Category: Interview

Wait, wait, wait. Read the question again. It isn’t the normal, routine question that you might have faced in the interviews stating “Why should we hire you?”. As soon as you are gearing up to deliver your practised version of the answer, the realization will dawn upon you, that a trick question has been sent your way and the actual question stands as “Why shouldn’t we hire you?”.

This trick question is becoming pretty popular nowadays, and it is being used to throw the candidates off-guard. So, a well-prepared answer to this question is also one of the mandatory preparations that you have to do before facing an interview.

This question can be considered as an exaggeration to the question “What are your weakness?”. This question should be a well-prepared one. The main motive of answering this question is to highlight a strength wrapped up as a weakness. Although asked as a trick question, if answered nicely, then this question can allow you to shine. 

Why Such Trick Question?

Every question in an interview is asked with a purpose. Reasons, why an interviewer asks this question, are: 

• To see how swiftly you can think on your feet, when a question, quite different from the traditional ones are asked. The interviewer wants to check how nimbly you can find your way out of an unfavourable situation.
• Another reason is that the interviewer wants to get an idea about both the strengths and the weaknesses of the candidate so that they can better assess them. 

Some Tips to Follow While Answering This Question

A perfect answer demands lots of research and hard work. To turn this question in your favour, continuous practice is a must. For practising, a great answer is required. So, to prepare a great answer, some of the tips are: 

• Be honest: There is a reason honesty is called the best policy. No person is perfect. So, don’t fall into that age-old trap of “I don’t have a weakness.” This answer will put you in a negative light, so be honest and think of a reason that can be stated when such a question is asked.
• State a reason but with some corrective measures: An answer has to be given, so if you are stating a weakness as the reason, make sure to add some corrective measures that you are taking, improving that weakness as it will give a good impression. But be careful, do not mention a weakness, that can hurt your chances of getting the job, or that is related to the job profile. 
• Identify your strengths: One of the best ways to answer such kind of questions is to mention some small weakness in a passing manner, followed by a vivid description of your strengths.
• Make your research game pretty strong: You can prepare your answer based on the kind of job profile the company is offering. If a certain characteristic is required for the job, you can answer the question by stating the opposite of that characteristic. For example, The job entails to be working in large groups, so you can answer by saying that “You should not hire me if you want someone who can work independently on your projects.” 

Do Not Do These!

It is a trap question. So, falling in this pit-hole is quite easy. So, there are certain NOs which you should follow to avoid falling into the trap. These are:

• Do not be cocky: Do not be one of those who answer along the lines that “You do not have any reason not to hire me!”. This creates a bad impression and can drive your interview downhill from that point forward.
• Do not spread negativity: State your weakness, but not continue to dwell on them. Do not use this question as an opportunity to point out a weakness in other candidates.
• Do not give them a reason not to hire you: Do not state a reason, that can straight-away give the employer a reason to disqualify you. So, have good background research about the company and the job profile.
• Do not dodge the question: Answer it. Do not try to avoid it. This will do more harm than good.

Sample Answers

Some of the sample answers for the above question are:

Sample 1:

“Well if the job demands an individual that can head-on lead the department, then I may not be the correct person to do it. I am more of a team player. Heading a department will be something very new for me. But, the part that is my forte is bringing a plan to life, i.e., it’s execution. In meetings generally, a lot of ideas are thrown around, but none of those comes to its fruition. I shine at identifying potential ideas, following up these ideas, and executing the most suitable idea.”

Sample 2:

“I am great at delivering my deliverables at exact deadlines. I never miss an important deadline. But one weakness that I seem to have is, I am not the kind of the employee that can come sharp at 9 AM to the office. I am a person who prefers working late and can put in extra hours, but being chirpy and full of energy early in the morning is very difficult for me. So, if this is a judging-criteria, then I think I am not a correct match.”

Sample 3 (When you shine at a certain skill that is required, use it as leverage):

“If you are looking for a person who is great at managing people, so I may not be the right choice, as my management skills are quite rusty. But, if you are looking for someone who has great expertise in handling the reports and the statistical data, so I am the person, who has good experience in MS-Excel and being a statistician, I know all these, like the back of my hand.”

