Best Tips, Soft Skills Training For Interviews, Placements, GD

9/23/13 Best tips, Soft skills training for Interviews, Placements, GD
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Notes YOU need to crack an Interview

Shaadi ho naa ho ; Interview hoga hi ! Honi
ko kaun taal saktaa hai
This blog post shall talk about a few magic mantras

which 1) normally people do not know about
Interviews and 2) which if prepared well about; can
help you crack every interview that you sit for.
Life is moving really fast. I recommend you to

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in your busy schedules. I am always looking at newer & fresher ways to serve you.
This is a long post. Read it v patiently. This is ALL – you need. Read it THRICE and go
& crack it !
Copyright © 2012, Akash Gautam. All Rights Reserved
MAKE SURE YOU PREPARE T HE FIRST

QUEST ION WELL:-
90% of the times the first question will be “Introduce

Yourself” or “Tell me something about yourself”?. There is
a reason for this. Whatever might happen; the candidate
will end up saying something in the answer to this question.
When he says that ‘whatever something’ ; he will feel 1)
comfortably arrived & 2) belonging to that situation and 3) a sense of adequacy shall
have happened. This means that you will become comfortable after speaking those
first few lines. This is what the interviewer wants. He wants to meet the comfortable
you. Your best would not show up; unless you are comfortable. He wishes to meet the
best in you. The reason – why 90% of the times; this becomes the first question.
This question is your best (could be the last) chance to sell yourself. It is like your free
hit in a cricket match- you will not get out; however – you get a chance to score any
many runs of your volition.
How do you best prepare for this Question?
Three Things:-
1) Understand that an ‘Interview’ is a sales process. You are your salesman. Ask
yourself – ‘How do you sell anything?’. You sell something – by talking about its
positives.
Make a small table – the way I ask you to, next. This is the most valid exercise that you
can do; while you prepare for any interview.
Areas that I am very good at ; I Areas that I would not want to
www.akashgautam.com/blog/2012/01/24/interviews-phod-do/ 1/10
can comfortably talk at length discuss in my interview
about
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
5. 5.
(Over the years; I’ve seen serious students making very extensive tables. They delve
deep till the tertiary level of any point on the LHS. This gives them the dexterity in
answering the questions on that particular point. )
You need to think very deep about your areas on the LHS. They should be the areas
where you are a James Bond. I mean, those areas / aspects of your life – where in, if
you are quizzed upon – you will be able to happily talk about. The areas on the LHS
could be anything. Anything means anything. It could be your career aspirations,
plans, a subject in your graduation, your hobbies, your role model, your home town
etc.
Code / magic mantra:-
An interviewer ( in any interview) is checking you on

your commitment levels in life.
By commitment, I am not meaning the Sunny Deol kind

of commitment (where he fought against the entire
Pakistan to get his family back in the movie Gaddar). I
mean, have you remained committed to the choices you
have made for your own self in life? Have you remained
committed to the things that you choose to happily do / pursue? Because, if you have
not remained committed here – how will you remain committed to something that may
not be of your liking e.g. the work areas in your job that you are applying to or the
subjects in the B-School ; which you may not like.
Most questions of the Interview which students construe to be questions of GK or

