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What is
Interview?
The Oxford Dictionary defines is as a
face-to-face meeting, for the purpose of
assessing the qualifications of a candidate for
jobs or admission to educational institutions of
for the purpose of obtaining statement or
opinion of any respected person.
Nowadays, several success formulas have come out
to see your victory during these stressful
moments of an interview. But they would fail if
you do not prepare yourself beforehand and
practice. These are not any difficult tasks.
They will require just 30 minutes of your 24
hours. So, read my points and tell me whether
they did come to your aid.
’’The
BPO industry is booming’’ boasts
yesterday’s newspaper for the nth time.
Industry sources say that 750 candidates are
being recruited every day (actual figures are
more than that). And, by 2008, there will be
demand for 35 lakh call-center or BPO
professionals!
So, this industry is here to stay unless an
Armageddon happens.
Over the past few years, I had the opportunity
to show my attractive leg (CV, you naughty) and
attend interviews at reputed bigwigs like
Accenture, Convergys, ICICI-onesourse,Allianz
Cornhill and MphasiS. Based on my
experiences, kindly allow me to spill some
useful nuggets into your waiting hand on how to
breeze through the usual gates in a BPO
interview.
Note:-I might switch from saying BPO to call-centre.
A BPO has varied functions including customer
calls while a call-centre, as name suggests,
deals with only customer calls. But there’s no
harm in interchanging between these 2 terms.
This pattern may vary from company to company.
GATE 1 -
Voice/Passage Reading
You will be given a passage or a simple topic to
speak on.
Required - High fluency in English. Remember,
the keyword is ’’high’’.
They look at your ability to converse easily
without much grammatical errors, stammers &
other pauses. Don’t put on a fake foreign
accent to impress them (you can be rejected
on-the-spot). On selection, they give you the
requisite accent training. So, simply speak in a
neutral accent without excess MTI (Mother-tongue
influence).
Watch NDTV news anchors (not the reporters on
the field) for practice.
GATE 2 - Written Test
Multiple choice questions consisting of English
language, Numerical ability, Logical reasoning
and Computer awareness.
English language - basic grammar, antonyms,
synonyms and so on.
Numerical ability - simple Maths like selling
price & cost price, ratios, percentages and
so on.
Computer awareness - basic Internet knowledge
and there may be a typing speed test too.
Don’t fret if you’re average here. You will
be trained after selection.
GATE 3 -
Listening Test
A tape will be played once. You will be
listening to a simple English conversation by 2
persons. You are given a multiple-choice
question paper based on the conversation. For
each question, tick the most relevant choice.
You will not get another chance to listen to the
tape.
Note - This’s another very important
qualifying round. Be very attentive and do your
best.
FINAL GATE 4 - The HR Interview
This ultimate round can either be direct face 2
face meeting or via telephone.
2 of the HR (Human Resource) personnel
will interview you, asking you about yourself,
your earlier work experiences (if any) and your
general views on BPOs.
Either way, please remember, your English
will be checked. Keep a neutral accent and act
confident.
Usually, they are of your age (25-30, not a
grandpa). But, don’t let their youth fool you.
They’re like hawks eyeing your body language
and ever-alert to every word you say.
Dress - Light-colored formal shirts (preferably
full sleeves for men, women-please enquire),
mild deodorant (the interviews are usually in
air-conditioned rooms. Your scent will circulate
within the room for hours...), formal shoes and
a pleasing smile.
Always wish the female interviewer first.
After you’re seated, stop the constant shaking
of legs (typical Indian habit). Lean slightly
forward & keep your hands on the lap (not on
the table). You may use your hands occasionally
to express a point.
When Person-1 asks the question, look at him
first while answering, look at other
interviewers occasionally and finally end with
Person-1. Same applies to Person-2, 3 or 4.
Avoid too many errs., stammers or pauses in your
sentences.
If you’re not sure about an
answer, say ’’I don’t know’’ outright
instead of mumbling something silly or fake.
