It’s that time of the year again. Summer placement interviews are upon you. Doesn’t it seem like just yesterday that you started b-school? And now you’re thrown into the deep end, expected to know everything from making stellar resumes to presenting a polished front at interviews. Seems daunting right? But wait, it’s not that difficult. We spoke to quite a few MBA graduates from different sectors to figure out what you need to focus on during summer interviews. In fact, these tips are so apt, they can be used when you’re interviewing for any position in life! Let’s get right into it.Before we dive in though, if you want domain-specific prep for summer internships, check out these courses on our sister site Konversations.com:Okay, now let’s talk about 2 aspects that you need to nail when you’re preparing for your interviews.
Resume Preparation
Company Research
Resume Preparation
A recruiter looks at hundreds of resumes during placement season – it is up to you to ensure that yours is the one to get noticed. The video shows how you can make your resume stand out. Also, dig deeper into your resume with the second video and avoid some of the common mistakes candidates make while preparing resumes. Pay attention to what the HR professional from Reliance Industries Limited mentions – it’s a good insight into how recruiters think.
Key Takeaways:
Your CV can have mentions of unique skills and talents that you possess.
Be truthful and ensure that you convey relevant information in your CV.
DON'T lie in interviews.
Use short and succinct sentences.
Avoid bad grammar.
Recruiters may get between 3000- 10,000 applications annually.
What makes you special on your resume?
The CV should have your own unique stamp.
You can try and create a resume not subscribing to the guidelines set by Placecom. After discussing it with them of course.
What are the cool things you've done in life? Mention those on your CV.
All your achievements need to be presented in logical clusters on your CV.
What is the big message you want the employer to remember, just from your CV?
Use the position-challenge-impact format to write down your work experience in the CV.
Follow this format when highlighting your extracurricular activities.
Add the value of your work in the form of impact.
While creating an excellent resume is possible with some hard work and attention to detail, we are prone to make some common mistakes too. What are some of the common mistakes that you must avoid? Check out this video to find out!
Key Takeaways:
Avoid putting generic, surface-level information on your CV.
Don't keep the unique, awesome stuff about yourself for your interview. Put it in your CV!
You will NEED to create separate resumes for finance, marketing, consulting, et al., if you are applying for these set of companies.
Only include points in your CV that you can back with proof and knowledge.
Create a formal, custom email ID for your job applications.
Write points starting with a verb and in the passive voice: 'Led a team of 10 to win the Rise Challenge'.
Your name is always the title of the CV. NOT CV or RESUME.
Use "justify" formatting on all the lines on your CV. It needs to look pretty too!
Preferred CV format by recruiters? PDF. Unless placecom specifically asks for a Word Document.
Making a stellar resume will ensure you get an interview call. So what's next? Let’s find out how to go to that interview confidently with know-how about the company as well.
Company Research
Imagine going for an interview and knowing next to nothing about the company itself. You are sure to fail that interview! Knowing details about the company you interview with, is hygiene. The video below is a checklist on what to prepare for each company/sector.
Timeline: This needs to be done before you start making your resume. Why? Because different companies have different requirements. The best thing to do? Shortlist a few company names you'd really, truly like to work with. Next figure out what job/ position you wish to hold in that company. Now, craft your resume while focusing on points relevant to the job and the company. Best time to do this? Right now amigo!Key Takeaways:
You must research a company thoroughly before you decide to join.
Researching a company before applying shows your sincerity to yourself, your goals and eventually the company.
Part I of company research is encyclopedic, filled with facts and figures about the company.
This involves going through the company website, annual reports and balance sheets, etc.
This also involves how the company is represented in the media and checking out its website.
Part II of company research deals with the internal operations of a company.
Get in touch with college seniors connected to the company, suppliers or vendors, current employees, or even people who work with competition via your own network.
Try to understand how the company operates and what traits are valued.
You can carry out company research using TRADITIONAL resources like newspapers.
Read international publications like The Economist, WSJ, Financial Times, The New York Times, to gain a global, well-rounded point of view.
Make use of DIGITAL media too.
Follow interesting pages or groups on Facebook, organizing your Twitter feed, following relevant handles that give you the pulse of a sector online.
Follow blogs like Y Combinator to keep apace within the world of startups.
Ensure that you are confident about the company you are applying to by doing appropriate research.
Best of luck for your summer placement interviews!