Sample 4: 

“I have this habit of getting too engrossed in my work and doing it till it is executed perfectly. So, if you don’t want your customers to have an individual and immersive experience, then I may not be the perfect candidate, because I believe in serving each customer on a personal level.”

Sample 5:

 “If you want someone who thrives working independently, so I am not the right choice. I like working in teams because I feel that I am at my maximum efficiency when I work with a group of people. Working in groups brings out the best in me as different ideas bounce off each other, and together, we can reach a great decision.”

Sample 6: 

“You should not hire me if you are looking for someone great at small talk. Though I love socializing with people, I like to talk to them, to get to know them, not just the formal Hellos and Byes. I need to get to know people who are in my team and share a great camaraderie so that we as a team can give out 100 per cent.”

Sample 7:

“You should not hire me if you want someone would stick to the official 9-5 job and would not be thrilled to put in extra effort just for the sake of the benefit of the company. I am the kind of the person, who believes in giving my 100% when it comes to projects so that I can deliver them to the finishing line as soon and as accurately as possible.”

So, these are some of the classical answers, where you can portray your strengths as the reason why you should not be hired. Taking a clue from these, you can create your own modified version of the answer, depending upon your strengths, the company and the job profile. This question gives you a chance to convert your interview to a huge success, so do not waste it and use it your advantage. 

“Tell me about yourself” is one of the most hair-raising questions that a fresher would face while sitting for an interview. -This question is a crafty one placed in front of the candidate by the interviewer, this is so because the interviewer already knows some details about the candidate from the resume submitted. However, still, the reason behind this question being asked is that he wants to know the candidates’ attitude towards the work, what are the values that he brings into the company and how well he fits into the job.

One cannot deny the fact that this question is one of the best keys to prove that you are the best for the given job, this is so because having seen hundreds of candidates similar to you, the interviewers expect for that one answer which would correctly light the candle.

Hierarchy of Information to be Included

1. Start with a formal greeting: Use the following wordings like accordingly Good morning (or) Good afternoon (or) Good Evening

2. Tell your Name: My name is XY / I am XY

3. Location: I am from XXX / I was born and raised in XXX/ I grew up in XXX.

4. Projects/internship undertaken: Include the topic, name of the company, type of the work done, awards won, experience gained.

5. Qualifications: I am a …. Graduate from XYZ University.

6. Additional Qualifications: courses done, language proficiency

7. Adjectives to describe yourself

8. Hobbies/passion/strengt-hs and weakness

9. Fun Fact (optional)

10. Describe some points on how well you fit in the job

Rules so be Kept in Mind

1. Always sound enthusiastic.

2. Maintain eye-contact

3. Use hand gestures

4. Don’t sound lie a robot (don’t memorize)

5. Don’t stammer

6. Sound confident all along with your introduction.

7. Don’t take beyond a minute.

8. Be the best yourself

9. Don’t round the bush

10. Reduce the use of superlatives

11. Present the content in quite an intelligent way

Tricks to Follow While Jotting Down your Answer

1. Research about the company and the job offered.

2. Link your projects with the job offered.

3. Shape your answer based on the company.

4. Write down something more other than that mentioned in the resume.

5. Put in at most energy in your wordings.

6. Always maintain a sense of Formality.

7. Practice in front of the mirror.

To conclude, try to give your best possible answer to this question in the most confident manner as this will decide the flow of the interview, and this will put forward your first impression on the table.

Self Introduction in English for Interview for Freshers Samples

Here are some sample answers to the question “Tell me about Yourself.”

Scenario 1:

Good morning. I want to thank everyone for giving me this golden opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Rocky, and I am from Bombay. I am a biology graduate from IIT Bombay. I now work as an intern at Youth Foundation, and I am a big fan of soccer and gymnastics. My goal is to build a successful career as an XYZ, which can help the company and me personally. My strengths are my positive attitude, punctuality, and interpersonal skills. My weakness is my emotional nature. This is all about me. Thanks once again for this wonderful chance.

