Every career first stage is an Interview, even after JEE Advanced results publishing, candidates are further screened based on Personal or Technical Interviews. One of the most competitive examination in India Common Admission Test or CAT is conducted every year for PGDM OR MBA Courses into creamy layer Institutions. CAT 2018 exam as usual met its standards and the results are published and based on merit candidates has to attend interview for securing seats into the respective colleges

Opportunities don’t often come along, so when they do, you have to grab them – Audrey Hepburn.

Rightly said by Audrey, one of the hurdles towards a career begins with an interview,

Almost all interview begins with the most unstructured and clichd question

“So, tell me about yourself?”

It may sound clinched, but it’s directed towards you for a reason. Your answer to this question lays the first impression about you. It can either be a career maker or a breaker.

You and I, have faced this question at least once in our lifetime, but the real question is how well we have answered this question. Even though it is meant as an icebreaker what it really breaks is our confidence.

Today we take a journey through the Do’s and Don’ts of answering the question, and why we fail answering them appropriately.

THE FIVE FINGER RULE

RULE 1- TAILOR YOUR ANSWERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOB.

Your answer to the question should be based on the type of job you have applied for and the person interviewing you.

• Brief your personal info.
• Focus only on experience & skills that are pertinent for the job.
• Don’t forget to hint at how youdeveloped the skills.
• Caution! Your answer sets the tone for the rest of the interview.
• Creativity can backfire.

Let’s take a scenario. You have applied for a Content Writing job, let’s discuss the Good and the Bad way to answer the question.

BAD

“Well I grew up in a middle-class family, as child I originally wanted to be a pilot. Due to financial crisis I ended up being a graduate in English literature. But I am still passionate about my job and do well.”

If this is the type of impression you portray you can definitely bid adieu to your job. Nobody wants to know where you were born and what your financial situation is.

GOOD

“I am an Individual with hands on experience in content developing and have proficient skills in MS Word. Being an Industrious fellow, I have already gained two promotions and been selected as best employee of the year consecutively for the past two years”

They want an insight to your professional life in the most sensible and precise answering.

They won’t listen to you for more than 90 seconds, so be precise and to the point

RULE 2- INCUBATION IS THE KEY

A mother prepares 10 months to welcome motherhood. A performer practices several hours before the main act. Everyone and everythingrequires some preparation prior to the main event, so does facing interviews.

Why should I prepare to answer who I am? but the answer is really simple.

We prepare so that we can depict us in the most unique way.

Never beat around the bush.

HOW TO PREPARE

• Do Extensive Research on the company.

• Search LinkedIn for interviewer’s profiles and try to form your answers the way it would please them.

• After preparing your answers, try performing mock interviews with your friends or colleagues to review yourself.

• Even if you are not 100% eligible based on your technical skills, you still can be hired based on your depiction in front of the interviewers.

• Avoid bringing up personal issues.

• Follow the principle of Present-Past-Future. Follow this chronological order to form effective answers.

RULE 3 – BE SELF ASSURED

Confidence plays a major role in bringing out the best in you. What we do in an interview is ‘Selling yourself.’ 

I remember frantically thinking to apply my role as content writer to an established educational firm during my first Interview. Realistically, I had minimal responsibilities, still lack of confidence adversely affected my performance during the interview.

Prepare, practice, and apply; it will do wonders.

RULE 4 – EXPRESS YOUR FONDNESS FOR THE JOB

Answering the best doesn’t mean that is all what you need to do. You should be energetic, expressive and enthusiastic about the job they offer you and should exhibit your fondness and reason for wanting that job.

RULE 5 – BE GENUINE

I will start with an anecdote,

“I went on a job interview for a Director’s Assistant. Upon arriving, I realized I was actually meeting a very prominent Director. He saw on my resume that I spoke some French which led him to conduct my entire interview in French I speak some but hear little to none when they get going. Needless to say, the interview was a bust and he laughed me right out of his office”- Mia

In the story we can clearly see that a misleading info given by you can take things south. It is to be noted that speak only about the qualities and skills you possess. Anything dishonest can take a turn against you.

This Article is sponsored by Getmyuni