2. CONTENTS OF SEMINAR
Introduction
Understanding What Interview is
Phases to Prepare for an Interview
Wearing for Success
Secrets that Determines Interview Success
Behavioral and Situational Interview
Tricky Questions and their Answers
Common Interview Questions
What to do a Day before the Interview
Mysteries of Successful Telephonic Interviews
Top Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Tips to Master Your Job Interview
Conclusion
(Ref. Book : Get your dream job by Mr. P. Bhatia)
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3. INTRODUCTION
Interviewing may be the most important skill in your job
search. Hiring managers decide whom to hire based on the
interviews. Your resume helps you get an interview, and
references checks and assessment tests are used to
validate the conclusions of the interviews. None of these
will get you hired. It is the one-on-one interaction, where
you have the opportunity to talk directly to the hiring
manager, that will motivate the company to hire you.
Despite the importance of interviewing, very few people
practice their interview skills. Most people do three things
to prepare for an interview. They start by developing a list
of questions they think they will be asked. They then
prepare answers to those questions. Finally, they research
the company where they will interview.
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4. INTRODUCTION
These three steps are important, but they‟re just a starting point.
No matter how much you prepare, it will never be the same as
actually interviewing.
Guessing what is important to a hiring manager will uncover
some of the questions you will be asked, but you can‟t prepare for
every possible question. At some point, you need to practice
being asked a question you didn‟t expect.
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5. UNDERSTANDING INTERVIEW
A job interview is an interview consisting of a conversation
between a job applicant and a representative of an employer
which is conducted to assess whether the applicant should be
hired.
Interviews vary in the extent to which the questions are
structured, from a totally unstructured and free-wheeling
conversation, to a structured interview in which an applicant is
asked a predetermined list of questions in a specified order;
structured interviews are usually more accurate predictors of
which applicants will make good employees, according to
research studies.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_interview)
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6. UNDERSTANDING INTERVIEW
Interview = A meeting with an objective
Employer‟s objective is to find the best person for
the job
Employer: reviews candidate‟s experience and abilities
Can you do the job? (skills, ability, qualifications)
Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation)
How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)
You: impress employer and assess position on offer
What does this position offer me?
How does it fit with my career plans?
Congratulations - you have passed the first hurdle
You must prove that you are the most suitable
candidate for this position 6
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7. TYPES OF INTERVIEW:
INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW
Objective-learning
Conducted by Career Counsellor
Knowledge helps to grow career
Conducted by professionals in the counselling field,
who first assess you and then based on your strong
points suggest you to pursue the field you are good
in
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8. TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW
Screening Interview Method for candidates who are
geographically far away location
10-30 Minutes duration
Keep your resume, job description, reference list,
prepared answers to tricky questions and details
about company handy
Need to give polished answer without taking pauses
between two sentences
It is important to be a positive throughout the
interview and always speak with an energetic tone
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9. PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Most practiced interview till date
Face to face conversation between the interviewer
and interviewee
15-50 Minutes duration
Need to answer all questions in a confident and a
positive tone
If the length of the interview is longer then, answer
the questions in depth, using specific examples to
support facts and skills
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10. PANEL INTERVIEW
Similar like personal interview
More than one hiring manager or decision maker
Good body language and eye contact is essential
Need to create a lasting image in all the eyes,
because there are multiple considerations involved
in this
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11. PRACTICAL ORIENTED INTERVIEW
It is more like writing an exam or may be attending
a practical
You may be asked to apply your skills in solving
problems and demonstrate your way of thinking
A company can ask you to write a small test to
prove your intelligence
It is required to qualify for the rest of the interview
OTHER TYPES: MBA/ VISA INTERVIEW
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12. PROCESS OF AN INTERVIEW
1. Entering the interview room
2. Greeting
3. Getting Comfortable
4. Interview Expectations
5. General Interview Discussion
6. Further Inspections
7. Asking Questions
8. Closing
9. Follow up
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14. PREPARATION OF RESUME
1. Candidate‟s Name(Basic Information with Contact Details)
2. Education (Include your education qualifications and where did
you achieve them from)
3. Skills (Include only relevant skills for the job and certifications, if
any)
4. Experience (If you have worked in any previous company,
include how many years have you worked in that profession? What
were your key result areas and achievements? Certificates, courses
that you have completed, sports or any other activity certificate(s))
5. Extra Curricular(Write about your achievements and
community involvement)
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15. PREPARATION OF RESUME
An ideal resume is well organized, without any
grammatical errors and written in business
communication language
70% candidates are rejected because they do not
have a good resume
Write a resume in rough and then correct it for
mistakes until you think that it cannot be
corrected more
Match your skill that are relevant to the job
description and include only those.
