Top 15 Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

“Congratulations! You are hired.”

These are magical words that every fresher wants to hear upon going through a round of screening, group discussions, and interview.  But, this can never come easily. You should prepare yourself to get through a volley of questions successfully.

Here is the way! Read out what possible questions the interviewer may ask and how you can impress him with incredible and amazing answers.

Q1. Tell us about yourself.

Most of the Freshers start incorrectly, as they don’t know what to say for convincing the recruiter. Certainly, you’re mistaken if you start sharing your life’s journey.  He doesn’t want to listen to your stories. Start with SWOT, which stands for strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. These points let them analyze your personality, and ability to right fit in the requisite job role.

Bonus Tips

• Keep your answers short, and talk to-the-point.
• Avoid narrating what is already mentioned in your CV.
• Highlight your achievements and learning in life.
• Personalise answers by adding some live & relevant examples.

Q2. What brings you here in this company? Or, Why you are interested in this company?

Here, you have to carefully answer. At this point, the recruiter is keen to discover what you know about the company where you have come for the interview. You should figure out the profile of the company before. And also, come across the annual turnover, strength, scalability, growth prospects, company’s mission, and vision. Add how you can help it to achieve the targets or vision of the company.

Bonus Tips

• Share some facts and stats related to the company.
• Be confident and boldly convey your capacities.
• Relate it with your strength, and capacities to improve its growth

Q3. What are your strengths?

This question is about your strength. Think about the brighter sides of your attributes, such as how you understand the challenges and face them up easily. Avoid bragging. It’s ideal to share strengths related to the job or responsibilities that you’re likely to bear upon hiring. Innovative attitude and learning aspect attract people a lot. So, add it as a value.

• Smartly mould strength in the favour of the job responsibilities.
• Cautiously think about your brighter sides and present them as an advantage for the corporate culture

Q4. What are your weaknesses?

However, you may say that you don’t have any. But, this could make you sound arrogant, instead of being confident. You may rather say, “I’m yet trying to identify”. But, conveying the one is a safe play. But, ensure that it won’t sound negative. 

Bonus Tips:

• Pick at least a weakness to answer.
• Elaborate with a live example.
• End it up on a note that you’re giving a try to overcome it.

Q5. What are your hobbies? Or, what are you interested in?

Through this question, the recruiter wants to know about your personality, energy level, and how capable you’re to engage with the company culture. So, smartly pick up your words and share some skills like travelling, meeting people, interacting with experienced players, or anything like these things. You may disclose your passion for sports and wellness. 

Bonus Tips:

• Never share about drinking, partying, and gambling like bad habits
• Tell more about your interpersonal, soft skills and proficiencies.

Q6. Why should we hire you?

This is a tricky question. And, you might be dumbstruck upon listening it, as the idea might go like how would I say myself. You should think about the sunny side of this question. Take it as an opportunity to convince the interviewer that you’re extremely interested and willing to get this role. Communicate about your positive attributes and how these can bring a transition in the work or productivity of the company. You may add some examples to elaborate it.

Bonus Tips:

• Spotlight your strengths and skills in perspective of the job description, but keep it short.
• Elaborate it in an engaging way, as the interviewer would become interested in discovering that your words are valid, and points are convincing.

Q7. What are your goals or aim in the life?

Companies mostly ask about your objective in life. This query lets them analyse how long you would be there. It is all about estimating the retention of yours and values you’re likely to add to the vision of the company. If your goals differ from the corporate vision, he may dump your application later. This is simply because he gets an indication that you would give up the role once you get an opportunity in the area where you are interested in.

Bonus Tips:

• Correlate your career goals with the company’s values.
• Let him believe that working with the company can help you enhance your skills and knowledge.

Q8. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Of course, at this stage, the recruiter would love to know what your long-term planning is, as if you’re willing to get into another role, or stay there with the company. Another thing is scalability in your nature. Your ambition to reach heights will give him an idea that you have potential to learn and do everything to hit the goal in your career. In short, he wants to see a fire in your eyes to reach heights.

Bonus Tips:

• Avoid saying that you want this job just to get experienced, and then you wish for something bigger in the near future.
• Keep your answer around the current job role to show that you are highly interested in the company.

Q9. What are your salary expectations?

This question comes when your interview is about to wrap up. This may be the last, but not the least, to answer. Talk about the learning aspect together with earning a reasonable range of payouts. When you say, emphasize on improving your professional skills, gaining knowledge, and growing as a leader in the role.

Bonus Tips

• Never put forth a too less or too high salary package as a salary expectation.
• If you don’t have any idea about the reasonable range, say that you accept the package as per industry standards.

Q10. Do you have any questions for us? Or, do you want to ask anything from us?

This is the wrapping up call. The recruiter wants to know if you have any doubt about the roles and responsibilities. At this point, you should ask questions. It reflects you more focused, confident, and eager to know exactly what your role is going to be.

Bonus Tips:

• Be quick in listing the questions during the interview.
• Ask wisely that shows your curiosity to know more about the company, its policies, people, any specific skill sets you need to have.
• Don’t ask about offs, salary of others, and likewise things.

Q11. Are you willing to relocate?

This question comes when the job placement agency is actually looking for the one who can relocate, given that he is the best-fit candidate for the role. Your answer can tell hundreds of things about your enthusiasm, passion, and level of energy. So, think deeply and twice before answering. Although your answer may be “NO”, it should not come out directly or straight away. Say like: I would love to be a part of this company. I’m unable to do so. But in the future, I would reconsider about it.

Bonus Points:

• Think for a while before committing and saying yes for relocating.
• Avoid saying straightaway for relocation. Sugarcoat what you say.

 Q12. When can you start?

While answering this question, never try to show up your desperation. The best way to respond is by expressing your wish to start it as soon as possible.

Bonus Tips:

• Never communicate eagerly to join soon.
• Give a clear date to join for working.
• Request to know about the company’s needs and requirements.

Q13. What’s your dream job?

This is a very tricky so is its answer. Maybe, your dream job has nothing to do with the role offered there. You should avoid talking about it even if you have any role in your mind. Avoid disclosing your ambitions about a job whose responsibilities are far from achievable in the post that has been offered. A good idea is to focus more on skills, learning, but not the designation.

Bonus Tips

• Say that you’re looking for a full-time role where you can spend years and grow.

Q14. Are you comfortable with late night and weekend shifts?

Ideally, think twice before responding to this question. If you aren’t comfortable with it for some reasons, straightaway tell the reason and deny politely. Or, you may say that occasionally it’s ok. But, frequency can disturb my balance in work and life.

Bonus Tips:

• Say I’m comfortable with flexible shifts, but once in a while.
• In need of any urgency, tell that you would be there to support the organisation.

Q15. What’s your biggest accomplishment?

If you have any accomplishment, disclose directly. Being a Fresher, it’s not possible to show up any accomplishment in relation to the corporate role. But, the interviewer wants to hear something that can show you as a value or an asset. You may share what milestones you reached during internship, or learning period.

Bonus Tips:

• Avoid telling a lie.

Share concrete accomplishments and be honest.