Mastering the Art of Cracking Interview Process: How to Make Sure Your First Screening is Always the Last

Mastering the Art of Cracking Interview Process: How to Make Sure Your First Screening is Always the Last

“I have no idea what I have to do to crack an interview. They always ask me different set of questions!”

After examinations, interviews are probably the toughest screening tests to crack. It takes more than just knowledge and talent to sail past a panel of interviewers and subject matter experts. We always have that friend who never prepares for an interview and makes it through each of them. And then, there are others who never hear the good news from the interviewers. What makes some individuals better than others in an interview?

Well, there are many factors that ensure that every interview turns into a great opportunity to excel in life. Here’s a detailed guide on how to master the art of cracking interviews without failing even once.

Understanding the purpose of an interview: Why they happen in the first place

If you have been invited to appear for an interview, one thing is very clear. You are one of the probable candidates considered for the position, and that’s great news. Before a candidate is selected for an interview, the following factors are considered.

-         Academic excellence

“I am a topper throughout. I will easily clear the interview.”

Academics always play a crucial role in distinguishing an extraordinary candidate from the average ones. A candidate with consistent scores without break in academics has higher probability of getting an interview call than those who have lower scores.

Depending on the kind of role you are being interview for, the panelists will test you in one or more domains related to your academic background.

-         Background

Does the candidate have a stable family background? Has he/she been involved in any criminal activity? It is a pre-interview declaration made by the candidate to ensure that the panelists are not interviewing someone with murky background.

What to do get a call an interview call?

Let us assume that you are interviewing for a job with a top-grade enterprise like IBM, Google or TCS. Most recruiters screening the candidates have to go through at least 500 resumes before inviting them for an interview. The invite is not sent to 500 individuals; rather, it is often 10% of that number, i.e. 50 candidates. To ensure that you are one of these 50 individuals, follow these key pointers in the pre-interview stage.

-         Be accurate with your interview application form

Most MNCs have a standard application request form that asks the interested candidate the purpose of applying for the job. The form is an automatic filter that eliminates 90% of the candidates from the race.

The form will ask the candidate about:

-         Personal details

-         Permanent address

-         Ethnicity, gender, hobbies (optional)

-         Academic qualification

-         Professional experience

-         Current position

-         Current salary

-         Expected salary

-         Criminal activities, anti-social activities, etc.

-         Upload your latest Curriculum vitae, bio-data, resume

If you are interested in a particular position, forward your CV to the relevant Human Resources Manager. Ensure that the CV is either hand-written or typed in legible font, and set to most acceptable format with clean layout. Avoid images and too much of color.

Keep space for pasting your latest passport size photograph.

-         Keep updating your mail ID and phone numbers

In case you are not getting the interview call despite applying for the job, check for issues at your end. It is possible that the interview invitation mail could be lying in your spam folder. It is also possible that the phone number you provided may not be reachable.

If possible, you can also reach out to the personnel directly using the mail address and phone number provided at the application center.

What to do when the interview call finally arrives


When the interview invite is sent, it is best to start enquiring on the structure of the interviews. Most interviews last between 15 minutes and 180 minutes. In order to prepare in the best possible way, here are 5 things you should know about the interview process.

-        Types of interview


Interviews are conducted in two ways:

-         Face-to-face

-         Virtual

A Face-to-Face interview (F2F) is organized between the candidate and the interviewer panel. There could be more than one candidate with you; or, more than one interviewer taking your interview.

So, an interview could be:

-         One interviewer to many candidates

-         Many interviewer to one candidate

The virtual interviews are of following types:

-         Video conferencing

-         Call interview

-         Presentation and demos

-        Rounds leading up to the interview

On the day of the interview, there could be additional filter rounds to eliminate more candidates and arrive at a smaller set of probable candidates. The following rounds precede the final personal interview round.

§ Written/ online assessment test

§ Group Discussion (GD)

§ Panel interviews

All these rounds don’t necessarily test the knowledge. These rounds are more about assessment of psychology and aptitude towards learning new concepts.

