HR Interview Questions [For Freshers]

 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS FOR FRESHERS

 

Most of us have gone through this cycle and most of you are going through the same cycle of investing three or five years to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree or a Master’s Degree.

 

We go through these years of hardship ultimately to fulfill our dream of landing a job that will pay us a handsome salary.

 

But the fact remains that just because we have earned a degree does not imply that we will automatically get a job. Oftentimes you may get any job but not the job of your dreams.

 

In order to get a decent job of our liking, we must first seek out that kind of job available in the market and then put in the hours to prepare for that job.

 

Applying for a job is also a sort of exam that each one of us has to go through. It requires preparation at a different level than our academic subjects.

 

Some companies conduct a knockout round or the elimination round to filter out candidates. The round includes Written Test, GD, or Just A Minute.

After qualifying the elimination round the candidate comes to the final round in the interview process often called the HR Round. Here he has to answer some common interview questions in order to convince the interviewer that he is the right candidate for the post.

 

In this blog, we will be focusing on interview questions and answers for freshers.

 

Use this blog as a guideline as you go about preparing for your job interview.

 

Here you will come across a lot of HR Interview Questions and their sample answers. Before you go through the sample answer take time to think about the question. What is the question asking? And then try to write the points that you would use to answer this question. Maybe you can also attempt to write a complete answer to the question. Once you have done that you can read the sample answer and get more clarity on the answer.

 

Remember, the answers given below are only for reference and should not be copied.

 

You don’t have to by heart the answers to these HR Interview Questions and Answers. But you surely need to practice speaking YOUR answers as many times as possible so that you get comfortable saying those answers.

 

It’s a competition out there, so prepare well to create that first impression and land your dream job.

 

All the best for preparing for an interview. Let’s get started with interview questions for freshers.

 

Interview Question # 1:

Can you tell me something about yourself?

 

By asking this most popular question the interviewer wants to understand the professional side of you. This also tells the interviewer whether you are qualified for the job or not.

 

Remember, this is your self - introduction.

 

HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

 

Most of the candidates in their self - introduction repeat whatever they have written in their resume. In addition, the freshers start talking more about their personal life than their professional qualifications.

 

In this, about 45 seconds to 1 minute of your self -introduction you need to focus on the kind of education, skills, and relevant experience have you gained that makes you stand out from the crowd. The interviewer's follow-up questions will be based on what you say in your self - introduction.

 

Your powerful self - introduction will pave a path for the success of your job interview. If you can impress the interviewer with an effective self - introduction the rest of the interview can be a cakewalk as long as you say the truth.

 

SAMPLE ANSWER

 

My name is Sunil Saigal and I come from the Holy City of Banaras in Uttar Pradesh. On my 18th birthday, my father gifted me my first Smartphone. Through the Smartphone I was introduced to the world of Apps. More than surfing the Social Media Apps, I was fascinated by how they functioned. The more I researched the more I was drawn into the exciting world of Apps. This led me to do my Degree Course in Computer Science. Right now I am pursuing my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from the College of Computer Science.

 

Utilizing my free time during lockdown I advanced my skills in programming by completing my online course in Java and XML. This has helped me in understanding the nitty-gritty of App Development.

 

To test my knowledge I have designed two apps. Both the apps are functional. The first one allows users to find a children's park in their area while the second one helps students of the class tenth to prepare for their board exams. 

 

The reason I have applied for this job is I would like to leverage my problem-solving skills, and logical thinking mind to design apps that can solve real-life problems of society.

 

I see myself as a passionate and people-oriented person. I put my strengths to work in various group projects that I was a part of in my College. I feel happy to share with you that I have been able to perform well working with my classmates.

 

 

I use my leisure time to read technical journals on App development and follow App related news on various tech apps. I have also developed a network of connections online with like-minded people. This keeps me ahead in my field and I take pride in what I am doing. 

 

 

Interview Question # 2:

Why did you choose this subject as your major?

 

The interviewer wants to understand from this question how serious you are about building a career in the field of your choice.

 

Many a time the candidates who have not prepared for this question doesn’t know how to answer it and says something on the lines like - ‘My parents suggested the subject.’ or ‘My best friend suggested I take this subject.’

 

You may be right but this is not the right way to answer this question.

 

The reason has to come from within you. Your answer should show the interviewer that you are passionate about the subject and look forward to building a career in the field of your study.

 

HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

 

Tell a story behind your decision to take the subject as your major. Maybe your parents or friends suggested it but the decision was yours. What was going on in your mind when you were making the decision?

 

What excited you about the subject? What did you plan to achieve by studying the subject? What did you want to become back then?

 

Remember, if you are excited about your chosen field then chances are your interviewer will also be excited about offering you the job.

