Everything About Interviews

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Interview TYPES | HR INTERVIEW| Panel Interview | Technical Interview |Team Interview | Campus Interview|gdtips
Interview
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General Tips To Overcome An Interview

Campus So what if you are not a mountaineer. Or a keen hiker. You still cannot treat
your interview like a careless morning trot along a jogger's path. Your jaw-jaw at the
interview table is nothing less than a cautious climb up a mountain trail--which begins
around your early childhood and meanders through the years at the academia before
reaching a new summit in your career.And as you retrace your steps down memory
lane make sure that you post flags at important landmarks of your life and career, so
that you can pop them before the interview panel scoops them out of you. You don't
want to be at the receiving end, do you?
Face the panel, but don't fall of the chair in a headlong rush-and-skid attempt to tell
your story. Take one step at a time. If you place your foot on slippery ground, you
could be ejecting out on a free fall.
So prepare, fortify your thoughts, re-jig your memory, and script and design your story
(without frills and falsity). Without the right preparation and storyboard, you could be a
loser at the interview. Here are a few preparation tips that books on interviews
sometimes overlook.
Before the interview
1. Chronological Outline of Career and Education Divide your life into "segments" defining your
university, first job, second job. For each stage, jot down :
The reason for opting certain course or profession; Your job responsibilities in your
previous/current job; Reason of leaving your earlier/current job. You should be clear in
your mind where you want to be in the short and long term and ask yourself the
reason why you would be appropriate for the job you are being interviewed for and
how it will give shape to your future course.
2. Strengths and Weaknesses

You should keep a regular check on your strengths and weaknesses. Write down three
(3) technical and three (3) non-technical personal strengths. Most importantly, show
examples of your skills. This proves more effective than simply talking about them. So
if you're asked about a general skill, provide a specific example to help you fulfil the
interviewer's expectations. It isn't enough to say you've got "excellent leadership
skills". Instead, try saying:
"I think I have excellent leaderships skills which I have acquired through a combination
of effective communication, delegation and personal interaction. This has helped my
team achieve its goals."
As compared to strengths, the area of weaknesses is difficult to handle. Put across your
weakness in such a way that it at leaset seems to be a positive virtue to the
interviewer. Describe a weakness or area for development that you have worked on
and have now overcome.
3. Questions you should be prepared for

Tell us about yourself.
What do you know about our company?
Why do you want to join our company?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
How have you improved the nature of your job in the past years of your working? Why
should we hire you?
What contributions to profits have you made in your present or former company? Why
are you looking for a change?
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:: Freshersworld.com
Answers to some difficult questions :

Tell me about yourself ?
Start from your education and give a brief coverage of previous experiences.
Emphasise more on your recent experience explaining your job profile.
What do you think of your boss?

Put across a positive image, but don't exaggerate.
Why should we hire you? Or why are you interested in this job?
Sum up your work experiences with your abilities and emphasise your strongest
qualities and achievements. Let your interviewer know that you will prove to be an
asset to the company.
How much money do you want?

Indicate your present salary and emphasise that the opportunity is the most important
consideration.
Do you prefer to work in a group?
Be honest and give examples how you've worked by yourself and also with others.
Prove your flexibility.
4. Questions to As
At the end of the interview, most interviewers generally ask if you have any questions.
Therefore, you should be prepared beforehand with 2-3 technical and 2-3 non-technical
questions and commit them to your memory before the interview.
Do not ask queries related to your salary, vacation, bonuses, or other benefits. This
information should be discussed at the time of getting your joining letter. Here we are
giving few sample questions that you can ask at the time of your interview.
Sample Questions
Could you tell me the growth plans and goals for the company?
What skills are important to be successful in this position?
Why did you join this company? (optional)
What's the criteria your company uses for performance appraisal?
With whom will I be interacting most frequently and what are their responsibilities and
the nature of our interaction?
What is the time frame for making a decision at this position?
What made the previous persons in this position successful/unsuccessful?
5. Do your homework
Before going for an interview, find out as much information on the company (go to
JobsAhead Company Q and A) as possible. The best sources are the public library, the
Internet (you can check out the company's site), and can even call the company and
get the required information. The information gives you a one-up in the interview
besides proving your content company or position.
Clearing the interview isn't necessarily a solitary attempt. Seek assistance from
individuals who are in the profession and whose counsel you value most. Be confident
in your approach and attitude; let the panel feel it through your demeanour, body
language and dressing.
Getting prepared for your interview is the best way to dig deep and know yourself. You
will be surprised that it would breed a new familiarity become more familiar with your
own qualifications that will be make you present yourself better. All the best and get
ready to give a treat.
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Interview TYPES | HR INTERVIEW| Panel Interview | Technical Interview |Team Interview | Campus Interview|
Types of Interviews
Panel Interview/Board Interview

Candidates are interviewed by two or more individuals. This process is commonly used
by governments and large organizations. It is important to maintain eye contact with
the person asking the question and give an answer with an example to support it.
Always acknowledge the other interviewers' presence by making eye contact while
answering rotating questions. Direct your attention at the beginning and end of your
response to the person who asked you that question. The questions asked in the
interview are often set out in advance. The board may already have decided which
answers they will accept/prefer for the questions. Ignore note-taking by board
members. Obtain employers' names prior to the interview and use them during the
conversation.
One-On-One Interviews
Candidates are interviewed by one person. These interviews tend to be more informal,
however, it always depends on the employer's style. The interviewer will often have a
series of prepared questions, but may have some flexibility in their choices. It is
important to maintain eye contact with the person interviewing you.
Impromptu Interviews
This interview commonly occurs when employers are approached directly and tends to
be very informal and unstructured. Applicants should be prepared at all times for
on-the-spot interviews, especially in situations such as a job fair or a cold call. It is an
ideal time for employers to ask the candidate some basic questions to determine
whether he/she may be interested in formally interviewing the candidate.
Second Interviews or Follow-Up Interviews
Employers invite those applicants they are seriously considering as an employee

following a screening or initial interview. These interviews are generally conducted by
middle or senior management, together or separately. Applicants can expect more
in-depth questions, and the employer will be expecting a greater level of preparation
on the part of the candidate. Applicants should continue to research the employer
following the first interview, and be prepared to use any information gained through
the previous interview to their advantage.
Dinner Interviews
The interviews may be structured, informal, or socially situated, such as in a

restaurant. Don't be the only one at the table to order an alcoholic drink, and if you
have an alcoholic drink, stop at one. Decide what to eat quickly, some interviewers will
ask you to order first (don't appear indecisive). Avoid potentially messy foods, such as
spaghetti. Be prepared for the conversation to abruptly change from 'friendly chat' to
direct interview questions, however, don't underestimate the value of casual
discussion, some employers place a great value on it.
Telephone Interviews
Have a copy of your resume and any points you want to remember to say nearby. If
you are on your home telephone, make sure that all roommates or family members are
aware of the interview (avoids loud stereos, etc.). Speak a bit slower than usual. It is
crucial that you convey your enthusiasm verbally, since the interviewer cannot see
your face. If there are pauses, don't worry, the interviewer is likely just making some
notes.
Group Interviews
Employers bringing several candidates together in a group situation to solve a problem
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are testing your ability to work in a team environment. They want to know how you will
present information to other people, offer suggestions, relate to other ideas, and work
to solve a problem. In short, they are testing your interpersonal skills. It is difficult to
prepare for this type of interview except to remember what is being testing and to use
the skills you have to be the best team player and/or leader you can be. Some
employers will take you to meet the staff who would be your co-workers if hired. This
is a very casual type of interview, but leaving a positive and friendly impression is no
less critical.
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HR Interviews
How To face The Interview

1.Are your work practices similar or different from ours?
(If Experienced)
2.Describe our (products/services).
3.Describe our company for me.
4.Describe our corporate environment for me.
5.Describe your work (methods/processes) in comparison to ours?
(If Experienced)
6.Do our competitors do things that we should be doing?
7.Do you have any concerns about working here?
8.Do you have any questions about (our/this) company?
9.Do you know how long we have been in business?
10.Do you know what products we make?
11.How could you have prevented your (judgmental) errors?
12.How do you think our company determines success?
13.How does you present employer communicate with others in your
deprtment? (If Experienced)
14.Tell me how you found out information about (our/this) company?
15.Tell me what you know about (our/this) company?
16.Was there anything your company could have done to be more
successful?
17.What about our company do you like best?
18.What about your present employer (do/did) you like best?
19.What advantages do you think our competitors have over us?
20.What advantages do you think we have over our competitors?
21.What are the greatest challenges that this company faces?
22.What concerns do you have about this company?
23.What direction do you think this company is headed in?
24.What do you dislike about our company?
25.What do you know about (our/this) company?
26.What do you know about (our/this) operation?
27.What do you know about our competitors?
28.What do you know about our customers?
29.What do you know about our products?
30.What do you know about our products or services?
31.What do you know about our stock?
32.What do you know about our web site?
33.What do you know about the way our company (works/operates)?
34.What do you know about this position?
35.What do you think are the challenges facing this company?
36.What do you think are the greatest challenges facing this company
in the near future?
37.What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like
ours?
38.What do you think it takes to be successful in our company?
39.What do you think the atmosphere here is like?
40.What is the financial stability of your last company?
41.What questions do you have about our organization?
42.What would make someone successful in our business?
43.What is the (best/worst) thing you have heard about (our/this)
company?
44. What is the (best/worst) thing you have heard about
(our/this) department?
Precautions to Take-up before you enter the Interview Room
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For your first few interviews your background is important - your

school, the medium and the place you studied in, all serve to give
the interviewer an idea about you. Carry a copy of the bio-data that
you have already sent, and the interview letter. Keep the extra copy
with you, just in case. Show the interview letter to the
receptionist/interviewer to establish your credentials, but keep this
letter with you. This gives you, for your future reference, a time
and date record of your interview, gives the official address of the
company for further correspondence and clarifications, and may give
you the name and designation of the person you are to report to.
Carry everything you need for the interview in a neat folder - do not
have loose papers cascading to the floor because you are desperately
hunting for the degree certificate, while the interviewers drum their
fingers impatiently. And don't carry your papers in a plastic or
cloth shopping bag either: invest in a good folder, plastic or even
leather.
Incidentally, don't feel shy or hesitant about calling up the office

and getting details about location, landmarks/bus routes/other
information to help you reach the venue of the interview. Again, if
it is not a "mass" interview, where lots of people are being
interviewed on the same day, and you do have a genuine difficulty
about reaching on the scheduled day/time, many employers will re-
schedule if you ask them nicely enough. The reverse is also true: a
good impression is created if you take the trouble to inform the
interviewer that you can/will not attend the interview. If you are in
the same town go and "case the joint" - see where the
office/interview centre is, and how long it will take you to get
there.
Always arrive at least fifteen minutes before your scheduled time -

