Special Tips

The rule is that not the best qualified candidates get job. Your on-site performance plays a big role. Here are some easily forgettable points.

  • 90% interviewing questions raised based on your own resume.
  • Eye-to-eye contact, smiling all the way. Don’t miss anyone in the corner.
  • Asking easier and relevant questions back to the interviewers occasionally.
  • Be honest to answer technical questions, you are not expert to know everything.
  • Don’t let your boss feel you might be a threat to take his position.
  • Don’t be critical, focus on what you can do.
  • Try to be humor to show your smartness.
  • Don’t act in a superior way.
  • Find right time to raise questions AND answer those questions to show your strength.
  • Aggressively to get candidacy info back after interviewing.

The following questions are unrelated with Java technology, but they may be asked. So study this list, plan your answers ahead of time and you’ll be ready to deliver them with confidence. Note: most of questions and answers are cited from email box or donated by the people who experienced. They are listed here for your reference. Javacamp.org will not be responsible for any job loss or damage by using these tips.

  1. What Are Your Weaknesses?

This is the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by minimizing your weakness and emphasizing your strengths. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate on professional traits: “I am always working on improving my communication skills to be a more effective presenter. I recently joined Toastmasters.com, which I find very helpful.”

  1. Why Should We Hire You?

Summarize your experiences: “With five years’ experience working in this industry and my proven record of saving the company money, I could make a big difference in your company. I’m confident I would be a great addition to your team.”

  1. Why Do You Want to Work Here?

The interviewer is listening for an answer that indicates you’ve given this some thought and are not sending out resumes just because there is an opening. For example, “I’ve selected key companies whose mission statements are in line with my values, where I know I could be excited about what the company does, and this company is very high on my list of desirable choices.”

  1. What Are Your Goals?

Sometimes it’s best to talk about short-term and intermediate goals rather than locking yourself into the distant future. For example, “My immediate goal is to get a job in a growth-oriented company. My long-term goal will depend on where the company goes. I hope to eventually grow into a position of responsibility.”

  1. Why Did You Leave (Are You Leaving) Your Job?

If you’re unemployed, state your reason for leaving in a positive context: “I managed to survive two rounds of corporate downsizing, but the third round was a 20 percent reduction in the workforce, which included me.”

If you are employed, focus on what you want in your next job: “After two years, I made the decision to look for a company that is team-focused, where I can add my experience.”

  1. When Were You Most Satisfied in Your Job?

The interviewer wants to know what motivates you. If you can relate an example of a job or project when you were excited, the interviewer will get an idea of your preferences. “I was very satisfied in my last job, because I worked directly with the customers and their problems; that is an important part of the job for me.”

  1. What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can’t? or
  2. What makes you unique?

This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize concisely: “I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the ability to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge and break down information to be more user-friendly.”

  1. What Are Three Positive Things Your Last Boss Would Say About You?

It’s time to pull out your old performance appraisals and boss’s quotes. This is a great way to brag about yourself through someone else’s words: “My boss has told me that I am the best designer he has ever had. He knows he can rely on me, and he likes my sense of humor.”

  1. What Salary Are You Seeking?

It is to your advantage if the employer tells you the range first. Prepare by knowing the going rate in your area, and your bottom line or walk-away point. One possible answer would be: “I am sure when the time comes, we can agree on a reasonable amount. In what range do you typically pay someone with my background?”

  1. If You Were an Animal, Which One Would You Want to Be?

Interviewers use this type of psychological question to see if you can think quickly. If you answer “a bunny,” you will make a soft, passive impression. If you answer “a lion,” you will be seen as aggressive. What type of personality would it take to get the job done? What impression do you want to make?

  1. Why do you like to join us?

Be honest to answer such question. Sample answer would be: Because I like your company, etc. and I am capable of doing a good job. Or I just move to this area and I am looking for the job that suits me very well…

  1. How did you handle your most challenging experience in your previous job?

Smoothly, generally speaking. But I am a good team work player and always share my experience with others and learn from others.

