Breasting the tape.....

Placement season is around the corner & with news trickling in that corporates may be looking to hire again, the interview is back in business.It is the culmination of their studies for many and in my view the part where a person breasts the tape at the close of a race. You want to do this part very well.

In an imperfect world the interview seems to be the best bet for a person to land a job, so it makes sense to give it your best shot.

The following may be some pointers......

1. Dress appropriately.A business suit is appropriate. If you're a man, wear a tie.For women it is not fashion day, unless of course you are looking for a job in the fashion industry.( being shabby is not being cool and most interviewers would show you the door for being poorly dressed)

2. Shut up. Did I tell you about the time someone came and told me his life story for 45 minutes and then allowed me 10 minutes to explain the job? I think you know how that story ends.

3. Listen. The most useful skill in sales is listening — and in an interview, you're selling yourself. If you say, "I think the best computers in the world are PCs and people who use Macs have more style than substance" after the interviewer mentions his iPhone, you could be left with your opinion and no paycheck.

4. Ask questions. You can avoid the problem above by responding to the question, "Do you think we should scrap all the PCs here and buy Macs?" by saying, "That depends on lots of factors. What would your requirements be?"

5. Show interest. This could also be called "sucking up." When an interviewee doesn't ask me anything about myself, she's not just saying "I've got pride in my accomplishments and don't need to pander to you." She's also showing me that she isn't good at showing interest in other people. Which means she's going to have a hard time politically in the company. And since that's going to reflect badly on me...no job for her.

6. Do your research about the company and the people who are going to interview you.

7. Answer the question you wish they'd asked.
How many times have you left an interview thinking, "I never got a chance to tell them about my achievements.So tell them............( however if your interviewer suffers from low confidence- God help you )

8. Be clear about what the interviewer want's. Do not assume anything.


One way of acing an interview is by correctly answering a very risky question that many interviewers ask and interviewees dance around: “If we hired you, what would you do to help us do ‘X”’. X can be anything from creating a new production process to slicing customer support time in half. This is your chance to show your experience, knowledge of the company, and its competitive challenges.

Most interviewers are not looking for a specific or right answer. They are looking to see how you would approach and solve the problem or the logical procedure you would adopt in getting there or there abouts.

Doesn't it make sense? As a manager you would spend the better part of the day problem solving rather than handing out SODEXHO booklets, unless that us what you are being hired to do.

What if I asked you, how many trees would there be in Bangalore's Lal Bagh ( a huge 600 acre park )?

Take a shot..............and tell me.