Some Aspects of Interview Process

TIPS FOR JOB INTERVIEWS TO STUDENTS :

There are two aspects to keep in mind as on interviewee, first to find out how well
the job and the organization suits you; second and more important goal is how to get
selection. The following tips, guidelines and insight to interviews may help you to put in
proper efforts and performance to attain the above goals.

1. SELF ASSESSMENT
The first preparation that you can make for an employment interview is to give some
serious thought about yourself by taking stock of your needs, interests and preferred
job outcomes. Also, take stock of your strengths and weaknesses. Reflect on your
goals and ambitions.

A good starting point would be to prepare a detailed Resume, a comprehensive and well-
organized record of your accomplishments. As you prepare it, you will have to review
your academic qualifications, knowledge, skills, experiences and achievements.

2. JOB ANALYSIS

The next step is to analyze the job to find out whether the organization and the job
provides you the right opportunities keeping in mind your personal capabilities as well
as your career goals. You can analyze the job opportunity under the following steps.

2.1 T h e Firm
 Back ground of the company
 Products and services
 Capital invested and turnover
 Profit performance
 Number of employees
 Location-factory and branches
 Future plans of the company
 Competitors
 Any important issue of the organization that has been note worth Your source of
information could be
 Balance sheet of the company
 Chairman’s speech at the last GB meeting of the company
 Brochures and pamphlets of the company
 Job opportunity announcement
 Talking to the employees of the company especially to the senior alumni

2.2 The Appointment

 Title of the job

 Number of posts

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 Method or extent of company training and confirmation Remuneration levels of
staff
 Accountability/challenges
 Job safety/risks

2.3 Duties & responsibilities pertaining to the job

 Routine/creative type of work

 Qualities needed for success and confirmation
Adoptability

2.4 Conditions of Employment

 Location/area of posting
 Remuneration & perks
 Day/hours of work/leave facilities
 Agreement contract/service bond
 Retirement benefits

2.5 Promotion Prospects

 Criteria
 Span periods of assessment for promotion
 Prospects for your specialization

3. Selection Evaluation
When the job is analysed, prepare a possible list of desirable qualities, which the firm
would be looking for in a prospective candidate for that particular job. Try to match
your capabilities with these qualities.

Try to improve on your shortcomings and enhance your capabilities.

Listed below are certain qualities, which are generally assessed in interviews with the
priorities and weightages, varying with the job.

Academic
 Good scholastic record
 Preparation for interview
 Formulated long range goals & objectives

Personality
 Enthusiasm
 Self confidence
 Pleasant personality
 Emotional stability
 Poise in the interview
 Aggressiveness & Initiative
 Efficiency
 Moral standards
 Humility
 Good health
 Extracurricular activities

Communication & Leadership qualities

 Communication skills
 Writing skills

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 Leadership potential
 Managerial skills
 Interest in people

4. Preparation for the Interview

4.1 Familiarity with the interview process

You will be more confident in the interview, if you prepare well in advance for the type
of questions and the areas of specialization that are likely to be tested in the interviews.
Personnel selection procedures vary greatly depending on the organization, the type
of job and level of the job. Generally, the job selection is made by anyone or a
combination of the following.

A. Written Test (aptitude test, Logical Reasoning test, Quantitative test and Technical
Test)
B. Technical Test (Programming Round)

C. SWAR Round( Communication proficiency)

D. Group Discussions

E. Technical Interview

F. Psychometric Test

G. HR Interview

4.2 Academic Preparation

A sound knowledge of various subjects pertaining to your professional course is

important. Preparation of a question bank with answers for the subjects, which you
have studied, will be of great help in this regard. This would give you considerable
confidence in facing the Technical part of the interview. A broader perspective of the
subjects, through a study of technical books and journals, will give you an edge over
others.

4.3 Project work

Considerable weightage is generally given to your final year project work, as it is

supposed to reflect your own work. In the interviews, quite a lot of questions will
pertain to your project work to evaluate your understanding and knowledge of the topic.

Impressive presentation of your project work will determine your job prospects. You
should have a comprehensive knowledge of the topic, including a clear understanding
of the work presented in your project work to get sufficient practice and confidence.

