To most candidates, answering questions is always the greatest challenge in an interview. In fact, you do not have to panic. If you have made good preparation and stay calm during the interview, the interviewers will be very impressed. Now get prepared for the following common questions:
Group 1: Character, motivation and aspiration
Please briefly introduce yourself.
How would you describe your personality and inclinations?
What are your hobbies and interests?
Which type of persons you can best get along with? Why?
Which type of person you dislike most? How would you deal with them?
What kind of working environment you would feel most enjoyable?
Do you have any target to achieve in your lifetime?
Which factor would you consider the most significant when selecting your job?
How would you expect your attainment in career development in 5 years’ time?
What is your long-term career plan? How would you achieve your goal?
What do you think of a successful career?
How did you tackle the difficulties you encountered in the past?
Are you ambitious?
Important Tips
Question 1 to 5 help the employer to assess whether you can build up a good relationship with other colleagues.
Question 5 to 15 help the employer to understand if you share the same values with the company. Therefore, you should do some background research on the company to know more about its products/ services, its future development etc.
Group 2: School Life and Plan on Further Studies
What is your most favourable / unfavourable subjects? Why?
Do you think your exam grades can truly reflect your intelligence and ability?
Any unforgettable experience in your school life?
What have you learned from extra-curricular activities?
Do you have any plan on further studies?
Important Tips:
The above questions allow the employer to know more about your school life and what job-related skills you have acquired from your schoolwork and extra-curricular activities.
Questions in group one and group two are inter-related. Think twice before the interview to avoid contradictory answers.
Group 3: Company and Job Applied
Why do you apply for this position?
Why do you like to join this company?
What do you know about this company?
What are the duties of this job? Which one attracts you most?
What are your major strengths and weaknesses? How do they relate to the job you apply for?
What can you contribute to this company if you are hired?
Why do you think you are the right candidate for this job?
Do you have any qualifications or experience that would facilitate you in carrying out your duties?
What are the qualities you regard as essential for a successful career in our company?
What other jobs have you applied for? How would you decide if you get offers from different companies?
Do you mind outdoor work or overseas duties?
Do you accept overtime work or irregular working hours?
Important Tips:
How will the interviewers assess your sincerity for the post? If you appear totally ignorant of the company or the industry you wish to work in, how can you convince the employer that you are the right person?
Strength and weakness are actually a matter of point of view. When mentioning your weakness, you may soften it by stating its positive aspects.
Group 4: Work Experience
What kind of work experience do you have?
Please briefly describe the duties and responsibilities of your last job.
What have you learned from your previous jobs?
What do you like/ dislike most in your previous jobs?
Please state the toughest task you have handled in the past.
Your previous job and this job vary in many ways. Tell me why you consider yourself capable of doing the new job.
You have changed your job many times. Could you tell me why?
How do you get along with your colleagues? Any unpleasant experience?
You have been jobless/ graduated for quite a period of time. Why are you still unable to get a job?
Why do you change your job this time?
Important Tips
The interviewer wishes to decide whether you are the right candidate based on your past working experience.
You should elaborate how you can apply your past working experience to the new job.
Do not appear to be critical or agitated when you are asked about your view of your previous company. It will only reflect your immaturity.
Group 5: Technical skills and language proficiency
Have you taken any professional examination? What was the result?
Are you familiar with computer operation? Which computer softwares can you handle?
Do you know how to speak Putonghua? Could you introduce yourself in Putonghua?
Please briefly introduce yourself in English.
Do you know any other language or dialect?
Have you ever attended any training courses which are related to this job?
Important Tips:
The interviewers must figure out whether you possess the essential skills of the post and knowledge before they can assess whether you can manage the new job.
Just answer honestly. Exaggeration won’t help.
You may state concisely where you have acquired those skills and how you have applied them in practice.
Group 6: Current Affairs
What is your opinion on the Policy Address recently announced by the Chief Executive?
How would the recent government policy affect our industry?
Do you read newspaper regularly? Why do you choose this paper?
Important Tips
There are many possibilities in the world of business. You must keep up with the changes of the society. Your sensitivity and responsiveness to news and important events may indeed impress the interviewers.
Try to learn from editorials of different newspapers and make reference to others’ viewpoints. BUT never memorize them word-by-word. You should try to comprehend different editorials and commentaries and appreciate both sides of the coin to develop your own point of view. Otherwise, the interviewers can only conclude that you are lacking independent thinking.
Group 7: Hypothetical Questions
If a customer becomes dissatisfied with the service you render and threatens to make a complaint against you, what would you do?
If a certain pack of product fails to reach the customer on time as a result of your mistake, and your supervisor is unaware of it, what would you do?
Important Tips
Questions of this kind are used by interviewers to test your responsiveness and crisis-management skills. Most are related to work situations.
You must stay calm. Think twice before you answer. However, try not to have too many pauses.
Group 8: Others
When could you report duty?
What is the salary you would expect?
Questions to the Interviewer
Type |
Example |
Objective |
Question related to the post applied |
What does the company expect from employees holding this post?
|
Demonstrate your interest in this post and your sincerity |
Question related to the company |
What will be the development of this company in the coming few years?
|
Demonstrate your interest in developing your career in the company. You can also learn more about the long-term strategy of the company and its potential for growth to see if the company matches your expectation |
Question related to the company policy on staff training |
What does the management think about an employee taking part-time courses after work?
|
Demonstrate your interest in further studies and your determination to build up your career in the field |
Important Tips
This is the last chance to impress the interviewers. Make use of this opportunity to remedy any mistakes and to demonstrate your sincerity again. You should also try to find out more about the post and the company before you finally accept or reject the offer.
Do not ask how much you can earn hastily. It is better to let the interviewer raise the issue first to avoid appearing too money-minded.
Before the interview, do some research on the employment terms of the post and draw up your own bottom-line. You should also consider factors other than salary, like staff benefits, leave, promotion prospect, self-development, etc.