Coversation between Interviewer and candidate in each 240 sample Interview question India
Sample Interview Question
Interviewer : Where do you see yourself in five years?
Mahesh : I think that I will be a senior sales manager in 5 years. This is my goal and I am very focused on achieving it.
Interviewer : What steps are you taking to achieve your goal?
Mahesh : Well, I am currently attending night school to get my MBA and I will have completed the program by the end of next year. Also, I actively look for my weaknesses and focus on improving them. I think that if I can continue to improve and get better that I will be a perfect fit for a senior level management position.
Interviewer : How would you feel if you were not a senior manager after 5 years?
Mahesh : Of course, I would be disappointed, but I wouldn’t stop working to achieve my goal. I am not the kind of person who gives up easily.
Interviewer : I can see that. You seem very determined.
Interviewer : Where do you want to be in 10 years?
Mahesh : Ten years from now, I hope to still be working on innovative and exciting projects in the automotive software industry. I think that the car industry will go through a lot of exciting changes in the next ten to twenty years and I hope to be a part of it.
Interviewer : What kind of changes are you most interested in?
Mahesh : Obviously, the emergence of self-driving cars is the biggest change that the automotive industry will face. I am most interested in designing safety software for those cars. I think this work can make a big difference and help people stay safe. Right now, many people die each year from car accidents. This can be reduced with self-driving cars and smart software.
Interviewer : Do you hope to get promoted during that time?
Mahesh : To be honest, that is not very important to me. What project I am working on is much more important. I enjoy working on challenging and interesting projects.
Interviewer: There is nothing wrong with that. It is good that you know what you want.
Interviewer : What do you want to be doing in 5 years?
Mahesh : Although I really enjoy working hands-on as a mechanical engineer, I want to eventually become a project manager and work more on the business side. So, I want to continue gaining experience and improving my skills, and in five years I see myself in a management position.
Interviewer : Why are you interested in working on the business side?
Mahesh : First, I think it would be a good challenge for me. It would be new and exciting. Second, I would like to work with business people from all over the world and have a chance to use my English skills.
Interviewer : Your English seems very good.
Mahesh : Thank you very much. I practice English every day because I know that if I want to work on the business side in this industry that I need to have language skills.
Interviewer : So, what languages do you speak?
Mahesh : My native language is Korean, but I also speak English and German.
Interviewer : That is impressive.
Interviewer : What is your availability?
Mahesh : I have already informed my current company that I will be leaving my position at the end of the month. So, I am available to start working at the beginning of next month.
Interviewer : What if we needed you to start earlier? Would that be possible?
Mahesh : I still have some things to complete before I leave my job, but I would probably be able to start the last week of this month. However, I would need to talk with my current manager before I could let you know for sure.
Interviewer : Okay. If we do decide to hire you, we will need you to start as soon as possible because we are overloaded with work.
Mahesh : I understand.
Interviewer : What are your career goals?
Mahesh : My career goal is to become a regional general manager in the foodservice industry. I know that this goal is ambitious, but I believe that I have the skills and drive to achieve this goal.
Interviewer : So, what are you doing to achieve this goal?
Mahesh : I do my best every day and I always try to get better. In order to achieve my career goal, I set other short-term goals to help me improve and keep me motivated.
Interviewer : What are your short-term goals?
Mahesh : I am currently the manager at a family restaurant and I have two goals for this year. First, I want to increase our customer’s satisfaction by providing better service. Second, I want to find ways to cut costs without lowering the quality of our food.
Interviewer : Those are good goals. I think having short-term goals to help you achieve your long-term goal is a smart strategy.
Interviewer : Describe your dream job.
Mahesh : My dream job is to be the general manager of a 5-star hotel. I love working in the hotel industry because I have the chance to give people special memories and help them enjoy their lives. If I were the general manager, then I could help improve the hotel in many ways.
Interviewer : What do you think are the most important factors in creating an excellent hotel experience for the guests?
Mahesh : There are many things that can make a hotel special, but I focus on three main things – service, cleanliness, and design. First, it is important to provide excellent and friendly service to make the customers feel at home. Second, the hotel must be pristine. If it is not clean, then nothing else matters. Third, the design changes how people feel about the hotel, and it affects their first impression. Therefore, it is extremely important.
Interviewer : I see that you have thought about this a lot.
Mahesh : Yes. I am very passionate about this. Like I said, I really enjoy working in this industry and I am focused on improving any hotel that I work at.
Interviewer : What do you think is the ideal position for you?
Mahesh : I think the ideal position for me would be a position where I could work on different projects hands-on and be in a leadership role.
Interviewer : Why do you think that?
