Planning to apply for a job? Or want to change the company? Well, in both cases, you have to crack the interview and answer a lot of questions that will be thrown at you. For many, an interview is quite an exigent process, while it is a piece of cake for others. If you fall in the former category, this blog is for you.
50 Most Commonly Asked Questions in an Interview
Here, we have compiled a list of the 50 most commonly asked questions in an interview. Although a majority of them are for candidates from all fields, we have tried to keep it around an IT professional. Let’s now look at the common interview questions and how you should answer them.
1. Could you tell me a little about yourself?
Ans.This is by far the most popular question you will encounter in interviews. The answer will vary according to candidates’ educational qualifications, job experiences, family backgrounds, etc. Here, I’m putting a sample answer, followed by dos and don’ts while answering.
Sample Answer:
I am Ahana, an IT graduate from Patna University. After working for 3 years in ABC Pvt. Ltd., I pursued an online Information Technology course through Talentedge in order to boost my skills. I like to apply my analytical and decision-making expertise to develop world-class products in the field. I love challenging environments where my skills thrive even more. The reason I want to work in the IT industry is that I feel solving technical problems is a hobby for me.
Key things you should keep in mind:
- Talk about your accomplishments
- Try to include important projects you have worked on during college and school days
- Counter-questioning with the interviewer is a big no-no
- Don’t emphasize much on what’s already mentioned in your resume
- Do not try to talk much about your personal affairs
- End your answer by mentioning why you are a perfect candidate for this position
2. Why do you want to work for our company?
Ans. Before coming to the interview, you must be aware of the company, its culture, and working domains. Only that’s how you’ll be able to answer such questions. Let’s look at a sample answer
There is nothing more amazing than working for this esteemed firm. The kind of progress it has done in the IT industry is commendable and that’s what attracted me. In addition, the work environment is pleasing, as I’ve heard. I would be proud to work for an organization that gives huge importance to creating positive work culture. In addition, this company has a long history of being a leader in the industry. During my online research, I found this is the place where my knowledge and skills can be utilized perfectly.
3. How did you hear about openings for this position in our company?
Ans. I was recommended by one of my professors while I was pursuing the Information Technology course. She was all praise for this company and believes that my best times reside here.
(NOTE: Be honest about where you get to hear about the position.)
4. What is your dream job?
Ans. A job that helps me grow, where I can contribute to the company’s success is my dream job.
5. Do you consider yourself successful?
Ans. I see success as a continuous process more than a destination. I find success in every task I am a part of. In that sense, I am successful because I do my work with complete honesty and dedication. Or you can say I’m a work in progress, which will continue till my body allows me to be in the profession.
6. Are you willing to travel for some projects if the company asks you?
Ans. Yes, I’m open to traveling. In fact, I love traveling from one place to another and meeting fresh faces. Adjusting to a new environment has never been a challenge for me.
7. What motivates you?
Ans. The zeal to make India the biggest power in the field of information technology is what motivates me.
8. How good a team player you are?
Ans. I love working in a team. Interacting with others has always been a plus point for me.
9. How much salary do you expect here?
Ans. I haven’t thought much about this, although I expect at least a 25% hike from what I was getting previously.
10. What’s the reason behind quitting your last job?
Ans. I quit my last job because I wanted better opportunities to enhance my skills and career. I want bigger responsibilities so that I can contribute in a better way.
11. What would you consider your greatest strengths & weakness?
Ans. I am very comfortable working in a challenging environment. Coordinating with peers and working with a team have been my strengths. Deadlines are very important for me. I’m a little bit weak in presenting my thoughts in front of others, which I am aiming to learn here.
(NOTE: Talk about what you are extremely good at and where you lack a bit. Make sure not to talk much about the latter.)
12. What experience do you have in this field of Information Technology?
Ans. I have altogether 38 months of experience working in the IT industry. I have worked on several projects in the last couple of years. (As a candidate, you should mention various projects you have been involved with.)
13. What’s your opinion on your co-workers in the previous organization?
Ans. I had a very good experience working with my co-workers. We are bound through mutual respect.
14. Why did you choose the IT field?
Ans. Information Technology and advancements in the field have been my favorite topics to explore. Working on new technologies excites me, which is why I choose to pursue an IT certification course to make a career in the field.
15. Why should we hire you?
Ans. During my 3 years of experience, I have advanced my technical and team-building skills. In the last company, I got the best employee of the month award 4 times in a row, a testament to how good an organizational person I am. Your company should hire me for my dedication towards my tasks and responsibilities.
16. Are you open to working night shifts and on weekends if the company demands it?
Ans. As I told you previously that I am an organizational person, I am quite happy to go the extra mile if the company asks.
17. Did you have any issues with your seniors in the previous company?
Ans. I’m sorry, but I can’t remember any incident of having a problem with my seniors. Although there were a few moments of misunderstanding, they were not that serious to have affected our relationship.
18. Describe your ability to work under pressure.
Ans. Working under challenging circumstances is one of my strong points. I believe, challenges give me the extra motivation to go beyond my limits.
19. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?
Ans. Like all other human beings, I too have committed mistakes. I have learned the art of being patient and waiting for the results. I have worked on my personality by studying Bhagavad Gita, which taught me how to be persistent and perseverant without worrying about the goal.
20. Describe your management style.
Ans. My style of managing people is based on project scheduling and time management. I encourage my team members to commit to what they can offer and what they cannot in time.
21. Money or job satisfaction — What matters more to you?
Ans. For me, both are more or less equally important to me, with job satisfaction having an upper hand. I do believe that money is not everything but it is a lot of things.
