This link contains various questions asked in different B-School entrance exams…..

– List five adjectives that describe you and then list five adjectives that would describe the ideal candidate for the position. How well do the lists match? Where are the gaps?

– Read the company’s annual report, and take note of the adjectives used to describe the leadership and the employees. Is the culture one in which you will be happy and do your best work? For the interview, prepare brief anecdotes about your work that illustrate the qualities the company values.

– Rehearse until you can easily answer questions with clarity and crispness. The more you practice your answers, the more your confidence will grow.

And remember: Everyone can use interview practice. Even the most extroverted, self-confident and verbal candidate needs help in thinking through and rehearsing the answers to interview questions.

1. Whenever the interviewer asks any questions, listen carefully. Do not interrupt him midway. Ask for a clarification if the question is not clear. Wait a second or two before you answer. And don’t dive into the answer!

2. Speak clearly. Don’t speak very slowly. Be loud enough so that the interviewers don’t have to strain their ears.

3. Brevity is the hallmark of a good communicator. An over-talkative or verbose person is disliked and misjudged instantly, so keep it short.

4. If you don’t know an answer, be honest. The interviewer will respect your integrity and honesty. Never exaggerate.

5. Never boast about your achievements. Don’t be overconfident — it is often misinterpreted by interviewers for arrogance.

6. Don’t get into an argument with the interviewer on any topic. Restrain yourself, please!

7. Remember your manners. Project an air of humility and be polite.

8. Project enthusiasm. The interviewer usually pays more attention if you display enthusiasm in whatever you say.

9. Maintain a cheerful disposition throughout the interview, because a pleasant countenance holds the interviewers’ interest.

10. Maintain perfect eye contact with all panel members; make sure you address them all. This shows your self-confidence and honesty.

11. Avoid using slang. It may not be understood and will certainly not be appreciated.

12. Avoid frequent use of words and phrases like, ‘I mean’; ‘You know’; ‘I know’; ‘Well’; ‘As such’; ‘Fine’; ‘Basically’, etc.

13. When questions are asked in English, reply in English only. Do not use Hindi or any other languages. Avoid using Hindi words like matlab, ki, maine, etc.

14. Feel free to ask questions if necessary. It is quite in order and much appreciated by interviewers.

15. Last but not the least, be natural. Many interviewees adopt a stance that is not their natural self. Interviewers find it amusing when a candidate launches into a new accent that s/he cannot sustain consistently through the interview or adopts a mannerism that is inconsistent with their own personality. It is best to talk naturally. You come across as genuine.

]]> http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/personal-interview/commandments-for-every-personal-interview/feed/ http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/common-questions/mock-interview-questions/ http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/common-questions/mock-interview-questions/#comments Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:31:21 +0000 kudosinfomedia Common Questions http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/common-questions/mock-interview-questions/ Education & Career Plans

Why did you choose to study __________?
How are you enjoying the program? Why?
Why did you get involved with the co-op program? What do you hope to get out of participating?
What are your grades like? (If not good, why?)
Which courses do you enjoy best? Least? Why?
Which area(s) of the __________ field interests you most? Why?
What do you think it takes to succeed in the __________ field?
You’re in school now, but what do you expect to be doing in five years?

Experience & Skills

Which past jobs have you enjoyed the most? The least? Why?
Under what circumstances did you leave your last job?
Describe your working relationship with your last supervisor.
Are you currently working part-time? (If yes,) do you plan to quit taking a co-op position?
What experience related to this position have you had?
(If no related experience,) how specifically will your past experience be valuable in the __________ field?
(For non-CS students) How computer literate are you? What kinds of computer equipment and software have you used?

Personal

What are your strengths? Weaknesses? How do you know? Can you give an example of each? (Relate to work environment)
Which three adjectives best describe you? (e.g., reliable, kind, etc.)
Can you give an example of how you have shown initiative in a past job or volunteer experience?
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? Why?
Do you prefer working on your own or in a team? Why?
What are some of your leisure interests?
Do you have a car or some other reliable form of transportation?
Are you willing to relocate for co-op/permanent employment?

Your Questions

At the end of the interview, you will usually be given an opportunity to ask questions. Ask about the work itself and the people you will be working with.

