When the pandemic struck, it came with a wave of great resignation which put the world in a stressful situation. During the year 2021, 60% of the workforce were either left unemployed or did jobs hoping to get a salary hike of their wish. This calls out for recognizing the elephant in the room – how people are able to switch jobs in a short time despite surviving through a pandemic and great resignation? The answer to this question is perfecting their interview preparation along with upgrading their soft and hard skills.

The number of resignations in America alone for 2021 reached 75.5 million, as well as the number of resignations this year. 1.7 lakh workers have been hired by top IT companies since the Great Resignation in 2021. In a survey conducted by Amazon India, 51% of respondents said they were seeking work in companies where they have little or no experience. This shows that people are ready to join the workforce and that too of their choice. 

However, hardly a few percent of the working population are getting their dream job, and that too, in their dream company. Others are lacking in not even being able to answer the common interview questions which irk the recruiter enough to not proceed with the interview. If you belong to the latter group, it’s high time to get your common interview questions answered right before going to your next interview.

Here are 7 Common Interview Questions for freshers that will help you imprint a positive image in front of the recruiter. Review these most frequently asked interview questions and rephrase the answers according to your work experience – in your case what you did in college.

7 Common Interview Questions For Freshers

1. Tell me about yourself and your background

This is the first common interview question you’ll be asked in your interview and most likely the first question that imprints a first positive impression that will make or break your hiring decision.

You can expect recruiters to look forward to your well-prepared response to the same, as they want to see why you’re an ideal candidate for the role. During the interview, the interviewer wants to know what makes you a good fit for the position. 

Start the answer by talking about your personal details like where you grew up and where you did your education from. Then slowly transition into the phase that shaped you the way you’re today professionally. Don’t share too much or too little while answering this question.

Use the “Present-Past-Future” formula to shape your answer. 

1. Start with what you’re doing now in terms of your career. Throw in some personal preferences. 
2. Take the recruiter back to the past and show him/her how your past shaped your present.
3. End this answer with your future goals and aspirations you want to achieve. 

How to answer this question?
 

“Hello, my name is Rajesh, and I graduated from Xyz University. I majored in B.Tech Computer Science. I’ve always had a fascination with computers since I was a child, and my fascination with computers led me to want to learn new programming languages. I am well-versed in C programming, Java, data structures, and SQL.

Along with these technical skills, I have strong communication skills that I believe are essential for this position. Our final year major project is a Surveillance Robot built with a Raspberry Pi microcontroller. We were a group of four, and we used our coding skills to make the project a success.

I was a member of ISTE, or the Indian Society for Technical Education, a college club that organises technical and non-technical events for all branches, where I discovered that I have excellent leadership skills. I’ve learned how to work well with others. I also have internship experience in this field and would like to use my skills to help your company grow while also improving my own.”

2. Why are you the best fit for this job? 

Another icebreaker question that determines your passion for working in the company. Recruiters are interested in knowing if you meet all of the qualifications. Prepare to justify why you are the best candidate for the job.

Make your answer an optimistic, succinct, and focused sales pitch outlining what you have to offer and why you should be hired. This is a good time to review the job description’s qualifications and requirements so you can craft a response that matches what the interviewer is looking for.

How to answer this question?
 

Answer 1:

“As I have just started my career in computer science, I don’t have many practical achievements to talk about. This gives me the liberty to explore my potential by giving my best to this organization. It will be an honor to work here and identify and develop my strengths. In college as well, I was very dedicated to my academics and learned programming languages like Python and Javascript and did some projects. I also got appreciated for it. Hence I think I am the best fit for this role of SDE-1 as I have ample knowledge in theory and I am willing to learn.”

Answer 2:

“Being a fresher, I think I am very flexible and adaptive to learning new things. I am sure I will be able to contribute something capable to the growth of the company. My last project in the Public Relations department of my college has taught me how to be a team player, and work in unison. I am sure that is a valuable quality that I will be bringing to the table. I will follow the company guidelines and always play by the rulebooks.”

3. Why do you want to work for this company?

If a hiring manager asks this question, it means he/she wants to know how much you’ve researched about the company. A professional candidate does his homework before going to the interview. 

So, ensure that you’re doing your due research with diligence about the company. Sing good praises about the company but don’t do it to the point it sounds like over-exaggeration.

How to answer this question?
 

“I always followed XYZ Corporations news and it was my dream to work in your organization. As a fresher, I am looking for a company, where I can apply the knowledge, my skills and insights that I have gained during my college days. A company that promotes and allows fresh minds to grow with a supportive back and encouraging push. Your company is well known in this category. Furthermore, it has different working positions which match my abilities and interests, so, I see a good career in working with your company.”