Scenario 2:

Good morning everyone. I am Jacob. I am born and brought up in Delhi. My fields and expertise lie in operating systems. I have previously worked on projects based on hardware, big data analysis, and AI. As a result of my Love towards operating systems, I began setting up databases and platforms on which others can work on. During my projects, I worked as a Team leader as well as a Team player, and by doing so, I ensured the proper completion of work by team members. My interests lie in orating. Finally, I think that I am an ideal candidate for this job as I found myself satisfying the requirements of this opening. Thanks, everyone for this opportunity. 

Scenario 3:

Good morning. It’s my pleasure to introduce myself. I am XXX, and I am currently pursuing my degree in the field of the automobile at ABC University. I was raised in Assam, and when I was 18, I moved to Bangalore for my university study. Last year I went to the US to join the student exchange program. During my exchange, I went backpacking with other backpackers from all over the world to other countries across the US. It was a fun experience. I think I have been fortunate enough to be able to live in different parts of the world and thus be able to broaden my horizon.

I have a strong interest in automotive and services industry. The reason is I’d like to leverage my detail-oriented mind and apply the skills and knowledge that I have attained throughout my degree courses. I see myself as a people-oriented person. I demonstrated this by working in various group projects with different types of people in which I had been able to perform well. I want to be part of your company to further develop myself in the automobile field and to use my capabilities to serve both your company and your clients. 

Scenario 4:

Good morning sir/madam;

Firstly, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I am XY from Chennai. I completed my B.com with CA from AB University affiliated to Anna University, with an aggregate of 78%. My hobbies are net surfing, playing chess. I am fresher and have no work experience in any company. My strength is that I can adapt quickly to any environment.

My short-term goal is to get placed in a reputed company like yours, which will allow me to enhance my skills and Knowledge. My long term goal would be to reach a higher position in your company. That’s all about me. Thank you for giving such an excellent opportunity.

I hope this article will help you to prepare a perfect self introduction for your job interview. Comment down below if you have any queries.

Workplace Stress and pressure are inevitable. Every employee at some point of time gets stressed due to work pressure. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with that. What matters is that how an employee handles it. Effective handling of stress means high emotional intelligence and maturity on the employee’s part. However, ineffective handling of stress and pressure leads to lowered productivity of the employee and hence affects the organisation.

Almost every interviewee is faced with the question “how do you handle stress and pressure”. To look impressive, the interviewee sometimes answers with phrases like:

• “I don’t get stressed.”
• “I am calm all the time.”
• “Stress and pressure do not bother me.”

This is not what the interviewer is looking for and happens to be one of the biggest and most common mistakes that the candidates make while answering this question. Answers like these make the interviewer suspicious and make him/her feel that the candidate is blurting out rehearsed answers.

The sole reason why the interviewer asks this question is to know about the capability of the candidate. The interviewer also wants to know the past experiences of the candidate where he was exposed to stressful situations and how he dealt with them. The best way to answer this question in interviews is to firstly acknowledge that the candidate does face enough pressure and gets stressed under gruelling situations. Secondly, the candidate must state past experiences where he/she got stressed, and the steps are taken to overcome it. 

Tips to Answer

A proper answer to “how do you handle stress and pressure” should be well-articulated. In addition to that, it also has to be authentic and genuine. Employers do not wish to hire someone who crumbles under workplace pressure. If a candidate, under a gruelling situation has a nervous breakdown, nobody in the organisation wants to be responsible for it.

Also, an employee unable to handle stress is most likely to evade responsibilities and pass them on to someone else. Unable to handle stressful and pressurising situations also means a lack of problem-solving skills and unsteady decision-making procedure. No employer wants these traits in someone who is being hired. Hence answering this question correctly is a very crucial part of an interview. The following listed are several tips that should be considered while answering:

1. Provide an Example

Talking in generic terms always evokes a lesser impact than talking specifically. Hence the candidate should give a real experience where he/she faced with a stressful or gruelling situation. The example should be concise but clear. It should summarise the situation and how it caused stressed to the candidate and what degree.