 

SAMPLE ANSWER

 

Let me take the sample answer from the self-introduction I shared above. Here the candidate has taken Computer Science and can answer this question in the following way:

 

There’s an interesting story behind how I landed up taking Computer Science. On my 18th birthday, my father gifted me my first Smartphone. Through the Smartphone I was introduced to the world of Apps. More than surfing the Social Media Apps, I was fascinated by how they functioned. The more I researched the more I was drawn into the exciting world of Apps. I read and watched many videos on how the Apps functioned. I came to know that there are certain commands written in a computer language that makes the App function. That day I decided that I also wanted to create Apps of my own. This led me to choose and do my Degree Course in Computer Science.

 

Interview Question # 3:

What are your short-term and long-term goals? Or What is your Career Objective?

 

Here the interviewer is trying to understand how serious are you about your career? Are you looking at it casually where you plan to work for six months to a maximum of one year or are you serious about building your career in the company?

 

HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

 

Your answer should convey to the interviewer that you have thought about your future for at least the next 3 to 5 years.

 

Focus on telling the kind of job or projects you would like to be doing and then after 3-5 years reaching the management position or a position of decision making.

 

Never name the designation you want to achieve in the company. Some candidates make the mistake of saying that their long-term goal is to become the manager of this company. This is not the right approach.

 

SAMPLE ANSWER

 

As I am just starting my career I look forward to starting working at the entry-level where I see myself as an integral part of the organization. I want to be associated with challenging projects where I can use my knowledge and skills to contribute to overcoming project complications and help my team achieve its goals.

Once I gain the required experience and expertise, I look forward to moving up and being a part of the decision-making team.

 

Interview Question # 4:

What are one or two accomplishments of yours that you are proud of?

 

This tells the interviewer how well you have used your free time. If you have accomplished something in the past, you will surely work hard to accomplish something in the future.

 

An individual who focuses on achieving something has a vision. He creates his own projects and works on them. In contrast, there are people who simply wait for things to happen and waste their time being busy with nonproductive things.

 

 

HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

 

Make sure that you have accomplished something related to the field you would like to build your career in. For example, if you have applied for a post in the research department and you say that you won first prize in a dancing or badminton competition, even though it is good, it may not impress the interviewer. Your interviewer wants to listen to your accomplishments in the field of research.

 

Highlight your latest achievements that you take pride in. And when you say that make sure you are excited to talk about it.

 

SAMPLE ANSWER

 

During my last year in college, I got an opportunity to test my knowledge when I was called upon by the IT department of my college to work on a project along with other professionals to create a digital platform for the students as well as the teaching staff. (Here, you can give more detail about your project.) The project was a success. I learned a lot about teamwork and problem-solving skills working side by side with the team. In all, the experience was very rewarding and I hope to use it in my profession in the future.

 

Interview Question # 5:

In your resume, you have mentioned that you are a well-organized person. What are the tools or techniques you follow to keep yourself organized on a daily basis?

 

Whether it’s personal life or professional life, a well-organized person gets more things done in a day. Based on the strength that you have mentioned in your resume, the interviewer wants to understand your style of working.

 

Also, with so many copy-paste Resumes floating in the market, the interviewer may want to understand if you really are well organized.

 

HOW TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION?

 

First and foremost, write only those aspects that actually are your strengths. Don’t copy-paste from the internet or your friend or do it just for the sake of filling up the Resume template.

 

Whatever strengths you write make sure you have a minimum of three real-life examples from your life to support that you actually possess those strengths.

 

If you are not able to give examples the interviewer will immediately know that you have not worked on your Resume.

 

Remember, the interviewer is hiring you, not your resume. So, prepare well to justify what you have written in your Resume.

 

As you answer this question, tell a story. Explain what happened and then how you used your strength to take charge and overcome the problem. Make sure the situation is not childish.

 

Once a candidate gave an example of being persuasive or having convincing power by saying that whenever they decide on going for a movie she convinces her friends as to which movie they should watch. This is not so powerful example to showcase your strength.

 

SAMPLE ANSWER

So, here the candidate has to convince the interviewer that he really is organized by telling him the techniques and tools that he makes use of.

 

I use both, technology as well as physical tools to keep myself organized. Every night before I go to sleep I make my ‘To Do List’ for the next day. I mention only three to five main tasks that I need to focus on the next day. It helps me get more done in a day and acts as an inspiration for me. I am also an early morning person. This helps me gain few more hours to get my tasks accomplished. In addition, I have the habit of arriving early for my work. This helps me avoid the morning traffic and also it gives me ample time to prepare for the tasks I need to complete that day. I also use an App to set up a reminder for my appointments for the day so that I am not late. At the end of the day, I tick off the tasks from my To-Do List. If anything remains I carry it forward to the next day.

Keeping myself organized has helped me capture my day, every day. 

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