Let's accept it.
Giving interviews sucks.
Wearing crisp clothes and telling the interviewer sitting infront of you
how you are a perfect fit for the company, confidently
while you are shaking inside
is not an easy job.
But don't worry. Because even the 'Interviewer' was an 'Interviewee' once.
So at the end of the day, even they want you to do well
because they want to hire you.
All they are asking is for you to be prepared
and today by the end of this video, I am going to get you prepared.
Before we begin, let's understand this.
There are 3 different types of interview questions.
Technical, Analytical and Behavioral.
If you are applying for an I.T. job then technical questions are related to
coding, programming...
Analytical questions will be like..
'How many ping-pong balls can you fit in a Boeing?' or
'After you cut a slice from a cake, how will you divide the rest of the cake in equal parts?'
because through these questions they want to understand how are your problem-solving skills.
And finally, there are behavioral questions.
Through these questions, the interviewer wants to know...'What have you done in life?'
i.e how have you handled work situations in the past or about your education.
In my experience, around 65% to 70% of the questions will be behavioral
because through these questions, the interviewer decides
whether you will be the right fit for the job or not.
And that is what we are going to nail today.
So in today's video, we are going to discuss the 8 most commonly asked behavioral questions,
analyse these questions based on a) What the interviewer wants to know,
b) Common Mistakes we make while answering them
and c) How to answer these questions?
But most importantly, towards the end, I'll give you a Bonus Tip
that'll help you crack even the toughest of interviews.
But before that, if you like me or if you like what I am saying
make sure you hit that 'Like' button
because that motivates me to make more videos.
Let's begin.
99.9% of the times, this is how the interview starts.
Why?
Because before anything else, the interviewer wants to know 2 things..
1. Can you communicate well and 2. What is most important to you?
So please don't talk about your favorite movies or your favorite cricketers,
don't talk about your life story from the beginning.
"Hi, I am Raj, I wanted to be a Roadie..
but my parents wanted me to do engineering, so.."
Nobody is interested.
The only thing the interviewer is interested in is if you are the right person for the job or not.
And for that, your answer needs to have 3 elements..
Element #1: Summarize your experience or your education, in a single line
while you use an adjective to define your personality.
For example, in case you are a fresher, then you can say something like..
For the second element, you need to talk about your best work or your education and training. For example...
The way you answer this question
can make or break your first impression
which is why I have made a separate video about it
with sample answers for all the 3 elements.
So if you want to learn more, then check out this video. I've left the link in the description.
What a useless question!
I want a job because...money.
That is what you are thinking.
But let me tell you now, what the interviewer is thinking..
Money is important but if that's the only reason why you want this job
then you will leave for somewhere else for a better salary.
Why will I want to waste my time and effort in training you then?
So through this question, the interviewer wants to know
why you want this job in particular?
So tell them, what motivates you to work for this company?
Don't give a general answer..."ABC is a great company, that's why I'd love to work for it."
It says that you have not done your research.
This is how you answer the question correctly..
1. Research about the company.
Check their website, follow their media coverage,
talk to friends who are working there and figure out
what is it about the company that appeals the most to you. For example..
2. Align your skills with the role.
Now your next statement should highlight how your skills go along with the vibe of the company or the role. For example..
See, it's like going out on a date.
Before you date someone, don't you stalk their fb, Insta, ask your friends about them?
Same thing.
Put half of that effort in reading about the company.
Find out what is common between the company and you because after all, getting a job is like
getting into a relationship..with the company.
Now, why are they asking this? Simple.
They want to know 2 things..
1. Do you know your strengths, so that you have the focus to do what you do and
2. Do you acknowledge your weaknesses so that you can work on improving them.
Now don't be too pompous and say things like..
"I am too perfect" or "I work too hard"
because nobody will believe that's your weakness.
If you hide behind a strength and present it as a weakness, then you'll come off as being fake.
So how do we answer this? Let's start with strengths.
I am good at this. I am great at that. Anybody can say it.
But to make it more believable, you also need to tell 'How' or 'Why'.
Suppose being a quick learner is your strength. Then this is how you answer it..
Some other strengths that you can talk about are
Adaptability, hard-working, flexibility, persistent, self-motivated...
Coming to weaknesses. First, think about the things that you are not good at.
