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  • CEans,

    I'm planning to write a series of articles on how to face interviews for fresh engineering graduates. I've had opportunity to interview lot of fresh engineering graduates. Over the time, I observed a common pattern in all the interviews - and I believe couple of my tips will definitely help you get an edge over other candidates.

    When an interview is about to conclude, a good interviewer [or most of them!] will give you an opportunity to ask him/her questions. Typically most of the interviews will end in "Do you have any questions for us?". Whenever I asked this question to candidates I was interviewing; candidates simply said "No Sir". Most of them, I guess, thought they were showing some respect by not questioning me. Some thought its wrong to ask questions to the interviewers. But you know what?

    You SHOULD ask questions to the interviewer! No matter how badly you think you performed in the interview!

    Trust me, on one occasion, I changed my decision of not hiring the candidate and actually she got hired later; because she asked good questions to me.

    Now, this thread is about asking good questions to the interviewers. As I've said elsewhere in one of the discussions on CE that the most important answer any interviewer looks for is "Will I be happy to have this candidate in my team?". How do you make him/her feel confident that you will be a value addition to his/her team? Simply by showing your genuine concern about the job! Let me give you an example:

    Interviewer: Ok miss XYZ. Do you have any questions for me/us?

    Candidate    : Sure sire, assuming that I get selected, what will be your expectations from me as a <job role>?
    OR
    Candidate: Could you tell me more about the project I'm being considered for?
    OR
    Candidate: What are the top qualities you expect in an engineer who gets selected for the job?

    etc.

    DO NOT

    1. Ask the interviewer answer to one of the 'tough' questions asked during the interview.
    2. Ask the interviewer about personal feedback or how you performed.
    3. Ask the interviewer whether you are selected or not.

    I look forward to your reactions/feedback/opinion. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I'll also try to come up with few examples of good & bad questions that you should and should not ask an interviewer. 😀
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Replies

  • yadavundertaker mohit

    Member • Nov 4, 2009

    nice idea....it will really help in interview.......
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  • Gurjeet Singh

    Member • Nov 4, 2009

    really it will give great help in interview...
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  • Mahesh Dahale

    Member • Nov 4, 2009

    Really nice Big_k , thanks for sharing. Very nice...
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  • ms_cs

    Member • Nov 4, 2009

    Realy Nice Idea.this will really help
    Ask the interviewer about personal feedback or how you performed.
    Shall I know why one has to not ask this question?
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Nov 5, 2009

    ms_cs
    Realy Nice Idea.this will really help
    Shall I know why one has to not ask this question?
    Simply because its not interviewer's job to give you personal feedback. Of course, they may; if they wish.

    I however discourage candidates from seeking personal feedback at the end of the interview.
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  • ms_cs

    Member • Nov 5, 2009

    ok.thanks for the information
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  • Saandeep Sreerambatla

    Member • Nov 5, 2009

    This is one question I asked when I was interviewed in my latest company!!

    How the recession effected <company name>?

    He answered it effectively, but I feel its my responsibility to know the business of the company and understand the effects than to ask the question.

    Biggie, I got selected anyway, Is the question I asked should be asked or not??
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Nov 5, 2009

    @E-S: That question was very good. It shows that you are concerned about the overall performance of the company [and in turn, how it affects you 😀 ].

    Of course, the question was right at the right time.
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  • Saandeep Sreerambatla

    Member • Nov 5, 2009

    oh! ok Thanks Biggie 😀

    One more thing ,when I was a fresher one question was very popular, though I didnt ask..

    The question is "What does your Logo represent?"

    Few company logos represent something itseems.

    Tell us about this question 😀
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Nov 5, 2009

    Hah, never ask popular questions 😁 !

    Now that's a straightforward answer. If the company has a 'logo' they'll simply tell you about it. However, I don't think that's a significant question.

    For example I'd reply with a plain cold "What do you think our logo represents?" if anyone asked that question to me 😀 ...and an interesting discussion would follow.
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  • Saandeep Sreerambatla

    Member • Nov 6, 2009

    Well said Biggie.

    One of my friend in a interview with company Satyam asked the interviewer.

    "What does your logo represent"??

    She asked what do you think?

    My friend answered something blah blah...

    Interviewer: No thats not , without knowing it why you came for the interview 😔


    She was not selected 😔 though she is working in another firm now 😀
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  • Manish Goyal

    Member • Nov 6, 2009

    Thanks biggie for such a nice information...it will really help me...
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  • safwan

    Member • Nov 6, 2009

    Biggie thanks for sharing this .

    I am in grade 12 @ present but I think this CE will prepare me a good student and will prepare me a good employee for industries or may be sometimes I feel a good entrepreneur.Becouse I reead many good things related to entreprunership on CE bye biggie and CEans.(which motivates me.)
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  • rajivtiwari

    Member • Jan 16, 2010

    Thanks..
    Nice post
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  • Bharmal Aliasgar

    Member • Jan 20, 2010

    Sir,
    can you give some more examples of the questions to be asked to an interviewer?
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  • SHIVAJIKARNATAKA

    Member • Aug 19, 2012

    Is smiling face necessary?do you like this?also i want to know how to feel them i am honest ?
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Aug 19, 2012

    SHIVAJIKARNATAKA
    Is smiling face necessary?do you like this?
    Expressions have to be natural. But, in general, people love smiling faces.
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  • Smeechi Mittal

    Member • Aug 21, 2012

    Hey!
    One of the obvious things asked in the interview is 'Tell us something about yourself?'
    How to answer the question? What do they really seek? Are we supposed to tell all that we wrote in CV (i mean, school, college, achievements, etc etc) or about our capabilities (as in, how are we good for their company..) ?
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  • sweet_honey

    Member • Aug 25, 2012

    Smeechi Mittal
    Hey!
    One of the obvious things asked in the interview is 'Tell us something about yourself?'
    How to answer the question? What do they really seek? Are we supposed to tell all that we wrote in CV (i mean, school, college, achievements, etc etc) or about our capabilities (as in, how are we good for their company..) ?
    don't go to read all the data in the resume but tell about the strengths and interests that are related to the job..
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  • clZazy

    Member • Sep 3, 2012

    one of my friend asked the interviewer "why should I join your company?"
    the interviewer answered him normally but later he talked to our Placement Officer about it and our PO scolded my friend about asking such questions in interviews and also my friend didn't got selected.
    well i think he shouldn't have asked that question. these type of questions needs a fine timing to be asked. what do you think about it admin?
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  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Administrator • Sep 3, 2012

    Really? What's wrong with asking why should a candidate join the company? There could be other aspects which we don't know for rejection.

    There are ways to ask the question. I'd have asked, "What's been the most exciting reason for you to be in the job with this company?"
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  • clZazy

    Member • Sep 3, 2012

    yeah that's what I think. He should have framed that question in a different way or in a different tone. anyways we didn't know the details of his interview so I am not judging anything.
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