In this session you will understand how and what to behave like and what exactly to do and not

do in order to crack that interview that you're going for. If you're worried please do not worry
because we are here to help you to make sure that you get through that interview successfully.

Cracking interviews
Agenda

The importance of first impression in an interview

Tips for cracking an interview

The stuff which has to be carried while you're going for an interview

The first impression is very very important in an interview. Whenever somebody sees
you as a interviewer for example needs to make sure that you are the right candidate for the
position that you are interviewing for. Hence your first impression is the last impression and is
the lasting impression. You should do all that you can in order to make that first impression
really really rocking for you and you know how many times or how much time does a person
have to see or make that impression hardly seven seconds. So seven seconds is all you
have got to make the right kind of first impression.
Well it's important to research the company if you are going for an interview and you do
not know anything about that company the hiring manager or the interviewer will think that you
have not done your homework hence it becomes very important. You need to look at the
website of the company, study up the website in terms of who's the CEO, what they into are,
how many branches do they have, what is the kind of turnover that they have. All of this
information is something that you need to prepare yourself with. Hence do your homework
about researching of the company, do as much research and development that you can about
the company that you are getting interviewed for.
Let's now take a look match the Job Description to your skills. Whenever you go for an
interview it becomes very important that whatever skills that the interviewer is looking for you
need to make sure that you match up to those skills. Let's look at how this really is ? A two-part
step you must read the Job Description very carefully and pick out the keywords for example if
they're looking for a leader or a motivator or somebody who has great communication skills now
take down all these things from the job description and note it down the second thing is once
you have a good understanding of what the employer is looking for you can then match up your
skills with their needs that they're looking at a good way to prepare for this is to write down the
key abilities skills etc that the employer is looking for and write down under each skill an
example of where you have displayed that particular skill for example if the employer is
looking for somebody who has great leadership skills under that you need to prepare yourself
where exactly have you shown leadership skills in any particular situation in college in
school or in your previous organization this helps to connect better with the interviewer.
Let's now take a look at how do you prepare your portfolio. Well you may be dressed
very well and really looking good for the interview. However if you do not have a good quality
folder to carry with you during an interview, it can be an image break. So hence invest in a good
portfolio or a binder wherein you can keep all your things like resume, a extra copies of the
same, some certificates that you might want to showcase to your interviewer. All these things
need to be kept handy in a nice organized portfolio bag.
In case of a off-campus interview - get directions and also plan your route. You need to
understand a very important part of interview is that you need to arrive early at an interview. Try
to arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes earlier than your scheduled time. This shows a lot of
professionalism and also gives you the time to relax and compose yourself before the interview.
Well it's important to Dress for Success. Any interview that you are going for, you have
to be dressed in formal attire which means for men it is formal shirt and formal trouser, good
socks as well as clean socks and a pair of nice black or brown shoes. The shoes need to match
with your belt and the socks need to match with your trousers.
For girls it could be Indian or Western formals. According to what you feel like wearing
for that particular team please ensure for the ladies as well you need to make sure you're
wearing good quality shoe and also they need to look clean and tidy. You need to put on
makeup and a bit of good hair style will always do the work for you. Hence dressing for success
is important. All the strains your clothes need to be ironed.
Again practicing gives you added advantage as a fresher. You can practice with any
family member or a close friend of yours whom you're comfortable with and try to practice what
the interview flow will look like. This makes sure that you have done your homework and you're
better prepared for the interview

Do’s and Don’ts

Now we're going to discuss certain do's and don'ts for an interview. Please be very
careful while listenining to this particular segment because there are a lot of times we make
certain small tiny mistakes and we don't realize it in an interview. So this particular segment will
tell you what to do and really what not to do in an interview.
 Do’s
1. Do stay calm. I know that interview are very jittery moments and you feel butterflies
in your stomach and you really feel nervous and anxious about an interview. Make
sure that you calm yourself down. Try to do some kind of breathing exercise so as to
calm yourself and compose yourself before an interview.
2. Don't ramble. It's important not to go on talking a little too fast or rate of speech has
to be really in your control. Hence do not ramble.
3. Answer the questions in a proper tone with pauses. If in case you want to you know
you feel a little nervous at times your rate of speech can also become very fast, so
try to control and not Rumble through your words.
4. Don't ask too many generic questions. Why? We're saying this is that the person
who's hiring you should not feel that you've not done your homework properly. It just
shows that you do not have listening skills and you have not done research properly
on that particular job profile or it could be a mix of both.
5. Do not bring in your personal life. Now your hiring manager does not want to know in
detail about your personal life, your family members or of your other relatives etc. A
brief about What you have done and not done in the past well it is fine but if you go
on talking in detail about your personal life it gives a bad impression or a negative
impression to your hiring manager and hence it becomes important need to keep it
very very professional in an interview and not get into the personal zone.
6. Do ask when you don't understand the question. It's absolutely alright to ask the
hiring manager in case you have not understood something rather than answering in
a negative way or you know not giving the correct answer. It's always good to
recheck on that particular question.
While it's important to bring yourself in an interview, it is also essential and important and
imperative to bring certain important things which you should not miss out on while coming to an
interview.
Some of these things, you should always have enough resume copies, nice folder or a
good handbag. Not a worn out handbag, some a copy or a script for note writing, a water bottle
is essential to have.
Providing references is also something that you should be ready with. In case your hiring
manager asks for it.
Mouth freshner because you do not want to have a bad mouth order while you're talking
in front of a hiring manager.
Mistakes to be avoided by fresher
1. Don’t be late. Suppose you have interview scheduled at 8.30, then please don’t think
that I will reach by 8.30. Be there b4 30 min
2. Once you enter in the room, don’t sit without greetings. Do hand shake, tell your name
and wait till they ask to sit.
3. Give short and crisp answers, talking too much or talking less show you are nervous,
answer to the point
4. Interviewer may ask some questions to check your anger level or stress handling
capacity, don’t get angry or defensive.
5. If you are really not agree with interviewer’s point of view then smile and say I agree
with you but this is my point of you.
6. Do not get emotional or sound desperate for the job, - for fresher
7. Do not discuss financial situations
8. Do not lie about your skills, if interviewer aks you about particular skill and you don’t
know then tell them accordingly, be hones if they ask Why don’t you know this –
answer them in convincing way, I really didn’t get opportunity to know that , but
defeinilty if you give me some time I can do ….
9. Be professional, make it conversation
10. Utilize your chance of asking question. What is my salary, will I be getting this n that
don’t ask
11. Say thank you before leaving room. Do not show your frustration by walking room.