  1. Tell me about yourself?

I’m a quick learner, dedicated, hard working and friendly employee.

  1. Common Mistakes in Job Interview

Poor personal appearance.

    • Lack of interest and enthusiasm: Passive and indifferent.
    • Over emphasis on money: interested only in best dollar offer.
    • Condemnation of past employers.
    • Failure to look at the interviewer when conversing.
    • Limp, fishy handshake.
    • Unwillingness to go where sent.
    • Late to interview.
    • Failure to express appreciation for interviewer’s time.
    • Asks no questions about job.
    • Indefinite response to questions.
    • Overbearing, over aggressive, conceited with superiority or “know it all complex.”
    • Inability to express self clearly: Poor voice diction, grammar.
    • Lack of planning for career: no purpose and goals.
    • Lack of confidence and poise: nervous ill at ease.
    • Failure to participate in activities.
    • Unwilling to start at the bottom-expects too much too soon.
    • Makes excuses, evasive, hedges on unfavorable factors in record.
    • Lack of tact.
    • Lack of courtesy: ill mannered.
    • Lack of Maturity.
    • Lack of vitality.
    • Indecision.
    • Sloppy application blank.
    • Merely shopping around.
    • Wants job for short time.
    • No interest in company or industry.
    • Low moral standards.
    • Cynical.
    • Lazy.
    • Intolerant: strong prejudices.
    • Narrow interests.
    • Inability to take criticism.
    • High pressure type.
  1. Here are some other job interview questions you might want to rehearse.

Your Qualifications

    • What can you do for us that someone else can’t do?
    • What qualifications do you have that relate to the position?
    • What new skills or capabilities have you developed recently?
    • Give me an example from a previous job where you’ve shown initiative.
    • What have been your greatest accomplishments recently?
    • What is important to you in a job?
    • What motivates you in your work?
    • What have you been doing since your last job?
    • What qualities do you find important in a coworker?

Your Career Goals

    • What would you like to being doing five years from now?
    • How will you judge yourself successful? How will you achieve success?
    • What type of position are you interested in?
    • How will this job fit in your career plans?
    • What do you expect from this job?
    • Do you have a location preference?
    • Can you travel?
    • What hours can you work?
    • When could you start?

Your Work Experience

    • What have you learned from your past jobs?
    • What were your biggest responsibilities?
    • What specific skills acquired or used in previous jobs relate to this position?
    • How does your previous experience relate to this position?
    • What did you like most/least about your last job?
    • Whom may we contact for references?

Your Education

    • How do you think your education has prepared you for this position?
    • What were your favorite classes/activities at school?
    • Why did you choose your major?
    • Do you plan to continue your education?
  1. What have I forgotten to ask?

Use this as a chance to summarize your good characteristics and attributes and how they may be used to benefit the organization. Convince the interviewer that you understand the job requirements and that you can succeed.

  1. What salary are you expecting?

You probably don’t want to answer this one directly. Instead, deflect the question back to the interviewer by saying something like: “I don’t know. What are you planning on paying the best candidate?” Let the employer make the first offer.

However, it is still important to know what the current salary range is for the profession. Find salary surveys at the library or on the Internet, and check the classifieds to see what comparable jobs in your area are paying. This information can help you negotiate compensation once the employer makes an offer.

  1. “What are your hobbies?” and “Do you play any sports?”

The interviewer may be looking for evidence of your job skills outside of your professional experience. For example, hobbies such as chess or bridge demonstrate analytical skills. Reading, music, and painting are creative hobbies. Individual sports show determination and stamina, while group sport activities may indicate you are comfortable working as part of a team. Also, the interviewer might simply be curious as to whether you have a life outside of work. Employees who have creative or athletic outlets for their stress are often healthier, happier and more productive.

  1. “What are your career goals?” or “What are your future plans?”

The interviewer wants to know if your plans and the company’s goals are compatible. Let him know that you are ambitious enough to plan ahead. Talk about your desire to learn more and improve your performance, and be specific as possible about how you will meet the goals you have set for yourself.

  1. Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?

