Bonus Tips:
Avoid sharing hobbies that can give a bad impression such as gambling
Sharing a mix of personal and professional interests shows you a balanced person in
life
.
Q5. What do you know about our company?
It is one of the most important interview questions that is usually asked by a hiring
manager in the beginning of the conversation to understand how much you are aware
about the organization where you wish to work. Therefore, the best way to ace this
interview question is to do a proper research about the company, read online about
company’s latest updates, understand its business, and above all, read thoroughly the
job description.

Q6. Why we should hire you?

With this tricky interview question and answer, the employer wants to see your ability to
pitch your skills and convincing power. Moreover, this interview question is an
opportunity to show the interviewer your willingness for the job. The best way to answer
this fresher interview question is to talk about your skills and strengths that match the
job role. You can even share some more examples of how you managed a few projects
or important assignments in your college that reflect your strengths.
Bonus Tips:
## Share strengths and skills that are relevant for the job description, but keep it short.
## Wait and elaborate if the interviewer wants to know more about particular instances
to validate your points.
Sir/Ma’am, I have all the requisite qualifications and skills. I
can do the work that the profile requires me to do.
Besides, I have the capacity to deliver exceptional results. I can
blend into mixed cultures and will fit in beautifully, which will
make me a great addition to the team.
For a fresher, I have the right amount of exposure into this
industry, as I have completed my internship with XYZ
company only recently.
Hiring me will be a great value-add to your workforce as the
organization will keep on gaining, with me around.”
Q7. Why do you want to work with this company?
Companies mostly ask this common interview question to freshers to see what they
want and how much they know about the company they are appearing for. Therefore, it
is always recommended to know about the company’s background, values, operations,
services, and other important details.

Bonus Tip:
Correlate your career goals with the company’s values and state how working with the
company can help you enhance your skills and knowledge.
In my career, I am sure of one thing and that is I want to build
a decent career in my current domain.. It is essential that I
establish myself according to the requirements which can help
me reach the aim I have set for myself. I think the opening in
your organization can actually guarantee all my objectives
and requirements get fulfilled over time. This job can help me
set up a strong professional life foundation  and eventually
build upon it.

Q8. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

As a first job interview, answering this interview question becomes difficult at times. Of
course, at this stage, we are more concerned about our first year of the job and planning
about 5 years seems daunting to many freshers. Don’t worry, here’s how you can ace
this fresher interview question.  The idea of asking this question is to check two things
mainly. Firstly, your willingness to stay longer with the company, and secondly, how well
planned you are about your career goals.
Bonus Tips:
Never give an impression that you want this job just to gain experience and then you
wish for something bigger in near future.
S Keep your answer aligned with the current job role to show your interest in the
company.
Q9. What are your salary expectations?
As a fresh graduate, talking about your first salary is exciting, but a difficult job. The best
way common interview question is to do some research in advance so that you can
confidently take a reasonable range.

Bonus Tips:
Never ask for either a too less or too high salary package as this might cost you the job
at both the ends.
 In case you still do not have any idea about a reasonable salary for the job role, you can
simply answer to accept the package as per industry standards. This leaves much
scope for the negotiation at the time of final offer letter.
Q10. Do you have any questions for us?
Most of the job interviews close at this basic interview question where the interviewer
leaves scope for you to clear your doubts. Moreover, asking questions show that you
are a confident and focused person who wants clarity for his/her job. Many fresh
graduates hesitate to ask questions from the interviewer, but it is always recommended
to ask some relevant questions.
Bonus Tips:
Prepare a list of questions in advance that can help you get familiarize with the job role.
Ask intelligent questions that show your curiosity to know more about the company, its
policies, people, any specific skill you need to acquire for the given role, etc.
Avoid asking irrelevant questions such as the duration of lunch hours, how often the
company organizes parties, or how soon you will be promoted to the next level!
Also Read: Technical Interview Questions & Answers for Freshers: Java Interview
Questions
Preparation is the best way to succeed. Hope this list of some important fresher
interview questions and answers will help you to stand out in your job interview.