Prepare a 5 minutes of short summary of your ptoject/internship , do not go in depth project

details.

Small buffer breaks, make sure you don’t move out of place, offcourse you can take natures
call. But don’t run here and there, you need to be fresh not all dull and sweaty. The whole
prcess, specially for campus interviews can take like whole day, so be patient.
Light colored shirt with dark colored pant is preferable. No for shiny shirts. Blco shoe, balck
belt.
Don’t sit till asked, handshake gently and firmly with smile
Call interviewr by name, don’t keep calling sir/mam john or mrfarnadis
Always be enthusiastic, don’t overreact, emotional, do not interrupt, listen carefully.
Make a face contact rather than an eye contact, after 20-30 sec make sure you have eyecontct.
Make sure you cover all in panel
Carry pen a paper
Ask about next processes/process flow
Talk loudly / when you talk loudly you will be more confident
Do not stamer, do maintain pace

Telephonic interview

When
Outside destination both interviewer/interviewee
20-30 mins
Screening

Have your resume with you

Make sure you are in calm env
No disturbance
Don’t do multitasking
Smile on the phone
Make sure its professional conversation
You can guide through linedin profile
Don’t ask selfish questions – ctc, salary, benefits.
Have a pen paper
Make sure what will be the next step

Avoid filler words use, filler words shows that you are not sure about the answer
Use strong words, like I can do it, Yes, Yes I have done it
No weak words – I wish, I could, may be
Practice makes you confident

How to follow up –
Should I be following up my interview process. The answer would be yes, definitely yes
You have to follow your interview.
Follwing up interviews is very critical process, and also following up interview makes an
positive impact on interview
Tips-Tricks
1. Do not pester them, wait for the time limit given
2. Communicate in time and professional manner. Be humble
3. E.g after your interview interviewer say 1 wk. 1 wk got over, still haven't heard back
from the interviewer so yes you can follow up but there are ways that you have to
follow. Wait for another day or to say one week or over you can wait for another two
days and then there are different ways that you can follow. A lot of people ask this
question should I be doing through an email, should I be doing it through a phone call
or should I be doing it through a message. There are ways that you can do it always
follow a three-strike policy. Now I haven't heard back from the interviewer after the
time limit which is given. Do not panic or do not pester them. Just try to follow up
email. Next would be I wait for another day or two after my email, and either a phone
call or a text message. However we suggest you email is the most safest way of
following up.
4. Most of the interviewer would ask you a question- do you have any questions? I would
say this ask questions like what's the person's name and possibly if you get designation
might be he is a manager, who might be is in HR. You can just get to know the basic
information from which department is from and the second thing is make note office
personal email address or official email address whichever the interviewer is
comfortable giving it to you or take the phone number either his personal number. If he
is willing to give it to you or it can be even as official desk number with his extension
just take those informations and also get to know the time frame when you know all
these things and still you haven't heard back.from your interviewer do not pester them
as I told you you can wait and follow three-strike policy the first is an email the second
would be a follow-up email and the third would be a simple text or a phone call and
also I want to tell you guys this there are companies which take more than three
months to four months just to hire a candidate so do not lose hopes.

Body language for interview

Great appearance
be confident and calm in interview
smile hand shake
ask permission to enter and sit
sit straight
don’t cross legs
don’t fold your hands, don’t have hands in pocket
Plant your legs on floor, its easy to answer complex question when your legs are grounded
Nod

Types of Interviews for fresher

There are n type of interviews
Stress interviews – has rapid questions, criticizing candidate,answers, interrupting repeatedly
This is done purposefully. Candidate should himself calm in stressful situations
Purpose of this interview is find out how candidate behaves in stressful situation. Does he get
nervous, angry, afraid
This types of inter for mostly sales job.

Group interview – 4-5 candicates introduced together

Tests which candidate influences others, who clarifys the issue , summarise or speaks
effectively
Panel interview – 3-5 members

Phone interview
Screening interview
Geographical obsticals
Serial interview – interviews back to back, phycially and mentally tiring.

Q. What are your salary expectations?

When you ar edone with all your rounds of interview, and just a step away from your job offer
and the you are asked most dreadful question --- No doubt every one of us wants high salary
and aims at earing high. So here are some usufull tips to answer this questions
1. Decide if you want to anwer the question or not
2. If you really don’t have idea about this or you are not prepared to answer about the
number, all u can say is as per industry standards, support your anser by saying about
your interest in opportunity to learn and get incubated
3. You need to create an impression in fromt of interviewer that salary is not my first priority
or only concern
4. On the other hand if you have done a good hw or reaserch for salary range as per JD,
you have fair idea abiut salary you can tell the range
5. How do you portray a number which is in your mind. Saying a big number ther is always
high posibilty of rejection
6. And in case you quote low thenyou miss the chance of earning a decent amount
7. Try to find out compensation package for that position, if