academics are actually not. They happen to be questions from the areas that you claim
that you are good at / have remained associated with. Understand that:- 95% of the
knowledge based questions in any interview will be from the areas on your LHS and the
remaining 5% would be such ; that the interviewer is just seeing – ‘how you react to
something that you are not expected to know?’.
So, your entire intention in the answer to ‘Tell me something about yourself’ should be
to divert the attention to the LHS. You do not talk about the negatives. However, if the
interviewer somehow asks you about your negative areas (RHS)– you accept them &
do not deny them. Further, you creatively / intelligently shift the attention of the
interviewer from the negatives to the positives.
e.g. if you are a B.Com. student & Accounts as a subject is not on your LHS, but
Micro-economics is on your LHS & if you are asked a question from Accounts – you
very humbly say this – “Sir, I am very sorry, I do not know the answer to this
question. Actually in my graduation; my interest area happened to be Economics and
not accounts. Even in Economics- I was particularly interested in Micro-economics”.
Now what happens next is that the interviewer is likely to ask you the next set of
questions from Micro-Economics (to check you on your commitment). These
questions; if you answer right – you will be able to prove your commitment. And this
is the code.
Imagine, if you are able to keep your Interview maximum towards the areas on the
LHS, by laying them smartly to the interviewer in the question –‘Tell me something
about yourself’. Imagine, if it happens like this. Would you not have ensured that you
are proving your commitment? Yes!! You would. Also, imagine – if you are not able to
sell your LHS & you just give the control of the interview freely to the interviewer. He
would then get the freedom to ask you anything from anywhere. Imagine- if from RHS
– scary situation naa?
Next, what do you include in the answer to “Introduce yourself?”.
Answer:- You simply pack your LHS in a very humble and intelligent manner.
TIP:- Do not give dead biographical details. Ask yourself this question – ‘Can i let these
small points add some extra value about self?’
e.g.
Sir, I come from a joint family. I understand thus, that adaptability is the biggest skill set in
today’s world.
Sir, coming from a defence background- i have become more adjusting to people & places
because, my schooling happened from a lot of places.
Sir, my name is Arti – arising out of my name is my interest in religious scriptures. Sir, I have
read the commentary on Bhagwad Geeta twice.(I f Bhagwad Geeta is on your LHS – you’ve
very smartly diverted the interviewer there).
Sir, I belong to Dharamshala in Himachal. I t is famous for 1) being the exile capital of His
Holliness, The Dalai Lama and 2) I t is the second most rainiest place in I ndia because of a
geographical reason.
Now here – you are saying two things – 1) Ask me about Dalai Lama or China –Tibet
problem and 2) I am good at Geography.
Sir, my name is Prashant. Quite like my name – I am calm & composed. But very unlike my
name – I am determined.
Sir, my name is Akash but my friends fondly call me Beckham , because of my intense interest
in European Soccer.
So, you can let the smallest of the points add value to your profile answer by speaking
them smartly.
Two important points worth re-iterating:-
1) Make humble submissions. Speak with a lot of humility.
2) End the answer on a positively provocative note. This would increase the
probability of the next question to come from; where/ how you are ending the
answer.
SHOW; DO NOT T ELL:-
Most of the times; candidates commit damage to their ease of success in an interview
by just telling and not showing. E.g. :-
- My biggest strength is that I am a Team Player
- My weakness is that at times, I am short tempered.
- My role model is my father
- My hobby is reading & music
Now, for heaven’s sake – do not say it like this. You will
allow the interviewer to open a Pandora’s box if you only
tell and do not show. Let me elaborate :-
e.g. if you say e.g. my hobby is reading ;you are giving

him a chance to ask you from my genre of reading. It will
be embarrassing if you tell him later that you like reading
a particular thing only. Why not tell him upfront?
e.g. if you do not give an example of a situation , when

and where you acted as a team player ; the interviewer’s
next question will be that only. So, show – do not tell.
e.g. If you say ‘my role model is my father’; the interviewer’s next question will be
‘WHY?’. So, show at the first place only , before he gets irritated and asks you the
same thing.
Understand – that in an interview – you need to look sharp ; not cute.
HOBBIES/ INT EREST S:-
You have to understand – why is the interviewer

interested to know my Hobbies / Interests?
Answer :- To ask you questions out of the same.
Reason:- If you cannot answer questions out of

your choicest hobby / interest; it seriously puts a
question mark on your commitment levels in life
and would for sure jeopardise your candidature.
So, what do you do ?
If you have a hobby – get deep into it and learn the aspects about it , which are likely to
come to the mind of a normal guy’. Make sure – you are well read about the
contemporary relevance / application of what is your hobby. E.g. if your hobby is say-
‘Stock Markets’; you should be in a position to talk about the present situations etc.
What if you do not have a Hobby?
Simple – make one but do tell it to the interviewer honestly that you got into this
hobby very recently. There is no substitute for honesty in an interview. You may do
everything correct in an interview but if you get caught at even a v small point for
being dis-honest- ‘You are gone’.
It will not take you more than a day to become good at a particular hobby – if
researched from / at the right places. This is not dishonesty but slight smartness.
e.g. a hobby like *knowing about the tallest buildings in the world or * bonsai
cultivation or * India’s missile program or * Cooking Italian food — all it would take
you is 5/6 readings of those 10/15 pages of print outs which you should take after very
smartly googling google.
Why this Job/ MBA ?:-
Critical Mistakes here:- Making that Job/ seat in a B-