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16. TIPS TO CREATE A GOOD RESUME
1. Apart from avoiding grammatical mistakes, make
sure you follow a simple yet effective format
2. Mention your career objective at the start and
ensure that it attracts HR Manager attention
3. Make sure that your personal credentials are
correct and updated
4. If you are a fresher, mention it in your resume. It
gives a scope of learning and it is a way better
than telling them directly
5. If you are changing your job, mention that too. Be
precise about your current condition. 16
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17. TIPS TO CREATE A GOOD RESUME
6. If in case, you have an employment gap, mention
that too, but also prepare a valid and convincing
reason for the same.
7. Make sure you use only one type of font in your
entire resume.
8. Your resume should not be more than three pages.
“If resume is not complete, appealing and relevant to
post you are applying for, you will lose the opportunity
to be invited for the interview.”
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18. STRENGTH-EXAMPLES
1. Confidence
2. Experience
3. Social Compatibility
4. Team Work
5. Education and Training
6. Communication Skills
7. Leadership
8. Influencing Others
9. Positive Attitude
10.Writing proposals 18
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19. EXAMPLES : FOR FRESHER
“Sir, my greatest strength has to be the ability to analyse and
learn things quickly. For example, I was representing my college
in an Intercollege Cultural Fest and I was introduced to the team
just before the competition. I was able to learn the facts and
figures in just one day and presented them in a great manner. I
was greatly praised by my teammates, teachers and seniors for
my achievement.”
“ My positive attitude is my greatest strength. I can manage
difficult situations in a positive manner and never let the
situations take control of me instead. There was this time in my
school, when two of my classmates were arguing over a simple
matter. I handled the situation very carefully and established
peace between them. I am really sure that I can become a great
call centre executive with my positive attitude.
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20. EXAMPLE : FOR JOB CHANGE
“To talk about my biggest strength, it is a willingness to
take on challenges. I am looking to change my job because
I have gained all professional experience that I could gain
from my current job. Moreover, there is no scope of
promotion left. Therefore, in order to grow even higher in
my career I am looking for a new job where there are more
responsibilities and scope of improvement”
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21. EXAMPLE : FOR SENIOR POSITION
“I think problem solving is one of my greatest strength. I
analyze the situation from all angles and arrive at the best
possible solution. I can get the work done in a very quick
turnaround even if there are any kinds of obstacles in my
way.
Adding to the list, my communication skills are also top
notch and often, I have received compliments from the
employers working under me about my excellent
communication skills that leave them with no doubt in
explanation. For example, I was given a product to
describe and write a report upon. I analysed the product
well and used it practically to understand it better. When
the final report was prepared, my boss was extremely
pleased with the work I had done.
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22. EXAMPLE : FOR SENIOR POSITION
“One of my biggest strength has to be my strong work ethic.
Often I have seen myself working day and night to complete the
work on given timeline. Also I do not compromised the quality
and the final results are always in their best form. For example,
there was a situation last month, where a few members got late
from our team in Hong Kong. I spent my weekend working on
the spread sheet because I knew that the client was expecting
the spread sheet by Monday.”
“My writing skills are my biggest strength and I am sure that I
will become a good analyst. I have the ability to communicate
cumbersome niches to many different audiences. I also have the
ability to process a large amount of data and that too in a very
short time.” 22
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23. WEAKNESSES-MODEL ANSWERS
Around 90% of the candidates, even the most prepared
ones, fall down to their knees when they are asked
about their weakness.