Be short & simple, without
any complex vocabulary. NO Question of theirs
require an essay. 4-5 lines are more than
enough, and say something (only to regret
later). Instead, ask ’’Sir/M’am, is there
anything specific you wish to know
about....(whatever question they asked)?’’
Some questions they ask may
tempt you to pounce & wring their necks !
Again, they are just testing your attitude. So,
whatever the provocation, be cool & paste
permanently that Bollywood smile !
Here are some commonly asked questions -
# Why are you here?! (never say ’’to attend
this interview!’’. Say something like
’’I’m here to seek the position
of.....in......’’)
# Tell me something about yourself (always
asked. Never say what’s already mentioned in
your CV. You may talk about your birthplace,
your family and your personal interests. Keep
the entire answer to 5 or 6 lines maximum).
# What are your strength and weaknesses?
# What is your work objective?
# In one sentence, tell me something about your
personality.
# When do you get angry?
# How quickly do you react to a decision?
# Tell me something about your earlier company
and your role in it.
# Are you willing to work night-shifts?
# What is a BPO?
# Distinguish between inbound and outbound calls
# What does ’’customer-satisfaction’’
mean to you?
# Give me a instance when a customer appreciated
your service.
# Why do you want to work in a BPO?
# What is the biggest challenge facing the BPO
industry today?
# What, according to you, is the most important
requisite of a call-center executive?
# Why do you want to work in our company?
# Why should we employ you?
# What do you know about our company?
# What will you do if you’re not selected for
this job?
Phew! Long, wasn’t it? But, it’s always
better to be prepared.
Regularly practice mock-interviews before the
mirror. You’ll be able to notice your flaws
and correct’em instantly.
A BPO interview is no IAS or
IIM. You can pass without any major hiccups. But
be alert in the final HR interview. Many
stumble here. So practice, practice &
practice.
Are you over 40? Single, divorced or married?
Think this BPO stuff will reject you ’cause
you are ’old’? Relax, chill! There are so
many like you working in call-centers today
’n’ enjoying. Convince the interviewers that
you are deeply motivated to have a career in
this fast-rising industry for ABC reasons.
It’s usually the young who perspire the
companies ’cause they are more prone to
job-hopping after just 3 months. So, you stand a
better chance to get IN.
1. More questions....
Expect some questions that are regularly
repeated in many interviews. These questions
form a base for the interviewer so that he can
form a chain of questions from the answer you
give.
Let us list such questions, which we call Base
Questions.
1) Tell me about yourself
2) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3) Why do you want to join our organisation/institute?
4) What is your future plans?
5) Who is your role model and why?
These questions form the base for further
questions. Let’s take an example scene:
Him: What are your strengths?
You: I am honest, hardworking and reliable
Him: What makes you think you are honest?
You: I have never cheated with any person or
never have lied to anyone.
Him: If suppose, you have to do a wrong stuff
for the good of someone, then would you do it?
You: If it benefits someone then I won’t mind
doing it.
Him: So this means you can break your honesty!
You: If only it benefits someone. Helping
someone is a virtue and not a crime.
So, you see that the first question formed the
base for the other questions that came up. The
interviewer derives these questions from your
answer. So think and talk. Never fall in the
trap where the interviewer surrounds you with
blames. This usually happens in a Stress
Interview. So, prepare thoroughly for these
questions and expect them coming towards you in
an interview.
2. Dressing up
Sometimes, your dressing style can get you a
job. However, this seldom works. But your outer
appearance does make the first impact, which can
make the interviewer have a preconceived notion
that you are the one for the job. But I do not
guarantee this will get you the job. Also, you
cannot neglect it. Organisations like Jet
Airways, Tata, Reliance, Wipro, etc. pay huge
emphasis on your dressing. They prefer their
candidates to come in formals.
Some companies are liberal with their dress
code. In these companies you can go in jeans or
any informal wear.