A very common question regarding project work is ‘Why did you choose this particular
topic?’ And ‘What are practical applications?’

4.4 Practical Training

If you have undergone any practical training, this will be a credential for you. Volunteer
this information during the interview, whenever you get the opportunity. Some
questions will generally be there on what you have learnt or observed during the

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training. Prepare a brief write-up on the training that you have undergone, so
that you can answer questions convincingly on this topic.

4.5 Special Achievements

If you have, to your credit, any achievements like writing of a Technical paper,
participation in seminar talks, fabrication of equipment, winning a prize in a Technical
competition etc, list them out in detail and create an opportunity during the interview to
project them before the interview committee.

4.6 Extra Curricular Activities

If you have distinguished yourself in extra curricular activities like sports, debate,
NSS, cultural or any other activity where your leadership and organizational ability is
involved, list them out. Such achievements must be authenticated by certificates. Be
sure that you have a broader understanding of your field of interest, so that you can
talk with confidence and authority on those topics. Some weightage is generally
given for achievements in the above-mentioned fields.

4.7 Hobbies

If you are interested and proficient in any hobbies like music, drama, painting,
literature, numismatics, philately etc, it is again a credential for you and
sometimes can greatly help you in developing a positive rapport with
interviewer, if that person also happens to be interested in them. One should have sound
knowledge on the hobbies which they were specified, if not some time it may leads to
wrong impression on you.

4.8 General knowledge and current affairs

A Professional person is expected to be aware of the current events and have a broad
understanding of the general events happening in society. In many interviews, there
will be questions on these topics. Reading newspapers, magazines and selective
channels in TV Viewing is a desirable habit. Also, participation in activities like quiz
programs, seminars, essay writing etc. can give you considerable confidence in this
regard.

4.9 Communication Skills

Ability to present your thoughts and ideas fluently in simple and correct language will
be a great asset to your personality. If your communication skills are not up to the
mark, you can improve your communication skills by consciously listening to some good
speakers, speaking to some of your friends who are good in English speaking and trying
to speak in English at least in informal gatherings. There is no shortcut to gain fluency in
English. The only way out is to overcome your inhibitions with some effort and
start speaking in English. It is also important to practice your modulation during your
practice sessions.

5. Preparation of BIO-DATA
A bio-data is the single most important document in the entire interview and selection
process. It is a document, which is your first introduction to the interviewer and
explains your complete background like Education, experience, achievements
and character. In other words it is a mirror image of youself.

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It must be carefully and neatly prepared with complete and relevant information. Some
common faults in a poorly formulated bio-data are the following:
i. The bio-data is written on crumpled or stained paper.
ii. The handwriting is illegible
iii. The information given is incomplete
iv. Correct addresses are not given
v. Bio-data is not signed
vi. Copied from others.

It is very preferable to get your bio-data typed on a neat bond paper on a

computer so that it looks very neat. Attach a good passport size photograph to your
bio-data in the first page itself. All the Supporting documents must be attached to the
bio-data.

A suggested format of bio-data is given in the appendix.

6. Attending the Interview
Thorough preparation for the interview will enable you to face the interview with
confidence. Remember that each interviewer is different from others in characteristic
ways and so look for ways to adapt to each one as a unique individual. Despite these
differences in the personality of the interviewers, the following suggestions will be useful
for most job interviews.

6.1 Be punctual and fresh

It would be a poor first impression, if you were not in time for the interview. Program
your travel plans, so that you get sufficient rest and time to refresh and dress properly
for the interview. Be at the venue at least fifteen minutes before the interview. Go
to the interview with a fresh and an open mind.

6.2 Be dressed properly

An appropriate dress for the interview with good grooming creates a very good first
impression on the candidate. Though the personal choice of the dress for the occasion
might vary, it is advisable to dress smarty but moderately for the interview, so that
you may look neither negligent nor gaudy.