School look like the most important thing in the world
for you.
Understand here that the B-School / Job applied to is

not the end, but a means to an end. Let me illustrate with
an example:-
Suppose you are to travel from New Delhi to Mumbai via a Rajdhani Express and you
have a confirmed seat. If for reasons as Delhi traffic , you miss your train; would you
not go to Mumbai now? Yes, you would. You will take another train / a flight or do
something ; but would ensure that you reach Mumbai. Your commitment is to Mumbai
and not to Rajdhani.
Here, Mumbai is symbolic of what you are planning to do after your MBA. It also
represents what aspect of your long term career plan – that particular job is falling in.
Rajdhani is just the MBA / that Job. So, it doesn’t matter how you reach your
destination; your destination is more important than the medium to reach that.
I would recommend you to take a print out of the course curriculum of the B-School
that you are applying to. Juxtapose this against your interests and long term career
plans. This would make you sound savvy and cogent. If you are applying for a job – try
and remember the exact KRA –Key responsibility areas of the Job and use them to
demonstrate the career pyramid (if an MBA happens).
Some pointer here; which could come to help:-
Hobby e.g. Stock Market..
Managem ent was a subject in Graduation – Interest- Extension of Knowledge….
Good Fund m anager- Managed ev ents / funds / People….
Fathers business
India is growing; want to be a part of it…
Read som e Autobiography
Entrepreneurship
I do not wish to be prescriptive here; but you need to choose for yourself – what shall
be the most pertinent reason for you to do an MBA / take up this job. This should be
something – 1) which you should be logically be able to defend out & 2) also show /
prove your commitment about.
ST RENGT H & WEAKNESS
A question as this; gets asked for two reasons:-
1) Can you introspect your own-self? Because if you

cannot introspect self – how will you critique the
balance sheets or norms in the organisation – you will
be working for.
2) The interviewer is looking at character points ; on

which the B-School / organisation can build
upon. Again here – the big mistake would be – ‘telling & not showing’.
I am meaning – that be ready with instances & examples.
Strength is that aspect of your perso nality; which other things remaining equal- has
helped you achieve more than the other people around. Conversely, weakness is that
aspect of your personality; which other things remaining equal- has reduced your
achievements more than the other people around.
All of us have many a strength & weakness. Think about it.
Also the strengths & weaknesses; they keep on changing / evolving / morphing – as we
grow in life e.g. for a girl in a girls school – feeling shy while talking to the opposite
gender could have been a weakness; which just went away – when she joined college.
The biggest mistake that people do here is – when they sugar coat strength as a
weakness e.g. ‘Sir, at times- I am so hard working that, i loose focus’. I am sure – you
are laughing now. But people do it. Please understand that a weakness is a weakness
and should be presented as a weakness. All of us have weaknesses. ‘To err is human’.
No particular weakness will disqualify you; unless it appears as blatantly outlandish.
However, a suggestion:- ‘When you talk about a particular weakness- add a qualifier to
it –e.g. ‘I realise this to be something which is hindering my performance & I am doing
this…this…this… to become better about it’. This shall keep care.
Final words of wisdom:-
Please hav e a good im pression about y ourself …
Take tim e to answer questions. Do not jum p on questions which y ou were expecting / know
the answer to.
Av oid School boy Sy ndrom e : Ev ery Q needs to be answered
In Career Goals : Do not talk about Designation & Salary
Alternativ e Career Goal : Be a little hesitant to talk ; but then talk firm ly
Speak Loudly
Darna Mana hai….
Lastly; even if you get rejected at a few interviews – Just Chill! A favorite shayar
wrote:-
Nigaho mein manzil thi,
gire aur gir kar sambhalte rahe,
hawao ne bahut koshish ki,
magar chirag aandhiyo mein bhi jalte rahe.
God is gracious! In the last 12 years; I got a chance to do one of my favorite events –
‘How to crack every Interview that you sit for’; at some of India’s top Colleges e.g.
IITs, IIITs, NITs, St Stephens etc. You can INVITE me to your College at a FEST /
otherwise by dropping an email at
info@akashgautam.com . I will ensure that you
‘ROAR’; in your confidence.
If you liked reading the above post :-

SHARE it with your friends. SHARING is
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91 Com m ents Jan 24, 2012 Careers & Training, Com m unication
ALSO ON AKASH GAUTAM What's this?
An Open Letter to my Teachers Dear Indian Man… 70 comments

34 comments
(Don’t) Take my Breath AWAY God ji ! Give me Answers

29 comments 77 comments
43 comments ★ 4
Leave a message...
Best Community Share ⤤ ⚙

Avatar S andeep • 2 years ago
Great article sir.
I have to face few interviews in coming days at some rajdhanis(you

know what i mean) to get a confirmed seat. Earlier i was worried about
what will i do if i don't make it to the rajdhanis.
But after reading this blog, i realized that destiny is more much
important the rajdhanis.
Thanks again Sir

