There is a possibility. For one, if they are not interested in you, they wouldn't even call you for an interview... and for two, they will need to know what you think about the job - about the rotation of the shifts, responsibilities etc... whether u have any disagreement or dislike abt them.

But looking it on a diff perspective, those could be standard questions they ask every interviewee. And the choice of whether you will be chosen lies in the answers you reply to those questions. For example, it is part of the company requirement to work on shifts but your reply showed some sort reluctance - that signifies you might have a problem with it.

Interviewers are sharp. They can often notice changes or hidden msgs in your tone/ body language. Therefore it's not the questions that they asked that shows whether you have a chance, but more so in the answer you reply them.


YES, CALL THEM. E-mails are often unreliable for many reason. Unsent mails, internet connection etc poses a problem. And usually the sender expects the receiver to open, read and reply their mail almost instantly.

See, there is a confusion because of mis-communication. In times like these, it's best to speak to the HR directly and confirm the date you are able to attend. It doesn't matter anymore whether who makes the mistake (and please try to refrain from saying THEY make the mistake... just say there's been a miscommunication and that the day you'd like to attend is on a Thursday).

Since it's already late, they may be off work liao. So call them up tomorrow first thing in the morning and inform them about it. If you only sent them email and hope the HR will take notice, that's too much risk to bear. Imagine they are waiting and expecting for you to turn up but noticed there's miscomm later on, it'll be bad. Yes, it is not your fault, but the whole thing had been messed up and nobody's in the mood already.

I did not hesitate when they asked whether I could work on shifts as I already know the fact before the interview.

Anyway, I got a call today from their HR department and they said that I have to come tomorrow for a face to face interview. What will they usually ask during face to face interview? The same question they asked on phone interview?

Opss sorry wrong thread.

This post has been edited by Jason180: Jan 13 2009, 07:58 PM

Yes, part of the questions will normally be a repetition because in the face2face interview, you'll most probably be interviewed by your dept head/ direct superior/ Manager/ GM etc. The HR's job during the phone interview was to filter applicants. Among the pool the called, perhaps only a few whom she considered 'able' to handle the task - and one of them could be you.

Since your 'opponent' next round is a different group of interviewer then do expect the same questions. Review what you answered today and check where you could fine tune some of your replies. And expect more challenging questions (the phone interview was basically some standard/ basic ques to check whether you're aware of certain things etc) in actual interview. Also be careful of your body language and SMILE all the time. That's the best charm anyone can pull


Hmm You will be lacking some working experience (maybe you've worked part time?), so start with some simple intro of your family, education, your interests etc. I know it's boring and they are stated in the resume. There are ppl who advise better not repeat what you've written in the resume. But I beg to differ. I have been to numerous interviews and it's a standard question.

Bear in mind that usually it's the HR who did filtering process and reading of resume. They will select several (or a pool) of candidates whom they think fits the qualification. HR will then pass the details to the interviewers, and set up interview date/ time and all. Do remember that your interviewer are usually managers. They are far too busy to read and remember the details in your resume... and also keep in mind that you're just one of the many. The ONLY time when the interviewers actually know about you is when you talk to them bout yourself. I have seen a lot of them actually reading my resume for the 1st time DURING the interview.

Conclusion, it's fine to repeat what you have in your resume.

Now back to the question on what to talk about... you can highlight on your College/ University. If you have been to overseas, talk about your experience and observations there. Or, talk about your college/ university projects that you've done. Maybe in your final project you have some difficulty but managed to get through it due to ability, you can tell him/ her about it. And if you've done some part time/ internship, talk about it too - your experience and observation as well.

and oh, SMILE

The phone interview is conducted by a manager that is looking for new hire for his team and said that if I got the job I'm going to be under his supervision (I guess that makes him my potential boss?) and not a HR representative.

When the HR representative called me to inform about the face to face interview, she did inform me that the interviewer is the same person who conducted the phone interview.

So if both interviews are conducted by the same interviewer, any chance that he's going to ask the same question?

Something piqued my interest about the scheduled time for the interview. My slot was at 4:30pm, and the HR representative told me to just go there and tell the receptionist to inform the interviewer that I have arrived. I thought usually they will group all the candidates to one single day and the interviewer will standby in the interview room. Sounds like I'm the only one he's going to interview tomorrow.

This post has been edited by m3red1th: Jan 13 2009, 08:24 PM

Right.. Thanks for the tip. My first interview is with a big company and it's very early in the morning. Hope I don't encounter a brain freeze.

Also as far as I know, it's important to be consistent when talking. So I guess when you're answering a question. you can't stop half way and think about the remaining things to talk about?

Mistakes Made During the Interview:
1. This happened during my interview with a semiconductor company based outside of KL. They asked if I applied to other companies based in KL and they asked if I were offered a job in KL would I take it. Being my first interview and being naive and honest, I said yes. Thanks to that I didn't get the job.