To get a good idea of the dress code, visit the
company a day before your interview and get to
know the work culture there. If there is a dress
code, ask someone about it. Dressing does help
and it is gives the first impression about you
to the interviewer.
3. Your conduct during an interview
Before entering the cabin, ask for permission.
Like, ’’May I come in Sir?’’
After entering do not directly seat. It is bad
manners. Let the interviewer ask you to seat. If
he doesn’t then keep standing until he says
the relieving words, ’’Please have a
seat’’.
When you are seated, your legs should be firmly
pressed on the ground. Your hands should not be
on the table, and not folded. Have them on your
laps. Seat erect and not bent.
Keep a smile going throughout the interview.
This gives a suggestion to the interviewer that
you are confident. The smile also reduces your
stress and you feel comfortable. Try it if you
want.
Never play with your hands or your pen or your
tie. Be seated like a statue. Avoid clapping of
hands. This is a sign of nervousness. The
interviewer will quickly pick up your body
language. And if he or she does not find you
confident enough, they will just ask you to
leave. So, never show sign of nervousness.
Always look at the eyes of the interviewer. Do
not let them shift to something else. It should
always be An eye for an eye. You get our
point? This is another sign of confidence.
Do not stammer while speaking. Be fluent. The
interviewer wants to see your chain of thoughts.
They should keep coming one by one and in a
continuous manner. Your voice should not be very
loud, or very light. Speak as you speak
regularly. Just be yourself. Do not enact anyone
else and throw away your inferiority complex.
You too are good like anyone else in the room.
Have faith in yourself and God.
4. The most important document
Your resume or bio-data or curriculum vitae is
the most important document. It should reflect
your abilities, and should be true to very of
its words.
It should start with your name, date of birth,
address, phone number, E-mail address.
Nationality and Marital Status can follow. Some
company would like to know your height and
weight. Give your height in Centimeters and
weight in Kilograms. Then give your language
capabilities.
Then comes education. List all of them starting
from SSC and ending up with the latest one.
Write down the computer knowledge or any other
professional education you had.
Then comes experience. Give complete details of
them by giving the duration, name of the
company, location of the company, name of your
designation, job description, salary last drawn
and reason for leaving.
You can also state your expected salary. Feel
free to write your figure.
Then comes the reference. Give at least two. Then
you can put in your interests, hobbies and
achievements. Put in a photograph of yours. Add
your signature at the end to ensure the
authenticity of your resume.
A complete and comprehensive resume is a very
handy tool.
5. Expect the unexpected
Sometimes you won’t directly go in an
interview. The company would have planned a
short listing method. So, you can expect a group
discussion or a listening comprehension test, or
an aptitude test prior to the personal interview.
You can also expect some really weird questions.
Some may ask General Knowledge questions. I
confronted such an interview. My first question
was, ’’If you were the Prime Minister for a
day, what would you have done’’? This was
rather unexpected. I wasn’t prepared for such
kind of a question. But then too I managed to
speak through.
I also appeared for a Group Discussion whose
topic was very vague. It was ’’Death’’.
We have to speak on this topic for five minutes at least. You can also have topics like
’’If’’, ’’But’’, ’’We
can’’ or ’’Sky is Blue’’. Yes,
friends, such topics have really come. The only
advantage with these topics is that you can
speak anything you want; if you can prove your
stand. There is no right or wrong in these topics. So, expect the unexpected
every time you
step in for an interview.
6. Last words of wisdom
Usually, interviews are conducted in English. So
never use any second language.
Enjoy the moment, instead of getting stressed
out.
Be yourself. Be natural and normal.
Show pleasing and graceful manners, sufficient
politeness and verve.
Speak more. Do not complete your answer in a
sentence. Increase the quantity of your answers.
This will impress the interviewer and he will
think that you really know.
Always be relaxed. I know that being relaxed
during interviews is difficult. But try to
reduce your tension.