that gives you time to catch your breath in case you climbed the
stairs too fast, allows you to compose yourself and not be too
nervous, and to check out the competition. If the interview is in the
offices of the company itself, this also allows you to get a "feel"
of the company. See how comfortable you feel, how efficient the
interview process is. Says a lot about what the rest of the company
is.
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Panel Interview
When you are facing a panel of interviewers, make your best moves.
Whether you are searching for jobs, looking for career avenues or climbing the corporate ladder,
you can't escape team interviews these days. The problem is that such interviews don't have a
pattern to them. They come in different forms. You could be facing your prospective team
members. Or you could be up against the top brass—HR vice-president, the section head, the
operations chief. Or you could also be sent to a recruitment assessment centre for
multi-parametric evaluation (psychological tests for pressure-handling abilities, team-player skills
and so on).
Try these ten tips for surviving, and scoring, in a team interview.
GIVE VARIETY TO YOUR ANSWERS
Remember you might be interviewed by different panels. Don't give a stock answer to all
of them. They'll be comparing notes.
Repackage your skills so that they sound different. If you're showcasing project X as your major
achievement in your present job before one team, talk about project B before another interview
panel.
A technical team will tune in to techie talk; an HR team would rather hear about your interpersonal
skills.
FINE-TUNE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Pull out the stops on your group management and group presentation skills.
Interviewers are people after all. Look for the personality type underscoring each interviewer.Then
try and connect with each one of them without getting personal. Usually the best way to make
contact is to project values that you feel you can share with your interviewers.
DON'T QUAKE IN YOUR BOOTS
● Interviewers are not ogres. They are looking for excuses to hire you, not spill your guts.
● Don't be obsequious. That conveys low self-esteem.
● If you face your interviewers with fear in your eyes, they won't like what they see. They are
NOT sadists.
PREPARE FOR STRESS
● You'll be up against a time crunch in a team interview.

● In one-on-ones, the interviewer might be taking notes, allowing you little breathers. No such
luck with four people firing questions at you. Use stress control techniques to soothe your
nerves. You might even use the extra adrenaline to sharpen your responses.
SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANT THINGS
● List seven important things that fit the job description of the advertised post. Prepare to
present skills that fit such traits.
● It helps to talk to friends familiar with the job description. You can even ask them to prepare
tests that you can take from them.
REHEARSE WELL
● Put together three family members or friends with diverse personality traits.
● Recreate the formality of a team interview situation and ask them to fire nonstop questions
at you. That will serve as a useful practice session.
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● Ask for serious feedback, especially about weak areas in your answers. Questions about
qualifications and work experience are usually generic, so what your mock team asks you is
bound to be pretty close to the real stuff.
CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE OF YOURSELF
Boost your self-confidence by seeing yourself as star performer who's a cut above. See
yourself answering with elan the questions you expect. Then replay your answers and
ask yourself these questions:
● How interesting were your observations?

● Did most of your responses begin the same way?
● Did you use 'we' often, suggesting team-player attributes?
● Are there traces of humour in your responses?
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS
● Research is integral to a good interview performance. Find out as much about you can about
the company concerned. Browse the Net, check company reports, put together news clips.
● Armed with your background brief, ask relevant questions about the company.
● If you think you have a bright idea about any ongoing activity, try this: "Did the company
consider this option ..."
LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS
● Your interview team has some core queries about you. It's these they want you to address.
Try and look beyond the upfront questions to decipher their exact intent. Then respond to fill
in what the team is really looking for.
● Flesh out your answers to focus on the team's concerns. If they ask you about your
perception of the company's ESOP policy, they want you to present your expectation from a
stock option plan.
● Answer in sync with the general tenor of the interview. If your work involves individual
research besides team work, don't go overboard about team-player abilities. Balance your
answer. Mention how sometimes individual work is more productive though team work is
needed to put into action ideas generated by individual research.
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Technical Interview
Move through Question Papers

Facing the technical interview of a company is an uphill task. It all depends on the mood of the interviewer and to an extent on your
appearance. If he is in a bad mood, the interview can be really tough. Otherwise you might have a slight consideration. Be prepared
for any questions from every section of your skill set. If the interviewer goes to a part of your skill, which you are not comfortable
with, try to divert his attention to some other part in which you are an expert. Try to explain things in a simple way and be precise
in your answers. If you don't know an answer admit it. DO NOT try to make up and answer. That might lessen your chances of
getting through.
Here are some of the FAQ's that can be asked in the technical interview
C- QUESTIONS JAVA QUESTIONS MICROPROCESSOR QUESTIONS
C++ QUESTIONS Advanced JAVA questions Operating System QUESTIONS
DATA STRUCTURE QUESTIONS ELECTRONICSQUESTIONS
C- Questions
1. What does static variable mean?
2. What is a pointer?
3. What is a structure?
4. What are the differences between structures and arrays?
5. In header files whether functions are declared or defined?
6. What are the differences between malloc() and calloc()?
7. What are macros? what are its advantages and disadvantages?
8. Difference between pass by reference and pass by value?
9. What is static identifier?
10. Where are the auto variables stored?
11. Where does global, static, local, register variables, free memory and C Program instructions get stored?
12. Difference between arrays and linked list?
13. What are enumerations?
14. Describe about storage allocation and scope of global, extern, static, local and register variables?
15. What are register variables? What are the advantage of using register variables?
16. What is the use of typedef?
17. Can we specify variable field width in a scanf() format string? If possible how?
18. Out of fgets() and gets() which function is safe to use and why?
19. Difference between strdup and strcpy?
20. What is recursion?
21. Differentiate between a for loop and a while loop? What are it uses?
22. What are the different storage classes in C?
23. Write down the equivalent pointer expression for referring the same element a[i][j][k][l]?
24. What is difference between Structure and Unions?
25. What the advantages of using Unions?
26. What are the advantages of using pointers in a program?
27. What is the difference between Strings and Arrays?
28. In a header file whether functions are declared or defined?
29. What is a far pointer? where we use it?
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30. How will you declare an array of three function pointers where each function receives two ints and returns
a float?
31. what is a NULL Pointer? Whether it is same as an uninitialized pointer?
32. What is a NULL Macro? What is the difference between a NULL Pointer and a NULL Macro?
33. What does the error 'Null Pointer Assignment' mean and what causes this error?
34. What is near, far and huge pointers? How many bytes are occupied by them?
35. How would you obtain segment and offset addresses from a far address of a memory location?
36. Are the expressions arr and &arr same for an array of integers?
37. Does mentioning the array name gives the base address in all the contexts?
38. Explain one method to process an entire string as one unit?
39. What is the similarity between a Structure, Union and enumeration?
40. Can a Structure contain a Pointer to itself?
41. How can we check whether the contents of two structure variables are same or not?
42. How are Structure passing and returning implemented by the complier?
43. How can we read/write Structures from/to data files?
44. What is the difference between an enumeration and a set of pre-processor # defines?
45. what do the 'c' and 'v' in argc and argv stand for?
46. Are the variables argc and argv are local to main?
47. What is the maximum combined length of command line arguments including the space between adjacent
arguments?
48. If we want that any wildcard characters in the command line arguments should be appropriately expanded,
are we required to make any special provision? If yes, which?
49. Does there exist any way to make the command line arguments available to other functions without
passing them as arguments to the function?
50. What are bit fields? What is the use of bit fields in a Structure declaration?
51. To which numbering system can the binary number 1101100100111100 be easily converted to?
52. Which bit wise operator is suitable for checking whether a particular bit is on or off?
53. Which bit wise operator is suitable for turning off a particular bit in a number?
54. Which bit wise operator is suitable for putting on a particular bit in a number?
55. Which bit wise operator is suitable for checking whether a particular bit is on or off?
56. which one is equivalent to multiplying by 2:Left shifting a number by 1 or Left shifting an unsigned int or
char by 1?
57. Write a program to compare two strings without using the strcmp() function.
58. Write a program to concatenate two strings.
59. Write a program to interchange 2 variables without using the third one.
60. Write programs for String Reversal & Palindrome check
61. Write a program to find the Factorial of a number
62. Write a program to generate the Fibinocci Series
63. Write a program which employs Recursion
64. Write a program which uses Command Line Arguments
65. Write a program which uses functions like strcmp(), strcpy()? etc
66. What are the advantages of using typedef in a program?
67. How would you dynamically allocate a one-dimensional and two-dimensional array of integers?
68. How can you increase the size of a dynamically allocated array?
69. How can you increase the size of a statically allocated array?
70. When reallocating memory if any other pointers point into the same piece of memory do you have to
readjust these other pointers or do they get readjusted automatically?
71. Which function should be used to free the memory allocated by calloc()?
72. How much maximum can you allocate in a single call to malloc()?
73. Can you dynamically allocate arrays in expanded memory?
74. What is object file? How can you access object file?
75. Which header file should you include if you are to develop a function which can accept variable number of
arguments?
76. Can you write a function similar to printf()?
77. How can a called function determine the number of arguments that have been passed to it?

78. Can there be at least some solution to determine the number of arguments passed to a variable argument
list function?
79. How do you declare the following:
❍ An array of three pointers to chars
❍ An array of three char pointers

❍ A pointer to array of three chars
❍ A pointer to function which receives an int pointer and returns a float pointer
❍ A pointer to a function which receives nothing and returns nothing
80. What do the functions atoi(), itoa() and gcvt() do?
81. Does there exist any other function which can be used to convert an integer or a float to a string?
82. How would you use qsort() function to sort an array of structures?
83. How would you use qsort() function to sort the name stored in an array of pointers to string?
84. How would you use bsearch() function to search a name stored in array of pointers to string?
85. How would you use the functions sin(), pow(), sqrt()?
86. How would you use the functions memcpy(), memset(), memmove()?
87. How would you use the functions fseek(), freed(), fwrite() and ftell()?
88. How would you obtain the current time and difference between two times?
89. How would you use the functions randomize() and random()?
90. How would you implement a substr() function that extracts a sub string from a given string?
91. What is the difference between the functions rand(), random(), srand() and randomize()?
92. What is the difference between the functions memmove() and memcpy()?
93. How do you print a string on the printer?
94. Can you use the function fprintf() to display the output on the screen?
C++- Questions Go Up
1. What is a class?
2. What is an object?
3. What is the difference between an object and a class?
4. What is the difference between class and structure?
5. What is public, protected, private?
6. What are virtual functions?
7. What is friend function?
8. What is a scope resolution operator?
9. What do you mean by inheritance?
10. What is abstraction?
11. What is polymorphism? Explain with an example.
12. What is encapsulation?
13. What do you mean by binding of data and functions?
14. What is function overloading and operator overloading?
15. What is virtual class and friend class?
16. What do you mean by inline function?
17. What do you mean by public, private, protected and friendly?
18. When is an object created and what is its lifetime?
19. What do you mean by multiple inheritance and multilevel inheritance? Differentiate between them.
20. Difference between realloc() and free?
21. What is a template?
22. What are the main differences between procedure oriented languages and object oriented languages?
23. What is R T T I ?
24. What are generic functions and generic classes?
25. What is namespace?
26. What is the difference between pass by reference and pass by value?
27. Why do we use virtual functions?

