Things You Must Know Before Going For An Interview

NOTE ON INTERVIEW SKILLS

1. What is an Interview?
   
   An Interview reveals, among other things, how you "react" to various situations as it involves thinking on your feet. An Interview provides an opportunity to the interviewer to peep into your mind and understand your thought process. An Interview primarily tests the response of candidates towards various situations, which helps understand his/her 'attitude', as it is attitude that decides the level of success a person can achieve - both in personal as well as in professional life.



2. For how long will a typical interview last? 
   
   Bank interviews last anywhere from 5-6 minutes to 15-20 minutes. However, you should not conclude anything regarding your chances of selection on the basis of the duration of the interview. A short interview is not necessarily bad. Simliarly, a long interview may not necessarily be good!



3. What is the size and composition of the interview panel? 
   
   The number of members on the interview panel normally ranges from two to five. Some top banks may also have a psychologist on the panel.



4. What should I carry with me to the interview? 
   
   You must take copies of your resume. Carry all original certificates (starting from 10th standard) with you when you go for an interview. You must also carry one set of attested photo copies of all your certificates (which you may hand over to the interview panel in case they ask for it). You should also carry any certificates that you may have pertaining to your extra-curricular activities (indicating awards won, participation in various events/games/sports etc.).



5. What is the appropriate dress code for an interview? 
   
   An interview is a formal occasion and you are expected to attend the same in formal wear. Casual wear like jeans, sneakers, etc. are ruled out. Males should have their shirts tucked in, (preferably, wear a tie) and have formal shoes on. You should be properly shaved for the Interview and not sport a stubble there. Females may be dressed in Indian formals like a saree or salwar-kameez or in Western formals like pants and shirt. Long hair must be neatly plaited or tied in a manner that does not give an unkempt look. Before entering the interview room, make sure that you comb your hair neatly.



6. How should we enter the interview room? What should we do after we enter the interview room? 
   
   Normally, when your turn comes, either one of the panel members or an assistant will come and call you into the room for your interview. Whether the door is open or not, knock gently before entering the room. At the door, say clearly and loudly, " Plesae may I come in Sir?" and walk in without any trepidation. After you reach the interviewers' table, greet the panel members according to the time of day ("Good morning" or "Good afternoon"), and wait for thier permission to be seated.



7. What type of language should we use in the interview? 
   
   As already discussed, an interview is a formal occasion. It requires the use of formal language, preferably English. Do not switch to your vernacular in the middle of the conversation during an interview. However, there is no need to worry about the fluency part of your language. Go ahead and communicate your ideas in as simple a language as possible without worrying about any grammatical errors you are likely to commit.



8. What role does body language play in an interview? 
   
   Use your body language - sitting posture, eye contact, movement of hands, head, etc. - in a manner that conveys confidence and has a positive impact on the interviewers. Do not overdo your hand movements, etc. Gesticulate only to the extent necessary.



9. What does the interview panel look for in a candidate during an interview? 
   
   The interviewers look for a candidate who has an aptitude and skill required for the job and who can be moulded to take up higher levels of responsibility in future. The suitability is established by looking at the knowledge and behavioural dimensions. Knowledge, aptitude, willingness to learn, ability to adapt to situations, ability to be a part of a team, logical flow of ideas, balanced thought process and a very clear goal orientation are some of the parameters that interviewers consider. The candidate should also be able to apply his/her skills in tune with the ethical and moral framework of the society.



10. What are the qualities assessed ? 
    
    The different qualities assessed are:
    
    Level of knowledge the candidates possesses
    Conceptual understanding of issues
    Clarity of thought
    Communication skills
    Planning of career
    Basic personality
    Reacting to a situation 



11. What are the different types or categories of questions?
    
    The nature and type of questions also vary from one candidate to the other for the same Bank. Hence, a candidate should prepare on a range of areas/questions like:
    
    (a) Self introduction:
    Please introduce yourself; Tell us about yourself; Tell us about your family, etc.
    
    (b) Achievement/ extra-curricular activities:
    What are your achievements? Which activities were you involved in during your college days? etc.
    
    (c) Awareness about general banking related knowledge:
    What is RRR? What is SLR? What is CRR? What is the present interest rate for savings account? How and when is the savings account interest calculated? etc.
    
    (d) Career related questions: 
    Why do you want to get into the Banking sector? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Why are you changing from the IT sector to banking? etc.
    