The ideal answer is one of flexibility. However, be honest. Give examples describing how you have worked in both situations.

  1. What is your major weakness?

Be positive; turn a weakness into a strength. For example, you might say: “I often worry too much over my work. Sometimes I work late to make sure the job is done well.”

  1. What are your best skills?

If you have sufficiently researched the organization, you should be able to imagine what skills the company values. List them, then give examples where you have demonstrated these skills.

  1. Why did you leave your last job?

The interviewer may want to know if you had any problems on your last job. If you did not have any problems, simply give a reason, such as: relocated away from job; company went out of business; laid off; temporary job; no possibility of advancement; wanted a job better suited to your skills.

If you did have problems, be honest. Show that you can accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes. You should explain any problems you had (or still have) with an employer, but don’t describe that employer in negative terms. Demonstrate that it was a learning experience that will not affect your future work.

  1. “Why do you want to work here?” or “What about our company?”

Few questions are more important than these, so it is important to answer them clearly and with enthusiasm. Show the interviewer your interest in the company. Share what you learned about the job, the company and the industry through your own research. Talk about how your professional skills will benefit the company. Unless you work in sales, your answer should never be simply: “money.” The interviewer will wonder if you really care about the job.

  1. Tell me about yourself.

Make a short, organized statement of your education and professional achievements and professional goals. Then, briefly describe your qualifications for the job and the contributions you could make to the organization.

  1. Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?

It depends on the project or the task. I am comfortable working in a group as well as individually. Most of the times, the team effort brings the new and better concepts. However, there are some tasks that are effectively completed by one person. If I am trying to identify a production problem, one person can do it effectively. When some other person is looking over your shoulder, you do not do a good job.

  1. Why should we hire you?

I will be an asset to your organization. I’m loyal, persistent, motivated, and I learn fast. I am someone who could be very productive very quickly.

  1. What is your favorite color?

Purple

  1. Why do you like the job?

Because I think I have a best quality for that job.

  1. Why should we hire you not others?

You are recommended to focus on your qualification against the job requirements. If your job role is going to change, and you really know that others mean the people you know, you are recommended to sort out your strong points against others.

1)What is your greatest strength?          a*)I’m efficient and I know how to get things done. For example, in my previous job

I repeatedly met my targets within time and budget and  within our quality standards. I was able to do this by planning ahead,

prioritising and ensuring I  was up to date with any of the technical changes.

b) I’m a people person. I’m good at developing and maintaining relationships

2)What are the most important things you’ve learned in university?

a) As you know, my university has over 20,000 students. If you want to get anything done you have to know the right people,

circumvent the rules a bit, that sort of thing. Of course I would  never do anything illegal or unethical, but I have found that playing

strictly by the rules is not  always the fastest or best way to get things done.

b) Being a philosophy major has taught me a lot about social justice and the role of the  individual in society. I’m much more

attuned to how certain groups-racial, sexual, religious, cultural-are marginalised and excluded from power. This knowledge has

made  me a much more tolerant person.

c*) Two things: time management and how to find information. Balancing a full course load and several extra-curricular activities-

not to mention a social life-can be tricky, but if I’ve learned anything in these four years it’s how to know how much time I have,

how much  time I need, and how to say no to those things that aren’t necessary for me to do. I’ve also learned that it’s impossible

to know everything,so it’s more important to beable tothinkcreatively in orderto figureout howandwhere to find the information I need.

3)What has been your most difficult experience?

a) I was very close to my father and recently after we relocated to Bangalore he passed away. We were unprepared because he

was a healthy person and quite young. I was devastated for a while – in fact it’s still painful to think about – but I learned that I

can handle any setback, no matter how painful.

b*) I am currently the secretary of a sporting club. Last semester, I discovered that another secretary, who happens to be a good

friend of mine, was embezzling funds from our club account. What a situation! I knew I had to confront my friend, and the

sooner I did it the better. When I confronted him, he first denied it, but I had brought proof with me. When I showed him the

paperwork, he finally admitted that he had taken the money. I told him that I wasn’t going to pretend that nothing had happened

and asked him how he thought he should proceed. He wanted to just return the money and go on, but I didn’t think that was

enough. I told him I thought he should resign from the club, confess and apologise to the president of the club. He agreed.

