Probably one of the most controversial subject in the modern day world - INTERVIEW! There is a popular philosophy in the corporate world today - "How many interviewers does it take to screw an innocent interviewee??" And the answer is "None. An INNOCENT interviewee is screwed anyways!" But the crux of the matter is...... "What is expected from an interview?"
As a popular ad goes.... "Is the purpose of an Interview the assessment of what a candidate knows or what he doesn't?" Isn't it so true. I mean I understand that an interviewer looks for certain parameters in a candidate that is of essence to the company. Let us accept the fact that a job is NEVER offered to losers. It takes some passion and some brilliance in any candidate who aspires for a job. But lets ALSO accept the fact that not ALL the interviewers feel that way. All of us are aware that we live in a world of cut-throat competition. A Dog-Eat-Dog situation does exist but that does not mean, making a person meek and shallow with a sense of I-know-nothing-and-I-am-not-fit-for-a-job kinda feeling is really UNPROFESSIONAL. I have friends and relatives who are managers and who do recruitment as well. I also understand the fact that every person who selects the candidate is also under some kinda pressure - of performance, selecting the right person, managing funds and so on and so forth. But a seasoned person who does recruitment would have already borne the brunt of pressure... And at least under "HUMANITARIAN" grounds one should see to it that the other person shouldn't feel like "Why-the-hell-did-I-enter-this-room" kinda feeling.
There is a million dollar question that comes at this point. "What does one expect out of an individual?" Well... If someone could decode that then all our problems are solved. Even a zillion books cannot answer this one correctly. Indian engineering institutions concentrate mainly on the curriculum and not on the overall development of an individual. After all its "THE PERCENTAGE SCORE" that really DEFINES a person. I mean what kinda parameter is that?? I know people who do not have a great academic record but trust me "They can make MIRACLES happen". So coming back to the point, It is the FCDs and the 80%s that matter the most. A student NEVER worries about the ISSUE until he enters the final year where he well "Has To Face The MUZIK", but can't something be done about it? 70% of the students who pass out are not fit for employment, says MR. N.R.N. They lack the basic English knowledge, the means to socialize, the way of communication and the list continues. But have we ever wondered why we have put ourselves in such a situation?
India boasts of having the second largest "EMPLOYABLE" population. But are we really "Employable"? Lets put our thinking caps on for a second and try to figure out the root cause for this problem. We NEVER look to come out of our comfort zone. We are all VERY comfortable and we are SATISFIED. Thats what makes the person who gets through and the one who does not something SPECIAL. Now, all this stuff is making a simple discussion about an Interviewer's perspective too GYAN kinda stuff. Why have an academic perspective while recruiting a fresher? A common answer that most Interviewers get to hear is "My academic performance is not an index of my abilities". It might be so common that I know of a few people who were requested NOT to give such an EXERCISED answer! But what can a poor fresher answer to such a question? If he had known the answer he would definitely have scored much more than what he has presently scored.
Now that I have finally taken up the matter of "The Curious Case Of a Fresher", there props up another million dollar question, "What SHOULD a fresher know?" While one interviewer might look into the depths of one subject the other one might look into another. There arises NO question of one's interest in the subject while it comes to choosing a job. An electronics topper eventually ends up in a CS company while an average CS guy might find himself in an electronics company. And not even "Caught in the wrong job?" boasting monster.com can help us on that front. If one is LUCKY(luck = being at the right college + having a GREAT placement cell + some amount of divine intervention) then the experience of an interview is a SWEET one, but most of the freshers today have to go through HELL(hell = depressing interviews + rejection + feeling-of-being-a-failure + not-having-an-offer-while-their-friends-have-one).
As the world has its way, the interview decides relationships, conflicts within oneself and with the relationships and finally the hardships one faces "In Pursuit Of THE FIRST JOB". The relationships suffer as one comes to know the true face of one's importance in the relation(REFERRALS - coming up in the next blog post). Also we feel sad when we do not succeed while the others around us do but we feel sadder when the OTHERS are our friends! An interview for a fresher is a once in a lifetime experience, so its up to the individual to make it a rewarding one. Lets accept reality - the process WON'T change. So instead let us change. They want an academic record, let us possess one. I mean not all of us can be toppers but hey the corporate world is not made of toppers. There is place for lesser mortals too. A decent score would suffice i guess(What is a decent score? *Scratching my head in confusion*). And then... BUILD A PERSONA. The fear factors should be abolished- NOT the Khathron-ka-Khiladi-types, but the fears of attending the interview. Developing a good English toolkit is a super skill set to have as well. Aptitude and most importantly ATTITUDE is all that matters.
I hope someone comes up with a how to IMPRESS AN INTERVIEWER cause I have not succeeded though I have attended a lot of interviews out of oh-well "In Pursuit Of My Notion Of A Right Job". But "THE DREAM JOB"- the name suggests it all!!!! "It always is and always will be a DREAM"... No job can give you the complete satisfaction unless of course if it is your PASSION.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT ANYONE??????????????????????????????