Always keep in mind that the person who will be
taking your interview is a HUMAN BEING just like
you. He is not going to eat you up. So maintain
a calm head.
So, we wish you all best of luck for whatever
interview you were going for.
Just stay calm and focused. For the rest, leave
it to the others.
Congratulations!
Your brand new spanking CV has just landed you
that much awaited job interview call. Your
heartbeat increases, your brow sweats, you are
confused, and words fail you. Sounds familiar?
Take heart, facing an interview is not such an
Herculean task as it may appear at first
provided you do your homework and to some extent
class work well enough. An interview is
generally the final and most important step of
the hiring process by a company. It offers both
the potential employee and the employer an
opportunity to meet one another, exchange
information and come to tentative conclusions
about working together in the future.
Before the interview
1.It does a world of good to have extensive
knowledge of the company for whose interview you
are appearing. Irrespective of whether or not
you are asked anything about it in the
interview, get to know the company well. Not in
terms of the office layout but about its
history, promoters, products and services, work
culture, etc. Such information is freely
available through many sources like the net,
newspapers and magazines. If you happen to know
an existing employee, there’s nothing like it!
Let’s face it, since you intend to work in
that company for a considerable period of time,
investing a little bit of time in knowing about
it is not going to deprive you of your some
wasted moments in life.
2. Spend some time trying to figure out the
likely questions to be asked – First and
foremost, be thorough with the contents of your
CV. Since that’s the only document with the
interview panel, all that they know about you is
contained in it. Be prepared for unexpected
questions that might suddenly crop up. One of
the most common first questions is “Tell us
something about yourself”. Now, please don’t
start off by saying that your great grandfather
came from Pakistan at the turn of the century
and actively participated in the freedom
struggle. Instead, tell them more about
yourself, your family, education, previous work
experience if any, etc. It also helps a lot if
you can get a friend or family member to conduct
a mock interview.
On the
interview day
1.Make sure you know the exact venue of the
interview. It doesn’t help to run around in
circles on the day of the interview asking
everyone on the street for the address you want.
Wear a pleasant but official and ironed dress
with a matching but not jazzy tie, well-polished
shoes and non-stinking socks. Comb your hair
well and don’t exhibit your long nails if you
haven’t manicured them. I’m sure I don’t
have to tell you to brush your teeth well and
ensure that you make your body odor too obvious.
Make it to the venue at least 30 minutes in
advance. Once there, relax and get a feel of the
surroundings. Mix freely with other candidates
and indulge in some small talk without being too
loud.
2. Once you are called for the interview,
politely knock on the door once or twice and ask
for permission to step in. Once inside say
polite thanks and take your seat in the chair
kept for you. In some cases, one or all of the
panel members might greet you with a handshake
in which case please don’t make it a show of
strength. A simple handshake conveys a lot about
a person. Let your handshake be firm and brief.
Look the other person in the eye and be liberal
with that winning smile that is usually reserved
for pretty girls.
3. Once in the “Hot Seat”, it’s important
to assume the right kind of posture on the
chair. The posture should indicate a sense of
comfort rather than nervousness. Avoid sitting
on the edge of your seat. If you encounter a
chair that is not convenient, don’t show it.
Take a few seconds to seat yourself as
comfortably as possible without making too many
unnecessary movements all the while maintaining
eye contact and smile indicating your readiness
for the interview. Be confident of yourself.
4. From then on, play the game according to the
ball bowled at you...strictly on its merit. Once
a question is posed, hear it properly, think
over the answer for a moment or two and tell it
in a clear voice without using hi-fund English.
You might be educated at Harvard but that’s
the last of the interviewers considerations.
Don’t unleash your powerful arsenal of
vocabulary on the poor interview panelists. Keep
your answers straight forward and simple. Be
confident while answering and whenever you make
a point, back it up with examples or figures as
proof. Remember that this is not a fish or
vegetable market and therefore avoid getting
into heated arguments just to get your point
across.
