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The main intention to ask this question is to see what your attitude TOWARDS feedback is and how you react to it. The main point here is to let the interviewer know that you are ALWAYS open to constructive feedback. You should not show yourself as a stubborn or ignorant person who is not capable of taking any input for your growth.

Sample ANSWER:

I am always enthusiastic about learning NEW THINGS and during the process, I might tend to make mistakes. If someone provides me with constructive criticism, I am always open to it and I will work on correcting myself and learn from my mistakes. This would help me grow and move forward. If the feedback is negative, then I am mature enough to ignore the feedback and continue working on doing my job to the best of my capabilities without dampening my spirit.

Make sure to discuss only your work-related achievement. Pick up the most recent achievement of yours and answer this question.

Tips to answer this:

Answer the question in a STAR format. STAR represents: S: Situation, T: Task, A: Action, and R: Result

Sample answer:

I have achieved several milestones to date in my career as a software developer. The most recent one is of the time when we were working on a critical component of a product pertaining to customer payments. We were working round the clock for around 2 months and I was a core developer. I was MADE a lead to this component for completing the task in ANOTHER 2 months.

To meet the deadline, we ensured that we upskilled ourselves to learn all the aspects of the development of this module and also brought in a few more resources to COMPLETE it faster. Post the deployment, I trained our team to support the platform proficiently. ULTIMATELY, we could complete the product well in advance of the deadline. When the product was launched, the higher management was super proud of us and our team was awarded for our outstanding performance in the quarterly town hall. It was a very proud moment for me.

The main point while answering this question is to not convey that you are perfect. This WOULD indicate that there is no scope for improvement and would showcase yourself as overconfident to the interviewer.

Also, remember to not undervalue yourself too. This would SHOW that you don’t have any self-confidence.

Sample ANSWER:

I would like to rate myself an 8. 8 because I know that I am not perfect and there is always a scope for learning and improvement. Continuous learning is the most fundamental part of personal and PROFESSIONAL growth.

This question comes up when the interviewer finds something interesting and out of ordinary in the resume. Some examples could be a job that could be unrelated to what you are seeking or a job that lasted only for some months or in some cases, the outright gap between TWO CONSEQUENT jobs. Here, HR wants to make sure that the gaps are not due to any red flags.

Sample answer:

After the completion of my bachelor’s degree, I started working continuously for 8 years without taking any BREAK. This sort of impacted my productivity and also harmed my work-life balance. Hence, I decided to take a break of 6 months to CLEAR my mind, make amends with my family, and also do solo travel to DIFFERENT places. I also gained some lessons during this break such as the importance of work-life balance, organizational ability, and a fresh new perspective on life.

Yet another commonly asked question for experienced candidates, the interviewer wants to understand what made you look for different opportunities and identify if there are any red flags. Whatever is the reason for changing your job, do not talk negatively about the current employer. Do not divulge information about how bad the work environment was, how poor the salary was as these are of no concern to the interviewer. Keep the answer professional without sharing your woes.

Sample answer:

The reason I am looking for change is that I feel like now is the time to expand my horizon. I have worked in my current company for quite a long time and while I am grateful for all the opportunities that were presented to me there, I want to go beyond my current role here, explore different avenues and take up challenging roles and I believe that your company will be the perfect place for me to push and grow myself as an individual.

There might be cases where you might have been laid off due to budget and management constraints. In these cases, you have to convey the below things to the recruiter:

• It HAPPENED due to an unforeseen event and it was not your fault.
• You still have a positive mindset about various opportunities that are AVAILABLE in the market.

Sample answer can be:

The client that I was working for was leaving the market and hence our company was forced to dissolve the department. Unfortunately, I had joined that POSITION in that department very recently and hence my duration in this company was SHORT. I do not have any regrets though as I was extremely happy due to the learning opportunities presented which will help me a LOT in my further career endeavors.

HR asks this question to get to know more about your characteristics and your SUITABILITY for the job. It is also one of the standards and most commonly asked questions.

Some tips to answer this question:

• Be honest.
• Start by stating the strongest skills and qualities that can be of a great match to the job role.
• Be ready with the backup claim for each of the strengths that you mention. Hence, avoid speaking of the strengths that you do not possess.
• Do not tell any weakness that can POTENTIALLY jeopardize your candidature.
• Do not mention more than 2 weaknesses and always mention how you are working on improving them.
• Do not tell cheesy, cliché answers like “I am a PERFECTIONIST which is both my strength and my weakness”.

Sample answer:

I think one of my greatest strengths is that I am a great team player. I am also a self-motivated and quick learning individual. Whatever task that I set to do, I always GIVE my best and complete it diligently well in advance. My weakness would be that I am learning to master people skills while meeting new INDIVIDUALS. I get nervous while talking to new people. I have been working on this for quite a long time and I can say with utmost confidence that I have come a long way.

Another popular question asked by the INTERVIEWER to make sure that the candidate has understood the job requirements and help the interviewer understand the reason behind CHOOSING their company for that job. You should answer in such a way that the interviewer gets CONVINCED that you are a great fit for the role.

Some tips to answer this question:

• Talk about the past projects that you had worked on that MATCHES the requirements of the current role.
• Talk about your career aspirations that are associated with this job role.
• Have the knowledge in hand about the company’s vision, mission, and the work it has done in recent years that inspired you to join the organization.

Sample answer:

I feel that with my current skill sets and my experience in the XYZ domain, the job requirements this role presented are a perfect match for me. I could visualize myself in that role as it aligned with my career aspirations, skills, and expertise. Besides, I have researched your company and found that it has impressive and promising projections which made me excited to be a part of the amazing future. I would take pride in working under the great leadership of this company and I found this PLACE to be a perfect fit for utilizing my expertise along with the promising aspect of personal growth.