Dear Friends,
Having handled the job interviews for my company for a while now and having read up in various papers about the poor quality of Indian engineering candidate I feel it is time to give a few tips to all those who are currently in search of a job...
I start off with the basic points necessary when taking part in the recruitment process of the company :
Understand the position for which you’re applying. Make sure you know all the basics about the job you’re applying for as in
what is the post advertised
what knowledge is necessary
what is the technology being used
what is the future scope
and so on
Be clear as to whether this is the job you want and if so, send a well edited, formal response acknowledging your presence for the recruitment process(where applicable). Failing this, do send an email anyway to decline participation in the process as it will help the company and also leave a good impression for future openings.
Correctly get details of the venue and directions to the company office or interview centre well before hand.
Do not leave it for the last minute as these can cause unnecessary tension and unwanted situations.
When asking for directions from the company representatives, be courteous and polite as being even a bit harsh can leave a bad and lasting impression.
Make sure you reach the interview centre on time or a few minutes before. In case of a flexible time, (say 10am to 4pm) make sure you land up in the early half of the time or at least within an hour of the outer limiting time... Don’t land up five minutes before 4 pm and start creating a scene
It is important not to adopt a casual attitude once inside the interview centre premises. Do not repeatedly use your mobile phones or walk around. Once in the premises, remain in the designated areas and wait for further instructions. No company worth its name will forget you.
When filling out the preliminary forms, write legibly and neatly. Don’t write half information or try to hide facts as they will be verified objectively in the interviews.
When appearing for the written round, wait until the invigilator tells you to start before doing anything. A keen invigilator will black mark you if you move a toe out of place. Make sure you follow the instructions during the test to the last letter.
When appearing for the interview, make sure you’re properly dressed in formal wear for gents and salwar kameez for ladies. Wearing a tie is optional and depends upon the company in question.
When sitting for your interview, sit with your back straight with your palms on your knees and look the interviewer in the eye while speaking. A shifty eyed temperament can be misconstrued as hiding facts. Don’t shake your leg or fidget or sit in a very relaxed manner without a care in the world, as, the interviewer is also scrutinizing your body language
When answering be VERY honest as if your records are verified and anything is found mismatched, YOUR EMPLOYMENT IS LIABLE TO BE TERMINATED without any reason or second chance and your name will be black marked even in future interviews.
GIve realistic references in your resume. Most preferred is your boss or your superiors. Do not give names of colleagues as their references may not be sound.
There is no need to feel tensed and worried. Even if you don’t get the job, there are plenty of jobs waiting for you out there. And getting tensed will only make you stammer or hamper your thinking.
PLEASE remain calm and composed as most of the times you do not know if the interview is a stress interview or not.
- Finally, when leaving, intimate to the necessary person and if necessary leave your contact number and email id in case of further correspondence.
These are all very elementary tips that can be given to any candidate for an interview. Unfortunately a large majority of Indian candidates do nto know of these basic rules and hnce add to the unemployed population of our country.
Hence it is my appeal to all those to follow these instructions for better results.
DO rate the review and write comments.
If I do get good ratings and enough responses, I will probably write a piece on good quality resume writing.
Good luck to all future job seekers...
May god bless you...