28. What do you mean by pure virtual functions?

29. What are virtual classes?
30. Does c++ support multilevel and multiple inheritance?
31. What are the advantages of inheritance?
32. When is a memory allocated to a class?
33. What is the difference between declaration and definition?
34. What is virtual constructors/destructors?
35. In c++ there is only virtual destructors, no constructors. Why?
36. What is late bound function call and early bound function call? Differentiate.
37. How is exception handling carried out in c++?
38. When will a constructor executed?
39. What is Dynamic Polymorphism?
40. Write a macro for swapping integers.
DATA STRUCTURE QUESTIONS Go Up
1. What is a data structure?

2. What does abstract data type means?
3. Evaluate the following prefix expression " ++ 26 + - 1324" (Similar types can be asked)
4. Convert the following infix expression to post fix notation ((a+2)*(b+4)) -1 (Similar types can be asked)
5. How is it possible to insert different type of elements in stack?
6. Stack can be described as a pointer. Explain.
7. Write a Binary Search program
8. Write programs for Bubble Sort, Quick sort
9. Explain about the types of linked lists
10. How would you sort a linked list?
11. Write the programs for Linked List (Insertion and Deletion) operations
12. What data structure would you mostly likely see in a non recursive implementation of a recursive
algorithm?
13. What do you mean by Base case, Recursive case, Binding Time, Run-Time Stack and Tail Recursion?
14. Explain quick sort and merge sort algorithms and derive the time-constraint relation for these.
15. Explain binary searching, Fibinocci search.
16. What is the maximum total number of nodes in a tree that has N levels? Note that the root is level (zero)
17. How many different binary trees and binary search trees can be made from three nodes that contain the
key values 1, 2 & 3?
18. A list is ordered from smaller to largest when a sort is called. Which sort would take the longest time to
execute?
19. A list is ordered from smaller to largest when a sort is called. Which sort would take the shortest time to
execute?
20. When will you sort an array of pointers to list elements, rather than sorting the elements themselves?
21. The element being searched for is not found in an array of 100 elements. What is the average number of
comparisons needed in a sequential search to determine that the element is not there, if the elements are
completely unordered?
22. What is the average number of comparisons needed in a sequential search to determine the position of an
element in an array of 100 elements, if the elements are ordered from largest to smallest?
23. Which sort show the best average behavior?
24. What is the average number of comparisons in a sequential search?
25. Which data structure is needed to convert infix notations to post fix notations?
26. What do you mean by:
❍ Syntax Error
❍ Logical Error
❍ Runtime Error
How can you correct these errors?
27. In which data structure, elements can be added or removed at either end, but not in the middle?
28. How will inorder, preorder and postorder traversals print the elements of a tree?

29. Parenthesis are never needed in prefix or postfix expressions. Why?
30. Which one is faster? A binary search of an orderd set of elements in an array or a sequential search of the
elements.
JAVA QUESTIONS Go Up
1. What is the difference between an Abstract class and Interface?

2. What is user defined exception?
3. What do you know about the garbage collector?
4. What is the difference between java and c++?
5. In an htm form I have a button which makes us to open another page in 15 seconds. How will you do that?
6. What is the difference between process and threads?
7. What is update method called?
8. Have you ever used HashTable and Directory?
9. What are statements in Java?
10. What is a JAR file?
11. What is JNI?
12. What is the base class for all swing components?
13. What is JFC?
14. What is the difference between AWT and Swing?
15. Considering notepad/IE or any other thing as process, What will happen if you start notepad or IE 3 times ?
Where three processes are started or three threads are started?
16. How does thread synchronization occur in a monitor?
17. Is there any tag in htm to upload and download files?
18. Why do you canvas?
19. How can you know about drivers and database information ?
20. What is serialization?
21. Can you load the server object dynamically? If so what are the 3 major steps involved in it?
22. What is the layout for toolbar?
23. What is the difference between Grid and Gridbaglayout?
24. How will you add panel to a frame?
25. Where are the card layouts used?
26. What is the corresponding layout for card in swing?
27. What is light weight component?
28. Can you run the product development on all operating systems?
29. What are the benefits if Swing over AWT?
30. How can two threads be made to communicate with each other?
31. What are the files generated after using IDL to java compiler?
32. What is the protocol used by server and client?
33. What is the functionability stubs and skeletons?
34. What is the mapping mechanism used by java to identify IDL language?
35. What is serializable interface?
36. What is the use of interface?
37. Why is java not fully objective oriented?
38. Why does java not support multiple inheritance?
39. What is the root class for all java classes?
40. What is polymorphism?
41. Suppose if we have a variable 'I' in run method, if I can create one or more thread each thread will occupy
a separate copy or same variable will be shared?
42. What are virtual functions?
43. Write down how will you create a Binary tree?
44. What are the traverses in binary tree?
45. Write a program for recursive traverse?
46. What are session variable in servlets?
47. What is client server computing?

48. What is constructor and virtual function? Can we call a virtual function in a constructor?
49. Why do we use oops concepts? What is its advantage?
50. What is middleware? What is the functionality of web server?
51. Why is java not 100% pure oops?
52. When will you use an interface and abstract class?
53. What is the exact difference in between Unicast and Multicast object? Where will it be used?
54. What is the main functionality of the remote reference layer?
55. How do you download stubs from Remote place?
56. I want to store more than 10 objects in a remote server? Which methodology will follow?
57. What is the main functionality of Prepared Statement?
58. What is meant by Static query and Dynamic query?
59. What are Normalization Rules? Define Normalization?
60. What is meant by Servelet? What are the parameters of service method?
61. What is meant by Session? Explain something about HTTP Session Class?
62. In a container there are 5 components. I want to display all the component names, how will you do that?
63. Why there are some null interface in JAVA? What does it mean? Give some null interface in JAVA?
64. Tell some latest versions in JAVA related areas?
65. What is meant by class loader? How many types are there? When will we use them?
66. What is meant by flickering?
67. What is meant by distributed application? Why are we using that in our application?
68. What is the functionality of the stub?
69. Explain about version control?
70. Explain 2-tier and 3-tier architecture?
71. What is the role of Web Server?
72. How can we do validation of the fields in a project?
73. What is meant by cookies? Explain the main features?
74. Why java is considered as platform independent?
75. What are the advantages of java over C++?
76. How java can be connected to a database?
77. What is thread?
78. What is difference between Process and Thread?
79. Does java support multiple inheritance? if not, what is the solution?
80. What are abstract classes?
81. What is an interface?
82. What is the difference abstract class and interface?
83. What are adapter classes?
84. what is meant wrapper classes?
85. What are JVM.JRE, J2EE, JNI?
86. What are swing components?
87. What do you mean by light weight and heavy weight components?
88. What is meant by function overloading and function overriding?
89. Does java support function overloading, pointers, structures, unions or linked lists?
90. What do you mean by multithreading?
91. What are byte codes?
92. What are streams?
93. What is user defined exception?
94. In an htm page form I have one button which makes us to open a new page in 15 seconds. How will you
do that?
Advanced JAVA questions Go Up
1. What is RMI?
2. Explain about RMI Architecture?
3. What are Servelets?

4. What is the use of servlets?
5. Explain RMI Architecture?
6. How will you pass values from htm page to the servlet?
7. How do you load an image in a Servelet?
8. What is purpose of applet programming?
9. How will you communicate between two applets?
10. What IS the difference between Servelets and Applets?
11. How do you communicate in between Applets and Servlets?
12. What is the difference between applet and application?
13. What is the difference between CGI and Servlet?
14. In the servlets, we are having a web page that is invoking servlets ,username and password? which is
checks in database? Suppose the second page also if we want to verify the same information whether it
will connect to the database or it will be used previous information?
15. What are the difference between RMI and Servelets?
16. How will you call an Applet using Java Script Function?
17. How can you push data from an Applet to a Servlet?
18. What are 4 drivers available in JDBC? At what situation are four of the drivers used?
19. If you are truncated using JDBC , how can you that how much data is truncated?
20. How will you perform truncation using JDBC?
21. What is the latest version of JDBC? What are the new features added in that?
22. What is the difference between RMI registry and OS Agent?
23. To a server method, the client wants to send a value 20, with this value exceeds to 20 a message should
be sent to the client . What will you do for achieving this?
24. How do you invoke a Servelet? What is the difference between doPost method and doGet method?
25. What is difference between the HTTP Servelet and Generic Servelet? Explain about their methods and
parameters?
26. Can we use threads in Servelets?
27. Write a program on RMI and JDBC using Stored Procedure?
28. How do you swing an applet?
29. How will you pass parameters in RMI? Why do you serialize?
30. In RMI ,server object is first loaded into memory and then the stub reference is sent to the client. true or
false?
31. Suppose server object not loaded into the memory and the client request for it. What will happen?
32. What is the web server used for running the servelets?
33. What is Servlet API used for connecting database?
34. What is bean? Where can it be used?
35. What is the difference between java class and bean?
36. Can we sent objects using Sockets?
37. What is the RMI and Socket?
38. What is CORBA?
39. Can you modify an object in corba?
40. What is RMI and what are the services in RMI?
41. What are the difference between RMI and CORBA?
42. How will you initialize an Applet?
43. What is the order of method invocation in an Applet?
44. What is ODBC and JDBC? How do you connect the Database?
45. What do you mean by Socket Programming?
46. What is difference between Generic Servlet and HTTP Servelet?
47. What you mean by COM and DCOM?
48. what is e-commerce?
Operating System Questions Go Up
1. What are the basic functions of an operating system?

