Some of the most frequent mistakes people make while answering the most common interview questions.
Introduce yourself
Many people make the mistake of answering this question the same for every interview. Remember that some companies split interviews into technical and HR rounds. An answer to the question for a technical round would go something like this.
"My name is ABC. I graduated from CDE college in 2006 with a B.E in Computer Science . I secured an aggregate of 80 percent and have showcased a consistent academic performance in my school levels as well. I have 5 years of experience in an MNC."
Elaborate upon your work experience as you go on.
This would suffice for a technical round. You can go on to state your strengths and qualities and also mention why you think you would be an asset to your company, while highlighting your technical achievements.
However for an HR interview, where the interviewer is a human resource manager and not a developer or a technical staff member, you should add additional information such as your background. A typical answer would be as follows.
"My name is ABC. I was born and brought up in GHE. I did my schooling in so and so school. My father is a businessman and my mother is a housewife. I am the only child and hence enjoy a lot of freedom. I graduated from CDE college in 2006 with a B.E in Computer Science . I secured an aggregate of 80 percent and have showcased a consistent academic performance in my school levels as well. I have 5 years of experience in an MNC. I enjoy reading, writing and listening to music. I also take dancing lessons every weekend."
The reason why this additional information should be omitted during the technical interview is because the technical staff is not concerned about your background. Their main priority is to evaluate your technical skills. The Human Resource manageer on the other hand tests your ability to communicate effectively. The manager measures your personality and how it well it would adapt to their organization.
Describe what you can bring to this company or "Describe your strengths" or "Why I should I choose you over the other candidates"
The one thing to remember when answering these questions is that the people sitting in front of you have done this a million times and are therefore well acquainted with all the traditional cliched answers. "I am hard working. I have good communication skills. I handle failures well." They've heard all of that before. Then how is it that you can stand out? What the interviewers are interested in is how you've proven that you possess these qualities. Therefore a successful candidate will always back up his answers with sufficient examples. If you're a hard worker, cite an example from your career where the hard work delivered results. If you speak well, explain how it affected your rise through your previous company.
Describe your weaknesses
This is another cliched question which most interviewers use as a last resort when they run out of questions. However, a wrong answer could still put you at risk. For this question any answer which doesn't point out your arrognce is good. The best way to answer this question is by being honest. We are all humans and we are all bound to have myriad weaknesses. The person sitting in front of you is well aware of that. What he is trying to figure is how effectively you've spotted your weakness and how you have found a way to improve on it. A well thought out answer would be. "My biggest weakness is my lack of experience in this field. However I am hoping this job will be my platform to gain the relevant experience."
Do you have any questions?
Most people screw up this question with an instinctive "How much do I get paid?". This demonstrates poor patience and will most likely fail to impress the interviewer. The best answer to this question would be something like "Can you describe what my professional growth will be like with your company?" This should nail your chances, since the interviewer will sense that you see yourself in a long term position with their company.
"What do you know about our company?" or "Why do you want to work for us?"
This is a chance for the candidate to showcase his/her eagerness to work for the employer. You should always be well researched about the company you're applying for. If you fail to answer this question properly, it would indicate your callousness towards the position and the job. The interviewer will think you haven't taken this interview too seriously.
Statistically these are the most commonly asked questions for both experienced and inexperienced candidates. If you manage to get through these unscathed, you will most likely sail through the interview. Good Luck!