2. Explain How You Overcame It

The candidate should tell the interviewer how he had overcome the said stressful situation mentioned in the interview. The candidate has to make sure that he/she does not give this impression to the interviewer that his/her stress-coping mechanisms are unhealthy. For example, if the candidate answers that he had handled the stress by crying profusely for two hours or completely avoiding the situation, it would not make a good impression.

The candidate has to answer how he used the stress the work better. He/she can say that he/she had used the stress as a motivator to increase the pace and productivity of his/her work. It can also be said that he/she took a very little time off work to neutralise his stress and got back to work with a fresh mind. Saying that the candidate meditated for a while or tried balancing the work can also be a perfect option.

3. Stress as a Motivator

Telling the interviewer how the candidate uses stress as a motivator is by far one of the best ways to answer this question. The candidate should articulate the reason for stress and how he/she used it as a positive gateway to amplify his work performance. The candidate should mention examples like the stress of tough deadlines motivating him/her to work better and faster.

4. Skills Learned Due to Stress

Employers generally look for employees who not only handle stress effectively but also use that to learn something that might benefit them in the future and evade the possibility of further stress. Skills learned due to stress are soft skills that employers look for in potential employees. These skills can be organising work, time-management, prioritising, etc.

5. Results

The answer should engage a result or ultimate goal that the candidate was able to achieve due to the effective handling of the stress. For example, he/she can state how the artwork was completed before the client needed or the reports were submitted to the supervisor before time.

Sample Answers

Every candidate is most likely to have a different experience, different stories and other answers to give in the interviews. However below listed are the best sample answers that can be said as a response to the question “how do you handle stress and pressure” in an interview.

Answer 1: According to me, stress is a positive motivator. It teaches us a lot of skills that we cannot otherwise learn in normal situations. I try to learn something from every stressful situation. One time, I had to submit three reports in one week, and it was very stressful. However, I submitted all of them on time. This is because I balanced my workload and learnt how to effectively prioritise my workload to make the best of the current situation.

Answer 2: Stress often improves the quality of my work as it acts as a motivator for me. Since I am a content writer, I can vouch for this. I generally have to work under strict deadlines to meet with the client’s demands. However, I have noticed I deliver the best content, especially when I am working under stress.

Answer 3: As a comic artist workplace is mainly lined by stress to meet the demands and make submissions on time. Whenever I am stressed, I use that as a motivator so that I can finish my job at the earliest. Hence under stress, I have produced some of my best comics.

Answer 4: I handle stress by reminding myself of the goal or the result that I am working towards. That gives me the drive or the motivation to push through the stress and reach my goal. Once in my earlier organisation, I had to get a massive target of sales within a week. Hence I reminded myself of the ultimate target and kept working until I reached it.

Answer 5: Being in customer service can be a stressful job. Hence under stress, I make it a point to focus my reaction on the situations and not on the stress that I am feeling. For example, if I am handling a rude customer, I try to focus on the situation, which motivates me to effectively apply my communication skills to resolve the situation.

Answer 6: Being in management has taught me that a stressed team causes a great deal of stress. So in those situations, I try to communicate well with my team members to get a clear idea of what is stressing them. On doing that, we can improve the group dynamics by sharing our duties and hence reducing the pressure. This collectively reduces the entire stress of the group, and thus I cope with my stress too.

Answer 7: I handle stress by being too calculative. In my last organisation, I was assigned a task in the last minute due to a contingency, and I had to handle it on my own. The time was very less, and it was an important assignment. I chalked out the requirements of the assignment, listed what I had to do, calculated my available time, divided it into various tasks, and that led to the completion of the assignment on time.

Answer 8: In this extremely competitive workplace scenario, stress is inevitable. To deal with it, I make sure I exercise and meditate regularly. IT keeps my mind active. Meditation keeps me focussed and thus helps me work through any stressful situation.

Stress can never be evaded. Good and bad stress is a part of every workplace. Employers want to hire someone who experiences both but finds a way out of it to deliver his job nonetheless. These answers shall give the interviewer the idea that they are talking to the right candidate, and no amount of stress would be daunting enough to cripple his/her spirits.

