1. Question 1) Tell me about Yourself?
Recruiter’s expectation
The candidate should be able to introduce himself/herself and share his/her
academic record, talk about his education, preparation that makes him a suitable
candidate for the position applied for.
What not to do?
Don’t tell your life story and please do not mention unrelated personal information
like Hobbies, Marital status, father’s occupation and number of siblings etc.
Remember
Keep the focus on yourself, explain how your experiences at the University/College
have led you to apply for this job.
FOCUS
Education>Experience> Skills
Sample Answer:
My name is ___________
I am from City, State and I currently live in Bangalore.
Education: I have completed my Bachelor of Engineering from (name of the
University/College) mentioning the GPA/ Percentage. I was amongst the top 5 rank
holders in my University/ College.
Experience: I have received hands- on training in Java, C++, Manual testing and SQL (as
per the job opening) at ABC for Java and Testing
Skills: I am a dedicated person and I always finish what I start.I have represented my
college at state level/participated in a project ________ and learnt that
___________________.
It’s my pleasure to discuss my candidacy with you.
Question 2) Why are you interested in this position? Why do you want to work
for our company?
Recruiter’s expectation
The candidate should be able to convince that he really wants this job. Recruiter
wants to discover a potential candidate’s motivation to work and stay with the
company.
FOCUS
Why do you want to work in this field?
Why do you want to work at this position over another in the same field?
Why this company over another company?

2. Sample Answer:
I have the skills that match the job- Very Important. For example, if applying for a
Software Tester Position, talk about attention to detail, well -versed with knowledge
of Software Testing life cycle, a deep understanding of testing methodologies
and bug tracking and reporting.
I am passionate about building my career in Automation testing and this position is a
path to reach my career goal.
Note: Show commitment to the field and share how this position fits with your long-
term career goals.
It’s a great privilege to work in a reputed company like yours. I have read and
researched about your company.And, I am convinced that I have the right set
of skills to contribute to the growth of this company( name the company)
Note: Please tell them what you like about the company.
Question 3)Why should we hire you?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wants to know as to why YOU should be chosen over the
other qualified candidates who are also interviewing for this job.
FOCUS
Display the knowledge of job
Highlight your personal qualities
Sample Answer:
Being a fresher, I believe that I have the knowledge, required training for this
position. I am sincere and punctual with my work, I always finish the work assigned
to me on time. I will try my best to fulfill & even exceed the expectations _____(
name the company) will have of me.
Question 4) What are your strengths?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wants to know if the candidate is self -aware, has the ability
to identify strengths required to perform the job.
FOCUS

3. Pick a strength that will help you excel at THAT job and follow it up with a supporting
example.
Sample Answers:
Persistence: I don’t stop until I get things done.
Provide a supporting example: Each project has clear guidelines and being the
focussed individual I am, I will always ensure that the assigned work is completed on
time, every time.
Note: Your supporting example should make you a better Software developer/
Tester.
Self-Motivated: I have a positive attitude towards my career and life.
Provide a supporting example: I value other people’s time and company’s
resources.I will put efforts to become an asset and not a liability.
Suggested Strengths
Ability to Prioritize
Problem Solving Skills
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to focus on projects
Leadership Skills
Note: Do not pick more than three strengths at a time. Ideally, you
should choose up to two strengths and provide supporting examples.
Question 5) Do you have any weaknesses?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter is again checking the candidate’s self-awareness levels.Will
this candidate need some additional support or extra training before he is
job ready?
FOCUS
Strategy 1: Pick a weakness that comes from a strength. NOT
RECOMMENDED
Strategy 2:Pick a weakness that would have no impact on your ability to
do the job at hand.
Strategy 3: Mention an actual weakness ( your honest assessment of
what you anticipate to be the most challenging thing for you in your field)
and finish your answer by sharing the steps that you are taking or have
taken to improve upon your weakness.
Sample Answer:

4. Strategy 1:I am a detailed-oriented person and thus it takes a bit longer
for me to get things done.
Note: This could be interpreted negatively. NOT RECOMMENDED.
Strategy 2: I have a weakness for chocolates.
Note: This does not impact your ability to do the job. And, thus a safe
answer.
Strategy 3: I am good at talking one-on -one, But I had fear of Public
Speaking. Therefore, I have enrolled into a Toastmasters club wherein I
meet like-minded individuals twice a month to improve my ability to lead
and communicate with large groups. I believe this confidence will also be
helpful in my job.
Suggested Weaknesses
Trust people very quickly
Find it difficult to say no to someone in need
Take decisions quickly
Get nervous while talking to strangers
Difficulty in telling a lie
Note: Do not pick more than two weaknesses at a time. Ideally, you
should choose one weakness and provide supporting example.
Question 6)What do you know about our company?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wishes to know if the candidate is really interested in taking
up the position or just giving one more interview.
FOCUS
Do a 360 degree research- find out about company, industry and
competition. This can easily be done online. Please do the following
Study the company details from their website
Do a google search to find if there is any information about the newer
projects, it’s employees are working on.
Research the company to find out if there are issues that the company is
currently facing.
Know about the competition. You could also gather this information from
your friends or seniors working at the company.

