Interview questions and answers between hr and candidate : Character and Educational Background

Interviewer : Tell me about your educational background.

Mahesh : Well, I got my bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mumbai. I chose this major because I have always been interested in technology. Even when I was young, I used to like taking apart electronics to see what was inside.

Interviewer : Interesting. Besides classes related to your major, what kinds of classes did you enjoy?

Mahesh : I always enjoyed English classes. Actually, English is not my first language. So, it was very important and interesting for me to continue to work to improve my English.

Interviewer : Your English sounds perfect to me.

Mahesh : Thank you. By the time I got to university, my English was good enough that I could take regular English classes with native English speakers. It was a good way for me to gain credit and also continue to build my English skills.

Interviewer : That’s great.

Interviewer : What was your major?

Mahesh : When I was an undergraduate student, I majored in communications at Mumbai University. After a few years of working, I went back to school and got my MBA from Mysore University.

Interviewer : That is very impressive. Why did you decide to get a master’s degree in business?

Mahesh : Well, after I graduated from Rutgers, I started working in the PR department of a large corporation. I liked the work environment and I decided that I wanted to become a manager. I thought that having an MBA would help me advance my career.

Interviewer : Did you work while you were getting your MBA?

Mahesh : During the first year, I took online courses and attended night school. But for the second year, I took a year off work to attend school full-time. It helped me finish the program faster and allowed me to focus solely on studying. I really enjoyed that time.

Interviewer : And then after finishing the MBA course, did you go back to the same company?

Mahesh : Yes, I did.

Interviewer : When you attended university, what courses did you like the most?

Mahesh : I was fascinated by all of my finance courses. Finance was my major, and I spent most of my time either studying finance or discussing finance with my classmates.

Interviewer : Were there any classes not related to your major that interested you?

Mahesh : Besides the finance classes, I would have to say that I liked classes about health and nutrition.

Interviewer : That’s interesting. What made you interested in that?

Mahesh : I am into health and exercise, so I found classes about health and nutrition to be very helpful. I liked learning about different methods to be healthy and how certain diets affect your body. I believe that if you take care of your body, then it will take care of you.

Interviewer : I agree with that 100%. I am also into health and fitness.

Interviewer : What courses at university did you like the least?

Mahesh : I would have to say that my least favorite courses were English classes.

Interviewer : And why is that?

Mahesh : I like speaking and practicing my English, but I hate reading English novels. Actually, I do not even like reading novels in my native language which is German.

Interviewer : So, you don’t enjoy reading?

Mahesh : I like to read, but I prefer non-fiction books. But in English classes, we almost always had to read novels. On top of that, most of the novels were very old, so the English in the novels was a little strange to me.

Interviewer : I know what you mean. I am a native English speaker, but sometimes the English in those old novels is hard for me to read.

Mahesh : For me, Shakespeare was the worst.

Interviewer : I agree. I hated reading Shakespeare when I was in school.

Interviewer : During university, how did you spend your vacations?

Mahesh : I worked every vacation in order to have enough money for the next semester.

Interviewer : Where did you work?

Mahesh : I worked at a restaurant in my hometown as a dishwasher.

Interviewer : That sounds like hard work.

Mahesh : It was hard, but I think that job taught me a lot of useful lessons. It showed me how hard it is to make money in this world. It also gave me the motivation to study harder because I knew that I did not want to wash dishes my whole life.

Interviewer : And what did you do when you weren’t working?

Mahesh : I would either see my old friends from high school or I would prepare for my next semester’s classes. I always bought the textbooks early, so I could prepare.

Interviewer : That must be why you got such great scores in university.

Interviewer : I see on your resume that you majored in English, but you are applying for a marketing position. Why did you choose your major?

Mahesh : English is not my first language. I am from France and my native language is French, but I have always enjoyed learning and studying English. So, when I went to university I decided to study what I enjoyed learning.

Interviewer : I understand. And how do you think your English major could help you in this position?

Mahesh : Well, English is all about communication. My classes taught me how to communicate effectively in English for both speaking and writing. Marketing is also about communication. We need to communicate effectively to consumers why they should use our product or service. I actually think the two are related more than people think.

Interviewer : I think that is a very good answer. But do you feel like you have basic marketing skills?

Mahesh : Yes, I do. I am also interested in marketing. I have read many marketing books and I also took 5 marketing classes when I was at university. I believe I have enough marketing skills and knowledge to do this job well.

Interviewer : What is your leadership style?

Mahesh : I believe that people work best when they have a certain amount of freedom. I want to give my staff clear goals and direction, but I prefer to let them decide what is the best way to achieve that goal.

Interviewer : Why do you think this style is effective?

Mahesh : I think it helps motivate people to do their best. If you micromanage people or just order them to do things, then they will not feel valued and they will not produce solid work.