-        Things to take care of in a personal interview

o  Choice of language

English is the language of the professionals. Your communication skills should exemplify your proficiency in the language as a listener, speaker and influencer. Use of formal English words makes a positive influence on the interviewer. Avoid ambiguous words and slangs.

Words like “Wass’up”, “buddy” and offensive words should be strictly avoided.

o  Dressing and personal hygiene

First impression is the last impression and not other event in life exemplifies this thought better than a personal interview. Panelists judge candidates exclusively on the basis of the grooming and styling. Formal dressing is the safest option to go with. Plain white shirt, black trousers and a formal strip tie complement the occasion aptly. Polished shoes, a watch to keep you on time and formal belt are accessories that you can’t miss.

o  Projecting academic interest

Always carry a pen, preferably a fountain ink pen and a diary to jot down the questions from the interviewer. It demonstrates a journalistic approach towards solving any question asked.

o  Body language

Positive body language is something that takes months of practice. Avoid too much movement once you are sitting in the chair. Place your elbows on your thighs, and not on the table in front of you.

Never arch your back and slouching is a strict no-no. Sit straight so that you can maintain eye-contact with the interviewer all the time. It highlights that you are confident.

o  Focus on the conversation; not the outcome

Fresh students who are giving interview for the first time are overwhelmed by the event. There are two outcomes to any event—success or failure. Without thinking too much about the outcome, focus on the moment.

Most candidates falter in the interview rounds due to confusion, lack of confidence and excitement.

o  Practice hard

Mock interviews, dummy mirror talks and researching on body language like how to maintain eye contact and keep the head still can make a lot of difference. Most interview panels have a trained qualified professional body language analyst to study the behavior of the candidate during the interview process.

o  Subtle hints

Your choice of shirt, grooming and styling, perfume and even the design of the pen could become a topic of discussion with the interview.

For example,

“Why did you choose a blue/white/pastel shirt for this interview? Do you wear the same combination for every interview?”

Your answer could persuade or dissuade the panelists into choosing you for the role.

o  Prepare for the ‘unexpected’ challenges

Write five words to describe yourself.”

That’s it! Your interview could be as short as five words. Be ready for unplanned moments like a mathematics test, a logical reasoning test like puzzle or a riddle or a situational question.

Who would you save and why?” Such questions are very common in filtering candidates based on their presence of mind. Work on that aspect.

The Start and the End of the Interview Round

The kind of entry you make into the interview room sets your odds at making a positive impact on the interview panel. Same with the way you make an exit from the venue.

Here are 5 things you must keep in mind at the start and end of the interview meet.

Starting tips

-         Enter with a smile

A smiling face is the most radiant thing at the interview venue. It will remarkably set you apart from other candidates. Imagine the kind of feeling the panel has to go through when the y interview one sad, frightened face one after another.

-         Firm, cheerful handshake

Always shake hands with the panelist and introduce yourself thereafter. A firm, solid handshake signifies your confidence and that you are ready to take the challenge.

-         Seek permission

Seek permission to enter the room. It is best to first knock at the door, mildly. Wait for the answer from inside. Once inside, ask for the best place you could sit. There could be three chairs laid in front of the table. Your choice will suggest your personality in life. Best seating position is the central one, depending on the kind of comfort you get, while facing the interviewer.

-         Greetings

Greet the panelists and other candidates according to the time zone. Affirm yourself about the greeting before speaking it out.

Good morning!” at 4:00 PM is not a smart thing to do. However, you can still justify your greeting.

Once the interview is over, you will be asked if you have any questions or doubts. Ask them, no matter what. Strike a conversation based on how you wish to add value to the organization and why this job means so much to you.

In a nutshell

Interviews are formal communication skill testing rounds that assess the candidate’s ability to listen, process thoughts and control body language. The more you exude confidence and stay calm, better are the chances of excelling in the interview.





















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