5. Sample Answer
As per my research, _________( name of the company) is the fastest
growing company in India. My friends suggest that work environment of
the company is very good. I strongly believe that people feel proud to be
a part of the company that provides full support to their employees to
grow and fosters ( facilitates) a healthy yet competitive work
environment. I am confident that I will have a good opportunity to show
my talent.
Question 7) What are your salary requirements?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wishes to find out if candidate is flexible or has some
unrealistic expectations about the remuneration.
Focus
Never share your salary requirement as a fresher.
Only experienced candidates can share their expectations and that too
respectfully by mentioning their last CTC.
Sample Answer
For a Fresher
As of now, I have not thought much about it. I am more focussed on
learning more about the requirements for this position and the
contribution that I can make to the organisation. I will adhere to/stick to/
abide by the company policy in this matter.
As a fresher, Salary is not my first priority. This is a big opportunity to
start my career. I am more focussed on improving my knowledge, skills
and gaining experience. So, I would honour/accept a salary according to
the company’s norms (policy guidelines). I sincerely hope that the offered
salary will help me to meet my economic needs and will be a reasonable
match to my ability.

6. For the experienced
I have close to 2 years’ experience as a Software Developer with
_________( name of the company). My current CTC is _______ (mention
your CTC). The only reason I have chosen to apply for this position is
because my skills and experience closely match the profile, this company
_______( name the company) is looking for. I am keen to work for the
company and would honour a salary as per company’s policy. I sincerely
hope that it will help me maintain my current standard of living and even
better.
Question 8) What are your career goals - Short term and Long
term?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wishes to find out if the candidate is goal oriented. Is the
candidate looking for a career or just a job to meet his/her expenses
while some better offer comes along?
Focus
Mention your short term goals
Mention your long term goals
Sample Answer
My short term goal is find a placement with a reputed company like
yours__________ (mention the name of the company)
My long term goal is to be an expert in my field of Software development
by continuous learning and contribute to my company’s growth and
development.
Question 9) Are you willing to travel if required?
Recruiter’s expectation
The recruiter wishes to know if you are flexible. Your response and facial
expressions will tell give clues about your thinking.

7. FOCUS
Show flexibility
Be adaptable
Sample Answers
Yes, obviously. I am person who enjoys travelling. And it may be a new
experience.
I love travelling and adjusting to new environments comes easy to me as
I am a flexible person. Meeting new people will be a delightful experience
for me.
I'm perfectly fine with relocation because I believe that it provides you
with an opportunity to learn new culture and to meet new people.
Of course, Sir/Madam, if you get me a chance to do work with this
company. Then distance doesn't matter for me because if I want to learn
new things so I will have to leave my comfort zone and am prepared for
that.
Yes Sir/Madam, I am ready to relocate and this gives me exposure of
different culture and I will opportunity to meet people from a diverse
background.
Yes, I believe relocation or travelling provides exposure and an
opportunity to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. I am
eagerly looking forward to such opportunity.
I sincerely believe that If one stays at the same place, one become
stagnant and hence stops growing professionally and this could hinder
one’s career growth. I am flexible to move for the right opportunity and to
grow my career.
Question 10) Do you have any questions to ask me ( the
recruiter)?
Recruiter’s expectation
Recruiter wishes to know if you have the courage and have done the
preparation to ask a question. This reflects a candidate’s interest in the
position and likeliness to work for the company

8. FOCUS
Take this opportunity to thank the recruiter for their valuable time. And,
here are some sample questions for you to ask
Sample Questions
First of all, I would like to thank you for this opportunity. I am very keen
to know
 Is there anything I can do/ read in order to improve my knowledge
of the company while I wait to hear from you?
 If I am successful, how long would it take for me to start working
with the company?
 What sort of opportunities will the company provide for me to
contribute and progress in my role as a software developer/ tester?
 What is the location of my assignment and what are the typical
hours employees work?