6.3 Entering the interview room

Before entering the interview room, adjust your dress and touch up on your appearance.
Before entering, enquire by asking ‘May I come in sirs?’ If permitted, close the door
softly and walk in with confidence towards the chair. Face the interview panel
confidently and wish them appropriately, depending on the time of the day. If the
member of the interview board wants to shake hands with you, then offer a firm grip
maintaining eye-to-eye contact and a smile. Ask permission to sit down by saying ‘May I
sit down sir?’, if the interviewer has not already asked you to take your seat.

Please remember that during the first few minutes, you can strongly influence the
interviewers’ assessment of your personality. Hence, the first impression that you give
in the interview is very important.

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6.4 Be Warm and Responsive

Your getting of the interviewer should be warm, friendly and confident. Make
immediate eye contact with the interviewer. You may feel anxious, but
remember that the interviewer is after all trying to find a suitable person for a job in
his organization and it is up to you to convince him that you are the right person
for the job. It offers you a challenge to communicate on this aspect and try to be as
enthusiastic as possible about the opportunity. Try to maintain eye contact and a
cheerful disposition throughout the interview. It shows your self-confidence and poise
and greatly enhances the personal impact.

6.5 Be poised

Your proper posture during the interview adds to your personality. Sit erect with hands
under the table to be used only when emphasizing point or to illustrate through writing.
Avoid mannerisms like playing with your tie, shaking legs, putting your hands on the
table or closing your hands, etc.

6.6 Be a good listener

It is imperative for you to listen carefully to the questions being asked. If a question is
not clear, See clarification in a polite way. Seeking a clarification is far better than giving
an irrelevant answer. Watch for verbal and non-verbal cues that come your way.

6.7 Sell yourself

There is no better advice that can be given to you than this. You already know that the
interviewer wants to make a judgment of what kind of person you are. Help him to do
so in a positive way, by volunteering positive information about you in brief and lucid
way. Like a salesman, stress your positive features and downplay your negative
features. The objective even when discussing your weak points is either to
minimize them or turn them into an advantage.

6.8 Be assertive

Assertiveness is the ability to express your feelings honestly and to take charge of your
rights responsibly. It is typified by a healthy self-respect, confidence and general
good feeling about yourself. Perhaps one way of describing assertiveness is to contrast
it with non-assertive and aggressive behaviors. Non-aggressive behavior is
characterized by self-denial, inhibition and anxiousness. Aggressive behavior, on the
other hand, is characterized as being very expressive and self-enhancing at the expense
of others. In contrast to the above two extremes, assertive behavior is a way of
selling yourself on your own merits. It displays good self-assessment and confidence
and also a healthy respect for the rights of others – two things that are highly valued in
inter-personal relations.

6.9 Control your behavior

Suppose an interviewer asks you a question that you consider inappropriate.

Sometimes interviewers do ask inappropriate questions to test the candidate’s emotional
stability and temperament. In such situations, answer the question carefully,
unemotionally and in a straightforward manner. This will demonstrate your emotional
stability.

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6.10 Humour

A little humor or wit thrown in the discussion occasionally enables the interviewer to look
at the pleasant side of your personality. But, if you are bad at wit, better to refrain from
it.

6.11 Avoid slang

Present day youth use slang as an integral part of their daily communication, particularly
more so the University students. However, during an interview, slang will not probably
be understood and certainly not appreciated. Your communication must be as formal
and as explicit as possible.
6.12 Do not break confidence and indulge in character assassination

In either case mentioned above, you will be demonstrating a lack of personal integrity
that might lose you the respect of the interviewer. If you do it to your previous
friends and organization, the interviewer may suspect that you will do the same in
the present organization also. You will be viewed as having a more professional and
healthy outlook, if you avoid these two errors.

6.13 Know your worth

A little prior enquiry and effort will tell you what the current average salaries of
particular jobs are. Most of the job descriptions list the ranges of pay. It is generally,
not advisable to bring up the subject of money in a pre- screening interview
unless the interviewer mentions it. However, it is a very necessary issue in any final in-
depth interview. At the beginning of your career, there is very little scope for
bargaining especially in our country, where there is excess of manpower available and
there is shortage of jobs. However, if you are sure of your worth, don’t undersell
yourself.

