Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Facial Expression Try to have an animated face. Smile pleasantly (Practise smiles before a
mirror.) , Maintain Eye contact with the speaker / listener(s). In GD, look around, keeping eye
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Gestures with Hands Do not point fingers at others, Avoid posture of boredom. Try to be
expressive. Keep hands below chin level. Avoid crossing arms or legs while sitting or standing.
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Common Lying gestures Mouth cover, Nose touch, Eye rub, Scratching neck. Avoid them.
Leg Positions
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Head Movements
Body Postures
Closed (Legs crossed, arms folded, torso / legs turned away) Shows Vulnerability,
Depression, or Dislike
If standing, stand straight with arms by the sides or clasped in fig-leaf position.
Avoid
Wearing Bright or distracting dress
Strong perfumes
Put On Accent
Biting nails, pen, or pencil, fidgeting with mobile (Keep mobile switched off not even silent
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mode), hand-purse, ring etc. Twirling kerchief, sari, shawl, kameez / shirt etc They Betray
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INTERVIEW
Purpose of Interview What Recruiters Look for.
Value predisposition
Psychological stability
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Need to observe & learn from service-oriented staff in branches. Candidate to visualise
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orientation,
Anticipate questions on bio data form submitted. Give honest answers only, Be tactful but
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Institutions studied in, Subject studied, Previous employment, Reasons for leaving previous
Visit venue Previous day. On interview day, be sufficiently early at venue. Be relaxed at
venue.
Composition of Interview Board Senior Bank officers, College Professors, IAS / IPS
officers. Never under-estimate the members.
Board members are not enemies. Their job is not to find fault with candidates. Their job is to
ascertain the best of your qualities and to assess your suitability for the bank job.
Language, pronunciation, voice modulation Listen to news. Practise speaking aloud before
mirror / friends / family. Record self-speech and play back. Identify shortcomings for
rectification.
Listen to panel discussions on TV.
Ensure Robust physical health Will reflect active nature and alertness.
Not to be disheartened by the results of your past interviews Bill Cosby Your will to
succeed should be greater than your fear of failure.
Every unsuccessful interview, is an opportunity to improve. Do not regret, but learn from
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Appearance - Neatness, cleanliness, hair trimmed & in place. Clipped moustaches, Shaven
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past mistakes.
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Men Light colour shirt with dark trousers. Tie makes you look professional. Clean-shaven
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Better to wear dress you are used to. New shoes may pinch and give you a limp; new
Be simple and sober. General rule is No item of attire should draw undue / focussed
attention or comment.
Avoid strong perfume and fashion accessories like flashy chain, pendant etc.
Body odour, oral cleanliness no tobacco, no pan, no chewing of gum., no strong perfumes.
The best dress is a pleasant confident smile, spring in your steps, sparkle in your eyes.
Open the door partially and ask, May I come in, please? and walk in maintaining a normal
steady pace.
As you reach your seat, greet the board appropriately; Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening
Sirs / Madam.. Maintain eye contact as you say so.
On being asked to take your seat, say Thank You Sir / Madam and sit down comfortably
with the right posture. Maintain the pleasant confident smile.
If not asked to sit, seek permission saying, May I take the seat Sir / Madam ?
Keep the folder / file of documents in your lap. If asked to keep on a table, do so, with
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Thank You Sir / Madam. But take care not to disturb any paper / item on the table.
While sitting, keep elbows out or on the arms of the chair.
Handshake Do not initiate. During shaking hands, keep palm straight and return the same
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pressure you receive. Let the other person decide when to end the handshake.
Posture
Conduct,
Answering Questions
Honest Answers.
Expressing Ignorance
Mannerisms
Body language
Confidence level
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Maintain eye contact with all members, not only the person questioning.
Exiting
Shake hands if offered, take a few steps back, turn and walk out of the room at the same
Dos
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Update general awareness on political, economical, technological, social etc. Issues read
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Gather as much knowledge about the target organisation & the job profile. Search the web,
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talk to friends & seniors. History, work culture, standing, strengths, area of operations, job
Form study groups of friends and conduct mock interviews among yourselves.
Answer / speak before a mirror / friends. Critically evaluate your own body language, facial
Your answers should conform to the information given in your bio data form.
Listen to the question carefully & then give a well thought out answer.
Observe the facial expression of the interviewers for any non-verbal signals.
(Only If asked by interviewer not normally asked in bank interviews), ask well thought and
relevant questions about the position and organisation.
Thank the interviewers at the end.
