Campus placements are an integral part of a student’s life. After completing a degree, the next important step is to participate in the campus placements and land the job of your dreams. But the interviewing process can be intimidating and overwhelming at times. Many times, the pressure of cracking the interview overpowers your skills and subject knowledge. In order to help you prepare well for your campus placement interviews and land the job of your dreams, here are 25 handy tips for you. Let’s get started!
Universities or academic institutions invite various organizations for their campus placements. The availability of several options is accompanied by confusion about choosing the right organization. In order to avoid the last-minute hassle, shortlist your preferred organizations well in advance and appear for their interviews primarily.
Once you have a list of your preferred organizations, find out their specific requirements and thoroughly prepare for them. This way you will save a lot of time, be a better fit for the job and have a significant rise in the chances of getting the job.
Along with the company-specific requirements you also need to find out details about the interviewing process in advance. You can find this information online and prepare for it accordingly. As, preparation is the key to crack any interview.
Every interview always includes one question that is, “Do you have any questions for us/me?” Most of us don’t usually ask any questions to the interviewer. But that way we miss out on a perfect networking opportunity. When you ask the interviewer some questions related to their organization or work flow, it shows your interest and involvement in their organization and also your confidence. Hence, always have a list of questions ready for this segment.
While you are in-between the preparation process, make sure you have your documents and certifications in one place. This will prevent any last-minute confusion before the interview.
As the famous saying goes, ‘First impression is the last impression’ always look presentable for an interview. Wear clean, ironed clothes, and have a decent look. As soon as you enter the room, your appearance will make the first impact on the interviewer. So, make a smart and presentable appearance always.
Often aspirants get so busy perfecting the knowledge about their subject matter that they forget to research the organization that they are applying to. Having detailed information about the organization is vital for cracking any interview.
In most of the interviews, there's a question asked about your weaknesses. Many times, candidates mention negative qualities about themselves to answer the question. But there’s an alternative for this. You can actually mention your strengths in the form of weaknesses. Here’s how, “My weakness is I pay too much attention to detail.” Or “My weakness is I get too involved in any project.”
Confidence plays an integral part in cracking any interview. But in the process of seeming confident, you also are at a risk of sounding overconfident. The key is to be balanced, be confident but not overconfident!
There are some frequently asked questions in an interview including, ‘Where do you see yourself in the next five years?’ Or ‘Tell us something about yourself.’ For such questions you need to have an outline of the answers that you want to give. Make sure you talk about what you love and not just your academic achievements. This establishes a personal connection with the interviewer.
When any question is asked use it as an opportunity to subtly display your subject knowledge or showcase your past experience. This way you prevent bragging about yourself but also deliver the necessary information to the interviewer.
Since your alumni members have already gone through interviews, they generally have a great experience in this process. Before your interview you can get in touch with them and seek guidance regarding their interview experiences, expected answers, etc. which can be of great help to crack the interview.
The base of cracking any interview is to have thorough knowledge about your subject. Try to cover the nuanced aspects of it as well. Being thorough with your subject matter will give you an edge to answer any question confidently.
Refined communication skills allow you to make an impact on the interviewer apart from your subject expertise. Displaying strong verbal and non-verbal skills can be extremely beneficial in cracking any interview.
Most of the interviews have a written round as well. During this round make sure you write correct and precise answers to your questions. Write lucidly and make your answer sheet look presentable.
In today’s highly competitive market, organizations seek candidates who not only have subject knowledge but also other marketable skills along with it. Hence, you need to develop some marketable skills and present them well before the interviewer.
Along with marketable skills, candidates must also brush up their technical and general knowledge skills. We are often so engrossed in our subject matter that we forget to pay attention to this aspect. But organizations seek candidates who have some basic technical skills and general knowledge. Hence, preparing for these aspects can be beneficial for you.
The pre-placement environment can be quite overwhelming. In such an environment, candidates often miss out on the pre-placement presentations. But this can be a big mistake. Pay attention to these presentations as they might contain some important details that might be useful to you.
Preparing for interviews also includes giving mock interviews to your professors, friends, or seniors. Make them ask questions to you and answer those questions as if you are answering the actual interviewer. Mock interviews help you understand your weaknesses and work on them.
Punctuality is another important aspect that you need to keep in mind. Always reach the interview 15-20 mins before the actual time.
Building your resume according to the organization’s requirements and profile demand is another important aspect that you need to consider. Apart from this you also should bring enough copies of your resume to the interview as there can be more than one interviewer present.
While talking about the placements, one often focuses just on interviews. But you need to also prepare for the aptitude test and the group discussion sessions that are included in many placements.
Avoid blabbering or giving unnecessary information in an interview. Giving too much information can often display a lack of confidence and can work against you. So, you need to talk clearly and concisely.
Candidates often forget to ask the interviewer for honest feedback. They always end up just answering the questions asked. But you need to ask the interviewer to give honest feedback about the session. This shows your involvement in the interview and your desire for perfection.
Given the current pandemic situation, it’s advisable to prepare for online interviews as well. Most organizations are working remotely and hence you need to be able to present yourself as effectively online as you can do in person.
By implementing these tips, you can confidently crack an interview during your campus placements and land your dream job.
Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar offers excellent placement facilities to students through its Centre for Corporate Relations (CCR). CCR offers thorough training and placement support to students and connects them with leading recruiting organizations. It also provides massive corporate exposure to students through summer internships and short-term projects, Live projects and industrial visits. It welcomes renowned national and multination companies for its campus placements each year. Be a part of this experience and land the job of dreams with excellent education and world-class facilities. Enroll today in the program of your choice! For more information visit https://www.bgu.ac.in/