6.14 Interviewer’s fatigue

Most of the time the interview panel conducts the interview throughout the day. In such
cases, attention starts declining as the lunch time approaches and also towards the
closing time in the evening. During this slack period, the interviewers will be
falling short of questions and may prefer some lightheartedness keep them going and
may become suddenly time-conscious. Should you be unfortunate to have your
interview during this slack period, there is a possibility of their making a judgement of
you based on too little information. It is therefore imperative for you to be aware of
the situation and take initiative in offering information about yourself, which is
likely to project you in the proper perspective.

6.15 Ask good questions

Generally, you will be given an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the interview.
So go to the interview with good questions about the job and the company. It is up to
you to determine whether you fit into the job and whether you want it or not. Questions
regarding the job and the organization, working conditions, career growth prospects,
working relationships and so on shows your keenness and maturity in relation to the job.

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6.16 Do not press the interviewer for the result

You might like immediate feedback about your performance. But resist the temptation to
ask questions like ‘How did I do, May I know the result etc.’ Interviewer needs time to
analyze, consult others in the Interview panel to take decisions. Also, there may be
procedures to be followed before letting you know the result.

6.17 Ending the interview

The way you conclude an interview can be as vital as the main interview. This
moment is the last impression that you leave with the interview panel prior to their post-
interview discussion and decision-making. Try to end your interview on a sparkling
note. Finally thank the interviewer for the opportunity given to you and express your
happiness and useful experience of the interview. You and express your happiness
and useful experience of the interview. You should then rise and wish them the
time of the day maintaining eye contact and pleasant smile. Offer a handshake,
if the interviewer does so first. Open and close the door gently while exiting if the
interviewer does so first. Open and close the door while exiting the room. It is
prudent to wait for sometime at the interview office, if an as afterthought, the
interviewer may want to clarify anything further with you.

7. Post Interview Retrospect

It will be a useful habit to reflect and recapitulate the entire interview the same
day and to note down all the questions asked in the interview and also your answers.
Analyze and make a note of the positive and negative aspects of your performance.
This exercise helps you to self evaluate your performance objectively. Similar exercises
of other interviews will give you pattern of questions generally asked in the interviews
and this would give you great confidence to face future interviews.

8. Selection insight
It may be educative to have an insight into the way the judgements are made in job
selection. The main selecting key decisions depend on the answers to the following
questions.

a) Can this person do the job? Does the person possess the requisite skills to be
effective?

b) Is the candidate motivated?

c) Why does this person want this particular job? Will this person be willing to
stay with the job?

d) What will be the impact on others, if this person is added to a given work unit? Will
the person is added to a given work unit? Will the person be able to fit in or create
disturbances?

8.1 Common shortcomings of the interviewees

It is important to know about the shortcomings and some of the most frequent
complaints of the interviewees.

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1) Poor communication: lack of communication skills, evasive replies, not answering
the questions directly, giving rambling responses, talking too little or too much,
excessive nervousness.

2) Poor preparation for the interview: Having no information about the company or
the job, having no questions to ask and having no interview training.

3) Vague interests: Not having a proper idea of future career.

4) Lack of motivation: Lacking enthusiasm, being apathetic, lacking interest, and

being too agreeable.

5) Unrealistic expectations: Lacking flexibility, concerned very much about the salary,
being immature.

8.2 Reasons for rejection

The following are the common reasons for a candidate’s rejection in a job
interview:
a) Lack of courtesy and manners
b) Over emphasis on money rather than growth prospects.
c) Lack of proper career plan
d) Dishonesty
e) Over ambition
f) Immaturity
g) Condemnation of previous organization and superiors
h) Poor communication skills
i) Disturbed family of married life
j) No real interest in the job or organization
k) Lack of knowledge
l) Lack of past achievements
m) Extraneous influencing for the post
n) Low moral standards
o) Non-punctuality

9. Typical questions in the interview

There are certain typical questions that you come across very often in the interviews.
Some of them are listed below along with the suggested approach to tackle them.

