Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Interviews and Group Discussions: Things to keep in mind

Hello friends! In this post I have tried to point out some things that we need to keep in mind during interviews and Group Discussions.

Interviews

1.      In the “introduce yourself” question:
o   Give a brief overview and put forth points that interest the interviewers so that they come back to those points in the interview
o   Do not over emphasize on any one aspect like work, school, etc.
o   It’s now a trend to start off with the meaning of your name, place description, etc. Do this only if absolutely relevant and necessary
2.      Listen to and understand the question before answering
o   E.g. Facts about Indian Economy versus your opinion about Indian Economy
3.      Avoid using verbal fillers. How?
o   By practicing the answers
o   By keeping sentences short
o   By thinking before answering, and
o   Giving pauses instead of fillers
4.      Avoid using “I also” and “I think” repeatedly, especially during the introduce yourself question
5.      Do not jump to the answer immediately
o   Pause and think for a few seconds before answering
o   There is no harm in asking the interviewer some time to answer the question (depending on difficulty, technicality, etc)
6.      If there is a question that you don’t know the answer of
o   Do not beat around the bush 
o   Accept the fact and say that you will try to find about it
7.      Maintain eye contact with the panelists, but ensure that it does not seem that you are staring at them!
8.      Do not get aggressive when your views are being challenged in the interview
9.      Do not use facts and figures until and unless you are absolutely sure of the figures
10.   Use short sentences
11.   Last, but not the least, be confident!

Group Discussions

1.     Use the time given before the discussion productively
  •  Make a note of important points
  •   Avoid writing full sentences
  •  Do not peep into your neighbour’s notebook!

2.     State facts and figures wherever possible
3.     Try to introduce or conclude, but only when you have enough matter and a good understanding of the topic
4.     Do not be aggressive
5.     Maintain a good body language: Avoid leaning too much or making too many hand movements

Hope the readers found the post useful.



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