“Sometimes there may be a situation where I become
very impatient. This only triggers when my
teammates or colleagues do not submit the work on
time, which might be very critical for the on-going
project. For example, I would like to mention the time
When I strictly lectured one of my teammates because
he didn‟t complete the work in time and due to him
the whole project was on hold.” 23
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24. WEAKNESSES-MODEL ANSWERS
“I might be a bit confused in the situations which are just
too complicated for me to handle and I might need some
assistance then. Since I am a recent graduate, I still have
lot to progress and learn in this field and any type of
feedback and advice is taken in a very positive manner. For
example, there was a situation during my internship when I
didn‟t know how to follow C++ accounting method. I was
very confused and eventually had to ask help from the
seniors”
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25. MAKE A LIST OF EXPECTED QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Tell me something about yourself?
Why do you think you are a fit for this job?
What are your biggest weaknesses?
What do you know about this organization?
Do you have any experience in this role?
Why are you seeking a new job?
Why are you better than the candidates waiting
outside?
Do you have any questions regarding the job?
What are your salary expectations?
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26. EXPECTED QUESTIONS AND
THEIR POSSIBLE ANSWERS
“Why do you think you are a fit for this job?”
I have applied for the position of a Team Leader. After working as
a Quality Control Executive for six years, I have learn how each
member of a team can contribute to the overall goals of a company
and have also trained and developed several team members for
which my efforts were appreciated a lot.
“What are your salary expectations?
I expect a standard salary that is given to a fresher candidate in
this position. I do not have any fancy expectations as of now,
because learning and growing is my main task in hand.
“Do you have any questions regarding this job?”
I would like to know, if appointed for this job, whom will I be
reporting to and what will be my key performance indicators. 26
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27. LIST OF QUESTIONS
TO BE ASKED
• What is the possible joining date, if I get selected?
• When will I get the joining letter?
• Are there any final requirements that I need to complete?
• What are the performance expectations for this job and will it
change in the future?
• How will you measure my leadership responsibilities and
performance?
• Can you give me a brief explanations of your organization
structure?
• Do I have to travel a lot?
• Who will be my working partner?
• What is the total strength of the company?
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28. LIST OF QUESTIONS
TO BE STRICTLY AVOID
• Asking about salary and benefit related to the job
• Questions about the company, whose information is already
available on the website.
• Asking questions that cannot be answered by the interviewer.
There are some sensitive subjects and indicates dark parts of
the company. Hiring managers are proud of their company and
do not like to talk about the downfalls.
• Irrelevant questions that have no relation to the job or
organization.
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31. GUIDELINES FOR MEN
• A dark coloured suit with matching trousers and light
coloured dressed shirt and dressed shoes with matching
socks
• Cloths should obviously be wrinkle free and neatly
ironed
• Apply deodorant to smell nice, but try to avoid cologne or
after shave which smells too strongly
• Avoid loud and hard colours for a tie
• Your shoes should be shining and should match with
your belt
• Do your hair properly & keep it neat, clean &
conservative. Shave on the morning of the interview and
if you maintain full beard then make sure you trim it
properly so it looks clean.
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32. GUIDELINES FOR WOMEN
• Wear a suit with matching pants or skirt. Knee length skirt is
the best choice
• Keep the make up and nail polish simple and understated,
shades which are neutral to the skin are preferred.
• Jewellery and hair accessories should be less and anything
funky or flashy should be absolutely avoided.
• Avoid wearing anything with an open toe or back. Pumps are
considered best to impress the interviewers
• Avoid taking head bath as you don‟t want your hair to be wet
or sticky before an interview
• Keep your hair clean, dry and tie it up appropriately.
“You have to keep in mind that you need to dress
appropriately according to the position you are applying.”
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34. SECRET 1
The first thing after entering the room should be to
analyze the atmosphere, see what the interviewer’s
mood is and how his body moves. Once you
understand the atmosphere and put the interviewer’s
at ease , the rest of the interview might proceed
smoothly.