10 △ ▽ Reply Share ›
S andeep > Sandeep • 2 years ago

*Correction in last line : important than rajdhanis
Avatar A bhis hek • 2 years ago

Beats me, but how do you call yourself 'INDIA's BEST' blah blah .Is it a
self conferred title ? It's good to try harder to be at the top but don't go
about harping this tune.Let people decide,and the ones who really
admire your work.Don't jump the gun !
Avatar P arul • 2 years ago

awesome sir ! ..ab toh phod hi denge .... thank you sir ... :)
Avatar Rohit • 2 years ago

I am an engg. graduate. Like others, I was also selected in multiple
Software Companies but kicked out during training from one of them.
Now I am in a BPO and trying hard to get into a good MBA college. I
am so frustrated about everything happened that I am not able to
concentrate on my preparations. I think my problem is not unique and
so many people faced it. I am very unclear about my goals and very
upset. Little help will be appreciated. Thank you very much for the
above post.
Direc t or V init > Rohit • 2 years ago

hi rohit.. Its a very general thing you are going through. I will
suggest you to first take a deep breath, go to some place where
you can talk to urself and can understnd yourself. Ask yourself,
close your eyes and just think 5 years down the line of your life
what you want yourself to be. Then start the first step. Its hard
to take the first step. Trust me as you proceed the journey will be
easy.
△ ▽ Reply Share ›
Avatar May ur Nat arajan • 2 years ago

sir am yet to read, but I alrdy know its too good :) \m/
aapka agyakari fan cum shishya

-Mayur
Avatar Dik s ha Dodani7 • 2 years ago

its awesome sir..............
Avatar Neena Chaudhary • 2 years ago

fab sir...awsome...
Avatar A dit y a Ghais as • 2 years ago

:'-D
mazaa aa gaya!!
As usual, an amazing post, a fabulous read!!
Avatar c hhavi_agrawal • 2 years ago

The last few minutes I spared to read this post would definitely make a
huge difference in the coming years of my life!
Thank a lot sir !!
:)
Avatar s oniy a k handelwal • 2 years ago

absolutetly r8...........
Avatar A k s hay s ingh • 2 years ago

HI sir ,
First of all thanks for giving such a fabulous interview tips.
I am also in search of job so i hope it will be helpful to me.
Thanks.
Avatar May ur Nat arajan • 2 years ago

sirkya baat hai... this is AWESOME!!!
Avatar P rit am • 2 years ago

awesome sir ji...
Avatar Gues t • a month ago

Recently i attended ur workshop of vocab at kolkata,organised by CL.I
came to know abt ur blogs,i read it and d day after that i got a job in a
well recognized company..thnk u sir..this article really boosted my
well recognized company..thnk u sir..this article really boosted my
confidence,Sir we want some more motivation n tricks on cat.pls guide
us n thnks a lot once again.
Avatar Gues t • 8 months ago

thank you sir for coming to doon it was really nice of you...
there are few questions i wanna ask you..
may i say "story telling" to be my hobby..i can explain about it in detail
still i'm not sure should i say that...if yes than what all questions can i
expect on this hobby of mine...kindly reply thank you :)
Avatar Dipt i • 8 months ago

Sir, thank you so much for this article,it has really helped me in lot of
ways..I m sure I would overcome my interview phobia!!!
Thanks A lot!!
Avatar aas his h • 8 months ago

well written,will be very helping in near future.
thanks a lot. u rock....
Avatar Mahima • 8 months ago

Thank you:) pretty much in the time of need
Avatar S urbhi S harma • 8 months ago

Sir! you rock!
Avatar S hivangi • 8 months ago

Thankyou Akash Sir for such a helpful article.
Regards
Avatar Chirag • 8 months ago

A 'Much Needed post' .. Thanks again Sir :)
Avatar beroz gar_engineer • 8 months ago

whats ur fees ??
Avatar k ohima • 8 months ago

very helping sir...keep writing these as it would really help students who
are giving various interviews.
Avatar y ogendra y ourloving friend • 11 months ago

please tell me how i get a good job in me branch eng..
Avatar y ogendra y ourloving • 11 months ago

very good i fallow
Avatar pardeep • 11 months ago

Great article for me....as interviews are going to start.. i canprepare
myself
Avatar neha • a year ago

sir english ko kaise improve kiya jaye.
Avatar
sir english ko kaise improve kiya jaye.
Avatar s andes h • a year ago

thankyou sir for such a great unforgetable workshop you makes our
sunday really funny day
Avatar ans hul • a year ago

awesome sir!! thanks a lot for this post!!
Avatar Devy aneet u • 2 years ago

thank u sir.....
Avatar Rupan2310 • 2 years ago

Akash , these are some real amazing tips .looking forward for further
inputs from your side . ideas dheere dheere chamakne shuru hue hain .
thanks again ..
Avatar Hars h • 2 years ago

