This is how you prepare for tricky questions for your First Job Interview

This is how you prepare for tricky questions for your First Job Interview

You are amongst those few lucky candidates who cleared the first round of entry level jobs and are now being called for interview.

And when you know it’s your first job interview, you will be nervous and that is completely normal. And no matter how deeply you have prepared for the interview, recruiters ask some unexpected questions can affect your interview process negatively.

Now here’s the thing – a recruiter doesn’t ask questions just because they are meant to be asked. There are hidden motives behind those questions. Some are tricky while others are designed to put you on the spot to see how you react. There are also some questions which do not have any right or wrong answer, but such questions are designed to test your way of thinking and how you would react in certain situations.

Your answers to all these questions end up forming a picture inside the recruiter’s mind about you, based on which he takes the hiring decision.

Another important point to note here is that they are aimed to understand your seriousness towards the job and your personality more than your skills. Why? Because a recruiter knows that you are a fresher and while the skill gap can be covered during the training, what will matter is your attitude and approach towards tough situations.

The aim of this blog is to enable the job-seeking candidates to make the best out of openings for freshers and help them in landing their dream job. Based on the above points, we’ve gathered a few common tricky interview questions that can make it tough for you and tips on how to overcome them:

Describe yourself in one word:

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Recruiters commonly ask this question to understand three basic things about you:

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1. Your self-perception

2. Your personality type

3. If you are the right fit for the Job

Now such questions can be a bit challenging as you have no idea what personality type the employer is looking for. Also, be aware not to self-praise about yourself too much. Understand that there is a difference between knowing about yourself and bragging about yourself. The interviewer can read between the lines. So say measured words that genuinely do justice to your skills and personality type.

“Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses”

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Yet another trick-question which an interviewer loves throwing at candidates. Your strengths and weaknesses say a lot about who you are as a person. Through this question, the interviewer is seeking some positive qualities out of you that can help the company to achieve its goal. On the same hand, he is also judging you on how you embrace your weakness and your plans on overcoming it.

Also, first know what your roles and requirements are and frame your answers accordingly. Your strengths should be in line with the requirements. Your weaknesses should always have a hope of becoming better.

What makes you want to work with us?

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“How passionate are you about this job?” can be the other way to ask this question.

The interviewer wants to be convinced that you’re not taking this work as “Just another Job”. Moreover, they want to check if you have done your Homework regarding the research about Company ethics and culture. Moreover, they also want to know that you understand their vision and want to be a part of it.

When the interviewer asks this question, make sure you give an answer which is laced with skills that compliment your work responsibilities and is in-line with the Company’s mission/vision.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

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This question is usually asked in the second half of the interview and there is a reason recruiters do that.

In the first half, they make you tell how passionate you are about working with their company. Through this question, they want to know indirectly if you have long-term plans with your company or not and that too for the post they are offering you the job.

For example, you are appearing in the interview for the post of a content writer and the recruiter asks you about your five-year career plans. If you tell him you see yourself as a successful SEO expert, then it would be hard for them to believe that the position of a content writer would be a good fit for your career strategy.

Understand that companies invest a lot of time and resources to train a single employee. They would be discouraged to hire someone who is already planning to leave for a better opportunity the minute it comes along.

Summing it up

To sum it up, these questions might look very simple on the face of it but as you may have realized, they can be quite tricky. You’d do good to not take answers to these questions for granted; but instead, use them as an opportunity to help the interviewers see the best in you.

So the point is, these questions might look simple in the first place but they aren’t. Do not underestimate such questions and instead, use them as an opportunity to leave a positive impression on the recruiter’s mind.

And f you are a fresher who is not getting any interview call, there are Job websites for freshers that can help you in getting the Interview calls.

HireMee is one such online assessment platform that has a vast connection with over 2,100+ top companies, including top startups as well. All you have to do is to take the assessment and apply for the jobs. New job openings are posted every day. With its video resume feature, you can virtually meet the employers and put your best foot forward towards getting your first job offer.


Contact HireMee

Email: contact@hiremee.co.in

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