9.1 Tell us about yourself?

This is a general question in which you can say almost anything about yourself.
Unfortunately, most of the interviewees use the opportunity to recount their bio-data,
which is already there in front of the interviewer. Prepare yourself so that you can tell
about only those things, which are not mentioned in the bio-data such as your traits,
special qualities, achievements and motivations. A one or two sentence answers,
which are normally given by interviewees, convey an impression that there is

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little to know about them. You should be able to say a lot without being verbose or
self-opinionated. Keep watch on the verbal and on-verbal reactions of the interviewer.

9.2 ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses?’

This question is asked to ascertain how much you know about yourself. A person
who has good self-knowledge is likely to be more effective in life. However,
may interviewees get bowled over by this question because they might not have given
thought to it or they shy away from the fear at blowing their own trumpet? Do a
detailed self- analysis on your strengths and weaknesses. A sincere and honest
statement of both your strengths and weaknesses is likely to enhance your personality.

9.3 ‘Tell us about your family background?’

This question is asked by interviews to determine the social, cultural, religious and
economic status you come from. It could reflect on your basic attitudes. The best
approach for such a question is to bring out not only the facts of parentage and
background but also some of the good principles they have taught you. For example,
while taling about this aspect, you may be able to say that you have been brought
up in a disciplined atmosphere where punctuality, respect for elders etc. is a way of life.
You may also state the human values like honesty, truthfulness etc. Which you imbibed
from your family background. You may also be asked to tell about your brothers and
sisters. Emphasize their accomplishments and achievements. In all cases, it would be
safe to talk of human values taught to you irrespective of your background.

9.4 ‘How do you spend your spare time?’

This is a loaded question, which can give considerable clue to your personality. If
your spare-time activities are reading, painting, cooking, listening to music and the
like you are likely to be creative, introverted or a loner. If your sports activities are
swimming, athletics, tennis etc. You are likely to be interpreted as a loner. Other
games like football, hockey, cricket etc are likely to indicate you as a team man, who
can get along well with people. Neither of these is right or wrong nor they are absolutely
true indicators. There are jobs such as research, design quality control etc., which do
not require extroverts. Jobs such as sales, public relations, execution etc. require a
person with a high degree of interaction and team spirit. Generally, those who appear to
be group oriented are likely to be preferred for most jobs.

Another aspect of how you spend your spare time is whether you take on active or
passive pursuits. If you were active, you would play games, go on sight seeing or
undertake any activity that involves physical effort. Passive pursuits such as reading,
listening to music and so on sedentary jobs such as doing desk work where as active
person is preferred for jobs, which involve travel or any predominant physical activity.

9.5 ‘Why did you choose your particular field of work?’

This question is asked to know your temperament, attitude and personal qualities. It is
advisable at this point to bring out your best qualities linking them with the job. For
example, you may say that you chose a sales job because you are an extrovert and love
traveling and that you enjoy meeting people and this job gives you the opportunity to do
so. Never say that you are taking up this job just because someone has advised you to

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do so or that you are taking up this job because you have no alternative. Whatever may
be your reasons choosing a particular line, support and substantiate it fully, since you
are now applying for the job.

9.6 ‘Why do you want to join this organization?’

Organizations are concerned about the cost of recruitment and training and would like
to ensure that the candidate, who is recruited, is genuinely interested in the job and
the organization and is likely to stick on to the job for a reasonable period of time.
Sometimes, to ascertain your interest in the organization, the interviewers paint a
gloomy picture of the job to see your reactions. The best approach to adopt is to
exhibit your keenness and conviction in the job, despite the negative aspects of it. Be
consistent in your convictions throughout the interview.

9.7 ‘Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years’ time?

This question is aimed at ascertaining your aspirations. It is necessary that you are
reasonably ambitious in your aspirations, so that your performance is conductive for
your growth. At the same time, you should be realistic and should not be out of
context with reality.

9.8 ‘Are you willing to sign a bond of service?’

The mention of bond of service is very disconcerting to most of the potential employees.
They think that they are selling themselves to an organization for a certain period of
time. It is important to understand the company’s point of view. For certain jobs, the
company plans to invest large amounts in long training programs, during which time
the employees is learning and is not productive. The company calculates that you will
provide an adequate return, if you stay with them for at least a certain number of years
after training, which is called the bond period. The organization also calculates how
much they would lose if you leave before the bond period.
Once you understand this, the idea of signing a bond will not be quite so formidable.
You should weigh the value of the training, which the company provides against the fact
that you will be tied to their job for the bond period.

