50 Common Interview Questions and Answers

What kind of salary do you need? Are you applying for other jobs? Why should we hire you?

Review these typical interview, questions and think about how you would answer them, Read the questions listed; you’ll also find some strategy suggestions with it.

· Tell me about yourself.

The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present.

· Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers, or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special, or other forward-looking reasons.

· What experience do you have in this field?

Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can.

· Do you consider yourself successful?

You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on tract to achieve the others.

· What do co-workers say about you?

Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. “Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest worker she had ever known.” It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself.

· What do you know about this organization?

This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been, and where they are going. What are the current issues, and who are the major players?

· What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?

Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good ones handy to mention.

· Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.

· Why do you want to work for this organization?

This may take some thought and certainly should be based on the research you have done on the organization, Sincerity is extremely important here, and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals.

· Do you know anyone who works for us?

Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are will thought of.

· What kind of salary do you need?

A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, “That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position?” In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range.

· Are you a team player?

You are, of course, a team player, Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point.

· How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: “I’d like it to be a long time.” Or “As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job.”

· Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?

This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force.

· What is your philosophy towards work?

The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization.

· If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?

Answer yes if you would, But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it.

· Have you ever been asked to leave a position?

If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief, and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved.

· Explain how you would be an asset to this organization.

You should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship.

· Why should we hire your?

Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison.

· Tell me about a suggestion you have made.

Have a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus.

· What irritates you about co-workers?

This a trap question. Think “real hard” but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great.

· What is your greatest strength?

Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: your ability to prioritize.

· Your problem-solving skills.

· Your ability to work under pressure.

· Your ability to focus on projects.

· Your professional expertise.

· Your leadership skills.

· Your positive attitude.

· Tell me about your dream job.

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best bet is to stay generic and say something like: “A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute, and can’t wait to get to work.”

· Why do you think you would do well at this job?

Give several reasons and include skills, experience, and interest.

· What are you looking for in a job?

Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best bet is to stay generic and say something like: “A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute, and can’t wait to get to work.”

· What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

Do not be trivial, It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner.

· What is more important to you: the money or the work?

Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is not better answer.

· What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?

There are numerous good possibilities:

· Loyalty

· Energy

· Positive attitude

· Leadership

· Team Player

· Expertise

· Initiative

· Patience

· Hard Work

· Creativity

· Problem solver

· Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisor.

Biggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well blow the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a superior.

· What has disappointed you about a job?

Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include.

· Not enough of a challenge.

· You were laid off in a reduction.

· Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility.

· Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.

You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for.

· Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?

Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one.

· What motivates you to do your best on the job?

This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are:

Ø Challenge

Ø Achievement

Ø Recognition

Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?

This is up to you. Be totally honest.

· How would you know you were successful on this job?

Several ways are good measures:

Ø You Set high standards for yourself and meet them.

Ø Your outcomes are a success.

Ø Your boss tells you that you are successful.

· Would you be willing to relocate if required?

You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief.

· Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?

This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes.

· Describe your management style.

Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like “progressive”, “Salesman” or “Consensus”, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The “situational” style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of “one size fits all.”

· What have you learned from mistakes on the job?

Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it a small, well-intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be … working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off.

· Do you have any blind spots?

Trick question, if you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them.

· If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?

Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have.

· Do you think you are overqualified for this position?

Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position.

· How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?

First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up. Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner.

· What qualities do you look for in a boss?

Be generic and positive, safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates, and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits.

· Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.

Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled.

· What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?

Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out.

· Describe your work ethic.

Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, “determination to get the job done” and “work hard but enjoy your work” are good.

· What has been your biggest professional disappointment?

Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings.

· Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.

Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization.

· Do you have any questions for me?

Always have some questions prepared. Questions involving areas where you will be an asset to the organization are good. “How soon will I be able to be productive?” and “What type of projects will I be able to assist on?” are examples.

WORKING WITH ASSEMBLIES:

WORKING WITH ASSEMBLIES:

NOTE: if you are not familiar with the layout of SolidWorks, then click here to familiarize yourself with the layout

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This tutorial expands on the parts tutorial. Instead of working with parts, we will be working with assemblies. We will also consider moving individual parts in assemblies.