I could have turned him in to the College principal, but I felt, as did the president of the club, that these steps were sufficient.

c) Last summer I was working for a law firm and sharing responsibilities with another woman. Unfortunately, this woman refused

to pull her weight. She spent large portions of the day on the phone, took long lunch breaks and left

4)Tell me about yourself   a*)what would u like to know

5)How do you work under pressure?   a) I thrive on pressure. I think it brings out the best in me.

b*) I work well under pressure; although I usually try to avoid getting into eleventh hour situations.

c) Pressure makes me very anxious. I start my taxes three months before they’re due.

6)What do you do in your spare time?

a) I’m very committed to being fit, and I go to the gym whenever I can, usually about five to six times a week.

b) To tell you the truth, it’s rare that I have a free moment, since, as you know, I work very long hours. Luckily, I love my

profession. But when I do find myself with a free afternoon or weekend, I like to relax by reading and listening to music.

c*) I have a collection of model ships that I’ve built myself, and I like to work on them in the evenings or on rainy weekends.

Also, for the last two years I’ve been volunteering at the local Children’s hospital on Saturday mornings.

7)Where do you see yourself five years from now?     a) In your chair!

b) In five years I see myself in a mid to senior level management position, with real responsibilities and projects of my own to develop.

c*) To be honest I think it’s difficult to know now exactly where I’ll be five years from now. As a recent graduate, I don’t have enough

experience-and thus enough information-to make that decision. Instead, my main goal is to move forward, to get ahead. In order

to do that, I need to develop skills and expertise in the areas that are essential to my company and the industry I work in.

Once I’ve done that I can define my goals more narrowly.

8)What aspects of your experience make you qualified for this job? (Assume you are interviewing for a marketing position.)

a) I have worked for a marketing firm that sells to the educational market. Previous to that I worked for a catering company and for

a travel agency. As you know I received my undergraduate degree in business with a marketing major, so I am sure I will be able

to help your firm in those areas.

b) I have worked in marketing positions over the past few years. This has given me a broad set of marketing and sales skills, which

I am sure, will be of great use to your company. Whilst I am not fully aware of the specific needs in your industry I am a quick

learner and my current skill set will hold me in good stead.

c*) I understand you are trying to expand your reach into educational markets. As well as covering sales to universities

and secondary schools in your area I have increased sales by over 10% in the two years I was there, and I am

9)What is your greatest weakness?

a) Lack of experience in this fieldBut if hard work and enthusiasm count for something,then I hope that won’t bea weakness for long!

b) I’m a perfectionist. I’m never satisfied with anything until I know it’s the very best I can do, and I recognise that sometimes

this tendency can slow things down.

c*) I used to be very disorganised. You know, the kind of person with every paper he owns spread on top of his desk.

Eventually this got me into trouble; I missed a meeting because the slip of paper I wrote the details on got lost in the mess. I knew

I had to make some changes, so I asked a very meticulous co-worker if she would help me organise my workspace. In just an

hour we worked out a system that I still use today. I find now that not only am I more on top of things,butI work moreefficientlytoo.

10)How do you feel about working in groups? Do you tend to play a particular role?

a*) I enjoy working in groups. Although some projects may take a little longer when several people have to reach a consensus,

I believe the result is always better when you can benefit from several peoples’ ideas. I’ve found that when I work in groups I’m

usually the person who makes sure the work gets finished-the detail person, the person who ties up all the loose ends and who sees

the thing through.

b) I don’t mind working in groups, but I find that I’m generally more productive working alone ormaybe oneon-one with a supervisor.

c) I think teamwork is one of the most overrated management concepts! Innovative organisations need independent thinkers.