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Hi, what would be the more appropriate thing to say? I put myself in that situation and I can't come up with an appropriate answer.

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Added on January 15, 2009, 7:01 pmAlso, what do I do if I really don't know how to answer the question (for eg technical or general knowledge questions)

This post has been edited by phoenixxx: Jan 15 2009, 07:01 PM

is it just me or is the employment market out there is bad?

I think for every interview session, you gotta believe in yourself, have self-confidence... perhaps, we can practice in front of mirror.... heheh...

Ah... now that's interesting. So since it's the same interviewer, then preferably you provide a different answer. He may asks you the same questions but it's a good oppor to answer things you have not told him on the phone.

Then... how did it went? Went well?

There are many situations. Normally in my case, I'm put into a the waiting room and usually abt 20min then the interviewer will arrive. It depends. Sometimes the manager would arrange one whole day where he will interview all the candidates (as you mentioned - the scenario you thought would happen). There are also situations where the manager only have eg. 1030 and 430pm time slot available for that particular day (throughout his whole day perhaps full with appointments, meetings etc).

Or, maybe the previous interviewee left earlier (eg session ended 30min earlier) and the manager went up to finish his work while waiting for the next candidate.

It's not surprising to find yourself in these situations. But anyhow, alone or not, you've gotta perform well

Yes, preferably you don't stop suddenly when you're talking. Don't rush though. You can take your time to think what u want to reply. Take a minute or two to think about how you're going to answer and then start speaking. Try not to use distracting words like Dr. M's famous 'apa nama' or 'eeeeerrr....' or even 'hmmmmmm'.... etc.

When you were planning your answer, make sure your brain twists fast enough to think abt the next thing you're going to say (to which we go back to sufficient sleep the day before). You can pause for a time of 1-2 seconds to continue with your point because any pause longer than that prompts the interviewer to think you're done with your answer.


As for that mistake, it's not really a mistake. I encountered a similar situation where the interviewers asked me whether I have any other offers and interviews... I replied honestly: yes, I have been offered a similar position in another company. That being my last interview (i had 3 interviews in d same week), I told them that this is the last one. They asked me whether I was going to accept the offer and I replied that I am still considering and will need to reply them latest next week Friday.

They further interrogate me with questions like the location of the other company, the benefits, salary and job description. It was tough for me but I kept the salary part and name of company confidential. I told them it's in the same industry tho.

The location seems to be a problem. D comp that offered me was in Shah Alam, and this comp that I interviewed for is in PJ, and I stay in Klang. They asked whether I will accept the other job coz it was nearer to my house.

And my replied was, "No." reason being - as I told them - i'm putting my work ahead of my 'house'. Location doesn't matter as long as I am able to learn in the particular company and I will be given appropriate exposure bla bla bla.

I got called for the 2nd round interview but rejected it in the end ^^; I still prefer the 1st job offer due to its nature of work.

and for the 2nd part of your question>> if it's a technical question, tell them honestly you have no idea. Reason maybe because you have little exposure in that xxx area, BUT you are familiar/ good in this xxx area.

as for general questions... i need to know what's your definition of general. If say, the interviewer asked, "What dialect do you speak?" and you have no idea what 'dialect' means, just be honest (rather than answering the wrong thing). Go with, "I'm sorry, do you mean the language I can speak...?" and the interviewer will correct you. Btw, Dialect is not language. Dialect is (for Chinese) eg. Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Teow Chew etc

It is indeed bad... plus the fact that CNY is near. Let's see how it goes after CNY... hopefully things will pick up.

This post has been edited by sweet_pez: Jan 19 2009, 10:32 AM

i'm an engineering undergrad..
Isn't good result is important 4 us 2 get a job? Som ppls claimed tat most company wil prefer hire average student rather than a student with excellent result.. Is it really true?

i do realise ppl tat getting good grade normally would face som problem in communication skill (especially in english speaking), so do in vice versa. Among tis 2 type of ppl; excellent result but problems wif communication skill, and very good in english proficiency but x doing wel in his particular field of study... Which type of person wil stand a better chance 2 get a job?
Most ppl claimed tat the 2nd one stand a better chance..

Hi Chin, from numerous perspectives and discussions - this matter could not be concluded (on whether result is important or not). I'd say it's an arguable topic.

Here's my view:

Result is an entry ticket to interviews with prestigious MNCs - regardless of any industry. Employers could not judge us because they don't know us. So the only basis they have is your CV and result slips (SPM, Diploma, Degree etc). For one, they will only hire excellent people who can drive their company towards a more profounding future - and judging through result is one method to determine whether you are worthy of the company.

Therefore you'll see most company stating this: CGPA of 3.0 and above.

And that's the benchmark they set.

Say, you got called for an interview. How you perform in your interview is also a selection process. Assuming you did well after 3 rounds of interview and managed to enter the company, it is then up to your ability to perform. After you joined the firm, it doesn't matter whether you have straight A(s) in SPM or failed your law paper in college. You have to show your true ability which a mere paper cannot measure (yah well, appraisal is another issue).