This tutorial will use the toggle press assembly. You can find this in the togglepress.zip file.

• Start SolidWorks and goto file->open
• Find "press.SLDASM" in the toggle press folder and click open:

Viewing the Assembly:

• You can zoom and rotate around the assembly just like you did with a single part using the standard views , rotation tool , or move and zoom tools. For clarification review working with parts:

           

Moving the Assembly:

• Since this is a model of a press, lets make it press!
• Select the move component button on the assembly toolbar. The cursor will change to and you can now move individual parts. Click on green part of the model and drag it up or down. You should see the assembly move. You could also click on the handle and move it up or down to simulate the press in action.
• Another option is to use the rotate component button on the assembly toolbar. This button is normally reserved for parts that are mated concentrically because it is often hard to control. It will work though. It is up to you to decide which tool is the best to use in each circumstance. Move component is usually the safe choice though.

Closed	Open

Extracting Dimensions From the Assembly:

• If we want to determine where the green press is in relation to the base we can use the measure tool.
• Go to the main file menu and use Tools>Measure. The cursor will change to a ruler and a dialog box will appear with the title 'Measure.' Click the base (gray) and then click the green part. The measure tool will then display the distance betwen the two parts (100.00 mm)

• If you move the top base by 50mm and measure again you will get the new distance (150 mm):

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to tutorial index...