Interviewer : What would you do if a staff member did something that you disagreed with?

Mahesh : I would give them honest and direct feedback and I would listen to their ideas and opinions. Hopefully, we would be able to work together and come to an agreement about what should be done.

Interviewer : I see. It seems like your management style would fit our company culture quite well.

Mahesh : I am happy to hear that.

Interviewer : Why do you think our company is a good fit for you?

Mahesh : There are two reasons that I think this company is a good fit for me. The first reason is the company culture and the second reason is the quality of work that you do.

Interviewer : Why do you think our culture is a good fit?

Mahesh : I have talked to a few people who work here or who have worked here. They all say that working here is great. The working environment is positive and employees are encouraged to be creative and to think outside the box.

Interviewer : That is good to hear. And what about the work?

Mahesh : Your company has been an industry leader for many years and you spend a lot of money of R&D. You are committed to producing high-quality products and I would like to work for a company that is dedicated to producing the best product possible. I want to be proud of my work and what I do.

Interviewer : It seems like you would be a very good fit here.

Interviewer : Do you like working by yourself or on a team?

Mahesh : I prefer to work on a team, but I feel comfortable doing both.

Interviewer : Why do you prefer working on a team?

Mahesh : Personally, it is more enjoyable to work on a team. Working with other people can help us create better ideas and it makes completing a project easier because team members can support each other.

Interviewer : That’s true.

Mahesh : Also, when you work by yourself and are successful, it is great, but there is nobody to celebrate with. When you work on a team, you have a team spirit. When things are bad, you can support and encourage each other, and when things are good, team members can celebrate and feel proud together.

Interviewer : That is good to hear because most of the time our employees need to work on teams to complete projects.

Mahesh : Well, that would be great for me. I know I can contribute to any team that I join.

Interviewer : How do you deal with stressful situations?

Mahesh : I usually take a break in order to clear my mind. I try to separate myself from the stressful situation.

Interviewer : How do you separate yourself?

Mahesh : Usually I take a walk, but sometimes I do other things like enjoying a cup of coffee in the park, calling my mom, or going to the gym. Really, I try to do anything that takes my mind off the problem.

Interviewer : Can you give me an example of when you did this?

Mahesh : Sure. About six months ago I faced a major problem. My client was demanding that we complete their order by a certain date, but my production staff kept telling me that it was impossible. This was very stressful. So, I took a little break and gave everybody some time to calm down, and then I went back and talked to everybody again. In the end, we were able to reach a compromise that satisfied everybody.

Interviewer : That’s great. Similar situations occur quite often at our company.

Mahesh : Well, I have a lot of experience dealing with those situations.

Interviewer : How do you deal with pressure?

Mahesh : I think dealing with pressure is one of my strengths. I work very well under pressure and in stressful situations. I think pressure or stress can help us work better and harder. People just need to realize that we can control our stress.

Interviewer : What do you mean by control our stress?

Mahesh : I mean that stress only affects us negatively if we let it. If we remain calm and remember what is truly important in our lives like family and health, then we can handle these stressful situations much easier.

Interviewer : That’s a good answer. Anything else?

Mahesh : Also, I believe that living a healthy lifestyle helps me work better under pressure. If I am healthy and active, then I feel better. And if I feel better, then I can handle stressful situations more effectively.

Interviewer : I feel the same way.

Interviewer : Do you work well under pressure?

Mahesh : Yes, I work well under pressure. Things like tight deadlines or important presentations do not bother me. Actually, I enjoy them.

Interviewer : Why do you enjoy them?

Mahesh : I think that working under pressure is exciting and interesting. I would rather work at a job that had pressure and stress than a job that was boring and the same every day.

Interviewer : I can understand that. Does your current job have a lot of pressure?

Mahesh : There are many tight deadlines and stressful situations at my current job. And, I enjoy working there.

Interviewer : Then, why are you trying to leave?

Mahesh : There are no management positions currently available, and I feel that I am ready to become a manager.

Interviewer : What motivates you?

Mahesh : Doing a good job and achieving my goals is what motivates me. I am a very results-driven person. I enjoy competition and I want to succeed.

Interviewer : How do you feel if you do not achieve your goal?

Mahesh : Well, of course, I feel somewhat disappointed. But I also think that failure is a great way to learn. I try to think about why I did not achieve my goal and figure out a way to improve, so the same thing does not happen again.

Interviewer : Does your competitiveness ever affect your ability to work with your co-workers?

Mahesh : Never. I like to compete, but I prefer to compete with my team members not against them. The best feeling is when my team succeeds and my company does well because of work that I was involved in.

Interviewer : That is good to hear.

Interviewer : How do you handle change?

Mahesh : I like to think of change as a new opportunity. It can help me grow and develop as a person.

Interviewer : Was there ever a time at work when you had to make a change that you did not want?