As for your question on which type of ppl will fare better, I'd say it depends. If both candidates got called for an interview, I believe the one who can communicate better (with average result) will get chosen. I did mention earlier - that result is a ticket to getting an interview. Once you gained the entry, everything else depends on your performance.

Surely, those with communication prob will face difficulty interacting with everyone in the organization. It's less desirable to hire them - considering the fact that everything we do, we interact with people (outside and inside the company).

Traditionally, we aren't supposed to talk bad about your previous employer. But the thing is, the interviewer will always ask why would you want to leave your current company. It will be too generic if we kept on saying 'better prospect'.

During an interview, I honestly told the interviewer that I am uneasy with the my ex-company's management. This sounds like a suicidal move in most interviews. But since I have solid facts to justify my words, I managed to turn it into an advantage. Well, I did get the job but I'm not sure if the honesty played a major part in decision making.

thanks 4 u'r info.....

sometimes to be honest gives you advantage but sometimes it's the way other...

I also told the interviewer the reason I resigned is because of better prospect/better future....wonder did i said the correct thing...

Yes, many situations can be applied, it also depends on the interviewer. What I imply is that it's not a safe move for most. If you're young - in your mid or late 20s, then it's fine to use the excuse of seeking better prospect and more challenge in work. In my previous comp - it's not what I wish to do, nor do I like the work I'm doing. Plus it has limited prospect on my side. I merely voice out the truth on my side.

But looking on another side... for example you're working in Nestle with much future and growth. Suddenly you interview for a local company. Surely the interviewer is interested to understand WHY the dramatic change. Then this time, explain your reasons - maybe because it's politics, the working environment is too intense (you can handle pressure but the pressure there is tremendous - something like dat), or simply other reasons that compell you to leave.

Surely it's alright to say factors that made you leave. Then again, be very careful with your words and how you talk about it. If you said them as though you're complaining, then that's bad. So if you're gonna talk abt your previous company, my advise is: choose your words very carefully... use mild words that don't show strong emotions. For example, the word "regret" is very strong. It shows big remorse in something... therefore just be smart when you answer

I got questions to ask:

1. How I know if I failed the interview?..Will the interviewer tell me through via emails or phone? or directly tell me after the interview

2. If I apply for a job and being rejected..(not called up for interview)....will it be possible for me to re-apply it again the same position?
For example, I apply job A and being rejected....after few months (if I not hired)..I re-apply it.

I will be graduating in this May and I just send my resume today to a few companies.

Thanks in advance

My 1st interview was 1 hour of hell...all technical questions only 1 question about myself...it was the most torturing 1 hour of my life...it was tough as I did not prepare much technical stuffs...but eventually i got a call from the company and got a job there...

Hi, some suggestions to your questions:

1. Okay, when you go for an interview, you'll perform to your best ability. The minute you walk out of the door, you'll have a feeling whether you did well or not, and whether the job's for you or not. Not only you, everybody does. You'll have an idea whether you flunked it or aced it. There are also uncertainties, but there's always a feeling sorta predicting the results.

Now that 'feeling' is to prepare yourself for the worst or for the best. Then again, your gut feeling could be wrong so don't put too much hope into it. Normally interviewers won't call you up to say you didn't make it through. They would normally write an e-mail to say that apparently you do not fit their criteria, or you're not the one they're looking for. There was once when I actually received the letter (of saying I didn't made through the interview) - to which I laughed hard. Reason was I'm already working for my current company and that interview was like, 2 months back?! I already had this "Not my type of a job" in my head during the interview - coz the job description doesn't seem to fit what i want, despite their advertisement.

Don't worry, normally no company will tell you straight (on the spot) you didn't make it. Unless it's a job that doesn't require the formality of an interview.

2. Sure, you can always apply again and again. Thing is, be mentally prepared that they won't call you. Unless you've worked for few years, then u apply again for the same company (maybe diff position) then there's a possibility.

As fresh grad, do a reality check. Check on what you're looking for against your abilities and knowledge. Some say, be picky and don't take up the job unless you really want it. Others will tell you to grab whatever offer you can get. I'd say, up to you to choose. Times is hard, but still hiring. So choose an option that's best for you. Remember, every action you take will influence the road you'll walk in future.

If i had taken other job offers in the past, I wouldn't land myself in this job in my desired industry. And this job changes the whole turn of my career...


Hahahahahahaaha but isn't it all worthy? I mean you went through the tough interview but you got the job challenging interviews are good because they test your perserverance and knowledge! Bt yah, when you got out you'll feel as though you've been interrogated for 1-hour. Brain cells all damaged. I won't call it tiring, it's exhausting!

Thanks for your info, sweet!!

Thats what I worry bout the economic crisis where retrenchment are high nowadays especially during the month of April (the time when I going to grad)...hehe