Recently one of my clients asked me to conduct interviews for the post of accountant in their company. I interacted with lots of individuals to find the suitable ones for the job. There were CA Inters, Commerce graduates and MBAs who came for the interview. Of all the 25-30 candidates I interviewed, I only found 2-3 suitable ones.
Following are my observations which are applicable to everyone who goes for an interview:
1. Come prepared: There were people who didn't even know the TDS Rates, GST rates. I mean to say when you go for an interview atleast learn about the rates. Some people came for an interview as if they had come for a walk in the park. In every organization, you will need to work with TDS on a daily basis. You need not be expert in it, but atleast you should know the basics. Its not a big task to give your 10-15 minutes on just reading the rates before you coming for an interview.
2. Read about the company: When you apply to a certain company then should atleast read about the basic information about that company. Its not necessary to learn the names of directors, but you must have the knowledge about the basic structure of the company. E.g. If its a construction company then what kind of tax provisions will be applicable on it, or if its some dealer then what will be the GST rates on the products that it is selling.
3. Don't write lies in the resume: I interacted with many people who had shown about 3-4 years experience yet they were not even aware of the basics. Its very easy to catch such people. If you have worked in a particular software then you should be aware about the basics of operating it. The person who is taking the interview doesn't want you to be an expert in the field.
4. There is no shame in being a fresher: You can be a fresher but if you have read about the basics then there wont be much problem to a get a job. Everyone starts as a fresher. Yes, you wont get much salary initially, but if you are eager of learn then you will get a good growth. Don't expect a red carpet being a fresher. You will have to create your identity; show what you are capable of.
5. Be punctual: Once you are called for an interview at a particular time then you should be there on time. If you get some urgency then you should call the company and tell them to arrange the interview at some other time. Every organization wants disciplined people.
6. Don't make grammatical errors in the resume: Yes, it does create a big impression. Your resume is the only known source of yourself that is with an interviewer. Nobody wants to look at the design of your resume, but unnecessary spelling errors, grammatical errors do create a wrong impression. Spell check in MS WORD solve all the problems. Just simple words which can be clearly understood are enough to get your resume short listed.
Friends, everybody knows that there is a problem of unemployment in our country. So you need to stand out to make yourself count. Follow these points, these are basics to get a job. You cant curse the luck just because you were not prepared to take the opportunity. There are many deserving candidates who are looking for an opportunity which you are getting. Just don't waste even a single chance.
All the best!
CAclubindia