22. If we hire you as a manager, what would be your approach in the first place?
Ans. As a manager, my priority would be to maintain a team of multi-dimensional professionals. This includes mainly two aspects: the ability to do the job timely and a positive work attitude.
23. How would you be an asset to this organization?
Ans. As a dedicated professional, I’ll be committed to the progress of the company and its business prospects. I’ll do whatever I can do in my capacity to prevent any form of the data breach that can harm the company.
24. What’s your mantra for coping with stress?
Ans. I believe work stress allows you to pause for a few minutes and deviate your mind. I normally go for Chair Yoga, closing my eyes and remembering the almighty God.
25. What do you like to do in your leisure?
Ans. I don’t get much free time, although whenever I get the time of my own, I love to play FIFA.
26. How sensitive are you with social issues?
Ans. Social issues are very close to my heart. I normally try to contribute whatever I can to social causes.
27. What are you passionate about?
Ans. There are a lot of things I’m passionate about, for example, robotics, artificial intelligence, gaming, etc.
28. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ans. I aim to enhance my experience, hone my skills, and triple my salary in the coming five years.
29. What makes you unique?
Ans. My ability to shine in difficult situations is what makes me unique. In addition, my potential to handle managerial tasks has also been praised in the past by my seniors in previous companies.
30. Who inspires you the most in your career?
Ans. I am quite fascinated by the works of Albert Einstein and Jeff Bezos. Plus, the way Jack Ma and Azim Premji have shaped the IT industry in Asia is what inspired me to walk on this path.
31. Can you explain IT concepts?
Ans. I believe the IT field is all about technical ideas, with a blend of management factors and business models.
32. Are you willing to relocate?
Ans. Yes, I’m open to relocating. It won’t be a difficult decision for me.
33. What do you think should change in the field of Information and Technology?
Ans. The IT domain is quite flourishing in India, although I believe we should take several steps in the direction of bringing some innovation in the field.
34. What’s your opinion on the expansion of IT education in India?
Ans. IT education in India is not as diverse as it should have been. In developed countries, a lot of importance is given to the development of technical learning that includes practical as well as theoretical education. I wish we should also adopt that method from the school level.
Since this is an IT interview, you will be asked several questions related to your field of interest
35. What do you understand by Information Technology?
Ans. Information Technology is the use of computing devices such as computers, networking gadgets, tech infrastructure, etc. to process, secure, secure, and exchange various forms of electronic data. In the field of business, it includes computers technology as well as telecommunications.
36. Which coding language you are comfortable with?
Ans. Although I am competent in various coding languages such as Java, C++, CSS, Python, etc., the one with which I am very familiar is Python and JavaScript.
37. What do you think about the future of the IT sector in India?
Ans. Ever since the LPG reforms took place, the IT sector has expanded exponentially in India. Thanks to the large workforce, we will see our country becoming an even greater IT ecosystem.
38. How do you stay updated with new technological developments?
Ans. Being in touch with the latest technologies is actually quite easy. I have subscribed to several tech magazines and watch videos on the internet. In addition, I try to utilize these techniques in real life as well.
39. How aware are you of different operating systems?
Ans. Although Windows is used in my previous organization, I’m not a big fan of Microsoft technology. I prefer Mac and Linux because of the better security they offer.
40. What is an IP address?
Ans. Internet Protocol (IP) Address is a numerical label for computer networking used for identifying a device. It is through IP addresses that computers communicate with each other.
41. What is DNS?
Ans. DNS, short for Domain Name System, is the internet phonebook. It is used to turn human-readable domain names (such as www.talentedge.com) into IP addresses, which are understood by machines.
42. What steps do you take to keep a computer network secure?
Ans. Although there are various ways to keep computers safe, I generally take these steps:
- Regular vulnerability scan
- Password updation every 60 days
- Deleting spam emails
- Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
- Installing anti-virus software
- Using the updated operating system
43. How would you move a file using the command prompt?
Ans. The interviewer wants to test your technical knowledge with such questions. You can answer directly by saying Option + Command + V or you can tell him/her the process you use.
44. What do you think is an ideal way to manage an IT team?
Ans. Managing an IT team is different from handling other groups of professionals in a way that the leader has to take care of the updated technical expertise of employees. (Make sure you describe the answer to satisfy the interviewer with your reply.)
45. What is a firewall?
Ans. A Firewall is a network security system that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic after analyzing the security issues.
46. What role does technology play in your life?
Ans. Being a techie, why whole life is about being in love with technology. From breakfast to dinner, technology drives me.
47. How can you use technology to run your business?
Ans. Although I have not thought of starting a business, I do think that technology can play an even bigger role in organizational management. With the advent of AI and other advancements in the field, I believe almost 80% of a company’s tasks can be done by machines.
48. How do you make sure that your deliverables are not compromised with quality?
Ans. To ensure quality in my tasks, I personally use these steps:
- Covering all aspects of the process
- Complete orientation
- Check for precision in the processes
- Give proper importance to maintaining workforce standard
49. What is a port number? How to find it?
Ans. The port number is used to identify a particular process to which an internet network communicates. To find your port number on Windows:
- Type “ Cmd” in the search bar.
- Open Command Prompt
- To see your port number, enter netstst -a command
50. Name some types of Information Systems.
Ans. Some of the major information systems are:
- Management Information Systems
- Knowledge Management Systems
- Office Automation Systems
- Executive Support System
- Transaction Processing Systems
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