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Donts
Do not sit late into the night the day before the interview. Lack of sleep will make you dull,
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Do not let your unsuccessful performance in the past shake your confidence.
Do not let yourself be disheartened by the experience of other candidates. They were not
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Do not bluff the interviewer with a wrong reply; with their knowledge & experience, they will
prepared and so, they had a bad interview. You will do better than them.
Do not give one word answers only and do not talk too much.
Do not state unrealistic or ambitious targets that do not match your skill or personality.
Never argue. If you disagree, do so politely and support your disagreement with valid
arguments.
Do not ask questions of the interviewer, without being asked to do so (Normally, not done
during bank interviews)
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What are your short and long term goals & companys objectives.
objectives ?
from now ?
How do your friends and colleagues Honestly highlight few positive qualities you think
describe you ?
to your positives.
On Educational qualifications.
Possible Question
Which college or institute did you graduate indicate the positives of your college / course/
from ?
Why did you choose that particular college culture, teaching methodology, etc.
or institute ?
Which subjects were your favourites and Justify your choice based on long term goals &
why ?
interests. Be positive.
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average ?
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exhibited. Etc.
objectively,
some
link
between
your
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Possible Question
What was your job profile & responsibility in Highlight the positives of last job, the skills &
Why do you want to leave your present job Do not suggest you are changing jobs for better
?
prospects etc.
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anyone
you
worked
with
or
know
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How do you handle stress and tension ? Suggest some negatives in others, that make you
opportunities,
challenges,
appreciation,
results,
recognition,
What is more important to you Money, colleagues and superiors, thrill & joy of doing a job
power, status or fun ?
attributes
planning,
strategizing,
should possess ?
As new manager, how would you get People are important valuable assets. Listen to
people to work for you ?
How
do
you
communicate
with
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with superiors.
How will you handle, if a subordinate is Personalised approach, Counsel in private, show
confidence in him. Advise him of the need to
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underperforming ?
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Can you work overtime if required ? What Be positive. Meeting the expectations of customers
would you say, if working hours are and the organisation is important & one must adapt
to the situations.
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stretched ?
Why do you want to work for this Bank / Co. Reflect your eagerness & enthusiasm. Highlight
the opportunities to learn, meet challenges, and
What do you find interesting about this work in a personalised environment, opportunities
Bank / Co. ?
How will the organisation benefit by hiring Highlight your strengths, skills and how thy
you ?
Tricky questions.
Possible Question
Specify
strengths
suited
for
the
job.
State
om
you
are
looking
for
career
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How will you react if your boss is a female ? Reply that females are not inferior to
males.
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Suppose you differ with your boss, what will Reply that, notwithstanding any difference, you will
carry out the bosss instructions so long as they
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you do ?
What are he qualities in people you do not Reply highlighting your positives not liking
Give an example of a satisfying work and a They test personality, style of work, behaviour in
dissatisfying work ?
When did you go beyond the call of duty in objectively, state your actions with justification and
order to get the job done ?
When
you
had
to
make
Situation
when
there
was
major
disinclination to buying.).
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Sell me this pen or mobile (Showing total They are usually asked for selecting to stressful
jobs like marketing, sales, HR etc.
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?
Why do you think you are suitable for this
position?
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Speak
lightly
questions,
your
GROUP DISCUSSION
Your Objective in GD
Convince the group with your views or accede to others views. It is not a question of winning or
losing. Important that the topic is discussed threadbare and a conclusion is reached by the group.
Purpose of Group Discussion What Recruiters Look for.
Leadership capabilities & building on others' strengths
Capability for coordination & ability to synthesize divergent views, capability for coordination
Listening skills
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Interpersonal & Communication skills Expressing views & opinions, Organising thoughts,
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Effectiveness in making yourself understood, Command of language & Fluency, How well
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versed in the topic, Tact & skill in dealing with others, Listening skills, Body language.
Analytical and Rational Thought Process Analysis of the topic, Creativity / value addition
with new angles & perspectives, Relevance of examples, analogies, facts & figures used to
reinforce arguments, Ability to analyse & Synthesize views of others, Problem solving skills
to reach consensus.
Group Behaviour and Emotional Stability Ability to work in a group for common goal, Body
language (Aggressive / unaccommodating ?), Behaviour under stress (Maintain emotional
balance & composure), Receptivity to others views, Flexibility & adaptability in GD
Dynamics, maturity of thought & action when dealing with others.