    (e) Personality related questions:
    What are your strengths/weaknesses? What are your hobbies? What is your attitude towards life? Have you overcome any great difficulty in the recent past? Give us an instance that helps prove your strength? etc.
    
    (f) Situational questions:
    If you (and only you) discover your colleague, who is also your close friend, stealing in the bank both of you are working in, what will you do?
    
    (g) Subject Knowledge / Academic Questions:
    Questions from your subjects/specialization in Graduation/PG



12. What should be the answer for the question "Tell us something about yourself?"
    
    
    
    First of all, note that there is nothing like "a tailor-made answer" or "the correct answer" for any question - except for questions which require a fact to be given as an answer.
    
    "Tell us something about yourself" is the first question asked in a number of interviews. This question is asked for two different reasons. The first is to put you at ease, as it is a fairly easy question to deal with. The second reason is that interviewers get to know some basic details about you, while at the same time, getting a little bit of time to go through your application/bio-data.
    
    Nevertheless, it is an important question. This often sets the tone for the entire interview - a number of subsequent questions can be based on what you say in response to this question.
    
    You should cover your social and educational background very briefly and then emphasize on your technical skills and favourite subjects. Highlight your achievements in both academics and/or other areas. Mention hobbies and extracurricular activities and a few details on the kind of person you are, your likes etc. Family background is not essential. In case you wish to mention this, do so very briefly.



13. What are the typical questions that interviewers ask in the area of "personality related questions?" 
    
    Personality related questions basically include two types of questions. The first type is about your "Strengths and Weaknesses." Strengths and weaknesses are asked very frequently and this is a fairly important question. It requires prior thinking and proper preparation.
    
    The second type of questions on your personality relate to your value systems. The interviewers may ask you about values you subscribe to. There can be questions on honesty and integrity. Very often, the interview panel members may create a situation involving compromise of values and ask you to react.



14. What are the strengths/weaknesses that we can talk of? 
    
    Do not look at a "standard list" of strengths from which you can pick up your strengths. You have to assess your own personality and come with your strengths. Typically, they may pertain to a hardworking nature, congeniality, convincing ability, discipline, punctuality, goal-oriented approach, analytical approach to problem solving, working well in a group, etc. List down your strengths after a self-evaluation and not based on what somebody else has told you. Also, after you tell the interviewers about your strength(s), be ready to face a follow-up question asking you to give a situation where your strengths helped you or to explain how you realised that you had these strength(s). You should be prepared to give an example by narrating a short incident which highlights your strength(s).
    For weaknesses, tell anything that you are genuinely not good at; also, immediately mention what corrective action you are taking to overcome such a weakness. Don't say that you don't have any weakness. Each one of us has one or more weaknesses like lack of punctuality, impatience, impulsive decision-making, etc., and any of these may be mentioned here.



15. What are the typical 'career-related questions' asked by interviewers?
    
    Typically, such questions focus on what you intend to do in life, how you envisage your career taking shape, why you chose your branch of study, how you plan to use the knowledge acquired in work, why you want to choose a particular bank, alternate career plans, why you intend to join a particular banking sector, which domain/area you wish to work in, how you will contribute to the bank, and where you see yourselves in 5/10 years from now etc.
    
    Most interviewers expect you to have a goal or a career objective. You may not be in a position to spell out your plan in detail. Nevertheless, you should have a broad framework and alternate plans in mind. If you indicate that you have no idea about your future plan, it could mean that you are a drifter and this could work against you.
    
    For 'where you see yourselves 5/10 years from now' kind of questions, get details from employees of the bank beforehand, or from seniors or friends working in the banking sector and from websites of leading banks. This will help you understand the career path of bank employees.



16. How to tackle a question "why do you want to join us?"
    
    Before the interview, prepare specifically by gathering information about the bank from magazines, seniors and friends working there and the bank website. Check out basics like turnover, revenue, net profit, growth, branches local and abroad, takeovers, domains/areas of specialisation, products, awards won, latest news, corporate governance etc. This will help you assimilate ample information to answer this question.



17. How should we prepare for questions asked about hobbies and interests? 
    
    Normally, interviewers ask you questions on your extra-curricular activities, hobbies and interests. In case you have none, tell them that you do not have any. But if you have any, then you should be ready to deal with them in some detail. For example, if cricket is one of your extra-curricular activities or hobbies, then you should be have an idea of past statistics, current happenings in cricket including names of players in the teams of various countries.