2. Explain briefly about, processor, assembler, compiler, loader, linker and the functions executed by them.

3. What are the difference phases of software development? Explain briefly?
4. Differentiate between RAM and ROM?
5. What is DRAM? In which form does it store data?
6. What is cache memory?
7. What is hard disk and what is its purpose?
8. Differentiate between Complier and Interpreter?
9. What are the different tasks of Lexical analysis?
10. What are the different functions of Syntax phase, Sheduler?
11. What are the main difference between Micro-Controller and Micro- Processor?
12. Describe different job scheduling in operating systems.
13. What is a Real-Time System ?
14. What is the difference between Hard and Soft real-time systems ?
15. What is a mission critical system ?
16. What is the important aspect of a real-time system ?
17. If two processes which shares same system memory and system clock in a distributed system, What is it
called?
18. What is the state of the processor, when a process is waiting for some event to occur?
19. What do you mean by deadlock?
20. Explain the difference between microkernel and macro kernel.
21. Give an example of microkernel.
22. When would you choose bottom up methodology?
23. When would you choose top down methodology?
24. Write a small dc shell script to find number of FF in the design.
25. Why paging is used ?
26. Which is the best page replacement algorithm and Why? How much time is spent usually in each phases
and why?
27. Difference between Primary storage and secondary storage?
28. What is multi tasking, multi programming, multi threading?
29. Difference between multi threading and multi tasking?
30. What is software life cycle?
31. Demand paging, page faults, replacement algorithms, thrashing, etc.
32. Explain about paged segmentation and segment paging
33. While running DOS on a PC, which command would be used to duplicate the entire diskette?
MICROPROCESSOR QUESTIONS Go Up
1. Which type of architecture 8085 has?

2. How many memory locations can be addressed by a microprocessor with 14 address lines?
3. 8085 is how many bit microprocessor?
4. Why is data bus bi-directional?
5. What is the function of accumulator?
6. What is flag, bus?
7. What are tri-state devices and why they are essential in a bus oriented system?
8. Why are program counter and stack pointer 16-bit registers?
9. What does it mean by embedded system?
10. What are the different addressing modes in 8085?
11. What is the difference between MOV and MVI?
12. What are the functions of RIM, SIM, IN?
13. What is the immediate addressing mode?
14. What are the different flags in 8085?
15. What happens during DMA transfer?
16. What do you mean by wait state? What is its need?
17. What is PSW?
18. What is ALE? Explain the functions of ALE in 8085.

19. What is a program counter? What is its use?
20. What is an interrupt?
21. Which line will be activated when an output device require attention from CPU?
ELECTRONICS QUESTIONS Go Up
1. What is meant by D-FF?

2. What is the basic difference between Latches and Flip flops?
3. What is a multiplexer?
4. How can you convert an SR Flip-flop to a JK Flip-flop?
5. How can you convert an JK Flip-flop to a D Flip-flop?
6. What is Race-around problem? How can you rectify it?
7. Which semiconductor device is used as a voltage regulator and why?
8. What do you mean by an ideal voltage source?
9. What do you mean by zener breakdown and avalanche breakdown?
10. What are the different types of filters?
11. What is the need of filtering ideal response of filters and actual response of filters?
12. What is sampling theorem?
13. What is impulse response?
14. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of FIR filters compared to IIR counterparts.
15. What is CMRR? Explain briefly.
16. What do you mean by half-duplex and full-duplex communication? Explain briefly.
17. Which range of signals are used for terrestrial transmission?
18. What is the need for modulation?
19. Which type of modulation is used in TV transmission?
20. Why we use vestigial side band (VSB-C3F) transmission for picture?
21. When transmitting digital signals is it necessary to transmit some harmonics in addition to fundamental
frequency?
22. For asynchronous transmission, is it necessary to supply some synchronizing pulses additionally or to
supply or to supply start and stop bit?
23. BPFSK is more efficient than BFSK in presence of noise. Why?
24. What is meant by pre-emphasis and de-emphasis?
25. What do you mean by 3 dB cutoff frequency? Why is it 3 dB, not 1 dB?
26. What do you mean by ASCII, EBCDIC?
Back To

Team Interview
Nine Tips For Team Inter View.......

Whether you are searching for jobs, looking for career avenues or climbing the corporate ladder,
you can't escape team interviews these days. The problem is that such interviews don't have a
pattern to them. They come in different forms. You could be facing your prospective team
members. Or you could be up against the top brass—HR vice-president, the section head, the
operations chief. Or you could also be sent to a recruitment assessment centre for
multi-parametric evaluation (psychological tests for pressure-handling abilities, team-player skills
and so on).
Try these ten tips for surviving, and scoring, in a team interview.
GIVE VARIETY TO YOUR ANSWERS
Remember you might be interviewed by different panels. Don't give a stock answer to all
of them. They'll be comparing notes.
Repackage your skills so that they sound different. If you're showcasing project X as your major
achievement in your present job before one team, talk about project B before another interview
panel.
A technical team will tune in to techie talk; an HR team would rather hear about your interpersonal
skills.
FINE-TUNE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Pull out the stops on your group management and group presentation skills.
Interviewers are people after all. Look for the personality type underscoring each interviewer.Then
try and connect with each one of them without getting personal. Usually the best way to make
contact is to project values that you feel you can share with your interviewers.
DON'T QUAKE IN YOUR BOOTS
● Interviewers are not ogres. They are looking for excuses to hire you, not spill your guts.
● Don't be obsequious. That conveys low self-esteem.
● If you face your interviewers with fear in your eyes, they won't like what they see. They are
NOT sadists.
PREPARE FOR STRESS
● You'll be up against a time crunch in a team interview.

● In one-on-ones, the interviewer might be taking notes, allowing you little breathers. No such
luck with four people firing questions at you. Use stress control techniques to soothe your
nerves. You might even use the extra adrenaline to sharpen your responses.
SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANT THINGS
● List seven important things that fit the job description of the advertised post. Prepare to
present skills that fit such traits.
● It helps to talk to friends familiar with the job description. You can even ask them to prepare
tests that you can take from them.
REHEARSE WELL
● Put together three family members or friends with diverse personality traits.
● Recreate the formality of a team interview situation and ask them to fire nonstop questions
at you. That will serve as a useful practice session.
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● Ask for serious feedback, especially about weak areas in your answers. Questions about
qualifications and work experience are usually generic, so what your mock team asks you is
bound to be pretty close to the real stuff.
CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE OF YOURSELF
Boost your self-confidence by seeing yourself as star performer who's a cut above. See
yourself answering with elan the questions you expect. Then replay your answers and
ask yourself these questions:
● How interesting were your observations?

● Did most of your responses begin the same way?
● Did you use 'we' often, suggesting team-player attributes?
● Are there traces of humour in your responses?
ASK GOOD QUESTIONS
● Research is integral to a good interview performance. Find out as much about you can about
the company concerned. Browse the Net, check company reports, put together news clips.
● Armed with your background brief, ask relevant questions about the company.
● If you think you have a bright idea about any ongoing activity, try this: "Did the company
consider this option ..."
LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS
● Your interview team has some core queries about you. It's these they want you to address.
Try and look beyond the upfront questions to decipher their exact intent. Then respond to fill
in what the team is really looking for.
● Flesh out your answers to focus on the team's concerns. If they ask you about your
perception of the company's ESOP policy, they want you to present your expectation from a
stock option plan.
● Answer in sync with the general tenor of the interview. If your work involves individual
research besides team work, don't go overboard about team-player abilities. Balance your
answer. Mention how sometimes individual work is more productive though team work is
needed to put into action ideas generated by individual research.
http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/teamint.htm (2 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:46 AM]

Campus Interview
7 Commandments for Success in Campus Interviews :
Campus Interview … Hmm… is what one looks forward to
with enthusiasm , fear and excitement towards the beginning of the final year .
For some it's a make or break, atleast that's the way it's looked at and for some it's a matter of
pride. The constant thought in one's mind is - what shall make this click! What is it that the
interviewer is looking in me!
Here's what we look for when we visit the various campuses. This by no means is an exhaustive
list but is a good indication of the expectations and the mean s to meet these. We present you the
7-Commandments.
1. Know Thyself!
Not everyone is good in each and every field. Each one of us has our fortes and weaknesses too.
But that's not a stumbling block! What we look for are people who know their area of specialization
and are an expert in it. Therefore, it pays to be a master in some fields if not the jack of all.
The most common mistakes many make is to profess knowing a field of which they know little
about. Remember that huge and bulky resumes are as tough to read as they are to make. So,
identify your skill set, and keep your resumes simple and straight. Know your limits and polish on
your strengths.
2. Testing What You Know and NOT What You Don't.
Many interviewers may ask the student the subjects that she/he wishes to be interviewed upon.
Eureka !! Here's a golden opportunity. Answer this wisely! Never end up choosing a difficult subject
that you know only little about, rather choose the one you are most confident of.
3. Rack Your Brain - Analyze
The interview is not just limited to testing your knowledge base, but we are also interested in
knowing your ability to apply it. Often questions that need to be solved then and there are asked.
Now keep in mind - the right answer is not the only thing being looked at. The focus area is also
the way in which you attack the problem i.e. approach to problem solving is equally important.
So, remember to put your thinking caps on!
4. Ask for Help!
Murphy chooses to strike at the appropriate time! Inspite of the fact that you may know something
very well, it might just slip your mind. After all, heavy preparation does takes its toll. Who better
to ask for help than the poser of the question (of course, don't try this too often!)!
Remember the interviewer is not there to grill the confidence out of you, but to bring forth the best
in. Just in case you are stuck, ask for a hint. Things might just click. Also, stay alert for clues.
5. What are your biggest accomplishments
You may like to begin your reply with: "Although I feel my biggest achievements are still ahead of
me, I am proud of my involvement with……I made my contribution as part of that team and learnt
a lot in the process".
It will be a good idea to close your answer with also specifying what attributes and circumstances
made you succeed.
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6. Be Calm, have Clear Verbal and Sound Non-Verbal Communication
Calmness shows emotional maturity. True, being calm in a job interview is a difficult proposition,
but then that is where it is required! Calmness does not imply being unenthusiastic or apathetic
during the interview, but knowing that you are nervous and not letting it come in the way. A clear
verbal communication implies clarity of the thought process.
One should also watch out for the impressions made in non-verbal communication. Body language
and facial expressions can assist you in establishing a good rapport with the interviewer. Pauses,
silences and gestures may all indicate what you mean, understand, or would like to emphasize.
7. Two-Way Exchange Process
The interview process is a two-way exchange of information. Make sure you also understand about
the company, its activities, job requirements. The company is in need for good candidates and you
need a good company to launch your career.
Interview is an opportunity to present yourself and your skills to your best advantage. Make sure
you make the most out of it. And YOU are the best one to do it!!
Good Luck!
Adarsh John
H. R. Manager
Cassius Technologies
http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/campint.htm (2 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:47 AM]