4. Tell me about a time when you overcame a challenge.

When you don’t know why you’re being asked behavioural interview questions, it might be tough to respond. In other words, when a potential employer asks you to discuss a struggle you overcome, they are searching for proof that you are not afraid of pressure, setbacks, failures, or unexpected hurdles.

Use the “STAR” formula to formulate your answer. The STAR method uses four vital elements, which include:

S: Situation – Start your answer with a simple circumstance you faced.  Did you have a tight deadline on a team project?

T: Task – Continue with your role in the event or are you the individual responsible to do the task? 

A: Action – Tell them what action you took to complete the task. Mention what you did, not what your team did.

R: Result – You should conclude with a positive outcome in your answer. Was your goal accomplished, or did you learn anything that will help you next time?

How to answer this question?
 

“When I changed my major in college in mid-semester I was told to communicate with my classmates if I face any problem and I wanted to tell them that I was having a difficult time learning how to learn Java language and some other things. This was difficult for me to admit. I always felt like they would laugh at me for changing my major in mid-sem and not knowing the basics of Java. The more I fought my anger and frustration for not knowing how to accomplish a task like, the more difficult the situation as a whole became. I realized one day that if I changed a few of my habits, my efficiency to learn the language could improve. From that day forward, I started making sure I asked my classmates for assistance when I needed it and they happily help me without any judgement.”

5. Can you handle working under pressure?

Recruiters look for people who can handle pressure like a champ. It’s an extremely valuable quality one can have. When you’re asked this question, recruiters are looking forward to seeing how well you can manage your time and work and perform even under difficult circumstances.

To stand out from the crowd, you need to show you can work well even in the toughest situation.  It is common in many jobs to face situations in which we need to make quick decisions for a variety of reasons. An employee’s ability to remain calm, think logically, and act correctly in a situation like this is a major asset. 

Keep these 3 points in mind while answering this question:

• Use the STAR method to formulate the answer. Tell the recruiter how you faced a problem and tackle the situation.
• Be honest. Don’t cook up lies to get an upper hand in the interview.
• Mention how you can manage stress and perform well while being productive. Recruiters also want to check your emotional intelligence in handling such situations.

How to answer this question?

“Yes, I can work under pressure. Working under pressure is one of the things I learned during my internship. I used to find it uncomfortable when I started. I was often faced with a series of high-pressure situations where I’m needed to work under pressure during my stint as a customer relations intern. After working in this capacity for 6 month, I can say that I have mastered the art of performing under pressure without a sweat.”

6. Will you be able to work overtime and even relocate if we ask you to?

This is one of the tricky common interview questions that is asked by recruiters. This is mostly a “yes” or “no” kind of question but the answer for this isn’t so straight. As a fresher, the possibility of moving can be exciting. If you definitely want to move, let them know that you are motivated to do whatever it takes to be part of your company or team. 

However, if you really want to work but are having a hard time moving, you need to find the best way to get this news to your interviewer without losing your chances. It’s important to look up this question in advance and be prepared to say “yes”, “no”, or “maybe”, with a solid reason for each answer. 

How to answer this question?
 

“Yes. For the right opportunity, I am definitely willing to relocate. I believe that this position and company is an opportunity to improve myself. I’m also willing to work overtime whenever such circumstances will arrive as good things do not come easily in life, and I know I will have to sacrifice something for my professional success. Staying overtime, or even working on Saturday at times, does not seem like a big sacrifice to me, considering everything I can gain in your company.”

7. What’s your salary expectation?

Every company expects you to be smart, intelligent, and a good communicator as a new employee.

When a recruiter asks about your salary expectations, you should not give any numbers during the interview. If you say some numbers, it could mean a variety of things, such as:

• If you could ask for something else, it might not be in the budget.
• If you ask for less, the HR person may believe that you are not confident or smart, and as a result, you are underestimating your CTC.
• If you mention a figure, HR may conclude that you are only concerned with money and not with the work.
• If you don’t say anything, HR might assume you’re just here for interview practice.

So you should always be smart, confident, and concise whenever you participate in HR discussions. For example, you can answer according to company or market standards. Prior to going to an interview, you need to research the company in terms of its current CEO, stock prices, products, and glassdoor reviews.

How to answer this question?
 

“I know I am just starting off my professional career, however, my personal salary expectation is around 25-30K in-hand according to the market standards. However, I’m open to negotiate.”

Final Thoughts

Interviews are not something when you’ve to break a leg to achieve something great. With the right amount of smartness and willingness to put the right cards in the right place, anyone can ace interviews. If you still feel a bit nervous and not really prepared for interviews, you can learn A-Z about interview preparation through HeavyCoding.com