Campus interview questions and answers - part 9

Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

The purpose of this question is to see if the candidate is ambitious enough to grow. Recruiting a candidate is a time consuming and costly affair so they also want to

see if the candidate is over ambitious to stay in the company for long.

You can say something like “5 years down the line I would like to see myself in a responsible position where I can make important decisions for company and the company

treats me as its asset. I am sure that this company can offer me such growth opportunities.”

What kind of a salary are you looking for?

Try to put the ball back in interviewer’s court by asking him about the salary they offer for the position under discussion. Most of the big companies will have a

fixed remuneration for each level.

If you are a fresher, most of the times you won’t have much bargaining power. However, if you find the offer made to be too small, you can definitely discuss that

during the interview.

However, you will have more negotiation power if you have some work experience. So, know your lower limit (amount below which you can’t go) and also know the maximum

salary in the industry for the position then put forward an approximate figure. It is better to mention a range.

For e.g. if you are expecting something around 55 K, say that you expect something in mid fifties. Don’t keep the range to broad otherwise you will be offered

something towards the lower end.