Mahesh : One situation comes to mind. About three years ago, I was very comfortable working in the marketing department at my previous company. Then one day, my former boss came to me and told me that the company needed me to move to the business planning team. I did not want to move because I liked my job and co-workers in the marketing department.

Interviewer : How did you react?

Mahesh : I took some time to think about it and I agreed to move to the business planning team. The business planning team offered me a chance to learn some new skills, gain some new experience, and it was what the company needed me to do.

Interviewer : It sounds like you are a team player.

Mahesh : I try to be.

Interviewer : Can you tell me how you make important decisions?

Mahesh : When making an important decision, I think it is crucial to take your time. You don’t want to rush into a decision without thinking carefully about it. So, if possible I try to take a couple of days to think deeply about the situation.

Interviewer : Can you think about a time you did this?

Mahesh : That’s easy. I did it when I decided to quit my previous job. That was not an easy decision at all. I thought about it for a couple of weeks. I talked about it with my wife, friends, and colleagues to get advice and hear their opinions. And in the end, I made the decision that I felt was the best for me and my family.

Interviewer :  What if you don’t have a lot of time to decide?

Mahesh : In that case, then I usually try to go to a quiet place or take a short walk in order to think clearly. After I spend a little time thinking about it, then I just trust my judgment and instincts.

Interviewer : Are you an organized person?

Mahesh : Actually, I am both organized and unorganized. At work, I am very organized because I know that being organized is important to do a good job. But at home, I am not very organized. In my home, I don’t really mind if things are a little messy or out of place.

Interviewer : So, what are some ways that you are organized at work?

Mahesh : Well, I put all of my meetings, deadlines, and other events in my calendar. As soon as I get a new task or set up a meeting, the first thing I do is put it in my calendar.

Interviewer : That’s a good habit to have.

Mahesh : Also, I like to make a list every morning to figure out what I need to accomplish that day. I think that this helps me be more productive throughout the day.

Interviewer : Do you keep your desk neat?

Mahesh : Some people might think my desk looks messy, but there is a system.

Interviewer : Don’t feel bad about that. I am the same way.

Interviewer : Are you better at anticipating or reacting to problems?

Mahesh : Honestly, I think that I am good at both. I try to think ahead and predict what problems will occur, and then I try to prevent them from happening. But I also prepare in order to handle potential problems if they do happen. At the same time, when an unexpected problem happens, I am able to stay calm and deal with the problem.

Interviewer : That’s good to hear. Which one do you think is more important ? anticipating or reacting?

Mahesh : I definitely think that anticipating is more important than reacting. If you can anticipate problems, then you can stop them before they actually happen. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Interviewer : That is one of my favorite proverbs.

Mahesh : Me too. My mother used to say it a lot when I was young.

Interviewer : Are you a risk-taker?

Mahesh : That is a tough question to answer because it depends a lot on the situation.

Interviewer : What do you mean?

Mahesh : Each situation is unique and has different risks and rewards. I am not afraid to take risks, but I want to make sure that what I am doing is a smart decision. I also don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

Interviewer : Can you tell about a time that you took a risk?

Mahesh : I think that quitting my job last month was a risk. There is no guarantee that I will find a better job. However, after I thought about it for a long time, I decided that I was confident enough in my abilities to take that risk.

Interviewer : And what makes you so confident?

Mahesh : I have been successful at every job I have ever had and I know that I could do this job really well if given the chance.

Interviewer : Are you a leader or a follower?

Mahesh : I think I am more of a follower, but I can lead if I need to.

Interviewer : Can you explain a little more, please?

Mahesh : Sure. Well, if I am working with people who have more experience or who are natural leaders, then I feel very comfortable following them. I still speak my mind and share my opinion, but I’ll let them take charge.

Interviewer : I see.

Mahesh : But on the other hand, if there is a situation in which nobody is leading but a leader is required, then I will fill that role.

Interviewer : Why do you think that is the best way?

Mahesh : I think that the most qualified person should be the leader. If I am the most qualified person, then I will be the leader, but I won’t force my way into being the leader if I am not the best person for the job.

Interviewer : I think that is very reasonable.

Interviewer : How do you handle conflict?

Mahesh : I guess it depends on the situation, but in general I like to stay calm and avoid yelling or fighting. I think if two people have a disagreement, then first they should spend some time apart. Second, they should sit down and discuss the situation. After that, if they cannot come to a compromise, then they should ask their boss or another colleague to mediate.

Interviewer : That is a very specific answer.

Mahesh : Actually, I have a lot of experience dealing with this.

Interviewer : That’s right. I see here on your resume that you spent two years working in the human resources department.

Mahesh : That’s correct. One of my roles, when I was working in human resources, was to train the employees about how to handle conflict.

Interviewer : That’s great.

Mahesh : I learned a lot about people during that time, and what I learned in that job still helps me.