It is nearly impossible to be fully prepared for the entire list of interview questions and answers that you’re about to face. Interview questions vary according to the types of industries, companies and even job positions available in Malaysia.
However, there are standard/common interview questions and answers for fresh graduates that you can expect to encounter during job interviews. These interview questions are universal in the sense that they’re bound to appear in most if not all interviews.
Are you ready for your upcoming job interviews? Let’s dive deeper into the popular interview questions and answers for fresh graduates.
Popular Interview Questions and Answers for Fresh Graduates
1. Tell Me About Yourself
Provide a structured 2-minutes answer and maintain relevance. Highlight your past, present and future. As a fresh graduate, you are not required to have years of experience. Focus on communication and show your passion. Here’s how:
“I’m a fresh graduate from ABC University majoring in Banking and Finance. I am passionate about money and possess extensive knowledge about the Economics and Finance field through disciplined self-learning and active participation in international forums.
My past experiences have cultivated several values such as being determined, resourceful and inquisitive. I believe that my passion for Finance and my values would be of great use in this industry.”
2. Why Did You Apply for This Position?
This question requires you to show that you have a thorough understanding of the job position and the company. It is also highly recommended to mention why the company is attractive to you. Try this answer:
“DEF Bank is the preferred bank in my family, hence I am applying to a brand that I love and I’m extremely keen to contribute to the Investment Banking division in their rapid development in the ASEAN region.
Working here would be my dream job because I have confidence in this brand and I believe that this position is a great opportunity for me to hone my Finance knowledge and values, and continue to progress my career and become a fund manager at DEF Bank one day.”
3. Why Should We Hire You?
Your answers must prove that you have all the qualifications, skills and qualities that they require for the job position. Here’s how:
“For a start, I possess excellent academic records in Human Resource Management from one of the top Universities in the world. My academic background has also exposed me to collaborating with highly intellectual people from various cultural backgrounds. I’m confident in my ability to not just fit in nicely, but also inspire others.
My active participation in extracurricular activities honed my personality of being resourceful, strong-willed and organised. I believe that these qualities will benefit any organisation in creating an efficient workforce.
Thirdly, I’m highly proficient in all the technical skills that you’re looking for, such as Microsoft Office skills, navigating database software and email systems. My past internship experience has also advanced my knowledge of employment law and the latest HR practices.
If I’m hired, I will provide tremendous support and growth to achieve organisational goals.”
4. Why Shouldn’t We Hire You / What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
It may seem like a trap question. While this is not entirely false, you don’t actually have to fall for it. Actually, hiring managers only want to see how honest and self-aware you are.
No one is perfect and honesty is the best policy. Do NOT portray yourself as the perfect person with zero weaknesses. Instead, bring up a weakness that you “think” is serious but is actually not in reality, elaborate on your improvements and turn it into your strength.
“In the past, my lecturer has commented that sometimes I may be too focused on completing a task on time, to an extent where I neglected taking the time to brainstorm unique/creative solutions when approaching a problem statement.
Taking the feedback into account, I have learned to always allocate some time to first brainstorm and plan before jumping straight into a project. I may lack some creativity at first, but once I have a solid plan my efficiency kicks in and does a good job.”
5. What Is Your Expected Salary?
This question may also seem like a trap/tricky question. You may have a good understanding of the starting salary as a fresh graduate or in your chosen industry, but nothing is certain and so is your potential salary.
Prepare a list of reasons to justify your expected starting salary. These factors include location, cost of living, job title, the skills required and more. The better you can justify your asking salary, the higher your chance to receive a better salary. Try this way:
“I understand that the starting salary for a fresh graduate in this industry ranges between RM2300 and RM3200. Based on my calculations, I would definitely welcome a starting salary of at least RM3000, given the cost of living in this area and my transportation cost from (location).
However, I’m more interested in the entire compensation package and I’m open to negotiate the base salary if there are other attractive non-monetary benefits such as remote working flexibility and extra allowance.”
The Bottom Line
While we couldn’t provide guidance for all interview questions in one go, we certainly hope that you would benefit from this article on the popular interview questions and answers for fresh graduates in Malaysia.
Always think about the reason(s) why these questions are so popular in a job interview. Upon understanding their objective(s), personalise your answer and always try to position yourself as the best candidate for the applied position.
Read the Chinese version here: 毕业生5个最常见的工作面试问题和答案
