Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Interview skills
Appropriate dressing

Tips and strategies for successful interviewing

 Company Research

 Practice Makes Perfect

 Behavioral Interviews

 Prepare For the Interview

 Stay Calm

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Dress for success: Men

• Solid color, conservative suit

• Long sleeve shirt

• Conservative tie

• Dark socks, professional shoes

• Very limited jewelry

• Neat, professional hairstyle

• Go easy on the aftershave

• Neatly trimmed nails

• Portfolio or briefcase

Dress for success: Men

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Dress for success: Men

Dress for success: Men

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Dress for success: Women

• Solid color, conservative suit or salwar kameez

• Coordinated blouse

• Moderate shoes

• Limited jewelry

• Neat, professional hairstyle

• Sparse make-up & perfume

• Manicured nails

• Portfolio or briefcase

Dress for success: Women

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Dress for success: Women

What not to wear at an interview

• Wild or brightly colored nail polish

• An excess of jewelry

• Backless or open toed shoes

• Skirts that are above the knee length

• Out of date clothes

• Capri, pants or leggings

• Leather jackets

• Turtle neck sweaters

• Printed or fashion handbags

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

What employers look for

• Communication Skills

• Honesty and integrity

• Teamwork

• Interpersonal skills

• Strong work ethic

• Motivation and initiative

• Flexibility and adaptable

• Analytical skills

• Computer skills

• Organsational skills

During the interview

1. Smile, immediately offer a firm handshake, introduce yourself, and say

something like, "I'm pleased to meet you" or "I've been looking forward
to talking with you."
2. Read the mood.
3. Wait to be told to take a seat or ask if you may.
4. Sit with a good posture.
5. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer.
6. Don't eat, drink, chew gum or smoke or even ask if it is okay.
7. If the interviewer offers coffee or other beverages, always say NO
8. It is okay to ask questions - it helps you better answer questions the
interviewer asks you.
9. But withhold the bulk of your questions until the interviewer asks if you
have any, which is typically towards the end of the interview.

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Types of interviews

 Telling the interviewer about yourself

 The preliminary or screening interview

 The informal interview

 The formal interview

 The panel interview

 The group interview

 The stress interview

 The advertising interview

Interview is to sell yourself

Use the STAR approach to structure clear, concise and impressive answers.

S= Situation
T= Task
A= Action
R= Result

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

General Interview questions

Answer each of the following questions for yourself in a file.

Word Limit for each would be 200 words, and always use STAR approach
wherever possible.
Discuss and Revise your answers as you go through deeper introspection and
self awareness increases.

Q1. Introduce Yourself

– Ideally, 1.5 Minutes, and should include your name, educational background,
family background, work experience, relevant strengths and should end
with your USP
Q2. SWOT Analysis
- Write 7 Strengths, 5 Weaknesses, 2 Opportunities and 2 Threats. Have
incidents to back up each strength and weakness
Q3. What is your Ideal Job?
Q4. Who is your Role Model?
Q5. Describe an incident where you took initiative to do something
Q6. Describe an incident where you displayed Leadership

General Interview questions

Q7. What is your dream company? Why?

Q8. Describe an incident where you were a good Team Player
Q9. Are you a better Team Player or a better Leader? Why?
Q10. Describe a difficult situation you faced, the actions you took, and its
result.
Q11. Describe a Life Changing Decision, the reasoning behind your decision and
the consequences of the decision.
Q12. Describe an Ethical Dilemma you faced. Did you take the ethical path?
What were the consequences?
Q13. Describe an incident where you were very Helpful to others
Q14. What is your biggest regret till date?
Q15. Describe a defeat or failure for you. Where did you go wrong? What did
you learn from it?
Q16. Describe the biggest mistake you have made.
Q17. Describe a situation where you won against all odds
Q18. Describe a situation where you motivated and convinced people

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

General Interview questions

Q19. Describe a situation where you acted responsibly. How did this help the
organization involved?
Q20. Describe a situation where you had a shortage of time and resources and
still managed to do you task well.
Q21. Describe one incident from which you learnt a lot.
Q22. Why did you opt for you stream in 10+2/Graduation/MBA?
Q23. Why do you want to do an MBA?
Q24. Why did you join your MBA college?
Q25. Why do you want this job or work for this company?
Q26. Why do you have a Gap Year (if applicable)?
Q27. What is your short term goal? (3-5 years)
Q28. What is your long term goal? (10-15 or more years)
Q29. What are your personal and professional goals?
Q30. Why should I reject you?

Domain specific FAQ’s - Finance

Q1. What is the difference between a Balance Sheet and a Profit & Loss statement?
Q2. Describe the reasons, events and major players involved in the Economic Crisis.
What would you have done as a Bank/Regulator to avoid or better cope with
it?
Q3. What are RBI and SEBI? Who do they regulate?
Q4. Define SLR, PLR, CRR, LIBOR, MIBOR, Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate. What effect
would increasing each of these have on the interest rate?
Q5. Describe Monetary and Fiscal measures?
Q6. What is inflation? How is it measured? WPI, CPI. How can inflation be controlled.
What is the ideal rate of Inflation for India. Is Deflation Good?
Q7. Which is cheaper source of funds – Debt or Equity? Which has higher risks?
Q8. What are the 5 biggest banks in India
Q9. NSE, BSE, Nifty, Sensitive Index, MCX, NCDEX
Q10. What is ICAI? What are GAAP and Accounting Standards?
Q11. How is the Market Capitalization calculated?
Q12. What is Beta?
Q13. What are NPAs?
Q14. What is a tax shield?
Q15. Which is a better route for foreign investment – FDI or FII

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Domain specific FAQ’s - Marketing

Q1. What is Marketing?

Q2. What is Sales? How is it different from Marketing? Are you interested in
Marketing or Sales?
Q3. What is the difference between a Consumer and a Customer
Q4. What are the 4 Marketing Philosophies of Product, Production, Sales and
Marketing?
Q6. What is a PUSH? What is a PULL?
Q7. What do you know about the major FMCGs and their structures – HUL<
P&G, ITC, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Cadbury, Perfetti, Marico, Nestle etc. What
brands do these companies own?
Q8. What is a Brand? What is your favorite brand and why?
Q9. What are High Involvement and Low Involvement products?
Q10. What is Differentiation?
Q12. What is the use of the Ansoff Matrix?
Q13. What is the use of the BCG Matrix?

Questions you can ask from the interviewer

* What type of person are you looking for to fill the position?

* What kind of training does the company provide?

* What are the opportunities for advancement within the company?

* When do you expect to choose a candidate for this position?

* How would you describe the working environment in the company?

* What would your expectations be of me in the first 6 months?

* What are the specific criteria for measuring my success in the position?

* What are the company's expectations for growth in the coming year?

* What are the company's sales targets?

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Questions you can ask from the interviewer

* What are some of the major challenges that the business will face over the next 12
months?

* What is the least satisfactory aspect of the company?

* How often does the company offer promotions from within?

* What makes this company different from its competitors?

* How many would I share a workspace with?

* Why is this position open, if someone left why did they leave?

* What is your supervisory style?

* Ask about potential peers, subordinates and superiors within the company.

* Ask questions about the services or products of the company.

* Ask about duties and obligations within the company .

Top ten interview blunders

How Not to Interview

1. Don't Prepare
2. Dress Inappropriately
3. Poor Communication Skills
4. Too Much Communication
5. Talk Too Much
6. Don't Talk Enough
7. Fuzzy Facts
8. Give the Wrong Answer
9. Badmouthing Past Employers
10. Forget to Follow Up

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Interview Skills 12/21/2023

Thank you

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