The job selection process, especially in India,

comprises of the following rounds.

1. A written test
2. A group discussion
3. Personal interview with a panel
4. Technical/Role-specific interview (this might take place before
the personal interview sometimes)
5. HR interview
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Behavioral Interview Questions and

Answers
 1 HOW DO YOU HANDLE STRESS?
Stress is an inherent part of being a job holder. I've learned to accept
it when it happens, but not to ignore it either. To most of us, stress
means having too many tasks on our plate. But I feel stress is caused
by unpredictability, frustration, or a feeling of being powerless to
change something. And no matter how successful and organized you
are, at least a small part of your work is dealing with things you can't
change. That is pressure and you will have to accept that. In order to
beat it, I switch off the 'work-mode' after I reach home. I also exercise
regularly, so that my body releases endorphins, that keep me happy!"

Remote Job Interview Questions and

Answers Asked by HRsp 2020
With the spread of the COVID pandemic, we were introduced to a
new normal of working from home/ remote working.

Considering this new normal, many companies have added a set of

remote interview questions and answers in addition to the basic
interview questions.

If you are someone who has a remote job interview lined up, this blog
is for you!

Here is a list of remote interview questions and answers and tips to ace

your next big interview.
1. How do you organize your day?
2. How comfortable are you in using different communication
tools?
3. What does remote working look like to you?
4. How do you process information?
5. How do you manage your calendar to get work done?
6. How do organize meetings while remote working?
7. During remote working how will you manage a big project with
many players involved?
8. How will you tackle the challenge of communication in remote
working?
9. How do you maintain your work-life balance?
10. How would you handle a situation if your other teammates are
offline and unavailable to help?
11. What is your major concern during remote working?

How do you organize your day?

Organizing your day is the most critical part of remote working.

Through this question, your recruiter wants to get an idea about the
time of the day when you are the most productive and if it is suitable
for the team or not.

Sample Answer:
“Remote working has a few advantages and disadvantages of its own.
Nowadays, I wake up an hour earlier than the usual office days to
take care of household chores so that it won’t come in my way when I
sit down for work.
I schedule my days similar to my office days, I begin my day at 10 am
sharp and even span out my breaks in tandem.
So, I can complete my 9 hours of work without any hiccups as I have
set a ground rule of discussing any issues during either lunch or post
my work hours.”

How comfortable are you in using different communication tools?

Communication receives the highest pedestal possible when you are

remote working.
So, being familiar with communication tools like Zoom, Slack,
Microsoft Teams, etc is a necessity.

Also, during remote working over-communication is the key to the

smooth sailing of a team’s productivity.

Hence to use the right application for the right communication is a

must.

This remote job interview question is asked to ensure that a candidate

is tech-savvy and knows his/her way to communicate properly with
the team.

This job interview question can be answered in the following manner.

Sample Answer:
“I believe that during remote working it is necessary to over-
communicate as it is important to avoid miscommunication.
I use video calls on MS Teams or the official app used by the
organization for meetings as it helps to communicate ideas better than
over voice calls.
While to keep my teammates posted on the status of a project I use the
chat option of the same app as provided by the organization.
I prefer to send over the minutes of a meeting over email marking a
copy to my teammates as well so all are on the same page.”

What does remote working look like to you?

During regular times there are many employees who had been on
remote working preferred working at a cafe or home.

Also, if you are working from home, what does your workspace look
like?
This can help the recruiter get an idea of whether or not you will fit
the team and share the same passion.

Sample Answer:
“I believe my productivity increases when I am working from home
because I am working from the comfort of my home.
The one thing that I make sure is to stay away from my bed and work
at a proper study desk with a chair to help me keep my posture right.
Also, it helps me to remain focused and can get my job done on time
when I am working at my study table as I prefer it clean.”

How do you process information?

A lot rides on how a person handles information.