INDIA TO END ITS 28 YEARS WAIT FOR WORLD CUP TITLE

Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni's stellar partnership paved the way for India to end its 28-year wait for a World Cup title even as Mahela Jayawardene's century and Muttiah Muralitharan's swansong ended in hurt and despair.
Chasing a target of 275, India were pegged on the back foot as early as the second ball of their innings when Lasith Malinga trapped Virender Sehwag plumb in front, and though the Indian opener asked for a referral, it was upheld. Malinga then struck again in the seventh over when he had Mumbai's icon Sachin Tendulkar caught behind in the seventh over. But, the title was sealed when Dhoni hit the first ball of the 49th over for a massive six to put the icing on the cake and send a billion people into raptures.
And, to make things even sweeter for India, Yuvraj Singh was named Man of the Series for his 15 wickets and 362 runs. This win has also completed the career CV of Tendulkar, who didn't contribute to the final as much as he may have liked to, but his innings in the lead-up to the final, not least in the semi-finals against Pakistan, It was also the perfect send-off for coach Gary Kirsten, who has now ended his tenure with the Indian team.
Coming back to the loss of those two early wickets, Gambhir and Kohli got the run chase back on track with a 83-run partnership as the Delhi boys got India right back into the match taking minimal risks and milking the Sri Lankan bowling to the fullest. And, even after Kohli was caught off his own bowling by Dilshan, Dhoni and Gambhir took the chase forward.
Dhoni has not been in the best of forms with the bat in the World Cup, but he potentially played the knock of his career in the final as he remained unbeaten on a 79-ball 91 and shared in a 109-run partnership with Gambhir as they snuffed the fight out of the Sri Lankan attack and broke their spirit with each run they made. And, even though Gambhir was bowled going for a massive hit when on 97, India wasn't denied to be a win and it was fitting that Dhoni and Yuvraj, who have shared in so many monumental partnerships were in the middle, when the mission was finally achieved.
Malinga (2-42) made the early dents, but wasn't able to make any more inroads in his subsequent overs. But, however, the most telling blows was felt by the Sri Lankan spinners, Suraj Randiv and Muralitharan, who bowled 17 overs for 82 runs without taking a wicket; and that's really where Sri Lanka lost the match and plot.
Earlier, Jayawardene scored his 14th one-day international century as his unbeaten 103 helped Sri Lanka set India a target of 275 to win the final of the 2011 World Cup at Mumbai's packed Wankhede Stadium.
Jayawardene was the anchor in Sri Lanka's innings as he scored at more than a ball without taking too many risks and he also strung together important partnerships with his skipper Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera to negate the good work done early in their innings by Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who bowled three maiden overs on the trot at the start of the match.
Sreesanth, who shared the new ball with Zaheer, bowled reasonably well in his first two overs, but Tillakaratne Dilshan it him for a couple of boundaries over midwicket and to the midwicket boundary to break the shackles the left-arm pacer had sprung on the Sri Lankan opening batsmen. In between, Zaheer had Upul Tharanga caught by Virender Sehwag at first slip. Tharanga was all at sea against Zaheer and was beaten on more than one occasion; in fact the Sri Lankan opening batsman was unable to score a single run off the 18 deliveries he faced of Zaheer before he was put out of his misery. Zaheer's first spell figures read 5-3-6-1 and he was the main reason Sri Lanka scored only 31 for 1 in their mandatory power play, their lowest score in this spell of play in the entire tournament. Zaheer's bowling apart, exceptional fielding by Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina at point and cover point respectively further shackled the Sri Lankan top-order.
Earlier, Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat. However, there was some controversy as the toss took place twice as no one including match referee Jeff Crowe had heard Sangakkara's call first time round. India made only one change with S Sreesanth coming in for the injured Ashish Nehra; but Sri Lanka made four changes as Chamara Kapugedera, Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv and Nuwan Kulasekara replaced Chamara Silva, the injured Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath.
Dilshan was kept uncharacteristically quiet thanks to Zaheer and with Munaf Patel also keeping things tight at the other end it was tough going for the Sri Lankan opening batsman and Sangakkara. Dilshan did all the hard work and just when he looked as though he would play yet another big innings in the 2011 World Cup, he was unfortunate to get a glove as the ball lobbed back and ht the stumps as he was out for a 49-ball 33. Dilshan though ended the World Cup on exactly 500 runs, and became only the fifth batsman to score so many runs in the mega-event after Sachin Tendulkar (twice), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Jayawardene. Sangakkara and Jayawardene then looked untroubled during their 62-run partnership for the third wicket in just over 11 overs before 'golden arm' Yuvraj Singh had the Sri Lankan captain caught behind by Dhoni for a well-made 48 in 67 balls.
Jayawardene, who continued to look as though he was batting on another pitch, was in full control even as Samaraweera led a charmed life in his 34-ball 21 before he was trapped in front by Yuvraj, who finished the 2011 World Cup with 15 wickets. And, though, Zaheer dismissed Kapugedera with a slower ball soon after, Jayawardene continued on his merry ways and was well supported by Kulasekara and the pair added 66 runs for the sixth wicket in quick time.
Jayawardene got to his half-century off 49 balls and then accelerated thereafter bringing up his ton off 84 deliveries. Sri Lanka also took maximum advantage of the batting power play scoring 63 runs for the loss of only Kulasekara's wicket with Jayawardene getting to his century in the space of three deliveries in the 48th over bowled by Zaheer including back-to-back boundaries. Perera then finished the Sri Lankan innings off in style scoring 16 runs including two boundaries and a six as he finished unbeaten on 22 off only 9 balls.
Zaheer destroyed all his good work in the batting power play as he leaked runs and eventually ended with figures of 10-3-60-2, while Yuvraj (2-49) and Harbhajan (1-50) were amongst the other wicket-takers. Sreesanth (8-0-52-0) disappointed yet again, w

