Campus placements can be probably the most exciting and nerve-racking time of your B-School experience. This is the point that decides how you will move forward in your career. Will you get a good job? Will your dream company be part of the MBA campus placement drive? Are you prepared to put your best foot forward?
If you are nearing the end of your last year, you are likely to have come across questions. While preparing for the placement season does sound overwhelming to many, you can ace it by starting in advance.
To ensure you leave no stone unturned to prepare for this d-day, we have put together simple tips and tricks that will help you prepare for MBA campus placement. These tips are divided into two parts: A. Pre-interview & B., during the interview. Let’s get started.
- Pre-interview
1. Stand out with an Effective Resume
Recruiters are very particular when it comes to the contents of a resume. So, ensure yours is a page long and includes concise information about your education, skills, certifications, and work experience.
Once your draft is ready, double-check its contents by reviewing one more time; you can run it by your teachers or seniors. Don’t forget to incorporate their feedback and get a step closer to submitting to a flawless resume.
2. Brush up your Basics
Before a face-to-face interview, companies often schedule an aptitude test round to select a pool of prospective applicants. The purpose of this round is to determine whether you will qualify for the final interview.
To ensure you can excel in this round, we recommend researching common questions a company asks in an aptitude test. The topics include quant, logical reasoning, and data interpretation, and so on.
3. Make Practice Your Bestfriend
Generally, students spend most of their time being thoroughly-informed about their domain. While this is necessary, it is not the only prerequisite to crack a job interview. Interviewers will evaluate your performance based on different factors.
Hence, you should be prepared to answer every type of question without feeling lost. You can practice with a person who has attended interviews before and ask him to offer constructive feedback.
4. Prepare Basic FAQs
In every interview, there will be a set of common questions. You can collate a list of such interview questions, including technical and non-technical, and prepare unique answers. Some of the non-technical ones include:
- Introduce yourself
- Describe yourself using three words
- What motivates you?
- What are your Strengths/ Weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
- Are you a team player?
- Why should we hire you?
Also, don’t forget to go through the industry type and companies you want to interview at. Make sure you are familiar with the company’s history, services, competitors, challenges, and USPs. By being thoroughly informed, you will be able to answer all questions and create a good impression on your prospective employers.
5. Improve your group discussion skills
Just like the aptitude round, you are likely to be part of a group discussion as well. Here, the employers want to assess how well you communicate, listen, convey your thoughts, and find out if you are well-versed in the topic.
Again, to perform well in this round, you need to practice day in and day out. Call your group of friends, make one of them the judge, and decide on a topic. While you are part of such a discussion, focus on:
- Being a good listener
- Speaking clearly and to the point
- Being confident while speaking
- Reading about current affairs
- Work on Your Soft Skills
Since this is an MBA campus placement drive, almost every candidate applying for the job is bound to have a similar resume – the same degree and certifications. So, how do you stand out? Your soft skills can be the answer to this question.
These traits are the ones that determine how well you work within a team, whether you can communicate effectively, stress management, time management, and others. While you are trying to be an expert when it comes to your domain, don’t forget to work on your interpersonal skills.
- During the Interview
7. Punctuality Counts
Did you know that being late for an interview shows you don’t pay attention to important details and do not value others’ time? We are certain you do not want to create this impression while trying to get a job.
Whether you have a scheduled aptitude test, group discussion, or even personal interview, make sure you reach the venue at least 30 minutes in advance.
8. Ace the Personal Interview
This is the make it or break it point of your interview. Your well-designed resume, common questions you prepared for, domain knowledge, and interpersonal skills will now be put under strict scrutiny.
Now, is the time to show your interviewers all you have learned in your MBA program, and portray that you are ready for that role or internship.
9. Remain calm – Maintain Good Body Language & Appropriate Eye Contact
The placement season is likely to make you anxious and even question your knowledge at times. However, to get closer to working with your dream company, train your mind to focus and not to fret. By following our tips daily, you will be prepared and not feel worried till the last minute. One way to prepare without getting overwhelmed is by practicing regularly.
During your face-to-face interview, make sure you listen to the questions carefully and collect your thoughts and answer. Remember, this time is not to judge how fast you can answer but the quality of your answers.
10. Convert internships to placement offers
If you are signing up for an internship, you might have thought, “how to turn this into a full-time job?” The best way to do this is by putting your heart and soul into it. If you are a smart and dedicated worker, your employer will recognize it.
Other than that, you can stay in touch with the recruiter, build a network, and establish trust. So, if the company does not have an open position for you right away, it will contact you whenever a relevant job role comes up.
Conclusion
There you have it – actionable tips that will help you ace the placement season at your MBA college. Our tips and tricks will be the most effective only when you follow them diligently. So, start now, practice regularly, and we are sure you will get recruited by one of the leading organizations. All the best!