]]> http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/common-questions/mock-interview-questions/feed/ http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/rejection-reasons/avoid-the-2-common-mistakes-during-an-interview/ http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/rejection-reasons/avoid-the-2-common-mistakes-during-an-interview/#comments Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:30:27 +0000 kudosinfomedia Rejection Reasons http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/rejection-reasons/avoid-the-2-common-mistakes-during-an-interview/ Everybody tends to make mistakes during their interview. It could be due to nervousness or may be just because its not their day. Still in most of the cases, mistakes we made are avoidable. Just have a look at 2 very common mistakes through this article and promise yourself - never to let that happen in your case!!

Avoid the dreaded electronic interruption

Cellular phone and pager etiquette might seem a trivial thing to those that are hooked up, but you can kiss any approaching opportunity goodbye if you interrupt an interview to take a telephone call, especially if the human resources representative has a low tolerance for personal digital devices. Only if you are exchanging information by invitation should you reveal the fact that you carry a PDA. If you wear it on a belt loop or somewhere that is exposed, lose it, along with any other electrical device hooks and loops, and store them in pocket, purse, or briefcase. If you can’t spare the time away from the rest of the world to do an interview, why are you applying for it?

For interviewers watching a person being silently buzzed is terribly distracting and also aggravating.

If you think getting rid of electronic communications devices isn’t important, just ask any human resources rep who has had a person answer a cellular phone during a job interview. Then ask if the person got the job.

Don’t Forget to say thank you

Beyond thanking your interviewers for their time as you leave, it’s vital that you follow up in written form. If the competition for a position is tight, a follow-up thank you note can mean a lot. If the manager is slow to hire, the arrival of a thank-you note can serve as a reminder about the candidate who’s awaiting the manager’s next move.

Just after you’ve completed the interview, take note of anything specific you discussed and make a point of referencing it in your thank you letter. Even a nice greeting card is better than nothing.

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What do you want to do with your life?
3. Do you have any actual work experience?
4. How would you describe your ideal job?
5. Why did you choose this career?
6. When did you decide on this career?
7. What goals do you have in your career?
8. How do you plan to achieve these goals?
9. How do you evaluate success?
10. Describe a situation in which you were successful.
11. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
12. What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life?
13. If you had to live your life over again, what would you change?
14. Would your rather work with information or with people?
15. Are you a team player?
16. What motivates you?
17. Why should I hire you?
18. Are you a goal-oriented person?
19. Tell me about some of your recent goals and what you did to achieve them.
20. What are your short-term goals?
21. What is your long-range objective?
22. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
23. Where do you want to be ten years from now?
24. Do you handle conflict well?
25. Have you ever had a conflict with a boss or professor? How did you resolve it?
26. What major problem have you had to deal with recently?
27. Do you handle pressure well?
28. What is your greatest strength?
29. What is your greatest weakness?
30. If I were to ask one of your professors to describe you, what would he or she say?
31. Why did you choose to attend your college?
32. What changes would you make at your college?
33. How has your education prepared you for your career?
34. What were your favorite classes? Why?
35. Do you enjoy doing independent research?
36. Who were your favorite professors? Why?
37. Why is your GPA not higher?
38. Do you have any plans for further education?
39. How much training do you think you’ll need to become a productive employee?
40. What qualities do you feel a successful manager should have?
41. Why do you want to work in the _____ industry?
42. What do you know about our company?
43. Why are you interested in our company?
44. Do you have any location preferences?
45. How familiar are you with the community that we’re located in?
46. Will you relocate? In the future?
47. Are you willing to travel? How much?
48. Is money important to you?
49. How much money do you need to make to be happy?
50. What kind of salary are you looking for?

* The Strengths and weaknesses of the student
* Aim and objective behind management education
* Stress and Time Management skills
* Past performances and experiences as indicator to future behavior
* Honesty and integrity
* Personality conflicts, if any

Some of the common questions that a candidate faces in an interview

* Why do you wish to choose a career in management?
* Discuss the vocations or professions other than management, which you have considered.
* Give a candid evaluation of yourself discussing those characteristics you feel are your strengths and weaknesses.
* Describe your three most substantial accomplishments and explain why you view them as such.
* Describe a situation or a job in which you felt had some responsibility and tell us what you learned from that experience.
* What did you get out of your academic and extra curricular life at college?
* Describe your vocation and hobbies.
* How do you visualize yourself, five years hence?

How would you describe your own personality?
* Balanced.