india beat Australia by 5 wkts

is the lot of the cricket reporter's life, especially when there is a big tournament on, to go through days, weeks even, celebrating the mediocre. Someone gets runs against ordinary bowling, and you overdose on the superlatives - it is the World Cup, after all.
And then - very rarely, but just often enough to wake us all up - a champion comes along and shows you what this game is really all about. And what it is not.
Irrespective of the outcome of the game, Ricky Ponting's century at the Motera is one for the ages - the kind of knock 'motivational speakers' will want to draw on.
What Australia's batting has lacked through this tournament is the towering tentpole that can hold its edifice up. Once Shane Watson and Brad Haddin are done doing their thing, the rest of the innings has been about the odd cameo, the occasional bravura performance - it wouldn't be unfair to say the porous Australian middle order has begun at number three.
Today, with Watson gone aiming a wild slog sweep at Ashwin to try and break his bonds, Australia needed its best, most experienced batsman to stand up and be counted. And just to up the ante, some joker leaked the news that Cricket Australia had already decided to sack Ponting from the captaincy.
What resulted was a display of grit; an innings as diametrically opposed to, but as valuable, as the century Ponting hit in the 2003 WC final against India. That one was scintillating, arrogant; this was hard manual labor by a batsman fighting, simultaneously, the demons in his mind, the surprises of a wicket baked dusty, a bowling that for once was in no mood to give much away, and a fielding side that, for once, showed some awareness of the value of saving the single.
Through this innings, Ponting was a rock - and the Indian bowlers and other Australian batsmen flowed and eddied around him. He was never entirely comfortable - but equally, barring a brief period at the start of his innings, there was never a time when he was vulnerable. That was when he squared up to Harbhajan Singh, who has had the wood on the Australian skipper since the time they first squared up.
The wicket had turn and just the hint of uncertain bounce; there were fielders close in, and it was set up to be a contest - till Harbhajan backed off. Ponting's problems against off spinners has largely had to do with how he leads with his bat, early in his innings; once Bhajji went around the wicket, the risks were reduced, and Ponting found he could close the bat face down, and just working the spinner away with minimal risk.
At the other end, Brad Haddin played the perfect foil. For someone who came in to the side with the reputation of a berserker, Haddin has matured remarkably in recent outings. Early on, he took on himself the onus of facing Ashwin after seeing his partner struggle against the off spinner who, yet again, opened for India (and it is noticeable that when MS Dhoni switched the bowler to the other end, Watson ended up facing him, got fuddled, tried to break free, and got out).
Once Ponting joined him, Haddin batted with monumental calm, knocking the ball around the park, playing largely in the V to counter spin, and latching on to the odd loose ball with fierce intent. The partnership (70 in 12.5 overs) wasn't electric, but it was very effective in keeping the Indian bowlers pegged.
One critical difference in the Indian side on the day was the entry of Suresh Raina, who teamed up with Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh (and Ashwin out on the long boundaries) to finally give the fielding some legs. And this factor was what resulted in the wicket: Haddin, who had single-handedly shamed Munaf Patel in front of his home crowd, was consumed by his own exuberance for once and against Yuvraj, chanced his arm to a ball that was floated, hit off, and spun away. Haddin tried a drive of sorts but failed to account for the spin; the ball went off the toe of the bat, and was dying on him when Raina dived headlong and held. And Yuvraj, feeling his oats, got another one quickly when Clarke played as ugly a slog sweep as you want to see.
That was the cue for the game to turn on a dime. Again. And Zaheer Khan - again - started it with as perfect a set up as you will ever see. Scratch that - as perfect a set up as you have seen, over and over, from the left arm seamer.
He took the ball out, had Michael Hussey fishing, then he produced his now famous knuckle ball - the one that slows down, and shapes in off the deck. Hussey, playing for it to go away, opened a gap as wide as all outdoors; the ball lazily crept through it and onto the stumps, and the batsman's bemused look said it all. The next time he produced a variation was when he held one back on Cameron White - again, the batsman was foxed, and could merely pat it back to the bowler.