5. It is not only your performance in terms of
what you speak but also in terms of the way you
carry yourself that decides the fate of the
interview. Most panels have a specialist whose
job it is to solely stare at the candidate and
decipher him by observing the way he sits,
answers questions, makes gestures, etc. In the
unlikely event of not knowing the correct answer
to a question, don’t bluff your way through.
Politely say that your knowledge is limited in
that area and that you are blissfully ignorant
about the same. Admitting to ones ignorance
leaves a much better impression than telling
cock and bull stories.
6. At the end of the interview, the candidate
may sometimes be asked if he wants to pose some
questions or air his/her views. Don’t take
this opportunity to pick holes in the company or
haggle for your designation or salary. Since you
have not been informed about your selection as
yet, ask some general questions about the
company and its policies instead.
After the
interview
1.Before leaving the room, flash that billion
dollar smile at all around and say an audible
“Thanks” to the panel.
2.Don’t start calling up the HR department for
the results the moment you reach home.
Processing candidates takes some time. Be
patient for about a week or 10 days and then
give a call asking for the status of the
results. In case they are not ready, politely
ask how much more time the processing is likely
to take. Here again, most companies do not
inform candidates who don’t make it past the
interview stage while very few do it.
3. Sit down and jot down the highlights of your
interview on a piece of paper. Categories them
into positive and negative. Try to recollect if
you went wrong anywhere. A good post-mortem
report will aid in ironing out any deficiencies
and ensure that you don’t repeat the same
mistakes next time.
An interview is a two-way process. The employer
and you, both evaluate each other from different
perspectives. In the short amount of time that
you spend with the potential employer, you will
either be accepted or rejected. Therefore,
project yourself in a positive and enthusiastic
manner that subtly convinces the employer that
you are the right person for the job on hand.
All the best!
An Interview
is an important hurdle before one gets a job. It
is the Interview that really determines if the
person is really suited for the job or not. So a
candidate has to take an interview really
seriously and chalk out a plan as to how he has
to handle it. And for that tremendous amount of
mental preparation is necessary. And above all
else a lot of attitude and grooming is required
to face an interview. Those are the things that
are highlighted in this review. But throughout
the review we have mentioned the candidate to be
a male but that doesn’t mean any kind of
biasing.
A
Successful Interviewee
A candidate who goes through an interview
becomes successful not when he is selected for
the job but when he is satisfied with his
performance. Performance is not a situation
where all questions have been answered but a
state of mind where there is a satisfaction for
having done what one thought of doing. This
is possible only when one has put in that extra
effort to perform. He should walk out of the
interview room after his session with an
attitude that says that if the company does not
appoint me they are surely going to be the
losers. But off course, if one is put in all
possible efforts one has no chance to regret.
How to prepare for an interview?
Any performance becomes successful when
the performer prepares for it. Conscious efforts
have to be taken to impress upon a group of
people, that the candidate is the best possible
choice. This is possible when he feels confident
to project himself as the best.
Physical Aspects
They say first impression is the best
impression. Dressing neatly, combing the hair as
it suits the face (never change your usual style
if its neat enough), some necessary additional
accessories would add up to the personality.
Therefore, he should take care to present
himself with the personality that’ll influence
the interviewer.
Intellectual Aspects
An interviewee has to have a minimum level of
intellectual exhibition to impress upon the
interviewer that he is capable intellectually of
interacting with others. One has to show his
cognitive resources to the employer ultimately.
But showing doesn’t mean exaggeration. It only
asks for the interviewers to measure and assess
various aspects of his intellectual capacity and
decide whether he fits into the scheme of
things. Therefore one has to become
intellectually active by reading, studying and
discussing various things that might prop up in
the interview.
