Interview - Preparation, Presentation and Attitude.

An interview is a conversation between you and the employer that decides whether you get the job or not.

Among all other things that decide the outcome of an interview, the 3 most important things that i have come to believe is that no matter what you are experiencing at an interview, speak with empathy, clarity and good intentions.

Basic preparation for any interview:

• Keep your General knowledge up to date.
• If you are applying for a company by mail, make sure that you are adding a brief description about what the mail is about and how you have come to know about the company. remember to add the "thanking you" part in the letter.
• You can try your shot at job sites like naukri.com, monster.com...
• Decide to take a job only if you have no plans of higher-studies immediately. Its better to get education completed at one shot than giving a break to continue it later. In some cases it will be extremely difficult to get back to you branch of study and then write a qualifying exam to get into higher education.
• Try you hand at reasoning, qualitative, quanitative, technical and general questions in the order mentioned. Reasoning is the most important, because all companies need a guy who can reason or relate to a given situation at the time of need.

Preparation before the interview:

• Make a thorough study of the company.
• Go through the companys Website, Facebook page, YouTube videos, Blogs because it gives an idea about the overview of the company, peoples responses, turnover, products and all relevent details.
• Check for reviews, competitors and subscribers of the company.
• Check for any recent ventures that have made a huge news in the market.
• Keep 5 copies of your UPDATED resume. Make sure that there are no spelling mistakes. Make sure that all the dates are accurate. Make sure that all entities like abbreviations are explained within the resume.
• Find the companies location way ahead of the interview. Make sure you can reach the interview on time.
• Take a blank sheet and a pen with you to the interview.
• Keep your certificates in the most relevant order.
• Put on a tie only if its a multi-national company and you get news that your friends also are putting on a tie. for most people a tie can be really irritating. For some it can be a distracting during an interview, so i suggest that you carry one and decide later on right before the interview.
• Pray to the God and take blessings/wishes of your elders/dear ones.

Things to keep in mind while preparing for an interview:

• Put on a full shirt, comb your hair, relax.
• First Impression matters
• Presentation matters!
• Be preparted to tell him about yourself.
• Its okay to delay an answer as long as you give the interviewer a correct answer.
• Have a good night rest on the day previous to the interview. Your mind needs to be fresh and ready to take on any kind of a challenge.
• An interview is not a competion, its an opportunity to flirt ;)
• If possible, try sitting next to the employer instead of sitting behind a table separating the both of you. A table creates a barrier and makes the two of you un-easy while using gestures.

During an interview:

• Enter the interview room with a feeling of already having cleared the interview.
• Greet the employer with a "Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening" with a smile when you first meet the employer. Make sure the greeting meets the time of the day.
• Try to match the tone of the interviewer.
• Smile back if an employer smiles at you. 
• Its okay to ask the interviewer to repeat a certain question.
• Avoid repeating details during answering a question.
• Avoid words like "obviously" during the interview.
• Sit in the right posture, sit straight, keep your feet straight (do not cross your feet), keep your hands where he can see them (keeping them on your foot is not good when you are using gestures). Do not keep your hand on a desk in front of you. If you are carrying a large bag keep it under the table next to you, and not on the table.
• Maintain good eye contact but do not stare at the interviewer.
• When asked for a very descriptive question, make sure you impress while you express.
• Imagine yourself at the interview on the day before the interview, and picture yourself answering questions confidently.
• Try to relate what you know about the company, when answering questions.  When discussing your career accomplishments, match them to what the company is looking for.

After the interviewer looks pleased with your answers:

• Enquire about the different posts offered, pay scale and opportunities in each post.
• Make sure you thank the interviewer for the opportunity.
• Leave a copy of your resume at the company for future references.