David Hussey walked in - and proved that his selection was spot on, with an innings of explosive power that took the onus of run-scoring from his captain, allowing Ponting to continue his calm accumulation. 55 runs at a tick over 7.7 runs between the pair threatened to take the game away from India - but yet again, the game spun around with Ashwin ending Ponting's vigil. That made the difference between a potential 275-plus, and the 260 Australia ended up with.
Rarely has a score made so many people happy. In a note for the team ahead of this game, coach Gary Kirsten had told his wards, 'Do not allow Australia to score over 260.' At the toss, when asked what score he wanted to defend, Ricky Ponting said 260.
As it turned out, Kirsten knew exactly what he was talking of. Though Virender Sehwag, looking a pale shadow of his usual self (there is something seriously wrong with the man, physically - and the most visible symptom is his inability to use his shoulders and wrist to play off his pads, a shot with which he earns his daily bread when he is fully fit and switched on), left early, Sachin Tendulkar looked totally assured and in his shadow, Gautam Gambhir took root, and began to flourish.
Their 50 run association was vital in calming nerves; it ended with the dismissal of Tendulkar, feathering an edge off one of the rare deliveries Shaun Tait got on target. But then followed the best period of play: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir bled Australia in a way I personally haven't seen since Asanka, Aravinda and Arjuna combined in the 1996 final.
Against pace and spin alike, they tapped the ball around the park with almost casual ease, running effortlessly and chipping chunks off the target without looking in the least troubled. It didn't help the bowling side that without exception, their bowlers failed to string a series of good deliveries together. (At the halfway mark, India had taken 14 more singles and twos against Australia's sharp fielding than the Aussies had managed against India).
Just when it looked like India would canter to a one-sided win against the reigning world champions, the home side decided to spice things up a bit. Virat Kohli started it with an incredibly ugly swipe at a David Hussey full toss. Then Gautam Gambhir, who till then had been running as if he had taken lessons from a hamster, totally lost his wits. He has played enough with Yuvraj to realize that the middle order batsman is no longer as fleet of foot as in his heyday, but insisted on calling his partner for incredibly risky singles. Thrice Gambhir looked to run himself out; on the third occasion, after an uncharacteristic miss by Australia on the second try, the batsman succeeded.
When MS Dhoni fell to a superb catch by Michael Clarke at point off a fierce cut, and the score slid from 2/142 in 28 to 5/187 in 37.3, it seemed as if India was set to outdo its earlier collapses.
If, in the end, it cantered to a win with five wickets in hand, credit owes to Yuvraj Singh who, yet again, played a calculating knock that perfectly mixed his trademark punched drives and ferocious pulls with some touch play to work the ball around, and Suresh Raina, in for Yusuf Pathan, taking the likes of Lee and Watson head on as they tried to bounce him out.
What had the potential of being a tense haul to the finish line turned into a thrill a minute ride for the full house at the Motera, with both batsmen opening their shoulders and smashing the ball all around the park. Perhaps the one shot that epitomized both their mood, and the helplessness of the Australians against the sudden counter-attack, came in the 46th over. Lee, bowling around the wicket, speared down an extra quick delivery on length; Raina wound up and smashed the ball effortlessly over the long on fence. As the ball sailed off the bat, you saw, for one moment, Lee stop in his follow through, stare at Raina in disbelief, and drop his head.
16 more runs were needed after that six, but as far as the game was concerned, that shot effectively ended it - and set up what, for fans of both nations, is a dream semi-final between Pakistan and India at Mohali.
The former had ended Australia's 34-game winning streak, the latter had ended its reign as the defending champions.
At the end, you felt for Ponting. He played out of his skin, and way beyond the dictates of form - but he could not find one ally to do for his team with the ball what he had so bravely done with the bat. Australia's batting chinks had been exposed before, but somehow its bowling fault line (the sameness of Johnson, the self-indulgent rubbish dished out by Tait, the fairly ordinary skills of Jason Krejza) had managed to remain hidden till first the Gambhir-Kohli partnership, then the spell of brilliance by Yuvraj and Raina, exposed them cruelly.