18. How much time is given to think before answering a question?
    
    The general rule that should be observed is "Think before you answer any question." Do not be in a tearing hurry to give a reply. You need not start your reply the moment the question is asked. You can take 2-3 seconds to answer the question. This valuable time helps you collect and organise your thoughts before answering the question. This is particularly useful if the question is slightly "uncomfortable."



19. Should the answers given be short and crisp or should they be detailed ones? 
    
    "Yes" or "No" responses to questions asked must be avoided in the interview. You should also avoid monosyllabic answers. While you should not end up giving a very wordy answer to any question, your answer should be long enough answer to clearly convey your views on the issue that is under consideration. Remember, the interviewer would like to know your personality, clarity of thought, etc. Hence, you should consider every question an opportunity to let the interviewer know more about you.



20. If we do not know answers to some questions, can we guess? Aren't there chances that the interviewer himself may not know the answers? 
    
    Do not underestimate the acumen or the intelligence of interviewers; they are usually very expereinced and well-read people. It is in your interest to not work on the premise that the interviewer may himself be unaware of the answer to a question asked. If you do not know the answer, admit it. However, if you want to guess, do so by saying that you would like to guess the answer. You can say, "Sorry sir, I do not know the answer. However, can I make a try?"
    
    Your guesswork will come in handy only for fact-based questions and not opinion-based ones. If the interviewers ask your opinion on any issue, you obviously cannot say that you don't have any!



21. Should we always be completely honest in an interview? 
    
    In general, "Honesty is the best policy" in an interview. Be your natural self as far as answering questions is concerned. However, in our day-to-day interaction with anybody, all of us wear a "mask" to portray an identity different from the one we possess. The kind and extent of this mask varies from person to person. You should try to have as genuinely pleasant an expression on your face as possible. Don't forget to 'Smile'!



22. What should we do if the interviewers ask irrelevant questions?
    
    Do not ever believe that interviewers are asking you questions that are not relevant to the selection process. In an interview, there is nothing like an irrelevant question. Remember that the interviewer is trying to assess you based on your reaction/response to situations. As discussed already, treat every question as an opportunity. Deal with it keeping in mind the fact that your thought process is under scrutiny - the issue under discussion is not relevant.



23. What is a stress interview? 
    
    Very seldom does one come across stress interviews.
    
    Right from the word "Go," interviewers in such sessions shoot rapid-fire questions. They usually do not give enough time to the interviewee for any question; before the interviewee can finish answering one, the next question is hurled at him. Sometimes, the next question is asked even before the candidate starts answering the first one. Interviewers also tend to mock the candidate almost throughout the interview - commenting that the candidate knows nothing etc. Very personal questions can be posed in a stress interview which can make a candidate very uncomfortable.
    
    While stress interviews do not form a significant proportion of the total number of interviews conducted for any organisation, it is not uncommon to find a stress interview here or there. You should be mentally prepared to face one if you come across it.



24. How should we tackle stress interviews? 
    
    On the basis of how the interview progresses, you can make out whether your interview is a stress interview in the first half minute itself.
    
    The most important thing in a stress interview is to keep your cool. Since the panel members are putting you under severe stress, they will give you the benefit of doubt in case you are unable to answer at all or answer wrong. They will not hold it against you as much as they would in a normal interview.
    
    Do not react to their taunting remarks. If they make a caustic remark, just smile and say, "I understand that that is your view, sir, but my view is ……." Do not sitting there cursing yourself for getting into that mess. Focus on the question that are coming your way! .
    
    Overall, a candidate who can keep his/her cool will come out in flying colours in a stress interview.



25. At the end of the interview, how will the interviewers indicate that the interview is over?
    
    They usually make a clear statement like, "Thank you, Mr. ---------. Wish you all the best!" Sometimes, interviewers may ask you, "Would you like to ask us anything?" Such a question also indicates that they are through with their questions.



26. In such a case, can I ask them any questions?
    
    You certainly can. However, ask questions that are relevant. Please do not ask questions like "How did I perform in my interview?" or "How did I do in my written test?" or "Will I get selected?"
    
    If you don't have any specific questions just say "Thank you Sirs. I don't have any questions to ask".



27. What should I do before leaving the interview room?
    
    Stand up, push your chair back a little, wish the interviewers by making statements like, "Thank you, Sirs" or "Good day to you all, Sirs, " and then leave the room.