One of the most difficult questions you come across during your interview session is “What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t” and is aimed at you as an individual. The question elaborates moreover your reaction to ‘your strengths.’ It could be a tricky question, but there is nothing to fret, as we will look at it in complete detail with sample answers for your reference only. Most of the interviewers will have their list of questions applicable to your role, but there are some specific questions that are common and universal. “What are your strengths or makes you different?” is one of the questions, and can be asked in interviews for various roles. Also Read:7 Most Common Job Interview Questions and Answers It can be a bit tricky one to answer instantly and catches candidates off their shield. Let us look at some tips and give a satisfying answer. The main reason for interviewers to ask this particular question is to get insight into your capabilities and understand your special talent. The interviewer can ask you this question in different ways, like:

• What can you do for the company that other candidates can’t?
• Do you think you are a perfect fit for this job?
• What are your skills that others don’t have?
• What makes you unique?

Why Do Interviewers Ask “What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t?” Whenever you get such a question from your interviewers, it means that they want to delve a bit deeper into your skill, personality, and character. The main reason for asking this question is they want to know what qualities or skills you value – and how you will apply it.

How to Answer: “What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t?”

This question is not about showing your superiority or what makes you unique. Your interviewer wants to know what makes you different from other candidates in relation to the value or skills you can bring to their company. They are interviewing many candidates with the same qualifications, so for them, this question will help them distinguish yourself from other candidates. Many times interviewers ask this question to know how much creative an interviewee is. This makes candidates think instantly, and the best answer shows your interviewer you have innovative skills that are highly valuable in a wide range of roles.

Key Points to Look At

Your answer must focus on your capabilities and give an outlook on how you will serve the company.

• Make sure you keep your complete focus on yourself rather than comparing it to anybody specific.
• You can show your certifications or qualifications that you have.
• Talk about your interpersonal strengths & how you will add to the team.
• Suppose your skills are specific to your field or industry, highlight how you will use it in the most remarkable ways.

Points to Avoid

Answers to such questions will go downhill if you are not well prepared.

• The first rule is never to put anybody down to build yourself high. Focus more on why you are better than others, not why they are behind you.
• Never look arrogant. Pay attention to the facts, not on your perception.
• Do not get confused. Make sure your answer is focused, has useful information, and in brief.
• Keep your modesty aside and speak confidently on what makes you better without appearing egotistical.

To be a great employee, you need to have your abilities to meet the employer’s requirements. Whether the organization you are applying for the job is the consulting firm or tech startup, showing that you know the organization’s requirements and address them can go a very long way in impressing your interviewer and making you a part of their team. To make things simple for you, we have given some sample answers to “What Can You Do For Us That Other Candidates Can’t?” Remember, these are only for your reference, and you must draw your answer as per your skills and experience and be relevant.

Sample Answer #1

After going through the job description, I knew it would be the perfect match for me. My managerial skills and experience align perfectly with what you want for the role. I am quite confident that my abilities and experience can help me to execute the management position successfully. I was effective in leading my team for 3 years and helped my region to earn the prestigious title. Besides leading the team projects successfully, my networking talent helped me develop good relationships with clients, vendors, and developers. My work experiences, with good communication skills, friendly attitude, and work ethic, makes me an ideal and a strong candidate for the role. I have the required experience to contribute to your team immediately. Without any doubt, I am highly excited about the vision of working in your company.’

Sample Answer # 2

“I’m an innovative person who wants to get associated with a team that builds great branding strategies. I have done many marketing campaigns during my class projects and my previous internship, and I am aware of the challenges I might face in this job and know how to deal with it. I have three important abilities that most of the candidates cannot offer: With my problem-solving skill, I can improve the campaign performance, have complete knowledge about social media campaigns, and have good experience in email marketing. Combining my knowledge and hard work for this industry, I am pretty sure I will prove to be an ideal candidate for this job.” Tip: Ensure you do not take more than 60 seconds to answer the question and practice it till you get over it. The Final Takeaway Now you have some suggestions to answer the most unique and common interview questions that have puzzled many interviewees. Make sure you are well prepared for your job interview questions and answer them confidently!