Nuclear fallout would not affect New Zealand, expert says

People in New Zealand do not need to worry about radiation poisoning should a quake-damaged nuclear power plant in Japan suffer a catastrophic meltdown, an expert says.
Should there be radioactive fallout from the facilities, it would not affect the southern hemisphere, GNS Science senior scientist Bernard Barry said.
Troubles at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant in Fukushima province were set in motion when last Friday's magnitude 9 quake and tsunami in Japan's northeast knocked out power, crippling the cooling systems needed to keep nuclear fuel from going into full meltdown even weeks after a reactor shuts down.
There have since been three explosions at the plant, and a fourth reactor has caught fire.
However, even if the reactor cores were to melt and remain within the reactor vessel, consequences for the general population would be minimal, Dr Barry said.
There would be some release of radioactive material in excess of normally acceptable levels but it would be minor compared to the fallout from the Chernobyl, Ukraine, plant in 1986 and not pose a significant public health risk.
"For New Zealanders in Japan, the only significant risk will be to people in the local area if a reactor explosion, with loss of integrity of the reactor containment, did occur. People should follow the instructions of the Japanese authorities regarding evacuation. Moving some distance from the reactor site is the most important risk-minimising procedure.
"Moving 10 times further away will, on average, reduce radiation exposure 100 times," Dr Barry said.
The tsunami had caused the breakdown of emergency cooling, which in turn had the potential to cause core melting and explosions.
Such a potential explosion would not rival that of Chernobyl because nuclear fission stopped days ago, short-lived radioactive fission products had already had time to decay for several days, and containments were in place that would keep fallout inside the plant, or at least minimise external fallout, Dr Barry said.
The Japanese Government today warned anyone nearby to stay indoors to avoid exposure.

Officials say slightly elevated radiation levels have been detected in Tokyo but there is no health threat.

Fukushima nuclear blast

The No 3 nuclear reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is seen burning after a blast following an earthquake and tsunami in this handout satellite image taken March 14, 2011. The Fukushima nuclear complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, has already seen explosions at two of its reactors on Saturday (reactor No.1) and on Monday (reactor No.3), which sent a huge plume of smoke billowing above the plant, just days after a devastating earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 10,000 people

India orders safety review of nuclear reactors: PM

 India Monday said its nuclear reactors can withstand 'large natural disasters' but has ordered a safety review at nuclear plants following a nuclear fallout in disaster-hit Japan.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Lok Sabha that the government wanted safety systems at all its nuclear plants studied to ensure they can withstand natural disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes.
'The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and its agencies, including the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL), have been instructed to undertake an immediate technical review of all safety systems of our nuclear power plants, particularly to (ensure) they would be able to withstand the impact of large disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes,' he said.
He sought to reassure the house that the government attaches 'the highest importance to nuclear safety'.
The NPCIL, which operates 20 nuclear power reactors, said that Indian nuclear plants maintain the highest levels of safety as per international norms and have withstood major natural disasters in the past.
The DAE and NPCIL are closely monitoring the situation. They are in touch with the World Association of Nuclear Operators, Tokyo Centre, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, World Nuclear Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
'In-depth review of all such events have been done for all the plants and necessary reinforcement features based on the outcome of these reviews have been incorporated as a laid down procedure.
'The event of Japan will be reviewed in detail in due course as the detailed information becomes available. Resulting out of such a review, any reinforcement as needed in Indian reactors will be implemented,' the NPCIL said in a statement late Sunday.
Manmohan Singh said India operates 20 nuclear plants and 18 of them were indigenous pressurized heavy water reactors and two at Tarapur plant were boiling water reactors of the type being operated in Japan.
'A safety audit of these reactors has been completed recently,' he said in a statement.
Manmohan Singh said the Indian nuclear plants have in the past met their safety standards.
He said that work 'is under way in DAE towards further strengthening of India's national nuclear safety regulatory authority'.
The 20 nuclear power reactors in India have an installed capacity of 4,780 MW, including two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs). The rest are Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWRs). Their safety was re-analysed some years back and reviewed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
Japan has 54 nuclear reactors.
The PHWRs are designed differently than BWRs, and they also have multiple shutdown systems as well as cooling water systems.
The Indian nuclear plants proved their safety during the severe Gujarat earthquake of 2001. The Kakrapar atomic power plant continued to operate safely and supplied much-need energy to affected regions, the statement said.
Similarly, during the 2004 tsunami which hit Tamil Nadu, the Madras Atomic Power Station was safely shut down without any radiological consequences. It was restarted a few days later following regulatory review, it said.
Japan's Fukushima city is home to 10 reactors at two power plants, and explosions have occurred at two of the reactors since Friday's magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami.
One explosion occurred Saturday and the second Monday after a 6.2 magnitude aftershock.