Experience as a panel member in a fresher’s Interview

Off and then people are blaming corporate that they are not hiring freshers. When you see us from the other side, you will see a different story.

Just a day ago I was in a Interview panel hiring a civil engineer and the saga begins like this:

We called him from a known source. It already gives him a comfort level. Instead of narrating it as a story. I want to put it the way it happened so that you understand what went through and what we are trying to convey.

Mr XYZ came for the interview for the position of graduate engineer trainee.

After the routine set of question for introduction to make him comfortable.

Q: Since you have said your brother is an electronics engineer, why have you taken civil engineering?

XYZ: My parents wanted me to take civil engineering

Q: What did you like in civil engineering??

XYZ: I am passionate about building design.

Q: Tell me about you final year project

XYZ: Design of Ground+4 building using ETAB

Q: what is ETAB?

XYZ: Extended three dimensional analysis…… (dint complete it)

Q: What do you do with ETAB?

XYZ: analysis of structures

Q: What is your favourite subject in civil engg?

XYZ: Structures

Q: What is important in structure?

XYZ: Blank..

Q : Is there any bending movement involved?

Xyz: yes.. (No explanation)

Q: What is the formula for bending movement?

XYZ: silent for 30 seconds. Utters a word torsion

Q: what is torsion?

XYZ: Blank

Q: What does the career objective mean to you?

Xyz: Blank

 Please have a look at the career objective

Questioning myself:  he dint even take 10 minutes of his time to correct the career objective)

Q: coming back to your college project, did you participate while doing it? Or any consultancy helped?

XYZ: No, we were guided by the consultancy

Q: Why dint you answer anything related to your project?

XYZ: I was not feeling well. I forgot.

Q: How can you forget things which you learned 3 months before?

XYZ: blank

If this is the way the interview goes. How the interviewer will say YES to you.

To say YES!! The interviewer looks at

• Technical Skills
• The way you present yourself

How to present your technical skills in an Interview..Coming soon!