Types of Interview Questions

----Prepared by Prof. Rakhi Dutta

Behavioral

Behavioral questions are meant to get to know your personality and how well you can solve situations. Often
the question will require you to provide a story of how you have handled a similar situation in the past.

These types of questions help the interviewer gauge how well you would respond to a situation in the
workplace. They also give the interviewer insight into how well you would work with a team and if you fit
into their culture.

Some examples of questions include:

 Tell me about a time when you made a mistake. What did you do to rectify the
mistake?
 Tell me about your proudest moments.
 Give me an example of a time you overcame an obstacle and how.
 Tell me about a time when you felt like an effective leader.
 Give me an example of how you manage your time.
It is important when answering these types of questions that you give a very short backstory of how this
situation came about. This will ensure that the interviewer understands the decisions you made and why.

Going into an interview you should be prepared to answer behavioural questions about your time
management, leadership, organization, obstacles, and accomplishments.

To answer these questions best you should provide an example from a professional or career related
experience. Although if you do not have one providing one from a personal experience is better than not at
all.

Make sure to prepare ahead of time by reviewing common behavioural questions and coming up with your
own answers. It is also good to review the company’s mission as well as the job description. This will help
you to better answer their questions with relatable information.

The best thing to remember is prepare ahead of time, take your time and be specific.

Situational

Another common type of interview question are the situational questions. These will likely be specific to the
industry you are going into as they are meant to see how well you will respond to workplace scenarios. This
helps the interviewer not only see how well you know the industry, but also your communication skills and
thought process.

Here are some universal examples:

 Can you describe a time you had to work with someone you didn’t get along
with?
 Describe a time you struggled interacting with a retailer/customer.
  Give an example of a difficult decision you had to make. What steps did you
take?
 If you disagreed with your boss, how would you handle it?
 Tell me about a time you struggled at work and how you went about it.
It is important to remember to be very honest when answering these questions. They want to see how you
would handle a situation and giving examples is a great way to demonstrate that.

If you don’t have a specific time when you handled a situation well it is okay to still use that, just ensure that
you explain what you wish you did differently.

Traditional

As the name says traditional interview questions are ones that have been around for a long time. They are
more straightforward than other questions that help them get to know you.

They focus on your personality, way you think, times you prefer and other ways to incorporate you into the
company.

These will likely be questions you will have heard before at previous interviews and will hear again later in
your career.

These are some examples of traditional interview questions:

 Where do you hope to be in five years?

 Tell me about yourself.
 Why do you want to work here?
 What do you know about our company?
Along with the above questions a lot of questions will also come from your resume. The point of an
interview is for them to get to know you more than what’s on your resume.

Often, they will want to know about gaps or why you are changing careers. It’s important to be prepared for
these questions by looking over your resume and knowing it well. Since these questions are meant to get to
know you it is important that you are honest and specific.

Experience

Depending upon the level of position you are applying for the most important questions will be the
experience questions.

These questions are intended to learn more about your past experience, more than what is stated on your
resume.

The questions help gauge where your abilities stand and the relation, they will have to the current role
available. This helps set candidates apart that are more qualified for the position especially based on the
scenarios they give.

Here are some of the most common experience questions asked:

 What experience do you have related to this role?

 What responsibilities did you have in your last job?
  What was the hardest part of your last job?
 Can you give an example of a skill you learnt or improved upon at your last job.
 Why did you leave your last job?
This will not only help the company see the way that you work, but also the commitment level you provide
to a company.

Being honest and prepared to answer these questions will help them better understand what kind of an
employee you are and the skills you provide.

To best succeed in answering these questions make sure you have reviewed past positions, your resume and
other factors that contribute to your past success. It is your responsibility to fill in the gaps of your resume
during your interview and these questions help you achieve that.

Some Stress Questions:

1. Tell us something about yourself that is not here on the resume?

2. How would you feel if you were rejected in this interview?
3. Why haven’t you done well in your exams?
4. How would you rate yourself on your performance in your management course?
5. What would you like to change about yourself?
6. How do you stand out from the other candidates? Why should we select you?
7. You don’t have relevant experience and we only hire experienced professionals. Why
should we hire you?
8. How many steps did you take while walking through the door to the chair?
9. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

Tell us something about yourself that is not here on the resume?

Interviewers ask this question to analyze your suitability for the organization.

Points of discussion could be personal achievements, unique qualities, and

acquired skills that are relevant to the job profile.

Sample Answer
I’m a team player, always trying to work towards the betterment of the
organization. My curiosity drives me to do more than what is expected of me.
For instance, I was previously working as a product developer but I possess
knowledge of software QA(Quality Assurance) as well. So, during one of the
product launches, I extended a helping hand to the tech team.
 I was later made an integral part of the QA team, for which I worked on my
time without compromising on my core job.