Take, for example, some require to understand a project very minutely

while some might just require short-term information like the
deadlines of a particular project, etc.

This remote job interview question and answer is asked for the same
reason.

The recruiter needs to know the way you process information to

understand how you function.

Here’s what you can say.

Sample Answer:
“To give my 100% I need to understand the project in detail.
I believe I cannot deliver a perfect piece until I understand the
essence of the idea behind a project.
So, you can say I hoard on information to deliver my best work.”
Or,
“I believe in collecting only relevant information to ensure my best
work.
Too much information acts as a hindrance and the deliverables will
lack originality.”

How do you manage your calendar to get work done?

Managing a calendar is the most crucial aspect during remote working

as it requires a lot of planning.

The recruiter will ask this job interview question and answering it
properly is also crucial.

You can answer it like this.

Sample Answer:
“ I always prefer to plan my next day ahead.
My last organization used Microsoft apps for communication and
emails. So, I used to arrange my day based on time slots in the
Microsoft Calendar.
This helped me to focus on my duties. I prefer arranging my calendar
based on priority.
The task that needs my top priority and focus, I put it as the first task
of the day and even begin my day earlier as a quiet environment helps
me to finish my task smoothly without distractions.”

How do organize meetings while remote working?

The best thing while working in an office is that you could

immediately approach your team and discuss an idea.
Whereas during remote working you need to wait and schedule a
meeting after looking at everyone’s calendar to discuss an agenda.

Here’s how this remote job interview question can be answered.

Sample Answer:
“I always schedule a meeting a day prior after making sure that
everyone is free at a particular time.
I even highlight the agenda of the meeting on the Calendar while
sharing it.
On the day of the meeting, I send across a reminder at least an hour
before to my teammates and re-check the time with my Manager.
Finally, I make sure that the meeting begins right on time if not a little
earlier.
After greeting everyone, I introduce the agenda of the meeting, and
then it takes its course like any other meeting in the office and after
the meeting is ended I send across the minutes over the email chain.
I always prefer to have a video call when we are discussing an
agenda as it helps everyone to communicate better as compared to a
voice call.”
To know more about conducting meetings during remote working,
read here.

During remote working how will you manage a big project with many players
involved?

It is for this very reason that over-communication is extremely

important during remote working.

This is a popular job interview question and answering it requires

proper thinking.
Recruiters ask this question mainly to check a candidate’s
management skills which becomes the topmost priority during remote
working.

This job interview question’s answer can be framed like the following.

Sample Answer:
“When there are a lot of steps and many people involved in a project,
I divide into teams. Then I make sure to catch up on a weekly video
call on Friday.
Also, we arrange for daily standups on our company approved
application like Slack/ MS Teams.
I also make sure that I am available for my teammates if they face any
hiccups and they can call up any time.
This not only helps to get the job done smoothly but also builds trust
within the team that we have each other’s backs whenever in
trouble.”

How will you tackle the challenge of communication in remote working?

Some things are better the traditional way, but when remote working
becomes the order of the day we have to accept the new methods.

We can agree that understanding the tone of a conversation can be

challenging in texts.

Hence, this job interview question demands answers that can convince
the recruiter that a candidate knows how to make the best use of
technology when at such a disadvantage.

Sample Answer:
“One of the biggest disadvantages of technology is that it does not
recognize the tone of communication.
This many times causes problems within a team.
So, I prefer video calls over texts and voice calls as it helps a person
communicate his/her idea better.
Also, it is the closest option of having a face-to-face meeting during
remote working.”

How do you maintain your work-life balance?

During remote working, it is very easy to get your work-life balance

disrupted. This has a repercussion on an employee’s productivity.

So, this job interview question and answer is asked to understand how
a candidate keeps him/herself engaged to boost their mental and
physical health.

Sample Answer:
“Given that we are all stuck inside our houses, I make sure to rewind
with some physical exercises and gardening.
I find gardening therapeutic and relaxing while exercise helps me to
destress and remain focused at work.
So, I always find time for my favorite activities to help me stay happy
and positive when remote working.”
To know more about maintaining work-life balance, read here.