9.9 ‘What subjects you liked most during your studies?’

For fresh graduated, this question is often asked during the interviews. This is mainly to
identify your academic talents and also put question on the topics in that subject to find
out your depth knowledge. Be prepared for such a thing, so that you give a good
impression of yourself, if such an opportunity arises.

9.10 ‘What are your salary expectations?’

Though this is a very sensitive question, you must not feel bashful in stating your
expectations, since it is your right to know before hand how much the company is going
to pay you. It is important that you prepare yourself rationally and logically to mention
and claim what you expect as compensation for your job. It would be better if you have
enquired from friends or employees of the organization regarding the salary structure
and what one can reasonably expect. A 15-20% increase over your previous job is
usually considered as rational. Most organizations mention the salary range in the
advertisement itself. But, many mention that they are willing to negotiate

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depending on the candidate. While discussing about salary, you must not confine
yourself only to the emoluments but also be clear about other perks that you can expect
from the company.

GROUP DISCUSSION:

Group Discussion (GD) is one of the common selection procedures used for evaluation
and selection of candidates for job interviews usually after the initial written examination.

I. Procedure
1. A group, usually consisting of 8 to 10 persons, is arranged to sit in a
semicircle or full circle. Each participant in the group is given a number, which will be
prominently displayed in front of the person. So, every participant is supposed to
address a person only by the given number and not by the name.

2. The topic for discussion is usually suggested by the evaluator or sometimes the
group may be asked to choose a topic for discussion. The topic may or may not have
any relevance to the job or to the candidate’s area of specialization.

3. The time limit for a discussion is usually 30 minutes.

4. Generally, it is expected that everyone in the group participates in the discussion by
presenting his/her views and ideas on the topic. If any candidate does not participate
in the discussion, the person is generally given an opportunity to speak on the topic
towards the end.

5. Finally, one of the candidates in the group is expected to summarize and present
the group’s viewpoint on the topic at the end. If no one comes forward, one of the
participants in the group may be asked to summarize.

II. Characteristics Evaluated in a GD

The following skills to be evaluated in a GD

1. Appearance.

2. Pose and bearing.

3. Communication skills – Clarity of expression and fluency of language.

4. Capacity to organize and present ideas.

5. Role behaviour.

6. Intellectual attainments.

7. Abilities to encourage others and also compromise wherever necessary.

8. Self-confidence.

9. Leadership qualities.

10. Emotional stability

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These qualities are generally assessed through a general impression during the GD from
the qualities like clarity of expression, fluency of language, depth of knowledge, balanced
views and ability to carry the group according to your point of view.

Criteria to judge a group as:

a whole depends on the following points.

b. Quality of discussion

c. Quality of conclusion reached on the topic

d. Extent to which the conclusion was based on substance of the entire discussion.

e. Degree of cordial climate during the discussion.

f. Agreement among the members of the final conclusion reached.

III. Guidelines for GD

1. As far as possible, try to initiate the discussion in a convincing and sober way. If
someone else takes the initiative do not fight with that person for grabbing the initiative.

2. The topic must be discussed at length and all aspects must be taken into account
before a final conclusion is reached.

3. GD should not turn into a debate.

4. Good and clear communication generally impresses.

Well thought out ideas, braced with facts presented logically influences the group and
helps in bringing the group to your viewpoint.

5. If someone interrupts you when you are speaking, ask the person to wait till you
complete. If the interruption continues even then, give a chance to speak and you can
resume from where you stopped, after the other person completes, by giving, the
other person a chance to speak, you gain marks and the other person loses for his
continuous and incessant interruption.

6. If there is a dispute among the participants, try to reconcile the differences by

explaining to them as convincingly as possible the other’s viewpoint. Most of thetime,
the dispute is because of some misunderstandings.