Basics
The Basic Things

In addition to doing research and practicing your answers to common interview
questions, you should be aware of general interview etiquette. Remember the following
points when preparing for an interview:
Review your resume, and make sure that you can explain everything on it. Arrive at
the interview ten minutes early to give yourself an opportunity to collect your thoughts
and relax. Be aware that many employers will have their receptionists record the time
you came in. If you rush in at the last minute, an employer may have serious concerns
about your ability to arrive on time for a normal day at work.
Get a good night's sleep before your interview. You will think more effectively in the
interview if you are rested. Also, yawning will not impress anyone. Eat something
before the interview. If you are worried about your stomach growling, you will not be
able to concentrate on the questions.
Dress appropriately for the position that you are applying to. Try to dress like the
people who work there would dress if they were representing their organization at
some function. If you are unsure about what to wear, always err on the side of being
too dressed up.
Make sure that you are clean, neat, and well-groomed. Interviewers do notice your
appearance, and first impressions are critical in an interview situation.
Take a copy of your resume, transcript, references and perhaps a portfolio or work
samples with you. Also take a pen and paper, as you may wan to record some
important information.
http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/basics.htm [8/6/2004 10:39:50 AM]

Interview Preparation
The Interview
Interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to gather
information. The employer wants to know if you, the applicant, have the skills,
knowledge, self-confidence, and motivation necessary for the job. At this point you can
be confident that the employer saw something of interest in your resume. He or she
also wants to determine whether or not you will fit in with the organization's current
employees and philosophy. Similarly, you will want to evaluate the position and the
organization, and determine if they will fit into your career plans. The interview is a
two-way exchange of information. It is an opportunity for both parties to market
themselves. The employer is selling the organization to you, and you are marketing
your skills, knowledge, and personality to the employer.
Interview Preparation
Research is a critical part of preparing for an interview. If you haven't done your
homework, it is going to be obvious. Spend time researching and thinking about
yourself, the occupation, the organization, and questions you might ask at the end of
the interview.
Step 1: Know Yourself

The first step in preparing for an interview is to do a thorough self-assessment so that
you will know what you have to offer an employer. It is very important to develop a
complete inventory of skills, experience, and personal attributes that you can use to
market yourself to employers at any time during the interview process. In developing
this inventory, it is easiest to start with experience. Once you have a detailed list of
activities that you have done (past jobs, extra-curricular involvements, volunteer work,
school projects, etc.), it is fairly easy to identify your skills.
Simply go through the list, and for each item ask yourself "What could I have learned
by doing this?" "What skills did I develop?" "What issues/circumstances have I learned
to deal with?" Keep in mind that skills fall into two categories - technical and generic.
Technical skills are the skills required to do a specific job. For a laboratory assistant,
technical skills might include knowledge of sterilization procedures, slide preparation,
and scientific report writing. For an outreach worker, technical skills might include
counselling skills, case management skills, or program design and evaluation skills
Generic skills are those which are transferable to many work settings. Following is a list
of the ten most marketable skills. You will notice that they are all generic.
● Analytical/Problem Solving
● Flexibility/Versatility
● Interpersonal
● Oral/Written Communication
● Organization/Planning
● Time Management
● Motivation
● Leadership
● Self-Starter/Initiative
● Team Player
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Often when people think of skills, they tend to think of those they have developed in
the workplace. However, skills are developed in a variety of settings. If you have ever
researched and written a paper for a course, you probably have written communication
skills. Team sports or group projects are a good way to develop the skills required of a
team player and leader. Don't overlook any abilities you may have
When doing the research on yourself, identifying your experience and skills is
important, but it is not all that you need to know. Consider the answers to other
questions such as:
● How have I demonstrated the skills required in this position?
● What are my strong points and weak points?
● What are my short term and long term goals?
● What can I offer this particular employer?

● What kind of environment do I like? (i.e. How do I like to be supervised? Do I like
a fast pace?)
● What do I like doing?
● Apart from my skills and experience, what can I bring to this job?
Step 2: Know the Occupation

The second step in preparing for an interview is to research the occupation. This is
necessary because in order to present a convincing argument that you have the
experience and skills required for that occupation, you must first know what those
requirements and duties are. With this information uncovered, you can then match the
skills you have (using the complete skills/experience inventory you have just prepared)
with the skills you know people in that occupational field need. The resulting "shortlist"
will be the one that you need to emphasize during the interview.
It is also in your best interest to identify the approximate starting salary for that
position, or those similar. There are several ways to find out about an occupation:
● Acquire a copy of the job description from the employer (Human
● Resources/Personnel) or check with Student Employment Services. If you are

responding to an advertisement, this may also supply some details.
The Career Resource Centre has general information files on a variety of occupations.
Make sure you have read through the appropriate file and are updated on the
occupation. If you belong to a professional association related to the occupation, use
its resources. These associations often publish informative newsletters and sponsor
seminars. It is also a good way to meet people working in the field. Conduct
information interviews with people working in the field. Read articles about people in
the occupation, and articles written by people in the occupation. Sources include
newspapers, magazines and the internet. Find out what the future trends are in the
area. Is technology changing the job?
Step 3: Know the Organization

The more you know about an organization, the better prepared you will be to discuss
how you can meet its needs. Some of the characteristics that you should know about
an organization are:
● Where is it located?
● How big is it?
● What are its products and who does it serve?
● How is the organization structured?
● What is its history?

● Have there been any recent changes, new developments?
There are a number of ways in which you can access this information. Most medium- to
large-sized organizations publish information about themselves. You can access this a
number of ways:
● On campus at the Student Employment Services (company literature and

business directories) or at the Drake Centre Library

● The Winnipeg Centennial Library has a business microfiche with information on

over 5000 Canadian companies and business directories
● Many companies have internet home pages which you can locate by searching by
industry and company name
● Finally, you can visit or phone the organization and request some information on
their products, services or areas of research
If the organization is fairly small, or fairly new, there may not be much information
published. In this case, it will be necessary to do an information interview. Contact
someone within the organization, introduce yourself, explain that you are considering
moving into the field, and ask if it would be possible to meet with him/her to inquire
about the company/organization and about what exactly the position would involve.
Step 4: Prepare Questions

Having completed your background research, you are now ready to prepare questions
to ask the
interviewer(s). Try to think of questions for which the answer was not readily available
in company
literature. Intelligent well thought-out questions will demonstrate your genuine interest
in the position. Be
careful how many questions you ask, however, as too many can imply you feel the
interview was not
successfully run. Pick your questions with care - this is your chance to gather
information, so ask about
what you really want to know. Avoid sounding critical by mentioning negative
information you may have
discovered. This is one of the most effective ways to compare different employers, so
for issues of
particular importance to you (for example, whether they support staff upgrading), you
should ask the same
questions of each employer. Some sample questions are:
● What are the most significant factors affecting your business today? How have changes in
technology most affected your business today?
● How has your business/industry been affected by the recession?

● How has your company grown or changed in the last couple of years?
● What future direction do you see the company taking?

● Where is the greatest demand for your services or product?
● Where is most of the pressure from increased business felt in this company?
● Which department feels it the most?
● How do you differ from your competitors?
● How much responsibility will I be given in this position?
● What do you like about working with this organization?

● Can you tell me more about the training program?
● Have any new product lines been introduced recently?
● How much travel is normally expected?

● What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance?
● Will I work independently or as part of a team?

● How did you advance to your position?
● What are the career paths available in this organization?

● When can I expect to hear from you regarding this position?
It is very important to ask the last question because employers want to hire individuals
who are interested in the position - and asking this question definitely helps to
demonstrate interest on your part. Exercise judgement when asking questions to an
employer. When being interviewed by a large company that has a high profile, one
would not ask the question
"What is the history of your company and how was your company started?" You can
find the answer to this question in the company's annual report or articles in
magazines/newspapers. However, small- and medium-sized companies do not always
produce publicly available annual reports and it may be difficult to access information
on the company and its role in the industry. This question is appropriate if you have
exercised all other ways to find out the answer.

Dressing Right for The Interview

Preparations
Let's say you are going for an interview tomorrow. You have prepared yourself well for
the occasion - anticipating the questions and getting ready the answers - but have you
given a thought to what you will wear?
If you have not peeked into your wardrobe yet, it's time to take a real hard look now.
Your application's fate depends not just on how well you answer the interview
questions, but also on how well you project yourself physically. The first impression
your interviewer makes about you is based on the way you look, and you know what
they say about first impressions. According to Joe Hodowanes, J.M. Wanes and
Associates career strategy advisor, "The way a person dresses is the single biggest
non-verbal communication you make about yourself." The right dressing is a measure
of the seriousness that you place on the position, as a person normally spends time on
his looks if he considers an event important enough.
"Although proper dressing by itself will not get you the job, a poor dress sense may
exclude you from further consideration," warns Gerry Ditching, managing partner of
Filgifts.com. Besides, given two equally good applicants, the company may choose to
hire the person who is dressed more professionally. Here are some tips to give you a
headstart.
Men
Long-sleeved shirt and dark slacks. White is still the safest and the best color
for shirts. The colour is also appropriate for our tropical weather. Also
acceptable: pale shades such as beige, blue, and other pastels.
Tuck in the shirt and do not roll up the sleeves. Never wear a short-sleeved shirt to an
interview or any business purpose. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt will destroy your
executive image.
Ties. Optional. But if you do wear one, choose a conservative pattern. Solids, small
polka dots, diagonal stripes, small repeating shapes, subtle plaids and paisleys are all
acceptable.
Belts. Belts should match your shoes. Those with smaller buckles with squared lines
look more professional.
Socks. Black socks are the best, followed by blue or gray, depending on your attire.
Never wear white socks! Check your sock length, too--no skin should show when you
sit down or cross your legs. Shoes. Black or burgundy leather shoes with laces on
them, because tassel loafers are very casual. Other suitable colors are brown, cordovan
and navy.
Hair. Keep neat, short and preferably parted on the side. And shave off all those facial
hair.
Jewellery. Wear no or little jewellery. The watch and wedding ring are the only
acceptable pieces of jewellery to go with the male attire. Thin gold or leather-strapped
watches look professional but not digital watches. Also, avoid political or religious
insignias, necklaces or bracelets. Definitely no pierced body parts, and cover up your
tattoos!
Accessories. As much as possible, use leather briefcases or folders to hold copies of

your resume. Use narrow briefcases and avoid plastic folders and plastic ball pens as
they are out of place.
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Women
Three-piece business suits, blouse and skirt or slacks, and cardigan twin-sets.
Sleeveless shirts should be rejected. Short-sleeved blouses are okay when they are
tailor-cut or have features such as a sports collar or double breast design to create a
business-like look. Skirts can either be long provided it does not create a Cinderella or
barn-dance look or short where it falls no shorter than two inches from the knee.
Nothing too revealing, please!
Panty-hose or stockings. A must for professional grooming, but nothing with overly
fussy patterns. Bring an extra pair, just in case the ones you are wearing run.
Shoes. Closed shoes or pumps with at least 1½-inch heels suggest a more professional
look. Dark colors are best.
Hair. Hair longer than shoulder length should be worn up or pulled back. Don't let it
fall in front of your face and don't keep trying to fix it during the interview. Avoid large
hair ornaments and trendy hairstyles.
Make-up. Be subtle; natural is the key word. Light shades of lip coloring and nail
polish are recommended.
Jewellery. Be conservative. Studs of gold, silver or pearls are best. Do away with
gaudy fashion jewelers, and those that clank and make noise when one moves.
Accessories. Folders and bags should blend well with the total professional look.
Women should match their purse with their shoe colour.
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Etiquette that you should have

Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table
Hone your interview etiquette................ Churn the right mix of deportment, attitude and
dressingskills for a great job talk !
Never make the big mistake of treating an interview lightly. It's not an impromptu thing where
you depend on your improvisation skills. An interview requires careful thought and planning
before you take it. Keeping in mind some basic attitudes and presentation techniques will help
you sail through it with panache.
So if you thought that going for an interview just meant pulling your best suit out of the
wardrobe and updating your resume, please think again. You are forgetting the other
essentials: body language, basic etiquette and attitude.
Remember that you are actually selling an entire package and the packaging, in this case, is as
relevant as the product inside. Ultimately you are presenting yourself as a valuable
professional to a new job environment. And you can't do that without minding the basic
interview etiquette to get you ahead of the rest of the pack.
An interview is the sum total of many parts. It's not just what you say but how you say it that
matters equally. So it's good to brush up on more than just your training skills when you do go
in for an interview.
ATTIRE
How you dress for an interview is perhaps as relevant as the way you lay out your resume.
Says Nina Kochar of Upgrade Management Services, an organisation which coaches'
executives in the basic rules of corporate etiquette: "A person who is sloppy in appearance
shows a sloppy personality, so you have to be decently dressed." Of course, decently dressed
does not necessarily mean being dressed to the gills. In most cases, this would mean you
would wear long sleeved shirts and a pair of formal trousers. In fact, Nina Kochar does not
recommend suits, especially for younger people. "A lot of young people do not have the
money to invest in suits, consequently, they wear ill-fitting or borrowed suits and that looks
even worse. A tie, shirt and pant should do the trick for most junior level positions."
Most HR experts would also tell you to mind the accessories like ties, belts and shoes. To be
sure, badly matched shoes and ties can have a jarring effect on an interviewer. Similarly,
please avoid heavy jewellery or personal accessories as they would look incongruous on you.
ENTRANCE AND INTRODUCTION
Even though most of us are primed for the basic grilling that we would face during the
interview, we seldom pay attention to the way we enter an interview room or how we
introduce ourselves. Says Subhashish Mitra, deputy manager, Essar Cellphones: "A lot of
people do not think it important to knock properly while entering the interview room. They
assume that as an interview is taking place, the panel will be expecting them. To my mind this
is a very major faux pas which really jars."
In fact, the best way to enter an interview is to knock, ask for permission to enter and then
wait for a while before you actually sit down. Few interviewees know this but the interview
panel needs a little quiet time to discuss the previous candidate before they get around to the
next one. So your silence till you actually get seated would be very valuable. Try and keep a
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bag with you for all your papers and certificates; make sure this bag is an unobtrusive as
possible.
ATTITUDE AND RESPONSE
This is a grey area for most interview candidates. While dressing up and resume writing are
skills you can Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table handle with a little
practice, cultivating the right attitude as an interviewee requires a lot of patience and reading
between the lines. The usual complaint of most interviewers is that few interviewees are able
to stri perhaps the best thing you can do for getting your answer right. Most interviewers like
to give a lead to the candidate in the way they ask the question, so it's entirely up to you to
note facial expressions and the tone of the words.
Do you show your certificates immediately to the interview panel?
Not till you are asked actually. You might already have sent in your resume, so you shouldn't
try and offload all your achievements and skills onto the panel till a turn in the interview leads
to such a situation.
Try and take cues form the tonal variations, facial expressions and thrust of questions from the
interview panel. That in itself will give you a clue as to where this interview is heading.
TEN THINGS THAT AN INTERVIEWER LOOKS IN YOU!
1. Family Background
2. Education
3. Experience
4. Stability
5. Initiative
6. General Ability
7. Interpersonal Skills
8. Confidence
9. Aptitude
10. Pleasant Looks
How one wished that an interview were a simple meeting of minds and hearts. Just one casual
meeting where an employee's future gets sealed. Unfortunately, it's not something as
pre-ordained as you would like it to be; it's a pre-meditated exercise which fetches you
dividends only if your homework is done right.
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Resume Preparation
Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer
Your resume is the first interface you have with your employer. Make the most of this
opportunity............. The employment market is changing all the time and so have
resumes, evolving from a one-size-fits-all standard. Here are our tips to convert your
resume into a catching one.
Follow These Basic Standards....
● Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.
● Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.
● Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.
● Use a font that is easy to read. Times Roman works well.
● Do not justify the lines of type on your resume. Allow the right side of the page
to "rag."
● Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.
● Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resume and
all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.
● Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.
● Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoided

● Print on one side of the paper only.
Avoid Mistakes:
Spelling Mistakes:
To avoid spelling mistakes:
● Don't use words with which you aren't familiar.
● Use a dictionary as you write.
● Perform a spell check on your finished resume.
● Carefully read every word in your resume.
● Have a friend or two proof read your resume for you.
Punctuation Mistakes:
Things to look for:
● Periods at the end of all full sentences.
● Be consistent in your use of punctuation.
● Always put periods and commas within quotation marks.
● Avoid using exclamation points.
Grammatical Mistakes:
Grammar hang-ups to watch for:
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● Do not switch tenses within your resume.
● The duties you currently perform should be in present tense (i.e., write reports)
● Duties you may have performed at past jobs should be in past tense (i.e., wrote
reports).
● Capitalize all proper nouns.
● When expressing numbers, write out all numbers between one and nine (i.e.,
one, five, seven), but
● use numerals for all numbers 10 and above (i.e., 10, 25, 108).
● If you begin a sentence with a numeral, spell out that numeral (e.g. Eleven
service awards won while employed.).
● Make sure your date formats are consistent (i.e.11/22/01 or Nov. 22, 2001, or
11.22.01. Choose one and stick with it.).
● Choose Your Words Carefully:
● Phrase yourself well:
● Be on the lookout for the following easily confused words:

● accept (to receive), except (to exclude)
● all right (correct), alright (this is not a word)

● affect (to bring about change), effect (result)
● personal (private), personnel (staff members)

● role (a character assigned or a function), roll (to revolve).
● Use action words (i.e., wrote reports, increased revenues, directed staff).
References:
In most instances it is not necessary to include names and address of references on

the resume. If you include a reference, make it sure that the referenced person knows
very well about you. It is also advisable to add the persons as references, whom the
employer can contact easily. If possible add the phone number and e-mail ID of the
reference. Never add a person as a reference, about whom you know nothing
STICK TO THE POINT
Employers have a busy schedule, so don't expect them to read through a long resume.
Ideally, resumes should be of one page, or of two pages only if absolutely necessary,
to describe relevant work experience.
WORDS COUNT
Use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer

quickly and efficiently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly written,
compelling resume. Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). If you provide small,
digestible pieces of information, your resume will be read. Use action verbs. Verbs such
as "developed", "managed", and "designed" emphasise your accomplishments. Don't
use declarative sentences like "I developed the ..." or "I assisted in ...", leave out the
"I". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was responsible for managing". Just say,
"managed": that sounds stronger and more active.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE
Employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can
do for them. Don't be vague. Telling someone that you "improved the company's
efficiency" doesn't say much. But if you say that you "cut overhead costs by 20 per
cent and saved the company Rs 20 lakh during the last fiscal year", you are more
specific.
HONESTY IS A GOOD POLICY
Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your
accomplishments. There is a difference between making the most of your experience
and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can cost you the job later.
DOUBLE-CHECK FOR MISTAKES

Check your resume for correct grammar and spelling - evidence of good
communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a
job faster than submitting a resume filled with preventable mistakes. Make your
resume easy on the eye. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the
sides) and don't cram your text on the page. Allow for some space between the
different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic fonts. Preferred fonts: Arial and Times
Roman

Interview Questions
Type of Questions
Interviewers use five different types of questions - directive, non-directive,
hypothetical, behavior descriptive, and stress. Being aware of the different types can
help you in the preparation stage as you build your skills inventory. It may also help
you focus in on exactly what is being asked and what the employer is looking for in
specific questions.
Directive Questions
The interviewer determines the focus of your answer. The information that the interviewer
wants is very clear. If you have completed the research on yourself, this type of question
should be easy to answer.
Example: "What skills do you have that relate to this position?"
"I have very good communication and interpersonal skills that I have refined through several
summer and part-time jobs working with the public. In addition, I am fluent in both English
and French."
Non-Directive Questions
You determine the focus of your answer. The interviewer asks a general question and
does not ask for specific information. The most common non-directive question is
"Tell me about yourself."

When answering the question, keep in mind that the employer is interested in knowing
how your background and personality qualify you for the job. In your answer, you
should cover four areas: your education, related experience, skills and abilities, and
personal attributes. As you talk about these areas, relate them to the job you are
seeking. Decide what your response will be before starting to speak, this helps to keep
responses concise.
Example: " Tell me about yourself."