What are your strong points?
* Present at least three and relate them to the courses offered by the institues.
I’m very focused on what I want, and I don’t give up easily.”
you have to be confident about what you’re doing, and you have to do it well
You have to give your best to your job and focus on what you want to achieve.”

What are your weak points?

Don’t say you have none.
Try not to cite personal characteristics as weaknesses, but be ready to have one if interviewer presses.
Turn a negative into a positive answer: “I am sometimes intent on completing an assignment and get too deeply involved when we are late.”

1. Family Background

2. Education

3. Experience

4. Stability

5. Initiative

6. General Ability

7. Interpersonal Skills

8. Confidence

9. Aptitude

10. Pleasant Looks

Never Go Unprepared

Yes sir, I hear you. You know it all. You even counted the number of steps on that staircase to the interview room. But you know that funny thing called odds. It’s always a damp squib. You might want to do a bit of preparation. If you have stated, Accountancy as your best subject on your CV, you’d better be darned well at it. Learn every rule in every accounting principle, by rote. And while you’re at it, it probably isn’t a bad idea to memorize the number of pages in the Accounting Standards Book. Some interviewers ask for weakness. What a silly thing to ask, like your weakness would be of any help anyway. But you can’t argue with their logic. So turn around any weakness on its head and make it your strength. If you’re a weirdo, say you are quite innovative. If you’re a lazy goose and leave things to last minute, say you work well with short deadlines. If you have had a not so great time at grad school, tell them you believe in holistic education and were active at extra-curriculars (of-course you need to back it up). Now if you think you’re perfect, make up a not so debilitating weakness like unbridled appetite or chewing nails…

Avoid Over Zealous Dressing

‘Green is the new blue’. Nice tagline, no? Did you buy that green shirt already? Tsk, tsk, consumerism. Take my advice and save it for your best friend’s wedding. Yes, I know you bought it for this special occasion, your first interview. Classic white is out, I know. But how about sticking to other safe colors like blue or maybe gray. So what if its boring? At least you won’t look like a radioactive leprechaun. Funny ties. Haha! That’s a good attention grabber my friend. Focus, focus. . . We are here to grab that job… the pink piggies on that yellow tie may prove more an unhealthy distraction than attraction. Oh, I love that crocodile handbag of yours. Lets hide your entire disregard for the ecosystem, in the closet. You can flaunt it in that cocktail party, this weekend.

Never Underestimate Traffic Jams

The venue is only a block away and 15 minutes is all you need to get there. Have you heard of a certain someone called Mr. Murphy? No? I’ll tell you that story later. But he devised some fine laws. One of them says on the day of your interview, every single car will be neatly lined in a jam from your gate till the venue and every signal will chose to turn red the moment you turn the key in the ignition. So leave home at least one hour in advance. Okay, so now you have reached too early. What are books for, silly?

Do Not Fake Accent

Does your guy love the way you roll your ‘R’s? Have people told you how close you come to sounding Oxford educated? Good for you, mate. But its hard to keep that up all the time, no? See, now that’s the thing with fake accents. They have a habit of coming undone in the most inappropriate of moments. And chances are it will happen at the interview too. Take my word; the interviewer WILL NOT be impressed. So let your natural accent do the talking this time, eh?

Do Not Invoke Skeletons in the Closet

Everyone has them. I have a closet bursting at its hinges and a new one on its way. No need to be ashamed. But an interview is not the place to unleash them. If you got sacked from your last job, this is not the best place to tell them your sob story. NO, I did NOT ask you to lie about it. All I am saying is, don’t go about telling them what a @$*# %*@ your old boss was or bad mouth your colleagues. Chances are they just might call him up to confirm your little story. So be honest. But leave out the details. In this one exceptional case, the devil is in the details.

Never Lose Your Cool

Surely you have heard of ‘stress interviews’. The ultimate aim of every soul in that room will be to make you scream and run for life, tearing out your hair. So never lose that thing called cool. It’s a slick one, Mr. Cool. Once he’s gone, you might chew those manicured nails, twiddle your fingers or tear at that loose thread on your skirt (imagine all of it coming undone. Very Grim, yes). So pick up that Mr. Cool from under the table and be the pro that you are… By the way, no matter what you do, do not gnash teeth. You might never get it in shape for the next interview, should you lose out on this one.

]]> http://koolkareers.com/interview-preparation/rejection-reasons/things-you-should-not-do-at-an-interview/feed/