Keeping eye contact while speaking signifies that you
are confident and saying the truth. Moreover, keeping
eye contact while listening makes you a good listener,
who is concentrated and focused.
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35. SECRET 2
“According to research the second most important
factor that leads to failure in interviews is a lack of
enthusiasm and confidence that the candidate shows
in the interview.”
In order to develop a high quality voice, one must follow
following tips;
1. Do loud reading practices for 30 minutes daily-this will help
you open up your voice
2. If the rate of speech is too high, practice extremely slow
reading. Read text with a five second gap between two words.
You need to do this for 30 minutes daily.
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36. SECRET 2
3. Learn to modulate your voice. In order to develop modulation
in your voice, underline the three words in each sentence.
Now read the text loudly and stress on the underlined words.
Do this for 30 minutes daily. This will help you to develop
voice modulation.
4. Record your speech on voice recorder of your mobile phone.
Then listen to it. Now follow the above tips and then record
your voice again and listen. Do this still you are satisfied
with the quality of your voice.
5. Give rest to your voice before interview. This will help you to
speak with energy in the interview.
6. Gargle with warm water and salt daily. This will clear your
throat.
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38. STAR FORMAT
S-Situation-
The interviewer expects to hear about a challenge or a situation
that you faced recently.
T-Task-
The interviewer would like to understand what was your
objective in that situation.
A-Action-
You will have to tell the hiring manager, the steps you took to
achieve that objective and the reason behind your actions.
R-Result-
Then you have to share the final results of your actions and did
you achieve your objectives and if yes, then how your actions
helped in achieving the objective. 38
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39. SIX MOST COMMON BEHAVIOURAL
QUESTIONS
1. Type 1-When you found a solution to a problem
2. Type 2-When you successfully completed a challenge
3. Type 3-When you commit a mistake
4. Type 4-When you were the leader
5. Type 5-When you had a team to work with
6. Type 6-When you did something interesting and
different
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40. SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
“ Behavioural questions are asked based on your past
experiences and your actions that helped overcome
those situations, whereas situational questions are
hypothetical questions which are asked to test your
analyzing skills and reaction timing.”
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41. EXAMPLES OF
SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
1. How will you handle the situation when you have a
deadline and you are running out of time?
2. What measures will you take to handle an
employee who is disturbing the work environment?
3. Imagine you have a manager‟s position, how will
you handle the heavy workload when you have a
staff shortage?
4. How will you react when your manager makes a
decision that you do not agree upon?
5. What steps you will take as a manager to build a
team spirit? 41
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43. TRICKY QUESTIONS
1. Tell me something about yourself.
2. What was the reason for leaving your last job?
3. Which other companies have you applied for?
4. What are your strengths?
5. What are your weaknesses?
6. How do you handle extremely stressful situations?
7. Why should the company hire you for this job?
8. Can you work under extreme pressure?
9. How do you react to the changes?
10.What are your career ambitions and where do you
see yourself in five years?
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44. TRICKY QUESTIONS
11.Describe your perception of an ideal job.
12.What makes you want to work harder?
13.How do your colleagues describe you?
14.What are your motivations?
15.What are your salary expectations and
requirements?
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45. TIPS TO ANSWER
TRICKY QUESTIONS
1. Whatever your answer is , keep it positive.
Everything that you say has to end in a positive
tone.
2. Never say a single word useless. Take your time to
plan your answer.
3. Do not get emotional and fall into the trap.
4. Be confident and try to provide evidence to justify
it.
5. Do not break eye contact. Practice the way you
speak in the mirror and do not shy away while
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47. WHAT TO DO 24 HOURS
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
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48. PREPARATION OF D-DAY
Lets assume that it is 8 AM and you have 25 hours for your
interview. For the individuals who have their interview location
at an unfamiliar location, start your countdown one hour early.
