INTERVIEWS

What is the purpose of Interview?
An interview will enable an employer:
to check that you have the required skills and knowledge for the job
to ensure that you are clear about what the job involves and that you know what will be required of you
to make sure you know about and are committed to the company, and that you genuinely want to work for them.

Know Yourself

Imaging
Imaging is the most important philosophical aspect for any success. Let me explain imaging with an example.
Do you think whenever Sachin scores a century it is only due to his game on the field? No! There is something which is responsible for it which is off the field.
One day prior to the match Sachin imagines, sitting alone. He imagines: “Tomorrow I get up at 6 ‘O Clock. I will warm myself up for an hour, have break fast, take out my kit and go to the ground at 9 ‘O Clock. At 9:30 Dravid will go for toss, he wins it and selects fielding. I will stand at covers and field every ball that comes to me. Agarkar and Irfan ball tidy spells. I will take a flying catch, etc. In spite of that, Smith scores 140 runs, and the team score 359 runs.
Imaging
“I will open our batting. Initially I will take singles Then I will charge Nel. I score 50 in 15 overs. I will never go for paddle sweep, as there will be bounce for spinners. I will play aggressively. We will win and I will get man of the match award”
Then next day Sachin will just repeat his images. This is called imaging techniques. Every successful person uses this. If you use this technique your confidence grows exponentially.

So before you go to bed, lie down and start imaging in your mind. You go to the place, write test well, get short listed, give interview well, results announced, you are selected.

More the depth you imagine more the success rate grows.

I recommend you to pray and ask the God to make you successful. Please sleep for at least 6 hours
Items to take to Interview
A summary of the research you have done on the company.
A list of questions you have prepared to ask the interviewer.
A notepad and writing tool to take notes with and write down questions.
Any additional materials you may need to present to the interviewer such as reference lists, personal identification pieces, certificates, transcripts or letters of recommendation.
A quick snack that will keep you from getting hungry in the event of a long interview.
Finally be sure that you turned off your mobile phones.

Success Formula for interview
The two things that make you succeed in the interview are preparation and confidence.
Preparation + Confidence = Success -------------- (1)
After good preparation confidence comes automatically which makes you perform well.
So confidence ~ Preparation
So from--- (1)
Preparation + Preparation = Success
? Preparation = Success
2
This implies that if you prepare well, you are already half succeeded.

What employer expects from you?
Leadership - demonstrates effective leadership and motivates and inspires others to perform well
Teamwork - works effectively as part of a team
Motivation - demonstrates a personal drive to achieve, even in uncomfortable situations
Brainpower - ability to analyse and manage information, to identify key issues
Lateral thinking - thinks “outside the box” to come up with imaginative solutions


Perform in the interview
UNDERSTAND HOW THE INTERVIEW WORKS
The interview can be divided into 3 parts
There is an opening period of a few minutes where the scene is being set and first impressions are being formed
A middle period in which the conversation will embrace the organization, the job itself and you and your potential fit. This is where you will be asked many questions.
The closing period-again a few minutes- will be an opportunity for the interviewer to summarize and to indicate the process from here. You will also be able to ask questions here if you haven’t had a prior opportunity to do so.
Exhibit only the required skills
Don’t Lie

Watch your body language!
Give a firm, dry handshake
Make eye contact with all members of the panel
Smile to show your interest and enthusiasm
Avoid extravagant hand gestures
Sit slightly forward to indicate involvement

Body Language: What signals are you sending?
Positive Signals
Leaning forward = interest
Smiling = friendly
Nodding = attentive and alert
Eye contact = curious and focused
Negative Signals
Crossed arms = defensive
Fidgeting hands or tapping feet = nervous or bored
Lack of eye contact = untrustworthy
Leaning back= discomfort

TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
PREPARING FOR TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
In the early years of engineering, students think that in interviews, hi-fi technology is asked which is very complex and difficult.
So they don’t think of learning or refreshing the technical concepts keeping interview in mind.
But the companies ask those technical questions which we have learnt like, what is amplifier, counter, XOR GATE, what is microprocessor, what is signal, what are pointers, data structures, what is linking, what are motors, gears etc., depending on your branch and your skill set that you have mentioned in your resume.
PREPARING FOR TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
When you apply, you look at the pattern of interview, the area of work of the company. You can get to know on what subjects they would ask questions in interview. You can study those two, three subjects in depth. You also have to just touch all the subjects especially electives.
For software companies, prepare the languages you know like C, C++, Java, etc..
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW

Keep all your certificates, mark cards and resume in a file and carry your project reports to the interview.