Are you preparing for an interview the first time? Ensure you prepare it beforehand. Revise all interview questions & answers immediately. Being a fresher, one common question that you may face is ‘Why you should be hired for the internship?’ No need to worry as we have compiled the list of possible answers to this question! Continue reading and prepare nicely with the best answers to this important question. Each interview question generally is an attempt of gathering details to inform the hiring decision.  Most of the interviewers can specifically ask you make your own case with these questions:

Answers for “Why Should You Be Hired for This Internship?”

Answer 1

At present, I will finish my final year semester at college. In course of some years during the graduation or post graduation, we are taught plenty of new things. However, practical knowledge can help me to understand know how much I have learned. Joining your internship program can gauge where I actually stand. There is no better opportunity than can come on my way. I will showcase my real talent and show my ability here, whereas in turn, I will learn how the industry functions. This is why you can hire me for the internship.

Answer 2

Although I am the recent university graduate, but my coursework coincide with the current position. Besides that, I have got job experience that is relevant during my earlier internship and in volunteer gig I have worked, and both of this is mentioned in my CV. Finally, I’m crossing my fingers to be the part of this wonderful opportunity, because there will not be any place I would rather work!

Answer 3

Being a fresher, I’m still learning. However, it is a big benefit for me that I am a quick learner. I love to learn or unlearn at a same time. Unlearning in the sense to let go of any outdated practices or ideas and to move to advanced methods. I have raw and fresh ideas that I want to discuss with your management here in case I go through and I’m very sure they are going to like some of them. Thus, hiring me will be the beneficial arrangement for me and the company. I do not see any reason why I must not be hired for the internship.

Answer 4

“Thank you so much for asking the question! I think that I am a best fit for this internship as I am the quick learner as well as passionate about pursuing the career in this particular field. I have started my groundwork – and I have done complete research about the company, visions, and goals, so I am very much sure I will deliver everything you’re looking for in the candidate.”

Answer 5

To be very honest, joining this honored organization can help me to learn a lot. And I love to seek guidance of the experienced and the learned teams, which are onboard already. In that way, I will be able to become the better professional in future. Yours is the most renowned brand and to become the part of this vast enterprise can strengthen my base. This is what matters in an end, the strong foundation. I truly feel your company will undoubtedly help me to build one. And in turn, I will assure you complete dedication from my end and everything I can do on my level for betterment of the organization.

Answer 6

“I think I’m the right fit for the internship program as I am the best multi-tasker. During my initial years in my college or university, I would not just spend time in the academics, but also made a point to learn new things outside my stipulated syllabus, when you look over my Resume. As I had to put in many things in my plate to satisfy my urge for knowledge and learning, I’ve learned the skill of time management. So, I can say very confidently, that doesn’t matter what task I am handed over, I will deliver it in time without even compromising on quality of the work.”

Answer 7

I have decent grasping power and patient learner. I will learn things fast and will be highly productive at a same time. I also can be of good help while it comes about showing and ideating creativity. In addition to, my graduation had the paper wherein we need to do the project work about your industry. Thus, whatever I have learned during the industrial visits or previous internships are in sync with your job role. I do not have to begin from the scratch since I have the basic knowledge in the field already. Thus, at an end of a day, you may want to select me as the finalists for this internship.

Answer 8

‘Being a fresher, I’m still in the phase of learning and thus need this wonderful opportunity to know and show more about the industry. Although I am totally new, but I am a quick learner with the penchant to learn & unlearn. It is to learn latest relevant skills, corporate etiquette and business best practices, whereas letting go of any obsolete beliefs, procedures and skills.

Answer 9

I bring some fresh ideas & hope with me to discuss this same thing with my seniors over here. I am pretty confident they can find most of them to be innovative and useful. I have all qualifications and skills that are listed for this job description, and in case I am hired, I assure to deliver the best quality and timely work throughout my tenure of this internship.

Answer 10

I have held these positions of the ‘campus ambassador’ & ‘placement coordinator’ at my college days. Thus, I have the decent experience in picking the best talent for the specific task. Select the best person for any particular task is job half done. As I have knack for identifying the right talent for any task, I think I fulfill basic requirement for the internship or job role. In addition to, I am pursuing my PGDBA in HR management. Thus, I am the perfect candidate for this role.