How would you handle a situation if your other teammates are offline and
unavailable to help?

This job interview question and answer is asked to test a candidate’s

presence of mind in tough situations.

No matter how well planned your day is there will be times when
something is sure to go off the charts and will require you to take a
call independently.
This job interview question can be answered like this.

Sample Answer:
“I understand everyone has a different time when they log in during
remote working.
So, if ever such a situation appears where my teammates are
unavailable I will make sure to address it as per my discretion at the
moment.
Also, I would inform my teammates and my Manager about the
situation and the updates after resolving the problem to ensure
clarity.”

What is your major concern during remote working?

This remote job interview question is asked to check whether you are
aware of your weaknesses and what you need to avoid falling weak.

You can answer the question in this manner.

Sample Answer:
“My only concern while remote working is staying on track. However,
to avoid any wasting time I sub assign tasks based on alarms on my
laptop.
Take, for example, if I have started working at 10 am then I set the
task of completing 600 words of my blog by 11:30 am.
This helps me to keep on track and deliver my work on time.”
With these job interview questions and answers to practice, you are
sure to ace your upcoming remote job interview.

1 Remote Job Interview Questions and Answers Asked by HRs

1. Tell me something about yourself in brief
2. Describe who you are? or Tell me about your background.
3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
4. You have not done your PG yet. This is not a drawback, but
don’t you think you should get a PG degree asap?
5. You have changed jobs/jumped ship too many times already,
why so?
6. What are your strong points? or What are your strengths?
7. What is your greatest fear?
8. If I call up your current or previous reporting manager now, what
will be their opinion about you? What will they say that you need to
work on?
9. Do you have any serious medical issues?
10. Did you ever have a conflict with your current/previous boss or
professor?
11. What do your friends/co-workers say about you?
12. What did you do in the last year to improve your knowledge?
13. Explain the difference between group and team. Are you a team
player?
14. What is your ideal company or workplace?
15. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
16. What is the most difficult thing that you’ve ever accomplished?
or What is the most difficult thing you have ever done?
17. What is the difference between hard work and smart work?
18. How do you feel about working weekends and night shifts?
19. Where do you see yourself 3 years from now? or Where do you
see yourself in 5 years?
20. Give an example of a time you had to respond to an unhappy
manager/ customer/ colleague/ professor/ friend.
21. How quickly do you adapt to new technology?
22. What software packages are you familiar with?
23. On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate yourself as a leader?
24. What makes you angry?
25. Are you open to take risks? or Do you like experimenting?
26. What are your future goals? Tell me about your short term and
long-term goals.
27. What motivates you?
28. What are your hobbies? or What are you passionate about?
29. What are your biggest achievements till date?
30. What are you most proud of?
31. What has been your greatest failure?
32. What do you always regret? or Do you have any regrets?
33. How do you respond to change?
34. Are you demanding as a boss?
35. Are you an organized person?
36. Can you describe your time management skills?
37. What’s your absenteeism record like?
38. Are you reliable? or Can I trust you with responsibilities?
39. What are the three things that are most important for you in a
job?
40. What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
41. If you won a Rs.10-crore lottery, would you still work?
42. Give me an example of your creativity.
43. What makes you happy?
44. How do you work under pressure? Can you handle the pressure?
45. Are you willing to relocate or travel?
46. What do you know about us or our company?
47. How long do you think you will work for us after we hire you?
48. Are you applying for other jobs? Do you have any other offer in
hand?
49. Why do you want to work for us or our company? or Why do
you want this job?
50. Do you know anyone who works for us?
51. Why should we hire you? or Why should I hire you?
52. What are your salary expectations?
53. Do you have a good work ethic?
54. How do you deal with feedback and criticism?
55. Why do you want to leave your current job?
56. Your interview is more or less coming to an end when the
interviewer asks you, “Do you have any questions for me?”