"I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, and have recently completed the course
in Volunteer Management through the Volunteer Center of Winnipeg. These have given me a
strong background in many of the principles of human behavior and the recruitment, training,
and supervision of volunteers. I have experience in working with young adults in a helping
capacity, both through my position as a Peer Advisor at the University of Manitoba, and as a
camp counselor at a camp for behaviorally troubled adolescents. Both of these positions
involved individual counseling, facilitating discussion groups, and teaching young people
about health issues - all of which relate directly to the services which I would be training
volunteers to provide within your organization. In addition, I thoroughly enjoy working with
young people, and can establish rapport with them easily."
Hypothetical or Scenario Questions
When asking a hypothetical question, the interviewer describes a situation, which you may
encounter in the position and asks how you would react in a similar situation. This is a good
way to test problem-solving abilities. When answering this type of question, try applying a
simple problem solving model to it – gather information, evaluate the information, priories the
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information, seek advice, weigh the alternatives, make a decision, communicate the decision,
monitor the results and modify if necessary.
Example: "Suppose you are working your first day in our laboratory, and a fire at a nearby
work station breaks out. What would you do?"
"Before I start working in any laboratory, I always locate the emergency equipment, such as
eye washes, fire blankets and alarms. I would also review the safety protocols. So in this
situation, I would be aware of these. As soon as I noticed the fire, I would shut down my
experiment and if the fire is significant, I would pull the firm alarm and help to evacuate the
lab. In the case of very small flame, I would ask the staff member at the station what I could
do to help, Which would vary with the type of substances involved.”
Behavior Descriptive or Behavioral Questions

This type of question is becoming increasingly popular in interview situations. It asks what
you did in a particular situation rather than what you would do. Situations chosen usually
follow the job description fairly closely. Some employers feel that examples of past
performance will help them to predict future performance in similar situations. There is no
right or wrong answer to this type of question, but keep in mind that you should relate the
answer to the position. If you are interviewing for a research position, talk about a research
project you completed.
Example: "Give me an example of a work situation in which you were proud of your
performance."
"While working as a sales representative for XYZ Company for the summer, I called on
Prospective clients and persuaded them of the ecological and economic benefits of Recycling.
I also followed up on clients to ensure that they were satisfied with the service They received.
This involved both telephone and in-person contacts. I increased sales 34% over the same
period in the previous year."
When preparing for this type of questioning, it is crucial that you review the skills and
qualities that the position would require and identify specific examples from your past
which demonstrated those traits.
Stress Questions
Some questions will surprise you and possibly make you feel uncomfortable during an
interview. For
Example:" Which do you prefer, fruits or vegetables?" There are many reasons why an
interviewer might ask such questions. They may want to see how you react in difficult
situations, or they may simply be trying to test your sense of humor. Such questions may
directly challenge an opinion that you have just stated or say something negative about you or
a reference. Sometimes they ask seemingly irrelevant questions such as,
"If you were an animal, what type of animal would you be?"
The best way to deal with this type of question is to recognize what is happening. The
interviewer is trying to elicit a reaction from you. Stay calm, and do not become
defensive. If humour comes naturally to you, you might try using it in your response,
but it is important to respond to the question. What you say is not nearly as important
as maintaining your composure.
Example: "Which do you like better, Lions or Tigers?"

"Oh, lions definitely. They appear so majestic and are very sociable. To be honest, I think that
seeing The Lion King four times has probably contributed to this!"
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Answering Interview Questions

Way of Answering
Regardless of what type of question you are asked, you will find it easier to respond effectively if
you keep in mind some basic question answering strategies:
You can never predict every question that you will encounter, so approach the interview with an
inventory of important points. Make a list of the points about yourself that you want the
interviewer to know. For example, if you were to apply for a job as a Sales Representative, you
might want to list the products you have sold before, types of customers (by industry, age, etc.),
languages spoken, personal experience in that industry and related knowledge (perhaps from your
academic program).
Consider each question an opportunity to provide some of this information. Don't assume anything.
You will be evaluated on your answers, not your resume. Therefore, ensure you incorporate
the relevant information from your resume in your answers.
Pause a couple of seconds before you respond to each question, even if you know exactly what you
want to say. Take this time to quickly plan your answer, this helps to avoid misunderstandings and
produces much more concise answers.
If you don't understand a question, ask for clarification. This is expected and is preferable to
providing an unsuitable answer. If you need time to collect your thoughts - take it. When people
are nervous they tend either to "draw a blank" or to babble. It is better to think for a few moments
and make sure that your answer is doing you justice and that there is a point to what you are
saying.
Always expand. Never answer a question with a "yes" or "no."
The interview is an opportunity for you to sell yourself. Don't be afraid to 'blow your own horn.' As
long as you can back up what you are saying with examples which demonstrate that what you are
saying is true, you are not bragging. Third party observations can also be mentioned. For example,
"My last employer told me that I was promoted because of how I handled conflicts with clients."
Be very positive. Don't complain about anything - from your former employer to the weather - and
don't apologize for experience that you don't have. Just sell what you do have and let the
employer decide if you have what he/she is looking for. Also, avoid negative words. For example,
you would not say "I have a little experience...," you would say "I have experience......"
Don't be afraid to repeat important points. In fact, it is a good idea to do this.
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Through Interview Process

Go Through The Process

There are many different types of interviews designed to serve different purposes or
situations. Regardless of the type of interview, most will incorporate the following
stages: establishing rapport, exchanging information, and closing the interview. Pay
attention to the job titles of the interviewer(s). This can help you decide how much
technical detail to provide in your responses.
Establishing Rapport
This is a very important part of the interview because while establishing rapport, first
impressions are made, and the tone of the interview is set. Some people suggest that
the decision to hire is greatly influenced by the first five minutes of the interview. A
good interviewer will introduce him/herself, and take the lead. Follow his or her lead -
if they are chatty, be chatty; if they are formal, be formal. Some employers use what
seems to be casual conversation to get to know you on a more personal level – this
may be crucial to a hiring decision!
Tips:
● Smile and maintain eye contact. This is one way of communicating confidence,
even if you don't feel it.
● If the interviewer offers his or her hand, shake it firmly. If they don't, it is
appropriate to offer yours.
● Wait until the interviewer sits or offers you a seat before sitting down.
● If the interviewer is making small talk, participate. Keep your answers short and
positive.
Exchange of Information
This is the bulk of the interview. It is your opportunity to let the interviewer know what
you have to offer, and your chance to learn more about the organization.
Tips:
● When you answer a question, look the interviewer in the eye.
● Be aware of the interviewer's reactions. If he or she looks confused, ask if you
can clarify anything.
● Be aware of what your body is saying. Avoid closed postures. Sit upright, but not
stiffly.
● Try to find a comfortable position as that will make you feel more relaxed.
● Control your nervous habits. Don't swing your foot, talk with your hands (to an
extreme), or fiddle with jewelers, buttons, pens, etc.
● Show that you are interested in the job by asking questions.
● Try not to appear bored or anxious. Don't look at your watch.
Closing the Interview
When the interviewer is done gathering the information that is needed, he or she will
ask if you have anything to add, or if you have any questions. This is your opportunity
to mentally review your inventory of skills and make sure that you have communicated
everything that you wanted to. If any of your questions have not been addressed
during the course of the interview, now is the time to ask them.
Tips:
● Thank the interviewer for his/her time and consideration.
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● Ask when you can expect to hear from him/her.
● If it is not known when a decision will be reached, ask if you can phone in a
week's time to inquire about the progress.
● If the interviewer offers his/her hand, shake it firmly. Otherwise, it is fine to

offer yours first.
● If not already discussed, you can offer to leave a sample of your work, or
portfolio if you have one.
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Mistakes That Cost People Jobs

Think about the following points. Do any of them apply to you?

Oversell
Trying too hard to impress; bragging; acting aggressively.
Undersell
Failing to emphasize the fact that you have related skills; discussing
experience using negative qualifiers (i.e. "I have a little experience...").
Body Language
It is easy to create a negative impression without even realizing that you
are doing it. Are you staring at your feet, or talking to the interviewer's
shoulder? Be aware of what your actions say about you.
Lack of Honesty
The slightest stretching of the truth may result in you being screened out.
Negative Attitude
The interview is not an opportunity for you to complain about your
current supervisor or co-workers (or even about 'little' things, such as
the weather).
Lack of Preparation
You have to know about the organization and the occupation. If you
don't, it will appear as though you are not interested in the position.
Lack of
Enthusiasm
If you are not excited about the work at the interview, the employer will
not assume that your attitude will improve when hired.
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Top Ten Interview Tips -Note it

Great interviews arise from careful groundwork. You can ace your next
interview if you:
1. Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball
players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your
head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on
the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness,
self-doubt and self-condemnation.
2. Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage
in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming
to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview
before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final
exam.
3. Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the
interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience
and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If
the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them yourself
(diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own
questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into.
If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.
4. Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why
should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your
meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your
personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with
your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.
5. Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another
opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon
them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among
the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an
additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that
demonstrate your added value to the team.
6. Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has
the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be
justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this
organization?" These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer's mind.
Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.
7. Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared
and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why
should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements
from your work life that closely match the elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll
want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to the
question.
8. Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what
people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey
the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an
interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that
supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.
9. Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your
financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in each case
ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in.
Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope
of responsibilities of the job.
10. Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are
inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the
most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm
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for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another
person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (early in the
relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have difficulty working with
others.
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Tips on Group Discussions

Tips on interviews and Group Discussions get a Mock GD Here
Many companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your
interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to
check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you
give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others
and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own. The aspects which
make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behaviour, conformation to norms,
decision-making ability and cooperation. You should try to be as true as possible to these
aspects.
1. In a group discussion what should my objectives be and how should I achieve them?
2. Is it wise to take a strong stand either in favor or against the topic right at the start of a
Group Discussion ?
3. Is it a good strategy to try and be the first speaker on the topic in a GD?
4. In an interview how does one handle the question "Tell us about yourself?".
5. Is it better to have a longer selection interview or a shorter one?
6. In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA
programme?
In a group discussion what should my objectives be and how should I achieve them? In
order to succeed at any unstructured group discussion, you must define what your objective in
the group is. A good definition of your objective is - to be seen to have contributed
meaningfully in an attempt to achieve the right consensus.
The key words in this definition are 'seen', 'meaningfully', and 'attempt'. Let us understand
what each of these imply in terms of action points : The first implication is that merely
making a meaningful contribution in an attempt to achieve consensus is not enough. You have
to be seen by the evaluator to have made a meaningful contribution in n attempt to build the
right consensus.
In other words you must ensure that you are heard by the group. If the group hears you so
will the evaluator. You must get at least some airtime. If you are not a very assertive person
you will have to simply learn to be assertive for those 15 minutes. If you get cowed down
easily in an aggressive group, you can say goodbye to the business school admission.
Many GD participants often complain that they did not get a chance to speak. The fact of the
matter is that in no GD do you get a chance to speak. You have to make your chances.
The second important implication is that making just any sort of contribution is not enough.
Your contribution has to be meaningful. A meaningful contribution suggests that you have a
good knowledge base, are able to structure arguments logically and are a good communicator.
These are qualities that are desired by all evaluators.
Many GD participants feel that the way to succeed in a GD is by speaking frequently, for a
long time and loudly. This is not true. The quality of what you say is more important than the
quantity. Don't be demoralized if you feel you have not spoken enough. If you have spoken
sense and have been heard, even if only for a short time, it is usually good enough. You must
have substance in your arguments.
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Therefore, think things through carefully. Always enter the room with a piece of paper and a
pen. In the first two minutes jot down as many ideas as you can. It pays to think laterally.
Everybody else will state the obvious. Can you state something different? Can you take the
group ahead if it is stuck at one point? Can you take it in a fresh and more relevant
direction? You may like to dissect the topic and go into the underlying causes or into the
results.
One way of deciding what sort of contribution is meaningful at what point of time is to
follow two simple rules. First, in times of chaos a person who restores order to the group is
appreciated. Your level of participation in a fish market kind of scenario can be low, but your
degree of influence must never be low. In other words you must make positive contributions
every time you speak and not speak for the sake of speaking. The second rule is applicable
when the group is floundering. In this situation a person who provides a fresh direction to the
group is given credit.
The third implication is that you must be clearly seen to be attempting to build a consensus.
Nobody expects a group of ten people, all with different points of view on a controversial
subject to actually achieve a consensus. But did you make the attempt to build a consensus?
The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is important is because in most work
situations you will have to work with people in a team, accept joint responsibilities and take
decisions as a group. You must demonstrate the fact that you are capable and inclined to work
as part of a team.
What are the ways that you can try to build consensus?
First, you must not just talk, you should also listen. You must realize that other people also
may have valid points to make. You should not only try to persuade other people to your
point of view, but also come across as a person who has an open mind and appreciates the
valid points of others.
You must try and resolve contradictions and arguments of others in the group. You must
synthesize arguments and try and achieve a unified position in the group. Try to think of the
various arguments of yours and others' as parts of a jigsaw puzzle or as building blocks of a
larger argument for or against the topic.
Try and lay down the boundaries or the area of the discussion at the beginning. Discuss what
the group should discuss before actually beginning your discussion. This will at least ensure
that everyone is talking about the same thing.
Try and summarize the discussion at the end. In the summary do not merely restate your
point of view; also accommodate dissenting viewpoints. If the group did not reach a
consensus, say so in your summary.
You must carry people with you. So do not get emotional, shout, invade other people's
private space.
Do not bang your fist on the table except in extreme circumstances.
If you have spoken and you notice that someone else has tried to enter the discussion on a
number of occasions and has not had the chance to do so maybe you could give him a
chance the next time he tries. But do not offer a chance to anyone who is not trying to speak.
He may not have anything to say at that point and you will just end up looking foolish.
The surest way of antagonizing others in the GD as well as the examiner is to appoint
yourself as a de facto chairperson of the group. Do not try to impose a system whereby
everyone gets a chance to speak in turn. A GD is meant to be a free flowing discussion.
Let it proceed naturally. Do not ever try to take a vote on the topic. A vote is no substitute for
discussion.
Do not address only one or two persons when speaking. Maintain eye contact with as many

