Students Speak: One should not talk too much about one’s achievements in a PI

By: Parna Saha

There is no specific skillset required for cracking a PI apart from confidence and love for the role that one is going to get into. Also, basics should be thoroughly brushed up and self-analysis should be done. 

Personal Interview is a very important aspect of selection of any candidate be it for a college or company. Every candidate at one point or the other faces a PI so one must be prepared for it. In this article, I will be specific to Placement Interviews. Before attempting any PI, it is to be noted that every PI is different and the expectations of every interview panel from every candidate are different according to the job role being offered. Thus it is suggested that for every interview, the preparation must be tailor-made according to the role being offered.

There is no specific skill set required for cracking a PI apart from confidence and love for the role that one is going to get into. Also, basics should be thoroughly brushed up and self-analysis should be done.

Key Points for Preparation for PI: Be ready with your answer to the most obvious question that sets the interview in your direction is - “Tell me something about yourself”. Now this answer should vary for the different roles you’ve applied to make the panel realize that how do you fit into that role. Since the interviewer knows about you from your CV, never repeat those again apart from basic information as you don’t get much time to answer this. In this question, the ball comes in the candidate’s court so try to answer this question in such a way that the next set of questions revolve around your area of strength and you’re able to nail it.

Generally, one should not overdo things like for example quoting too much about achievements, bragging about roles and responsibilities, etc. It should be crisp and to the point. Some other questions that panellists like to ask is “Why did you choose this course?” and “Why do you want to join this company?”, so these answers must also be ready.

Sometimes to level up, some HR take stress interviews by narrating situations to the candidate and seeking a response as to how they will face/handle such situations. In this kind of situation, do whatever you feel would be the best, keeping in mind your own self and don’t tell such things which is opposite to what you’re as they have a lot more experience in judging people. So in case of these interviews, you need to just hope for the best as you never know what answer do they actually expect.

Interviews are also sometimes very tricky but never get personal in interviews and keep your views neutral. Keep your mind broad and no matter how much ever one tries to irritate you, keep calm, that’s the secret to crack any interview. Be very cautious of your body language and what you say as you need to take accountability of whatever you say and one mistake can ruin it all.

Be honest and be expressive about the role being offered. One must be able to convince the panel their liking for the job and then the rest will be taken care.

All said and done, before appearing for any interview make sure you know the role and every other detail as asking the panel on the same may not be a good idea however a small clarification if at all needed is recommended.

A little prayer and some good wishes are all you need, and if the day is yours, you’ll surely get it, else remember “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck!”

About the Author:

Parna Saha is a student at Balaji Institute of Modern Management (BIMM), Pune, pursuing Post-Graduation Diploma in Management.