Mahesh : First, my greatest strength is probably my technical expertise. I have worked in this industry for over 15 years and I know a lot about what makes a successful product. Second, I am very good at leading and teaching younger staff members. I enjoy pushing them and help them to do their best work.
Interviewer : I see. And have you held any positions like this in the past?
Mahesh : Yes. I was a project manager at two different companies and I had a lot of success while I was in those positions. I know that this kind of work fits me and my skills very well.
Interviewer : That’s great to hear.
Interviewer : What are your short-term goals?
Mahesh : My short-term goal is to find a position where I can use the knowledge and strengths that I have. I want to partake in the growth and success of the company I work for.
Interviewer : That’s great. And what would you say your strengths are?
Mahesh : I am a team player who works extremely hard. My expertise is in computer programming, but I am willing to do whatever I can to add value to my team’s work.
Interviewer : Besides computer programming, what value could you add to a project?
Mahesh : Well, I also have some experience with design and project planning. I am not saying that I am an expert in these areas, but I could definitely help and contribute in these areas.
Interviewer : Great. We love to have versatile staff members who can contribute to more than one area of a project.
Interviewer : What are your long-term goals?
Mahesh : My long-term goal is to become a partner for a consulting firm. I know that it is hard to become a partner at any consulting firm, and not many people reach this level. However, I am confident that with my skills, diligence, and drive that I will be able to achieve my goal in the next 10 years.
Interviewer : So, what are you doing to achieve this goal?
Mahesh : I am just working hard every day and trying to get better at my job. I try to learn as much as I can from people who have more expertise and knowledge than I do. I also spend my free time reading and studying in order to strengthen my knowledge.
Interviewer : It sounds like you are very dedicated.
Mahesh : I am dedicated, but I need to continue to work hard. This is a long-term goal, so I need to be consistent and continue to improve.
Interviewer : That is right. Consistency is very important.
Interviewer : If you get this job, how long do you plan on staying with this company?
Mahesh : Ideally, I would stay at this company until I retired. I am loyal, and if my company treats me well, then I prefer to stay at the same company. Some people get bored by working at one place for a long time, but that is not me. Working at the same company for a long time allows me to be very comfortable in the work environment and allows me to make strong relationships with colleagues and clients.
Interviewer : Then, do you mind if I ask you why you are leaving your current company?
Mahesh : I don’t mind. My current company is great, and I would have no problem staying there. But I saw that your company was hiring a new sales manager, and I thought it was a great opportunity for me. I have always admired your company and wanted to work here. So, even though I am loyal, I couldn’t pass up the chance to interview for this position.
Interviewer : That makes sense. I am glad that you decided to apply for the position.
Mahesh : Thank you.
Interviewer : What can we expect from you in your first three months?
Mahesh : I am happy that you asked that question. In my first 30 days, my goal would be to become familiar with your company’s processes and procedures. I would ask a lot of questions and spend a lot of time working late to get used to your company’s system. In my first 60 days, I would like to start contributing to the sales database in a meaningful way and to begin making strong relationships with existing clients. And finally, in my first 90 days, I would like to start acquiring new business for your company.
Interviewer : That all sounds great. Could you tell me a little more about how you plan to bring in new business to our company?
Mahesh : Sure. I have been working in this industry for many years. I have a lot of contacts in many different companies. I would start by contacting the people I know and persuading them to do business with your company. I would highlight the fact that your company offers a high-quality product at a competitive price, and that your customer service is the best in the industry.
Interviewer : If you became the assistant manager of this store, what would your first 30, 60, or 90 days look like in this role?
Mahesh : In my first month, I would want to learn everything my manager expected me to do, and I would also want to learn the company’s rules, policies, and procedures. In my first 60 days, I would like to become comfortable with all of my tasks. And within 90 days, I would like to know enough about the store’s operations that I could start to make improvements and find new ways to contribute to the growth and success of the store.
Interviewer : That all sounds wonderful, but could you tell me more about how you would adapt?
Mahesh : I think the best way to adapt and learn about a new company is to talk to the people who have worked here for a while. I would not only try to talk to my manager, but I would also try to talk other members of the staff.
Interviewer : And what would you try to find out?
Mahesh : Everything. I would ask them about what they like or dislike about the job, how they think the store could be better, what they think the store does well, and a lot of other things about their job.
Interviewer : I think that is a good way to get to know the staff and the store.
Interviewer : What is your salary expectation?
Mahesh : As a project manager, I would expect to make between 65 to 80 thousand dollars per year. At my previous company, I was an assistant project manager and I made 55 thousand a year. And according to my research and my knowledge of the industry, the average salary for a project manager is about 75 thousand dollars per year.
Interviewer : Since our company is just a start-up company, our salaries are typically lower than the industry average. However, we do offer equity in the company. How would you feel about that?