Emotions
There is nothing wrong if the candidate is a bit
nervous because it is a moment of test which
will result either in success or in failure. But
whenever he is nervous he is under a certain
amount of emotional disturbance and hence, will
not be able to maintain the composure needed to
answer different types of questions that will be
shot at him. Hence, he has to believe that he
will surely get the job and that should this job
not come his way, there will be plenty others. A
sense of desperation can totally destroy
confidence. Even when a candidate fails to give
the right answer, he should say sorry and await
the next question with the hope to answer it. If
he has known himself and has a strong
self-esteem, it makes his job easy, that is to
be composed.
5 Golden policies to be strictly followed
1. Primarily, one should believe that
honesty is the best policy. An interviewee who
would try to lie or pretend is sure to be caught
through cross questioning. And his dishonesty
once established becomes not only a discredit
but an embarrassment by which even the
succeeding questions cannot be answered. When
one is truthful he doesn’t have to make
efforts to remember what was said earlier.
Honesty exhibits a great deal of authenticity.
2. An important and integral policy to be
followed is to be courageous. He has to be
courageous enough to tell the interviewer the he
does not know the answer. This not only
impressed the interviewers but also makes the
person get relieved of the tension of not
knowing and its consequences.
3. He should have a good sociable
language. He should be able to use words like
’thank you’,’please’,’excuse
me’ and ’sorry’ wherever necessary. This
creates a relationship between the interviewers
and there is a level of trust that starts
working.
4. One has to avoid getting involved with
controversies, especially those concerning
communal or political subjects. An interviewee
has to choose a mid path so that there is no
conflict between him and his interviewer.
5. More important than what has been said
above, is the need not to act very friendly
while care is taken to be sociable. It is
possible that the interviewers are very friendly
but an interviewee has to remain serious and a
sort of distance has to be maintained so as not
to say or do something that may seem to be up
coming in a future employee.
Thus, preparation
for an interview is as important as the
interview in itself and that is what is
highlighted out here.
Seven
Ways to Impress
-
Be
a good listener.
Let your interviewer know that you're
listening attentively by nodding, using
facial expressions that make you look
interested, leaning towards the interviewer,
picking up on key words they've used and
asking them to expand on subjects that
genuinely interest you. But never interrupt
your interviewer.
-
Be
honest.
If you don't understand a question, ask for
an explanation. If you're faced with
something you really can't deal with, be
truthful about it - it's more impressive
than pretending to have the answer to
everything. Use get-out phrases like 'that's
something I'd need time to think about' or
'that's outside my present experience' to
give yourself a bit of a breather.
-
Be
consistent.
Many interviewers ask the same things in
different ways as a means of checking you
out. Listen to yourself as well as to them.
If you feel you've made a mistake, put
things right by saying, 'going back to what
I said earlier about...what I really meant
was...'
-
Avoid
the temptation to talk too much.
If there are awkward silences when you've
finished saying what you want, don't fill
them with nervous chatter. Some interviewers
use silence to see how you'll react. Pass
the lead back to them by pleasantly saying:
'Does that answer your question?' Also,
stick to providing the answer requested -
don't inundate the interviewer with
information they don't need.
-
Be
aware of your body language.
Stillness is reassuring and fidgeting is a
distraction. Looking your interviewer in the
eye is essential, but don't overdo it - take
your cues from the interviewer. A smile sets
everyone at ease, but a constant grin is
unnerving. Try to sit up straight. Leaning
forward makes you appear attentive and
enthusiastic - being slumped conveys
boredom.
-
Be
positive.
Even if your last job was the pits, if asked
for your reasons for leaving, don't let a
negative word pass your lips. Never say
anything unfavorable about your colleagues,
boss or job - it'll just make you look bad.
Instead, say: 'I genuinely enjoyed my last
job, but I'm eager to move onto a different
challenge and use the skills I've gained'.
Then, impress them even more by stating how
those skills match the job you're after.
-
If
you're not asked about something that you
feel is important, raise the subject
yourself. This is your one chance to sell
yourself, so don't waste the opportunity
Confidence +
communication = Fit for BPO
Best
of luck
BPOavenues.com Team
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