May be it's delegating work or attention to detail or public speaking.
Now think about the initiatives you have taken to overcome that weakness. For example..
See, it's okay to have weaknesses.
The interviewer sitting infront of you has a job probably even after deleting the entire production database.
I am not asking you to delete the database.
I am asking you to accept that you are human and it's okay.
What's not okay is to not take initiatives to improve.
See, the interviewer has very less time to decide whether
you are fit for the role or not.
So they ask tough questions.
By asking what are the challenges you've faced at work, they want to know
How you solve problems?
How you work under stress?
Your way of getting things done.
So what they are looking for, is a story.
The most common mistake is to take it personally and get emotional about it.
"There was this one time, this team-mate got jealous of me. So, he told lies..
and turned the whole team against me. I wanted to take revenge so.."
No.
If you want to nail this answer, then here are the 4 elements that you must include.
Talk about the challenge, briefly.
Focus more on how you overcame the challenge.
Talk about what you learnt from the challenge.
And here's how you hit the nail on the head.
Talk about how you are helping your team mates, who are facing the same challenge.
For example...
Did you see how the 4 elements together, turn a failure in your favor?
I don't know what I will do tomorrow, you are asking about 5 years?..
is an answer you should keep to yourself
because through this question, the interviewer wants to know
if you are ambitious and if your long-term goals align with the company.
So when you are answering this, don't say.."In your place"....sounds too arrogant
or as "The CEO of this company"....sounds too unrealistic
or "At a better opportunity somewhere else"....sounds too true.
So how do we answer it?
Stress that you are interested in a long-term career
and showcase your enthusiasm.
It's okay if you don't know what you want to do 5 years down the lane
but you need to demonstrate how eager you are to join this job. For example..
I'll be honest with you.
It makes me terribly angry when somebody asks me this question.
Any questions related to gender, race or religion are illegal.
But they do get asked.
The children or marriage question is may be to understand how committed you will be to the company.
So don't take it too personally. Everybody makes mistakes.
Even the interviewer sitting at the other end of the table.
So the best way to answer it, is to gracefully avoid the question
and bring the conversation back to the job or your skills or your experience.
This tells your interviewer that you are committed towards your professional growth
and let's you direct the conversation back to the job related topics.
By asking you to ask questions, the interviewer
wants to know if you are really interested in the job.
Plus, it gives you an opportunity to find out if this is the right job for you or not.
So don't say, "No, I don't have any questions".
It shows that you don't care.
Don't ask, "What's in it for me?" or "Can I work from home?" because it says that you are self-centered
and are not really interested in the job.
Don't bring up questions related to salary. You can negotiate once they make you an offer.
Instead you can ask questions related to the job..."What does a typical day look like?", "What are the qualifications you are looking for in an ideal candidate?"
You can ask questions about to the company..
"What is the company culture like?" or "What are the different career paths in your department?"
You can even ask questions about the interviewer..
"How long have you been working for this company?" or "What's your favorite part about working here?"
Don't ask too many questions. Wrap it up and leave on a positive note.
And finally, the most dreaded question...Why should we hire you?
It is one of the most crucial questions where you need to talk about yourself without
being too humble or without sounding too desperate.
This question is so important that I made a separate video about it
with sample answers and I strongly recommend that you check it out.
I have left the link in the description.
So those were the top 8 interview questions.
I am sure you have doubts about other behavioral, technical and analytical questions.
So comment and tell me what is it that you want to know so that I make a separate video about it
and the more requests I get for a topic, the better.
So share this video with your friends who are also preparing for interviews.
Now before I tell you the bonus tip, make sure you subscribe to my channel and hit that 'bell' icon
because I make Career and Finance videos, every week, especially for you.
The best tip anyone will every give you to nail an interview is this..
Get enough rest the night before.
Yes. Rest.
Long-waiting hours combined with stressful interview sessions.
It's going to be a looonnnnggg looongg day!
And if you are already tired at the start of it then your brain will stop working
and throughout the interview, you will look like this..
and I don't know about you but I'll not hire that person.
So sleep for 7-8 hours the night before and the next morning...
go Rock that interview!
And I will see you again next week, until then..
If you miss me, you can catch me on Instagram (@theurbanfight)
and don't forget to keep fighting
The Urban Fight to be Fit!