How to Face the Interview: The journey of becoming a CA, CS, CMA is a difficult one but bears the sweetest fruits. A journey involving various hurdles but also various rewards. The greatest of them being the prefix added to our names. The hard work doesn’t end just there, The next step is the campus placement. The interview phase is something that all of us are anxious about. Being a fresher and not having any experience can fill anyone with fear of facing it.

How to Face the Interview

In my experience, you can’t really be 100% prepared for your interview because we may never know what question might come your way, but here are somethings that I learnt during my campus selection.

• Being the first batch to go through online interviews, things were a lot different and required a lot more preparations. Looking at the covid conditions, we shall be prepared for any such conditions.
• Giving interviews from home creates a sense of comfort, so we should use that to our advantage and not be worried and anxious about being in an unfamiliar place and work on our technical knowledge.
• Even in online interviews, we must focus on our body language too. The interviewers will make it a note to check your confidence and other aspects of your personality through your body language.
• Coming to the technical part of the interview, you should revise all the basics that we have studied. Be thorough with subjects like cost, accounts, financial management.
• Try to have clear concepts so that you are prepared for your case study questions.
• You will be judged on your practical knowledge so make notes and be prepared with whatever you have learned during you articleship.
• Familiarize yourself with the job description and focus highly on having the knowledge of what the jobs asks of you.
• Understand your resume well and be prepared for any questions that might be asked related to your C/V.
• One thing to remember is, you don’t have to know all the answers. You are only human. You can accept whatever you don’t rather than giving the wrong answer.

Atlast, don’t panic. You have come this far. You have studied and you know your subjects. Have a little confidence and a lot of faith in yourself. Speaking from my experience after giving interviews for companies like CEAT, Vedanta, Ford and Accenture, it all comes down to your knowledge of subjects, presence of mind and confidence. Choose a path and keep working hard on it. You got this!

Top Job Interview Questions with Solutions

• Tell me about yourself
• Why should I hire you?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work at our company?
• What is the difference between confidence and over confidence?
• What is the difference between hard work and smart work?
• How do you feel about working nights and weekends?
• Can you work under pressure?
• Are you willing to relocate or travel?
• What are your goals?
• Give me an example of your creativity.
• How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
• Are not you overqualified for this position?
• What motivates you to do good job?
• Describe your ideal company, location and job.
• What are your career options right now?
• What makes you angry?
• Explain how would be an asset to this organization?
• What are your outside interests?
• Would you lie for the company?
• Who has inspired you in your life and why?
• What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
• Have you considered starting your own business?
• How do you define success and how do you measure up to your own definition?
• If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?
• Tell me something about our company
• How much salary do you expect?
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?
• On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer
• Do you have any questions for me?

HR Interview Questions for Freshers

1. Why did you resign from your previous job?
2. Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.
3. Could you have done better in your last job?
4. Why have you been out of work so long?
5. Tell me about the most boring job you have ever had
6. May I contact your present employer for a reference?
7. How many hours a week do you normally work?
8. What was the toughest challenge you have ever faced?
9. Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?
10. What changes would you make if you came on board?
11. What would you say to your boss if he is crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?
12. How could you have improved your career progress?
13. Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team, etc.)
14. Looking back on your last position, have you done your best work?
15. Why have you had so many jobs?
16. How do you feel about reporting to a younger person?
17. Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?
18. Why are not you earning more money at this stage of your career?

By Hrishika Chaturvedi