members of the group as possible. This will involve others in what you are saying and increase
your chances of carrying them with you. Do this even if you are answering a specific point
raised by one person. One last point. You must not agree with another participant in the group
merely for the sake of achieving consensus. If you disagree, say so. You are not there to
attempt to build just any consensus. You have to attempt to build the right consensus.
Is it wise to take a strong stand either in favour or against the topic right at the start of a Group
Discussion ?
In theory yes. If you believe something why shouldn't you say so? If we are convinced about
something our natural response is to say so emphatically. However in practice what is likely to
happen if you take a very strong and dogged stance right at the beginning of the interview is
that you will antagonize the people in the group who disagree with you and will be unable to
carry them with you and convince them of the validity of your argument. We therefore
recommend that after you hear the topic you think about it for a minute with an open mind and
note down the major issues that come to your mind. Don't jump to any conclusions.
Instead arrive at a stand in your own mind after examining all the issues in a balanced manner.
Only then begin to speak. And when you do so outline the major issues first and only then
state your stand. In other words give the justification first and the stand later. If you were to
state your stand first chances are that the others in the group who disagree with your stand
will interrupt to contradict you before you can elaborate on the reasons why you have taken
that stance. In this situation the evaluator will only get an impression of what you think and
not how you think. Remember you are being evaluated on how you think and not what you
think.
Is it a good strategy to try and be the first speaker on the topic in a GD?
In most GD's the opening speaker is the person who is likely to get the maximum
uninterrupted airtime. The reason is simple - at the start most other participants in the GD
are still trying to understand the basic issues in the topic, or are too nervous to speak and are
waiting for someone else to start. Therefore the evaluators get the best chance to observe the
opening speaker.
Now this is a double edged sword. If the opening speaker talks sense naturally he will get
credit because he opened and took the group in the right direction. If on the other hand the first
speaker doesn't have too much sense to say, he will attract the undivided attention of the
evaluators to his shortcomings. He will be marked as a person who speaks without thinking
merely for the sake of speaking. As someone who leads the group in the wrong direction and
does not make a positive contribution to the group.
So remember speaking first is a high risk high return strategy. It can make or mar your GD
performance depending how you handle it. Speak first only if you have something sensible to
say. Otherwise keep shut and let someone else start.
In an interview how does one handle the question "Tell us about yourself?".
An often asked opening question. Perhaps the most frequently asked question across
interviews. Your opening statement needs to be a summary of your goals, overall professional
capabilities, achievements, background (educational and family), strengths, professional
objectives and anything about your personality that is relevant and interesting. This question
represents an opportunity to lead the interviewer in the direction you want him to go e.g., your
speciality or whatever else you may wish to highlight.
Your intention should be to try to subtly convince the interviewers that you are a good
candidate, you have proved that in the past, and have a personality that fits the requirement.
Remember that the first impression you create will go a long way in the ultimate selection.
Keep in mind, most candidates who are asked this question just blurt out their schooling,
college, marks and qualifications. All this is already there in the CV.
Why tell the interviewer something he already knows?
A final word on approaching this question. Once you have said what you have to say - shut up.

Don't drone on for the sake of speaking for you just might say something foolish. Sometimes
interviewers don't interrupt in order to give the candidate the impression that he has not
spoken enough. This is just a stress inducing tactic. Don't fall for it, if you feel you have
spoken enough. In case the pause gets too awkward for you just add something like,
"Is there something specific that you wish to know about me?"
Is it better to have a longer selection interview or a shorter one?
The length of an interview in no way is an indicator of how well an interview went. This is
especially so when there are a number of candidates to be interviewed for example in the civil
services interview or the MBA entrance interview. In the past a number of candidates have
reported varying lengths of interviews. Nothing positive or negative should be read into this.
An interview is only a device whereby the panel seeks information about the candidate.
Information that will help the panel decide whether or not the candidate should be selected.
If the panel feels that it has gathered enough information about the candidate in 15 minutes of
the interview commencing and that it has no further questions to ask the interview will be
terminated in 15 minutes. If on the other hand the panel takes an hour to gather the
information required to take a decision the interview will last for an hour. In either case the
decision could be positive or negative. It is a fallacy to believe that interview panels take
longer interviews of candidates whom they are more interested in.
No panel likes to waste its time. If an interview is lasting longer than usual then it only means
that the panel is seeking more information about the candidate in order to take a decision.
In the MBA entrance interview how do I justify my decision to pursue the MBA programme?
When you are asked this for God's sake don't tell the panel that you are looking for a
"challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and glamour". That is the first
answer that most candidates think of. Unfortunately it is the last answer that will get you
admission. In the answer to a direct question on this subject you must convey to the interview
panel that you have made a rational and informed decision about your career choice and your
intended course of higher study. There are broadly six areas which your answer could touch
upon :
Career Objectives : You could talk about your career objectives and how the two year MBA
programme will help you achieve them. This implies that you have a clear idea of what your
career objectives are and how you wish to achieve them. For example you may want to be an
entrepreneur and wish to set up your independent enterprise after doing your MBA and then
working for a few years in a professionally managed company. You could explain to the
panel that the MBA programme will provide you with the necessary inputs to help you run
your business enterprise better. But then you must be clear about what the inputs you will
receive in the MBA programme are.
Value Addition : That brings us to the second area that your answer should touch upon. What
is the value you will add to yourself during your two year study of management. Value
addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills. Knowledge of the various areas
of management e.g. marketing, finance, systems, HRD etc. and skills of analysis and
communication. You will find it useful to talk to a few people who are either doing their MBA
or have already done it. They will be able to give you a more detailed idea of what they gained
from their MBA.
Background : Remember, there must be no inconsistency between your proposed study of
management and your past subject of study or your past work experience. If you have studied
commerce in college then management is a natural course of higher studies. If you are an
engineer this is a tricky area. You must never say that by pursuing a career in management you
will be wasting your engineering degree. Try and say that the MBA course and your
engineering degree will help you do your job better in the company that you will join. But then
you should be able to justify how your engineering qualification will help.

Opportunities and Rewards : You could also at this stage mention the opportunities that are
opening up in organizations for management graduates. Highlight with examples. At the end
you may mention that while monetary rewards are not everything they are also important and
MBAs do get paid well. You must not mention these reasons as your primary motivators even
if that may be the case.
General Tips
● A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of
words on certain issues.
● Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking.
● Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint.
● One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be
clear in speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident.
● Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness,
Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy.
● You should mantain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a
particular person for he may benefit from that.
● Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and
open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint..
● Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is
important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate
your viewpoint .
● Always mantain your calm and never get aggresive. If you haven't been able to talk
then one can cut in saying "Excuse me, but what I think is .........." or something of that
sort.
● Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front. Your attitude
should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict.
● Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion.
● Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.

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Everything About Interviews

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General Tips To Overcome An Interview

Before the interview

2. Strengths and Weaknesses

3. Questions you should be prepared for

http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/interview.htm (1 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:16 AM]

Answers to some difficult questions :

What do you think of your boss?

How much money do you want?

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Panel Interview/Board Interview

Employers invite those applicants they are seriously considering as an employee

The interviews may be structured, informal, or socially situated, such as in a

Employers bringing several candidates together in a group situation to solve a problem

http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/types.htm (1 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:21 AM]

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How To face The Interview

Precautions to Take-up before you enter the Interview Room

http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/hrtips.htm (1 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:23 AM]

For your first few interviews your background is important - your

Incidentally, don't feel shy or hesitant about calling up the office

Always arrive at least fifteen minutes before your scheduled time -

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FINE-TUNE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

DON'T QUAKE IN YOUR BOOTS

PREPARE FOR STRESS

● You'll be up against a time crunch in a team interview.

SHOWCASE THE IMPORTANT THINGS

http://www.freshersworld.com/interview/panint.htm (1 of 2) [8/6/2004 10:39:25 AM]

CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE OF YOURSELF

● How interesting were your observations?

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS

LOOK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS

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Move through Question Papers

C- QUESTIONS JAVA QUESTIONS MICROPROCESSOR QUESTIONS

C++ QUESTIONS Advanced JAVA questions Operating System QUESTIONS

DATA STRUCTURE QUESTIONS ELECTRONICSQUESTIONS

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❍ An array of three char pointers

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28. What do you mean by pure virtual functions?

DATA STRUCTURE QUESTIONS Go Up

1. What is a data structure?

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1. What is the difference between an Abstract class and Interface?

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Advanced JAVA questions Go Up

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Operating System Questions Go Up

1. What are the basic functions of an operating system?

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1. Which type of architecture 8085 has?

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