Q:I have cleared the Prelims and Mains of the civil services exam but am very nervous about the interview. I feel this will be my biggest stumbling block. Can you give me some tips on how to prepare for this final hurdle?

Piyali Sen

A:The interview stage of the civil services exam can make even the most meritorious student jittery. As you must be aware, candidates shortlisted for the interview are usually twice the number of seats available. So the competition is stiff. But if you are prepared, there is no need to panic.

The interview carries 300 marks and the board usually grills the interviewee for 15-45 minutes. They have your resume and career record at hand based on which you can expect six major questions to be fired at you. Questions that can spring from your bio-data could be regarding the meaning of your name, surname, date and place of birth, or any related historical, political, cultural event or personality.

Secondly, you will be tested on your academic background and your choice of optional subject in the mains. Brush up on current affairs about your state, your hobbies and job experience, if any.

The written test has already tested your knowledge base. What remains to be evaluated is your personality and convictions. The interview stage is essentially about ?you?.

Here are some dos and don?ts: Don?t speak in long convoluted preambles. Be logical, consistent and rational without making sweeping, generalised statements. Defend what you say with due respect to the views of the board and avoid using clich?s and technical jargon. Putting on an accent is an absolute no no.

Don?t get perturbed if the board interrupts your answer or differs with your point of view. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer and include all board members in the conversation.

Banks on the prowl for talent

Q: What qualifications are required to join private sector banks?

Debraj Dasgupta

A:Today, private sector banks are set to become one of the most aggressive recruiters. ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, UTI Bank, IDBI Bank, IndusInd Bank and Centurion Bank have been on a hiring binge to support fresh business plans and expand their branch network.

Typically, a good MBA degree or a CA with excellent communication skills is the desired qualification for jobs in marketing, financial consulting, bank operations and management in the new-generation banks. Some, like UTI, even hire agriculture graduates to boost their agri-sector lending. The routine back-office jobs are increasingly outsourced.

Some international banks like Amex or ABN AMRO recruit fresh graduates with good communication skills and the ability to handle numerical data.

Valuable tips for tech graduates

Q: My batchmates and I will be finishing BTech this year. Could you give some tips to students like us looking for jobs?

Prodipto Sarkar

A:The job market is fairly upbeat right now ? particularly in the IT and technology sector. Here are some tips for final year engineering students or recent graduates from veterans who?ve managed to land plum jobs:

First of all, decide whether you wish to go for a job in your particular branch of engineering or for a software job. If you are not sure, you?ll have to prepare and apply for both types of jobs. There are a fair number of jobs in technical companies.

Information about jobs in government undertakings like BHEL, NTPC, DRDO etc can be found in Employment News. Some of these companies ask for more than 70 per cent in BTech.

You can also post your CV on jobsites like www.timesjobs.com, www.naukri.com or www.monsterindia.com.

Tests for jobs in technical fields definitely require you to have a thorough knowledge of the major subjects of your branch, so make sure you have brushed up on your basics.

The other option is to take the GATE and pursue a masters degree in your area of interest at an IIT to upgrade your qualifications ? particularly if you wish to go into R&D or academics.

For software/hardware jobs, learn your C/C++. Object-oriented Programming in Turbo C++ by Robert Laffore and Let us C are popular with beginners. Those interested in networking/VLSI, etc will have to be thorough in those areas. Many students also manage to pack in some Java in between their third and fourth years.

If you want to improve your skills for the written tests, go through maths books by R.S. Aggarwal and Summers or Shakuntala Devi?s Maths Puzzles (Orient paperback) thoroughly.

Don?t worry too much about the group discussion (GD). Software companies essentially want people with logical/analytical skills, although good communication skills are always a great asset.

Do not let the interview panel spend too much time on the extra-curricular stuff. Try to bring the discussion around to your area of strengths like your summer project, your paper presentations, subjects you are keen on, etc.

On the other hand, if you are looking at the MBA option, then you need to prepare seriously for group discussion and interview.