Mahesh : I would be fine with that. One of the reasons that I applied to this company is that I think it will be very successful in the near future.
Interviewer : That’s great to hear. So, would you feel okay with a salary of 50 thousand per year plus 50,000 shares in our company?
Mahesh : I would need to think about it a little more, but it seems fair to me.
Interviewer : Are you planning on having children?
Divya : To be perfectly honest, I cannot say at this moment. I am currently single, so I am not sure what will happen in my future.
Interviewer : That is understandable. Do you think you would continue your career if you did have children?
Divya : Yes, I think I would. My career is very important to me and I have worked very hard to succeed. It is hard for me to imagine giving up my career. I know that being a mom and working can be very difficult, but I think I would be able to manage.
Interviewer : I know it is a personal question, but my boss wanted me to ask you. So, thank you for answering honestly.
Interviewer : Are you willing to travel?
Mahesh : Of course. I am willing to take as many business trips as the company needs me to take.
Interviewer : Did you travel a lot of business in your last job?
Mahesh : When I was a manager at my previous company, I used to go on a business trip each quarter to our branch offices in Europe.
Interviewer : Did you have any difficulty working with people from other countries?
Mahesh : Not at all. Actually, I really enjoyed working with all of my colleagues from Europe. Of course, they do some things differently, but I learned a lot from them. We all worked for the same company, so we were all on the same team.
Interviewer : That’s great to hear.
Interviewer : Are you willing to relocate?
Mahesh : Of course, it depends on where I would need to go and what position I would be filling, but I am very open to relocating. Especially, if it is what is best for both the company and myself.
Interviewer : We usually like our talented young engineers to spend about 2 years working in a branch office before they become managers. We have branch offices in Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, and Australia. How would you feel about working in any of those countries?
Mahesh : I would have no problem working in any of those countries. Especially, if working at one helps me become a manager.
Interviewer : I’m glad to hear that. Most of our engineers, who work abroad for a period of time, talk about their experiences in a very positive way.
Mahesh : I can understand, and I would be open to that kind of opportunity.
Interviewer : Since you are applying for the store manager position, I must ask this question. Will working on weekends be a problem for you?
Mahesh : No. Working on weekends will not be a problem for me. I know that the weekend is the busiest time for most retail stores. The manager of the store should be there during the busiest times.
Interviewer : That’s good. Did you have to work weekends at your previous job?
Mahesh : Yes. As you can see on my resume, my last job was as the manager of an Italian restaurant. Our busiest times were nights and weekends. And I always made sure that I was working during the busiest periods to make sure that everything went smoothly.
Interviewer : Wonderful. We are looking for a manager who is hands-on and can run the store during our busy periods.
Mahesh : Well, I think I would be a great fit then.
Interviewer : What are your goals for the future?
Mahesh : As of now, I do not have any specific long-term goals. I just want to find a job that is a good fit for me, work as hard as I can, and try to be successful.
Interviewer : That makes sense. Well, if you get the job here, what will your goals be?
Mahesh : My first goals will be to adapt to my new position and to contribute in a positive way to the company. After I become more comfortable, then I can make more specific goals like improving my presentation skills or increasing my sales numbers. I usually use the feedback that I get from my co-workers and manager to set my goals for the next year.
Interviewer : I think that is very smart. We do employee evaluations at the end of every year and it gives everyone a chance to give and receive feedback.
Interviewer : Have you or are you going to interview with any other companies?
Mahesh : I have already interviewed with one other company. I had the interview last week. I also have one other interview scheduled for next week.
Interviewer : How did your interview go last week?
Mahesh : It went very well, and they offered me the position.
Interviewer : I guess that you did not accept the position since you are here.
Mahesh : That is correct. I want to interview with a few different companies to see what my options are.
Interviewer : Well, we are glad that you agreed to interview with us. Looking at your resume, it seems like you would be a great fit here. You have the skills and experience that we look for.
Mahesh : I am glad to hear that.
Interviewer : What will be the first thing you do if you get the job?
Mahesh : The first thing that I will do if I get the job is to introduce myself to my new colleagues and manager. I think that it is extremely important to have a good working relationship with them. They can help me get used to the company and we will be working together in the future on many projects, so it is important to get off on the right foot.
Interviewer : That’s a good answer. Do you do anything, in particular, to get to know new colleagues?
Mahesh : Not really. I just ask them a lot of questions about themselves and the job. Also, if I get a chance, then I will invite some people out for dinner or ask them to get a coffee together at work. I don’t think that you need to do anything special to start a great relationship with a person. Just being friendly and interested is enough.
Interviewer : Well said. I couldn’t agree more.