Fresh Graduate Interview Questions 101
If you have recently graduated from your secondary or tertiary education, you are qualified to be labelled as a “Fresh Graduate”. In most cases, fresh graduates have little to no work experience, some with marketable skill sets and are ideal for entry-level positions.
Fortunately for you, there are standard fresh graduate interview questions that you can expect to encounter during most if not all job interviews for internships, apprenticeships, and entry-level roles.
If you are applying for a job in Malaysia as a fresh graduate, you should be ready for upcoming job interviews – let’s start by diving deeper into the popular fresh graduate interview questions and answers.
Most Common Fresh Graduate Interview Questions You Should Know
1. Introduce Yourself/Tell Me About Yourself
This is one of the most classic fresh graduate interview questions that are still relevant today. Here are some tips for you:
- Structure it into a 2-minute, highly relevant answer – short & sweet
- Highlight your past, and present, then put more emphasis on your value proposition
- Focus on communication and show your passion
- The interviewer seems uninterested? Wrap up immediately
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……”
Read more and know how to properly introduce yourself by reading this article. Or, learn more about an elevator pitch today.
2. Why Should We Hire You?
This is one of the most famous fresh graduate interview questions that allows you to humbly re-emphasise your qualifications, skills and qualities. Hence, your answer must fulfil all the items above to perfectly match your profile and the ideal candidate required for the job.
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……”
Read more and find out the best way to convince your future employer in this article.
Also, don’t forget to provide necessary examples and results you’ve brought to yourself or even the organisations that you’ve previously been in (whenever applicable).
3. What Is Your Weakness?
You might have heard this tip before, but we’d also recommend that you bring up a particular weakness that you “think” is serious but is actually not in reality. Then, elaborate on your learnings, and how you’ve made improvements and turned them into your strength.
“In the past, my lecturer commented that I may be too focused on completing a task on time, to an extent where I’ve 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.”
With the correct mindset and technique, you could turn this question to your advantage.
4. What is Your Expected Starting Salary?
Contrary to popular beliefs, your starting salary is absolutely crucial for the long term because it will most likely impact your life’s quality of living for decades to come.
Our advice for you is to 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.
Be sure to highlight your skills and personality to justify your asking salary to increase your chances of receiving a better starting 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)……”
Read more and master the art of Fresh Graduate salary negotiation in Malaysia here.
Final Remarks
Truthfully, it is nearly impossible to be fully prepared for the entire list of fresh graduate interview questions that you’re about to face, as these fresh graduate interview questions may vary greatly according to the types of industry, company, and other factors.
However, we hope that we have provided just the right amount of guidance for you through this article – without making you feel overly stressed. If you have gained the confidence you need, head on to Job Majestic now to apply for the best entry-level jobs in Malaysia!