7. Do not form local centres in the group by indulging in cross talk.

8. While discussing controversial topics, do not change your viewpoints after you
have already taken a stand or viewpoint. This type of frequent change of your
views creates impression that you do not have concrete ideas and hence you can be
easily influenced. So, before speaking out initially, form your opinions and argue in
favour of them in a cogent manner.

9. If any participant is reticent because of his/her inhibitions, you must

solicit his/her opinions. This creates an impression in the minds of the evaluators
that you take the whole group with you in a democratic manner. So, from the
beginning, keep an eye on the
‘tongue-tides’ in the group.

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10. Keep track of the time. The time limit for the GD makes it essential to present the
views briefly and lucidly.

11. It is better and most advisable to stop the discussion about 30 seconds before
the deadline and summarize the salient viewpoints of the group. Normally most of the
people in a GD do not keep track of the time in their excitement to speak. So, this is
one area where you can score over others.

IV. Negative points in a GD

1. Dominating nature.

2. Disagreement beyond reason.

3. Being irrelevant.

4. Losing temper.

5. Impatient Attitude.

6. Poor communication skills.

7. Ignorance about the topic given.

8. Non-participation.

9. Contradictory statements.

V. Insight into a GD
It is believed that when individuals are placed in undefined circumstances or
environment, they adopt roles, which are natural to them, hence, in a GD, the roles
emerge. It is a common misconduct that the leader is the one, who talks the
maximum. It is often observed that in many group discussions all the members are
out-talking each other without anyone listening what others are talking. This approach
is wrong. The leader is one, who initiates discussion if the group is frozen in the
beginning. There is also another misconception among the people appearing for GD that
whoever speaks first will be judged as the leader. This again is not true. If there are
others who initiates discussion, then leader is one, who shows his stature by the content
and quality of his contribution. The leader also plays an important role in ensuring
that everyone in the group gets a chance to speak. He will also help in maintaining
the psychological and emotional health of the group in the case of disagreements and
controversies. The leader must offer alternatives and solutions to the problem
discussed.

Members in a group are usually under pressure. An immature will build this
pressure by being inconsiderate to other members of the group. Some become
argumentative, emotional and excited on one hand and on the other hand some become
quiet, withdrawn and nervous. Interviewer looks for a balanced individual who is
cool and composed, yet assertive to hold on to his own viewpoint.

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VI. Conclusion

Participation in a few GDs in CAD (Centre of Awareness & Discussion) or in

informal friendly groups will give the necessary practice and confidence for better
performance. During group discussions, it may not be quite helpful to have a slip of
paper and pencil to note down your ideas including the viewpoints of other members.
This would greatly facilitate in improving the content aspect of your participation. Your
performance in actual job group discussions will improve by many folds if you critically
analyze your own performance in the practice sessions and make the necessary
corrections.
SELF ASSESSMENT FORMAT
(For use in career planning and training for job interviews)

A basic step for career planning and preparation for job interviews is to give serious
thought, assessing yourself by taking stock of your needs, interests and also your
strengths and weaknesses. A good starting point is to prepare a resume, which is
merely a comprehensive and well-organized record of your accomplishments. The
following self-assessment activities may help you to prepare a complete database about
yourself.

1. Self-Assessment Questionnaire
a) What are your strengths?

b) What are your weaknesses?

c) What are your special abilities?

d) How would you describe yourself?

e) How do you feel about your career to-date?

f) What qualifications do you have that make you feel that you will succeed in
accomplishing your objectives?

g) How do you feel about your progress?

h) How would you describe your standards of performance?

i) What has been your biggest mistake that you can recall?

j) What types of people irritate you?

k) How would your teacher/classmates describe you?

l) In what areas do you need to improve?

m) What further training do you need?

n) Who are the most important people to you? And why?

o) What makes you a good investment for an employer?

p) What constructive criticism have you had from others?

q) Do you consider your progress so far is in commensurate with your ability?

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Here is another set of questions on activities and interests

a. In what school and college activities you have participated?

b. What do you enjoy doing other than your studies?

c. What extra-curricular offices you have held?

d. What kind of health problems you have had?

e. How do you manage your time off the college?

f. What do you read in your leisure time?

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