Mastering Job Interviews: Top 7 Essential Interview Questions in Indonesia
Ending up in your perfect job, all begins with one crucial step - that all important yet easy to fumble job interview. We’ve got here the top seven interview questions you're likely to face in Indonesia and how to answer. Let’s get to it:
What you need to know:
In Indonesia right now, the raw and upcoming talent is young, tech-savvy and more educated than ever. They have the world of knowledge at their fingertips, more languages and almost no barriers to learning. High end skills like data analytics, digital literacy and English are still lacking for a large and under-represented number of the population, outside of the bigger spots like Bali, Java or Jakarta.
7 Common Interview Questions in Indonesia
Here we gathered the most common ones and some examples of answers, over different roles:
1: Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Role: Social Media Manager at Gojek
The potential answer here can be: “Well, I started off working on stories and ideas as a content creator in a digital agency. So I came to Gojek where I spent two years, working on different social platforms. One thing I've always appreciated about my work is the constant learning – staying updated with social media trends and how to make data work for us”.
2: Tell us about your strengths and also weaknesses?
Role: Data Analyst at Traveloka
Our suggestion for the answer: “My main strength is my analytical ability, obviously this is crucial in data analysis and problem-solving. I'm also proficient in SQL and Python. As for improvement, I am working on enhancing my presentation skills, so I can better communicate complex info to non-technical team members.”
3: Where do you want to be in your career in the next five years?
Role: Finance Manager at Bank Central Asia
Here’s an example of something we’d suggest you to say: “Within the next few years I envision myself in a senior managerial role, my main goal would be to progress to Director of Finance. I know it will mean furthering my education, but I'm willing to put in the hours to get there.”
4: Why are you a good candidate for this position?
Role: Human Resource Manager at Astra International
Here’s a solid answer: “I've spent most of my career in HR, creating healthy work environments and effective hiring processes. I am strong in strategic thinking, which would greatly benefit Astra”.
5: Tell us about a tough situation and how you handled it?
Role: Software Engineer at Tokopedia
Choose your specific situation, but this is a good example of an answer: “In my previous role, we had a software bug that affected the user experience. I took the lead in applying the STAR method, identifying the Situation and Task, taking strategic Actions, and ensuring a Result, which was to find and fix the issue.”
6: What drives you in your career?
Role: Marketing Director at Indofood
How about this for an answer: “I respect the power of marketing, the ability to change minds and want to see this applied responsibly and effectively – so while creating a brand profile or a surge in sales, I want to always be honest and sell products I believe in, throughout my career.”
7: Do you have any questions for us?
Role: Customer Service Manager at Telkom Indonesia
Here’s a good way to answer this question: “I'm keen to understand the strategy Telkom Indonesia plans to handle the shift into AI and how it will be implemented into things like your Live Chat function and if the call center staff would be affected by this in terms of hiring numbers, in the next few years”.
How to get prepared for interview questions in Indonesia
Creating the right answer isn't just spitting out a script - it's about understanding what the interviewer is looking for. Do your homework and let your answers reflect that. Aim for authentic, not robotic. Remember, in Indonesia interviews also test your grasp of cultural nuances such as being respectful, maintaining eye contact, and delivering direct and clear responses can really help you stand out.
Workclass, a comprehensive global job search platform, can get you in front of a bunch of job options in Indonesia. Your dream job is likely just a click away on Workclass. See you over there.