Leadership skills Ability to lead (natural style without being aggressive), Ability to seize
initiative in defining goals or reaching consensus, Thought leadership (new perspectives &
direction to discussions), Ability to emerge as informal leader to whom the group looks up.
Body of GD
Summarisation / Conclusion
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Initiation of Discussion
High profile high loss strategy
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Technique to Initiate
Use quotes
Defining Issues
Body of GD
Do not be sarcastic.
Try not to merely repeat someone elses point, but add new perspective to it
Analyse issues critically & present them with logic and conviction.
Participate actively
Summarisation or Concluding
Expected that someone in the group concludes the discussion.
Summarise what group has discussed and state the consensus in a nutshell.
Concluding a discussion is a high risk high reward proposition. If not done properly, it is
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counter-productive.
To have successfully participated in the GD, not necessary, that you should conclude.
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Common Myths in GD
Myth 1 - Initiating discussion is beneficial and important. Initiate only if you have a good idea of
the topic, are able to identify issues, can give proper perspective and direction to discussions and
can express your views with sound reasoning and logic. During discussions you have ample
opportunity to raise thought provoking ideas, giving new dimension and direction to discussions &
thereby impress the observer.
Myth 2 - Speaking More is important.- It is not the time, but quality of presentation, supported by
sound reasoning and analysis, that is more important.
Myth 3 - If speaking for the topic, one cannot speak against it or vice versa. GD is not a debate,
where you should take a stand for or against issues and try to convince the opposing party, of his
views. In GD, you should integrate valid counter points of others, along with your own, to arrive at a
balanced conclusion.
Myth 4 - It is better to remain silent if one does not have knowledge about the subject..
Remaining silent, gives the impression that you are unable to speak, or have nothing to say. If the
topic is not understood by you, listen to others; soon you will get a fair idea and you will be give a
new angle and value to the discussions.
Myth 5. One should not repeat a point already discussed. You can repeat a point, even if raised
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by another person, provided you can add value and make it more interesting and pertinent.
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Myth 6. - Participants should speak in turn to avoid commotion. GD is not an elocution or debate,
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Myth 7. - Speaking loudly and gesturing aggressively shows leadership quality. Leadership is
based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation. William Wood. Avoid
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posturing a a leader, for it can be easily seen through by the observer and could go against you.
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Myth 8. - Directing others to speak, shows leadership quality. Be a leader of thought and do not
Myth 9. - Should not take a stance against Society and ethically accepted norms of the Society.
GD is not used to assess your morals. What the observer looks for, are thoughtfulness, knowledge,
interpersonal & communication skills, logic, analytical powers etc.
Other important aspects in GD.
If names are known, Address members by names, else, as Friends, Friend and refer to
them as He or She.
If you have a lot to say, do not monopolise and take a lot of time. Be brief and allow others
to speak. You can elaborate later, as discussions progress.
Do not directly encourage another person to speak; but if he is being cut off by others, you
can suggest that the group hear him.
It is alright to accept a point totally opposing your view, if that point is more logical.
Do not ask moderator to explain the topic; that shows ignorance. Wait for someone to open
discussions; you will then understand.
Not necessary to stick to normally accepted line of thought. Coming up with something
radical, demonstrates creativity & originality; but be relevant.
Can use technical terms or jargons; but add explanations for the others with different
academic background, for a level playing field.
Be cautious not to hurt others feelings. Insensitivity to others shows lack of maturity and
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viciousness.
Good command over language is advantageous; but will not compensate for lack of good
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content. On the other hand, if your content and ideas are good, speak notwithstanding
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command over language; you will get credit for logic and soundness.
Using examples elaborates your point; but avoid long stories.
A relaxed GGD is good; but humour may be out of place in a competitive environment.
Moderator can stop discussions abruptly if too noisy or below acceptable standards.
Alright to seek clarifications from a member. But do not do it to prove him wrong; it will go
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against you.
Ideally, a conclusion should be reached; but time constraints may not permit.
If someone is stubborn / aggressive, you may ignore him or tell him that his point is well
taken and that the group must go forward. But be tactful, to avoid disruptions.
While holding your views, recognise right of others to their views. By listening to others
views, your views could be strengthened, / balanced / altered.
Preparation for GD
Pay attention to communication and interpersonal skills how you interact and
communicate with people around you.
Pay attention to pronunciation of words & phrases.
Talk to friends and well wishers in English; try to use words and phrases you come across.
Read newspapers and magazines on current issues daily. Capture highlights from year-end
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issues.
Watch & listen to TV news, panel discussions & current affairs programmes.
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