11)What kind of position are you interested in? (Assume you’re new to the field)

a) First I’d like to hear a bit more about the kinds of positions you have to offer.

b) I’m looking for real hands-on management experience, something where I have the opportunity to supervise other people

and to initiate and develop my own projects.

c*) I’m interested in a position that will allow me to learn this business inside and out, one that will allow me to develop the skills

I need to move forward.

12)If you are hired, how long will you stay with this company?

a*) As long as the work is challenging and I have the opportunity to learn and advance, I see no reason to consider leaving.

How long do you believe that will be?

b) I certainly wouldn’t consider leaving this, or any job after less than one year. It takes that long to really assess a position.

c) I would like to stay with your company as long as possible, and I don’t anticipate leaving in the foreseeable future.

13)What skills do you want to learn or improve?

a) Since this is my first job, I’m excited to learn everything I can about this field. I also want to learn as many management skills

as possible.

b*) Although I have some knowledge of marketing research, I would like to improve my skills at interpreting marketing data -

knowing the type of information to request and how to analyse the numbers.

c) I would like to learn how to effectively manage people.

14)Tell me about the positive and negative aspects of your last job.

a*) I really enjoyed working for Aardvark Advertising during my last summer holiday. I was working on very different projects

that I found challenging, and I was able to work with some really talented people. I think I learned a lot from them. The downside

was that I was only there for a short period of time so that I was unable to see some of my projects through to completion.

b)Working for the NGO was a great experience. I really liked the people I worked for and with, and I had a lot of interesting projects.

Unfortunately, NGOs just can’t pay what companies do.

c)I enjoyed working in a supervisory role for the first time at my current job. My boss did a good job of mentoring me, and I think

I learned a lot. It was fortunate that he was such a good hands-on teacher, because the training program really left a lot to be desired.

15)Do you have any questions?

a) You’ve gone over just about everything. I honestly can’t think of another thing I need to know!

b*)How much growth potential is there in this job?

c) Did I get the job?

16)How did you feel about your last boss?

a*) I have a lot of respect for the work she does, and I learned great deal from her.

b) I have to give him credit: He brings in a lot of money for the firm. While we didn’t always get along, I’d say we had a mutually

respectful relationship.

c)To be honest, he wasn’t the easiest person to work for, but I managed to find ways of dealing with it. I’m looking forward to

having a much more professional relationship with my next employer.

17)How much money do you want to make in this job? (Assume your target range is Rs 100,000 – Rs 150,000 per year.)

a*) As I understand it, the position would entail reporting directly to the executive editor, overseeing all aspect of book production

from acquisition to publication, reviewing submissions, and acting as a liaison between authors and agents and the company.

Am I missing anything? In that case, based on my track record and qualifications, what would be the salary range for the position?

b) Based on my qualifications and the market rate for this type of position, I’m looking for about Rs 10,000 a month.

c) I’m looking to make between Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 per month.

18)Why did you decide to attain post-graduate qualifications

a) After spending three years working in the pharmaceuticals industry, I knew it wasn’t for me. I thought post-graduate study would

be a wonderful opportunity to explore new fields and develop skills that I could apply to another industry.

b*) Post-graduate study was a necessary step for me to take within my chosen field: art history. Without at least masters, senior

level positions would be closed to me.

c) I’ve always known that I wanted to go to business school. In a capitalist society, business is what makes the wheels turn,

and my undergraduate degree in history and

20)Tell me what you know about our company.

a*) I know that you have the third largest market share in the soft drink industry and that one of your main goals right now is to enter

the international market. Also, you have a reputation for being a good company to work for – you made it to last year’s Business

Today’s “Top 200 Employers” list. You’ve just experienced a change in senior management, and actually, one of the things I wanted

to ask you about was how you see that change affecting the company in the near future.

b) Well, one of the reasons I’m here today is to learn more about the company from an insider such as yourself.

c) Of course you’re one of the biggest names in the soft drink industry – you’ve been around for generations. And based on your

marketing campaigns over the last few years, I’d say you have a fun, youthful

Priya is strong in communications and connecting with people. She has a strong background and proven success with customer

relationships. Her real strength is her follow-through. She prides herself on her reputation for meeting deadlines