At the interview centre meet the people who have finished their interview, and ask them what they were asked in the interview. Around 50% of the technical questions that were asked to them will be asked to you. So get to know the answers of those questions.
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
Enter the interview room with a smile saying ‘may I come in sir?’ go near the chair and shake hands with the interviewer firmly. Generally oldies don’t shake hand and young interviewers prefer doing it.
Sit only after they ask you to sit. Sit straight and make comfortable posture with legs open (don’t cross them).
Give a fresh, eager, alert smiling look. Technical interviewers may not ask HR questions, but to start with, they ask ‘ tell about yourself’, you can tell about yourself in brief. c
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
Then they may ask ‘what are your favorite subjects?’ Name at least 2 to 3 subjects which you have studied in depth.

The questions asked will only be on basics of these subjects.
They will surely ask questions about the projects you have done and electives you have mentioned in your Resume.
Prepare in depth about your projects, papers and Area of Interest. Specifically your core.
They will ask why you chose this branch.
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
The questions just look simple.

They may grill you if your answers don’t look confident or if you try to bluff.

If you don’t know, you can say ‘sir we don’t have that in our syllabus’ or ‘sir I am not remembering it’ or ‘I don’t know sir’.

When they ask about projects you can spent more time on them, as you will be more comfortable with the projects you have done.
TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
Non-CS students who apply for software companies, should say, they at least know one programming language, generally C; and should be prepared to face questions like what are strings, pointers, header files or simple ‘for loop’ usage programs.

Speak clearly and convince your answers to them. Don’t rush at your answers and end up stammering, getting confused. Speak slowly and steadily; such are the guys who impress more.

HR INTERVIEW
There are many questions that HR managers from different companies ask. Let me list some of the questions and answers in a format, which I think, can be better ones.

There can be hundreds of good answers, which can be given, based on your views, thoughts, personality, goals, expectations and finally the mood.
Prepare for the HR questions like
Self description
Family background
Asked to know the social, cultural and economic background of your family.
Besides describing the family bkgnd, mention basic ethos and good principless which have been imbibed in you by your family environment.
Strength and weakness
How much you know about yourself
Success and failures
This job is not a bed of roses………….

HR INTERVIEW FAQ’S
First thing in your HR interview will be Introduce yourself – prepare and present it well.
How was your written test?
Why do you want to work in a software company?
After scoring good marks in HSC why did you score less in engineering?
Why do you want to join our company?
What are your strengths or why should we hire you only?
What weakness do you have?
Who is your role model?
Your Hobbies?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
How would your friends describe you in 3 words?


HR INTERVIEW some unexpected questions
Consider yourself as C. E. O., what do you do for growth of the company?
How can you improve employee relationships in the company?
You said you are innovative; you better suit to join a product company rather than our services company.
You being weak in communicating skills do you expect you will get the job?
What has been your biggest achievement to date?
HR INTERVIEW
Back to imaging again. The day prior to the interview you sit alone and rehearse the interview.
It’s like taking your interview by yourself.
Ask HR questions to yourself and answer them loudly as you do in an interview.
You can anticipate even technical questions and rehearse.
Do you have any questions?
What would my career prospects be like?
What training/support could I expect?
What would the key objectives be in the first 6 months of the job?
How will my performance be measured?


However….
Do not ask questions just for the sake of it
Do not ask questions if you should already know the answer e.g. if it is in the company literature
Do not ask about fringe benefits – that conversation can take place when you have been offered the job
And remember….it may be that all your questions have been answered over the course of the interview


SUMMARY


Establish a connection by relating to each interviewer. Note the wording that is used by each interviewer and when appropriate use similar words. Maintain eye contact with each of the interviewers throughout the interview.
7. Sit comfortably and erectly, but don’t sit stiffly, slouching or sprawled over the chair.
8. Project confidence and a positive attitude.  Maintain awareness of your voice, posture, energy level, and enthusiasm. Make hand gestures to emphasize important points, but avoid distracting gestures or making too many hand gestures.




Be attentive. Listen to each question carefully and don’t interrupt.  If you aren't sure of what is being asked, politely request that the question be repeated.
Close the interview with a strong closing statement of your qualifications for the job.
Thank the interviewers.  Shake their hands individually and thank each interviewer by name.