8:00 AM-Take a Test Journey
9:00 AM- You will have reached the place
10:00 AM-Organize Outfits
11:00 AM-Review all information
12:00 PM-Take a break
01:00 PM-Learn all answers
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49. PREPARATION OF D-DAY
02:00 PM-Mock Interview Practice
03:00 PM-Take Another Break
04:00 PM to 06:00 PM-Take care of your daily business like
writing mails, phone calls, messages or anything else
06:00 PM-Eat your dinner
07:00 PM-Final Revision
08:00 PM-Spend time planning your interview
09:00 PM to 11:00 PM – Retire
11:00 PM-Time to sleep
06:00 AM-Wake Up
07:00 AM-Have your breakfast
08:00 AM-Head to the location
08:45 AM-Reach the destination
09:00 AM-Do extremely well in your interview
10:00 AM-Go home and thing positive
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50. SECRETS OF A SUCCESSFUL
TELEPHONIC INTERVIEW
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51. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW – DO‟S
Smile, even though the hiring manager can‟t see you, it
adds positive sense into your voice.
Speak in steady and calm voice.
Breath normally.
Listen to the questions carefully.
Keep a glass of water nearby.
Address the name of the interviewer in an appropriate
manner.
Take your time and answer the questions once you collect
all the thoughts
Keep your cheat notes close.
Ask relevant questions at the end of the interview. 51
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52. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW –
DON‟TS
Do not eat anything during telephonic interview
Do not smoke at any cost
Never ever interrupt the interviewer when he/she is
speaking
Do not answer the questions with just a „Yes‟ or „No‟.
Elaborate your answer with examples.
Don‟t be too casual and keep your language professional.
Avoid using any type of slang or a short form.
Avoid giving long winded answers to the questions asked.
Keep your answers to the point.
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53. TELEPHONE INTERVIEW –
7 TIPS
1. Request the specific time most suitable for you.
2. Be ready to face the interview
3. Remove your caller tune.
4. Don’t answer any other calls during the interview
5. Do not be afraid to ask about the interview
6. Be yourself (Positive & Enthusiastic)
7. Expect gaps during your phone interview
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55. CASE STUDY
“In a survey, interviewers were asked to name the most
common blunders that candidate makes during an
interview. Almost 50 % of the hiring managers talked
about dressing inappropriately, while 49% stated that
bad mouthing a former boss was at hype too.
Apart from these, 48% pointed out that the candidates
were not interested, 44% told that they were arrogant,
30% stated that the candidates couldn’t answer the
questions properly and the last 29% voted that the
candidates did not ask the right questions.”
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56. BLUNDERS IN INTERVIEW
Arriving late
Lack of preparation
Dressing inappropriately
Bad mouthing
Bad body language
Never be rude or abusive
Poor communication skills
Talking too much
Not answering the question
Not following up after interview
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57. 12 TIPS TO PERFECT
YOUR JOB INTERVIEW
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58. 12 TIPS TO PERFECT JOB INTERVIEW
1. Greet the interviewer as Ms. or Mr.
2. Mobile switched off, not even on vibration
3. Maintain the eye contact and smile
4. Handshake firmly
5. Let the company lead the interview
6. Be careful not to interrupt the interviewer on the last three
words
7. Sit straight and slightly lean forward towards the speaker
8. Don‟t forgot to take notes during the interview
9. Do not lose the hopes until the end
10.Your interview isn't over until you leave the building
11.Arrive no sooner that 15 minutes to interview
12.Follow up with a thank you note after the interview
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59. PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS
Aptitude Tests - measure skills relevant to position
Verbal comprehension - evaluate logic of text
Numerical reasoning - interpret statistical data
Diagrammatic reasoning - recognize patterns
Watch timing – complete as many as possible
Personality Questionnaires
Look at personality style
No right or wrong answers
Be spontaneous, don‟t try to second-guess
Tests include built-in checks
Employers may be looking for different personality
profiles
Practice using online tests 59
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60. CONCLUSION
“Interview is an important road that will lead you
straight to the success. You might not get the right job
at first, but it is important to know the key to clearing
any interview. After taking interviews of more than
1000 professionals, I have put my ideas and methods
to help you clear any interview.
This seminar has been a journey that I have covered
since I started growing myself and I really wish that
people, who are struggling to find the right fit, will
definitely receive help from this guide to clear any
interview.” 60
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