Preparing for Interview - A planned approach

Preparation for the CS Interview can be a tricky subject. Some feel that no preparation is required as it is just a personality test. Some feel a details mugging of all issues important on taht day is required. Some are finicky about dress code, some on presentation, some about content, and some about everything under the sun. Every person has a different view.

We end up reading the experience who had been toppers. They may not have scored well in the interview at all, but we still take them seriously. I know quite a few toppers, who had a double digit score in the interview but still were in first ten! There are quite a few who scored 225+ and only due to that landed in top ten. So we have to be careful as to whom we are listening.

I feel that Personality test - as it is called - can be broken down to basic identifiable items upon which we can work and improve. I will put some key points here.

What are the things that trigger a question in the mind of the INterview board? Ans: The elements in their immediate view. What are these elements? Ans: First the candidate himself/herself, second his back ground record as revealed from the mains application form, third important events that have happened in last few months or are in news currently and lastly words taht we use in our answers to teh board. Can we identify these triggers? Ans: Yes to large extent. By doing so we can be very well prepared for about 85-90% of the questions. How does this help? Ans: By preparing well on these triggers, we can also work on their presentation as well so as to avoid giving unnecessary triggers through our answers or positively giving triggers that will lead the baord to our familiar territory.

For example, my date of birth coincides with that of Mother Teresa. I had prepared on the controversies surrounding Mother Teresa. There were about 2 main questions and about 3 supplementaries on that.

Practically speaking we can sit with our mains application form. and write down each and every word that we have written in that form separately on a separate page of a register. Having done that, then list questions that can be asked, with that word acting as a trigger. Refine the list by sitting with few friends. You will have a list of about 300-400 questions. Start preparing on their content and work on their presentation to keep it crispy and meaningfull. Similarly we can work on other triggers and try avoid giving unnecessary triggers in our answers.

In this manner we can prepare for the interview. This is one of the approaches that stood very well for me. I found that during the mock interviews at vajirams and elsewhere and also in the final show at UPSC, about 80-85% questions were within the range of my preparation. About rest upon which i was not well prepared i declined to answer in acceptable way. Although i had left lot to desire on preparation, i still scored about 170 with a really tough board.

This is one way, but there may other effective ways. Suggestion and counterviews welcome