Difficult Interview Questions and Winning Answers (part II)

[Project60]

hehe please don't forget to brush your teeth or take mints before the interview as well! hehe

[pretty_B]

nice thread! will backread to learn!

[tennisgirl]

Ewan ko ba pag foreigner kasi nag iinterview like americans or aussies parang mas relaxed ako e. Pag pinoy mag iinterview sakin mas kinakabahan pa ko. Heheh!

The same tayo sis. I also had an interview with a British naman. First, on the phone then face-to-face na. Mas relax din ako at saka yung mga questions nya very easy lang. Ewan ko ba kung bakit may mga Filipino recruiters/interviewers na pinahihirapan yung kapwa Pinoy nila instead na tulungan magka-work. 

[nicoletta]

^ In what way are they more relax with the questions?

Kami naman, as the one who handles the last interview, we just really want people who can help us with the job.  Our goal is not to intimidate, but to bring out what we are looking for.  Best foot forward kasi most people with interviews and then hindi pala kaya.

[tennisgirl]

^ In what way are they more relax with the questions?

Kami naman, as the one who handles the last interview, we just really want people who can help us with the job.  Our goal is not to intimidate, but to bring out what we are looking for.  Best foot forward kasi most people with interviews and then hindi pala kaya.

May mga interviewers kasi na minsan medyo off na yung questions, yung parang they look down sa mga applicants. Alam na nga nila na ang mga applicants hirap maghanap ng work and nervous during interviews then intimidating pa yung dating nila sa mga applicants. Buti pa yung mga foreigners, friendly sila during the interview, and professional talaga mag-interview ha. At atsaka di lang naman sa interview nyo makikita ang best ng isang employee. May mga tao kasi na hindi sila magaling mag-express through words (kasi shy type, etc.) pero pag sinalang sa trabaho ang ganda ng output.

[julietm]

^except Indians friend. the worst. lahat nung loopholes pupuntahan. talagang gigisahin ka. sobrang metikuloso. kung mga americans tsaka aussies ok. wag lang talaga indians.

[Miss Taken]

Just recently, I've been accepted in different BPO companies and these are usually my answers during interviews

1. How do you handle stress?
- I handle stress pretty well since I'm aware that it is already a part of our job. I mentally break it up into smaller steps and just focus on reaching each one on the way to accomplishing the larger task. When I encountered a customer who's upset about something, it helps when I stay calm and do my best to resolve the issue.

- Prioritizing my responsibilities so I have a clear idea of what needs to be done when, has helped me effectively manage pressure on the job.

2. Do you prefer working in a team or alone?
- I prefer working alone since it gives me time to think about what I'm going to do with the task that has been assigned to me however, I don't have any problems working with others as well since we can accomplished more if everyone is helping each other out and your teammates can also motivate you if you're feeling like you're already on a dead-end.

3. Have you ever had difficulty working with a supervisor or manager?
- Fortunately, no. I can get on and adapt to work with other people and that's because everyone is so different, there is always something to learn from different management styles.

- I can say that I've never had a problem working with anyone. As long as I can find common ground with people, I find it very easy to get along with others.

4. Why are you interested in this job?
- Well I've been in the BPO industry for more than 2 years now and I know that the skills I've acquired is perfect for the position that is currently available. Also, I've checked the company website and learned how much you value your employees so I definitely want to be a part of this stable and growing organization.

5. How long would you plan to stay with us?
- I think that this company has a lot to offer when it comes to career growth so I would like to remain here as long as I am having a positive impact.

6. Do you know anything about credit cards*? (*They're asking if you have any idea about the account/LOB)
- Not really but I'm a quick learner and can adapt to various situations really well. Like for example, in my previous account, we handle mortgage and refinance but before I started, I actually have no idea about it. But now, I'm proud to say that I'm one of the top agents. With proper training, I'm quite sure that I can handle credit cards as well.

*Just a tip: Always turn the negative to positive and let them know how eager you are for that position.

[tennisgirl]

^except Indians friend. the worst. lahat nung loopholes pupuntahan. talagang gigisahin ka. sobrang metikuloso. kung mga americans tsaka aussies ok. wag lang talaga indians.

true yan sis! Just recently, I had an interview with an Indian. Sya ang final interviewer. Dun sa 1st interview ko (phone interview), British. Sa 2nd interview ko (face-to-face), yung isa Egyptian (HR), the other is Britih (manager), and the other one is Caucasian (I don't know his nationality and position. Nakapasa ako pero pagdating ko dun sa final, who is an Indian, ayun,  di ako nakalusot. Akalain mo ba naman may pagka-racist! Bakit daw tayo nagtuturo ng English to other nationalities like Koreans, Japanese, etc eh di naman daw tayo fluent in English. I also remembered na Indians and Filipinos are rivals pagdating sa trabaho.

[julietm]

Nako. Di hamak naman na mas maiintidihan ng iba yung English natin.  Ang weird kaya nila mag-English. Para silang laging may pupuntahan. Nagmamadali na ewan. Kala mo rapper eh. Pero magaling kasi sila sa grammar tsaka mas wider yung vocab nila. Yun lang napansin ko sa kanila pero yung pronounciation nila, waley na waley saten. Eh ang mahalaga naman ay yung makapagconverse ka sa iba ng maayos. Yung naparating mo yung message mo across na walang namisunderstood o kung anuman.