Hi,
Great tips sir
Thanks
Avatar A LOK JA IS W A L • 2 years ago

thanks for this blog. this may help me.
Avatar P admanabh B adoni • 2 years ago

all the above things u had shared will surely help !!!!!!!!!
Avatar Direc t or V init • 2 years ago

Thank you very much sir for your very important blog on INTERVIEW
TIPS.... thnk u....
Avatar A k as h Nagpal • 2 years ago

Nice Intense Work Sir...!!
Would definately help...Looking for more tips from you...!!
Avatar Jay a W ahi • 2 years ago

As usual... great post Akash. :)))
Avatar S hank y S harma • 2 years ago

Appreciable work sir..Keep it up!
Avatar Gopals harma • 2 years ago

thnk u sir very much......its like a booster........it will be very helpful to
me ..
Avatar MA DDY • 2 years ago

fab as usual...thanku soo much sir for giving us fodu wali tips..
Avatar A garwal A nuradha4 • 2 years ago

again an awesome article...hw u r always motivated n full of energy
while writing such article...........
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9/23/13 Best tips, Soft skills training for Interviews, Placements, GD

Home About Products Blog Free Stuff Videos Contact

Careers & Training Communication Humor & Fun

Notes YOU need to crack an Interview

This blog post shall talk about a few magic mantras

Life is moving really fast. I recommend you to

Copyright © 2012, Akash Gautam. All Rights Reserved

MAKE SURE YOU PREPARE T HE FIRST

90% of the times the first question will be “Introduce

How do you best prepare for this Question?

Areas that I am very good at ; I Areas that I would not want to

Code / magic mantra:-

An interviewer ( in any interview) is checking you on

By commitment, I am not meaning the Sunny Deol kind

Most questions of the Interview which students construe to be questions of GK or

Next, what do you include in the answer to “Introduce yourself?”.

Copyright © 2012, Akash Gautam. All Rights Reserved

Two important points worth re-iterating:-

1) Make humble submissions. Speak with a lot of humility.

SHOW; DO NOT T ELL:-

- My biggest strength is that I am a Team Player

- My weakness is that at times, I am short tempered.

- My role model is my father

- My hobby is reading & music

e.g. if you say e.g. my hobby is reading ;you are giving

e.g. if you do not give an example of a situation , when

HOBBIES/ INT EREST S:-

You have to understand – why is the interviewer

Answer :- To ask you questions out of the same.

Reason:- If you cannot answer questions out of

So, what do you do ?

What if you do not have a Hobby?

Why this Job/ MBA ?:-

Critical Mistakes here:- Making that Job/ seat in a B-

Understand here that the B-School / Job applied to is

Some pointer here; which could come to help:-

Hobby e.g. Stock Market..

Managem ent was a subject in Graduation – Interest- Extension of Knowledge….

Good Fund m anager- Managed ev ents / funds / People….

India is growing; want to be a part of it…

ST RENGT H & WEAKNESS

A question as this; gets asked for two reasons:-

1) Can you introspect your own-self? Because if you

2) The interviewer is looking at character points ; on

I am meaning – that be ready with instances & examples.

All of us have many a strength & weakness. Think about it.

Final words of wisdom:-

Please hav e a good im pression about y ourself …

Av oid School boy Sy ndrom e : Ev ery Q needs to be answered

In Career Goals : Do not talk about Designation & Salary

Darna Mana hai….

Nigaho mein manzil thi,

gire aur gir kar sambhalte rahe,

hawao ne bahut koshish ki,

magar chirag aandhiyo mein bhi jalte rahe.

If you liked reading the above post :-

ALSO ON AKASH GAUTAM What's this?

An Open Letter to my Teachers Dear Indian Man… 70 comments

(Don’t) Take my Breath AWAY God ji ! Give me Answers

Best Community Share ⤤ ⚙

I have to face few interviews in coming days at some rajdhanis(you

Thanks again Sir

S andeep > Sandeep • 2 years ago