How to clear interviews by Vishal Rajemahadik

How to Clear Interviews -- By Vishal Rajemahadik

As a candidate we first need to understand that academic success has no direct relevance in practicality. We would have achieved distinction or a first class, however we need to understand that in today’s world what is required other then the study material is Smart Communication Skill’s, Presence of mind, Innovative answers, Confidence etc. Of course the list is never ending.

This document will not only help with the Do’s and The Don’ts on an interview but also assist you in building your confidence and preparation of answers for an interview. This will also assist you in up scaling your existing skill sets and addition of new ones. Let us keep one thing in mind that the one who succeeds in an Interview is the one who prepares smart answers on his own rather then giving those same old and stale replies that they have read elsewhere. This document will not only help the seasoned individuals but also the freshers to prepare highly effective answers and how to deliver the same in a confident manner while establishing that all-important rapport with the interviewers.

Apart from assisting you to prepare how to respond to popular interview questions and distinguishing good answers from bad ones this document will take you through the steps that are required to establish rapport and trust during the course of interview. The reason the above things are required or mandatory is because if you fail to establish trust and rapport it is highly unlikely to get a job, irrespective of how smart you are or your answers are or what you education is.

DO’s

Keep Smiling
Be confident while you speak
Check the company Profile
Be Positive
Be soft but Audible
Answers to be in Bullet Points [KISS]
Stress on qualities required for the Profile you are appearing.
Ask questions
Pause while you talk
Convert your weakness into strengths
Always prepare a list of minimum 5 Strengths & Weakness with example from previous experience
Be Honest & Enthusiastic
Think before you talk
Be yourself

DON’Ts

Be Nervous
Talk continuously for more then 2 minutes
Memorize your answers
Be afraid of your language
Wear LOUD colors
Wear loose clothes/ clothes not ironed properly
Move in your seat
Interrupt
Over promise or under deliver
Say “I Don’t Know”

We can say that the above Do’s & Don’ts were just an eye opener. Lets us take a look at few of the questions that we would face when facing an Interview. Important thing is that we need not memorize the below mentioned Question & Answers but try and understand the logic behind this and prepare ourselves for an Interview.

Before we actually proceed let us first take a look at common miss-interpretations with regards to interview. These are the following points that might be running through a candidates mind.

• The best person for the job does not necessarily win it—often it’s

the person who gives the best interview.

• Interviews are more than just giving technically correct answers.

They’re also very much about building rapport.

• Not all interviewers know what they’re doing; your job is to know

how to handle the good and bad interviewer.

• It’s better to be honest and admit ignorance than try to pretend you

know an answer and come across as disingenuous and less than bright.

• Good looking people win jobs—maybe in Hollywood movies, but

on the whole, employers are keen to hire talent over superficial factors.

• Striving to give the perfect answer can get you into trouble. It’s better

interview myths 9 to give a good answer that’s to the point rather than searching for

perfection; besides, often there’s no such thing as the perfect answer.

• Do not ask questions for the sake of it. Only ask a question if you

have a genuine query that has not been covered.

• Interviews are formal occasions requiring relatively formal behaviors.

Interviewers will expect this and may react negatively if they don’t

see it.

• Interviewers do not spend all their time looking for your flaws. They’re

more interested in getting an overall picture of who you are. Avoid

answering questions defensively. It’s much better to see every question

as an opportunity to highlight your best points

Q1. TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF?

DANGER:

This is the highly misunderstood question. It sounds soft and simple. Most of the people take this question lightly, however they forget a simple fact that this most of the time is the question which decides an individual’s fate of selection. This being the first answer should be answered in a confident and smart way. We also need to make sure that the information that is being provided by us is sync with what is mentioned on the resume. There should be no hesitation whatsoever while answering this question. We need to apply the KISS formula while dealing with this question. We need not inform the interviewer our till date life story.

SAFETY:

Always make sure that the answer is told in bullet points. It should cover points like Your complete name, Educational Qualifications, Work Experience, About your Family & Hobbies.

Name: Most people start their answer by saying “My self Sachin…..” which is completely wrong. It should always start with “My name is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”

Educational Qualifications: There’s always a way to begin an answer or a sentence or a statement. When we discuss educational qualifications we need to start in a professional manner. Instead of saying I have completed my graduation in Science…, the best way could be I am a Science Graduate from Mumbai University and that was in the year 2003. As of now I am pursuing my Management studies or PG.

Work Experience: Now this would be a bit tricky. We know that the interviewer has our resume in front of him. It’s not that important for you to take the interviewer through anything and everything that you have done in your life. When we go for an interview we first need to know what is the designation we would be interviewed for? We need to understand that and then fit our answers accordingly when it comes to our hobbies and work experience. Eg. If we are planning to go for an interview were the requirement is of a customer service executive we need not stress on what sales experience we had in the past, however we will have to focus and talk more on the work experience relevant to customer service. This is just an example. The main logic is that we need to convince or try to convince the interviewer that we will fit the criteria he is looking for, if not the best choice.

Family Background: This should be short and at the same time should inform the interviewer about where we belong to? We also need to be careful when we talk about our family as it gives a picture of what our possible upbringing is all about. Let us not get into details or job profile of our family members. The ideal answer would be “My family consists of 4 members. My father who is working with Western Railways, Mother is an House Wife and my elder/younger brother/sister is pursuing his/her graduation or is employed with ICICI Bank.