How would you feel if you were rejected in this interview?

I would love to work with your organization and getting selected for this job
would be ideal.
However, if I do not get selected, I would respect your decision. Furthermore,
I would try to identify the areas of improvement and work towards overcoming
shortcomings.
.

You don’t have relevant experience and we only hire experienced

professionals. Why should we hire you?
This question is for inexperienced individuals starting their careers or changing
fields.

Interviewers ask this question to understand why you think you are fit for a job
profile without relevant experience.

Make a list of your qualities and discuss your skills and strengths in
accordance.

Convincing talking points are:

 Required skillset.
 Eagerness to learn.
 Ability to meet the gap between previous job roles (if any) and the profile in
question.
Do mention relevant internships, experiences, and situations that could help
you justify your suitability.

Sample Answer
I understand that there are not many professional achievements to my credit,
but I'm confident that I would be a good fit for this profile.
I was the President of the college debate society and have the experience of
executing smooth and seamless events.
Quick problem solving, ability to meet deadlines and perform under pressure
makes me a perfect fit for this opportunity.
I'm eager to learn practical technicalities and explore my potential.
If hired, I can ensure you that I would aim to deliver the very best for your
organization.

How many steps did you take while walking through the door to the
chair?
This stress interview question aims at evaluating your wit and presence of
mind.

Answer confidently and do not let panic or stress take the best of you.

Remember, the interviewer is looking for an intuitive approach and not the
exact number of steps.

Ask for more clarification if possible. This shows your curiosity and will help
you understand the situation better.

If you cannot think of anything, answer with an approximate number, keeping

in mind the distance and the way you walk.

In case the interviewer is not convinced, you can offer to demonstrate to cover
the distance again in the number of steps you mentioned.

This will reflect your ability to handle problems with a logical reason and your
confidence in your stance.

Sample Answer 1
Do you want to know the number of steps it took me from the main office door
to the chair? Or the cabin door?
Sample Answer 2
I believe it took me 6 steps to reach the chair from the cabin’s door. Do you
want me to demonstrate?
Sample Answer 3
 I walked the same number of steps that I will walk from the chair to the door
to go out.

If you were a snacks item, what would you be and why?

This stress interview question evaluates your perspective and creativity.

It helps the interviewer understand your ability to deal with unexpected

situations.

Give an answer that you relate to and justify it with reasons and personal
experiences.

In case you cannot think of an answer, borrow some time to think about it.

Sample Answer
That is a very interesting question. If I were a snacks item, I would be a
samosa.
I have always loved samosas, and I have many happy memories with it.
Samosas evoke the picture of cosy and cheerful moments with family and
friends. They can be had anytime and taste heavenly. They have the ability to
lift our mood. They are crispy on the outside with the filling inside being soft
and flavourful, with a great aroma of spices. They are truly Indian in nature
and are famous worldwide. The filling can be changed to make them sweet or
savoury, veg or non-veg, or the filling could have a vegetable of our choice.

Like a samosa, I would like to be versatile, fun, loved, and famous worldwide.

Tips to ace stress interviews

Stress interview questions can be tricky to answer and may test you at your
best. Here are a few tips to help you ace stress interviews like a pro:

1. Focus on research
Research to understand the mission, vision, and work-culture of the company.

Basic information like the size, future goals, and current products/services of
the organization can help you answer strategically.
 Try to read through the reviews of employees working with the organization to
get a better perspective.

2. Keep calm, do not panic

Stress interview, true to its name, can be stressful. Do not let that affect your
attitude.

Take a minute to respond to questions that confuse you and plan before you
answer.

In case you are blank and can't think of anything, ask the interviewer for some
time.

3. Identify the objective of the question

It is very important to know why a question is being asked.

Understanding the objective of the question will help you understand the
nature and tone that you should answer in.

4. Balance your responses

Stress interview questions can be spontaneous and unexpected but they help
the interviewers assess your intuitiveness (how spontaneous you are) and
skills.

When in a stress interview, do not get defensive, but don't give in either as
doing so may reflect poorly on your candidature.

Aim to sound confident and smart, without seeming boastful and

arrogant.

5. Ask questions
Stress interview questions evaluate your ability to perform in the worst
scenarios.

Asking questions to respond to the interviewer's question showcases your

ability to think critically and helps you clarify doubts if any.

6. Give logically sound answers

Through stress interviews, interviewers focus on analyzing your capability to
work under stress and assess your logical reasoning.
 Answer to reflect confidence but ensure that everything you say is relevant.

Try to give answers that showcase skills and experiences that are relevant to
the profile.

7. Maintain a positive body language

A positive body language portrays you as a confident, smart and nice
candidate who is ready to face any challenge, come what may.

Maintain a positive and cheerful self to show that you are open to questions
through your body language and smile!