[tennisgirl]

Nako. Di hamak naman na mas maiintidihan ng iba yung English natin.  Ang weird kaya nila mag-English. Para silang laging may pupuntahan. Nagmamadali na ewan. Kala mo rapper eh. Pero magaling kasi sila sa grammar tsaka mas wider yung vocab nila. Yun lang napansin ko sa kanila pero yung pronounciation nila, waley na waley saten. Eh ang mahalaga naman ay yung makapagconverse ka sa iba ng maayos. Yung naparating mo yung message mo across na walang namisunderstood o kung anuman.

Ay oo! lagi silang nagmamadaling magsalita. Pati ikaw minamadaling sumagot, nakakadagdag pressure tuloy sa interview. Di gaya ng mga Caucasians na very relax, yun bang bibigyan ka ng time to think. British ang English nila pero ewan ko ba, di nila nakuha yung accent. Para silang galit and parang unprofessional kausap. They don't choose the words they use. Basta lang makapagsalita ng English.

[la_pinay]

i love this thread! i am currently applying and have been to a couple of interviews (and a couple more) so this is very helpful!

[Miss Taken]

Regarding foreigner and Filipino interviewers, when it's just initial para saken same lang sila ng approach. More on getting to know you stage pa lang XD Pero pag sa final na, mas strict nga ang Pinoy. Just like my last interview a few days ago, medyo scary yung manager pero fortunately, nakapasa naman. Just be confident when answering mga sis

Anyway, just adding more of my usual answers.

7. Why should we hire you?
- I have the right combination of skills and experience for this job. Also, I enjoy talking to customers and helping them find what they are looking for which I know is an important part of being a CSR. I look forward to working in this company which has a good reputation for giving world class service for their clients and taking care of their employees.

8. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
- Within 5 years, I see myself as one of the account leaders in this company. I want to work toward becoming the expert that others rely on. Hopefully, this will allow me to take on greater responsibilities with the company if the opportunity arises.

9. What is your weaknesses?
- Sometimes I have the tendency to be blunt when it comes to giving my feedback and other people misunderstood me for being cold. But I've learned how to be more empathic and just try to change the tone of my voice so that they won't get offended.

10. Do you have any questions? (Be ready to have one since this is a way of showing your interest)
- What's the nature of the account that is currently available?
- How would you describe the company’s management style?
- Do you have trainings or seminars for regular employees?
- What would a typical work day/week be like for me?
- If I do get the job, how soon would you like me to start?
- What opportunity is there for career advancement?

[kikaygirl5810]

true yan sis! Just recently, I had an interview with an Indian. Sya ang final interviewer. Dun sa 1st interview ko (phone interview), British. Sa 2nd interview ko (face-to-face), yung isa Egyptian (HR), the other is Britih (manager), and the other one is Caucasian (I don't know his nationality and position. Nakapasa ako pero pagdating ko dun sa final, who is an Indian, ayun,  di ako nakalusot. Akalain mo ba naman may pagka-racist! Bakit daw tayo nagtuturo ng English to other nationalities like Koreans, Japanese, etc eh di naman daw tayo fluent in English. I also remembered na Indians and Filipinos are rivals pagdating sa trabaho.

For real mga sis? It's hard for me to believed this mga sis...
The Fiancee of my youngest  sister is also an HR practitioner in Dubai na isang Indian National.
I find him very friendly, accommodating and thoughtful mga sis. But then hindi naman ako na interview sa trabaho hehe. We just chat from time to time kasi na ngangamusta lagi sa parents ko.

[Miss Taken]

^ Sis Indians are different when it comes to work eh. We have a family friend na Indian and super bait naman niya samen pero diba may mga tao talaga na when it comes to work, nagiiba. I'm not saying na they're all like that pero may pagka competitive lang talaga sila.

[julietm]

^ tama ka jan sis. sobrang iba nila sa work. sobrang focused at metikuloso. walang lusot lusot. sobrang by the book.

[tennisgirl]

Ang alam ko rin, ok naman yung mga Indians. Baka may attitude lang talaga yung Indian na yun. Sis Kikaygirl5810, he's not an HR personnel but he's one of the big bosses in that company. Pati nga yung kasabay ko na ininterview that day, di pa tapos nag-explain, iniinterrupt na nya. Very unprofessional talaga. 

[Mimay28]

following this thread.. very helpful!

[remilicious]

Hi! Is this question ok to ask "Can you tell me more about the company?" I was reading a magazine and it said that she was an HR when someone asked this question. For her it's not a good question because you can research about the company. But if you researched online and wants to learn more, is it ok to ask?

[freelancer_babe]

^ Yes it is. But make sure you have some preliminary bits of knowledge about that company (if possible) so that it appears that you already know something about them and is interested in their business.

And asking about the company is actually a very appropriate question to ask when applying to startups/small companies because you usually could not see so much information about the company.

[imaevelasquez]

This is such a nice thread

Pasali, since I'm planning to look for another job after being with my current employer for 6 years. Ang tagal na since my last job interview. Though, I do had some internal interviews naman for promotion.

If the interviewer asks you, "In one word, how would your coworkers describe you?" How would you answer this? TIA!