Hobbies: Hobbies need to be told in a smart and clever manner. The answer of what our hobbies are would depend on what kind of a designation I am planning to opt for? If we would decide on a sales filed we need to say that my hobbies include interacting with anyone and everyone on the bus or in the train while traveling. If we opt for a customer service industry to talk on hobbies which will reflect our inclination towards customer service. To sum it up let us understand that your hobbies would some time inform the interviewer what kind of an individual you are?

The above information on TMSAUS is not the rule, however it provides an idea as to what should be an ideal answer.

Q2. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CALL CENTER AND BPO?

BPO: A place where end to end operations take place. Both the operations i.e. Back office and front office activities are seen in a BPO.

Eg. Sparsh BPO Services. The # 1 leading domestic BPO. They have various processes. One of the processes is Barclaycard. Now when the application forms are filled in by the applicant they come to Sparsh. Now from here, Sparsh will check the documents, Approve or decline an application form, Assign a credit limit and dispatch then the credit card to the customer. Once the customer receives the credit card he would require a customer service to call. Sparsh provides customer service also. In case the customer does not make his payment on time then Sparsh would make an out bound call and collect the money from the customer. This is what is called an end to end process wherein the application form and the documents are scanned and the card is approved and dispatched, customer service is provided and also money is collected when required. This is what is meant by BPO.

CALL CENTER: The department that deals only in calls i.e. outbound and inbound calls is called as a call center. It does not involve any back office work.

Q3 WHY DO YOU WANT TO JOIN A CALL CENTER?

DANGER: The prompt answer that an individual would give is for Money or I want to Earn and Learn. The moment we say that we want to join a BPO with money as our main concern then we are immediately out of that company. The companies do not want money minded people working with them. The general qualities that any company would look in an individual is Dedication, Stability, Smart answers etc. Hence stating that we need to join a BPO for money purpose is a major negative thing to start with. The second aspect is that of Learn and Earn. It is a very good thing that we would love to take care of ourselves and be independent. However, the company might take this in a negative manner when they come to know that you would quit this company once you’re done with your studies. Also, never say anything negative about your existing job or company as the interviewer might think that you always have mood swings.

SAFETY: Over here we need to talk about how good and stable this BPO industry has been for more than a decade now. You need to convince the interviewer that if you are stable enough in this company then you would grow and you would have a stable career. BPO is also know to be more systematic and employee centric industry.

Q4 WHY SHOULD I GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN THIS COMPANY? CAN YOU DO THIS JOB? WHY SHOULD WE EMPLOY/SELECT YOU?

DANGER: Over here candidates try to convince the interviewer without giving appropriate examples. We need to understand that there are several candidates standing out for an opportunity to prove themselves. So what’s the difference between them and us. Usage of certain words like Trust, Hardworking should be avoided because 99 out of 100 are going to use the same. These words give an impression that you are desperate to get a job rather then being convincing.

SAFETY: Be Assertive when we answer this question. Inform the interviewer that you are Flexible when it comes to work in office for extra hours. Over here you inform him that you are flexible and also give him a reason as to why an employee needs to be flexible. Inform that you believe in Team Work and cite the positive impact of Team Work. If you have previous experience that can be linked with the current designation for which an interview is being conducted then try and talk about that. May be provide an example or a situation that would have taken place and discuss the same. So what we do over here is we try and talk about certain points which rarely anybody talks on and we also help him with an example which enables him to understand our view point. Before an employer decides to give someone a job, they need to be convinced that the person can either do the job properly or learn it quickly. It comes as no surprise to learn therefore that ‘Can you do the job?’ questions are the most common. They’re also the ones people spend most time preparing for. ‘Can you do the job?’ questions are those that directly or indirectly

seek to ascertain your ability to perform the duties inherent in a job. They include questions that seek to clarify your:

• Skills;

• Knowledge;

• Experience;

• Key achievements;

• Potential

Q5 WHY DO YOU WANT TO QUIT/LEAVE YOUR CURRENT JOB?

DANGER: This question will check how much frustrated you are with your existing employer. Even if you are not unhappy with the employer you would be upset with something that has happened that triggered your decision to quit, which is the case most of the time.

SAFETY: Before we start with this answer we need to understand what the requirement is and then try and use your experience to link with this answer. You need to convince the interviewer that now you are ready to work for a brand and use your entire expertise to excel in the new organization. You need to use certain terminologies like “Lateral & Horizontal movement”.

DANGER: This is the question which will test the skills that are required by the Interviewer. Most of the time we try to convince the interviewer

Q6. Tell us your 5 Positive and Negative Points.

DANGER: We are supposed to be honest in an interview, however not always. Especially while answering the negative part of it.

SAFETY: Make sure that when we talk about the positive points all of them are achievable and realistic and the other person can be convinced. Use the formula Fake it till you make it. Positive points can be polite, ability to forecast, understanding the scenario/situation by asking why to myself, A good motivator, pleasant communication skills, Problem solving ability, good probing skills, Team Player, Listening, Open for feedback and Suggestions, analytical skills, excel, word and power point skills, flexibility, open for traveling. Negative points should be such that it should bring out positive point of yours. Example: I am too aggressive to drive performance. This statement show that you are aggressive and as per you it is negative sometimes, however the company looks at it as a positive thing as it gives business to the company. So the negative points mentioned should be workaholic, inclination towards sweets and junk food, Always have Plan C ready which I have used for sometime now, Keep my back up ready, try to think for my boss, sometimes take too many initiatives, depend too much on systems[word, excel and power point] etc…

Q7 what are the qualities required for an individual to be a successful manager?

DANGER: Whenever we answer these questions or appear for such interviews we need to understand that the body posture should be composed, confident, fluency in language