Interview
intelligence
WHAT are the personality traits that enable a candidate to face the civil services interview successfully? Amritsar-based Rachita Bhandari, a topper in this year’s civil services exam, offers some tips. What preparation did you make for the interview? "No specific preparation could be done for the interview. But I took some tips from a coaching centre in Delhi, which was familiar with the trends of the past interviews. What matters the most is your debating and public speaking experience. Since I had been participating in extempore public speaking contests during school and college days, it helped me develop confidence. "Honesty and conviction about your ability to answer a variety of questions helps a great deal in facing the interviews. What were the main questions you were asked? "Surprisingly, the panel interviewing me asked nothing relating to my biodata. The questions revolved mostly around the telecom policies of the country, Telephone Regulatory Authority of India, the relevance of the Department of Telecom and the communication revolution in the country. Besides, questions about the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the governance of local self-governments, especially the functioning of counties in the UK, were asked. Any tricky/unexpected questions and how did you handle them? "One tricky question was: what would I do if I received illegal tenders from the Chief Minister? I said I would not accept the tenders but would request the Chief Minister to send a written note for floating the tenders.
"Thankfully, I had read about the SARBANES-Oxley Law passed by the USA in 2002 in connection with the Enron power corporation going bankrupt. This law was enacted for corporate governance of major MNCs to protect the interest of stakeholders. What kind of body language creates a good impression and what must one avoid? "One has to be natural and maintain a balanced and cool demeanour. Simplicity blended with confidence helps. One must avoid being oversmart and should not confront the panelists with overexuberance and enthusiasm. Any tips for students aspiring for the IAS? "Be open, frank and honest as you are facing highly educated professionals with a wide range of experience. There is no shortcut to success. It is your will to succeed which help you in getting into the highly prestigious civil services."
|
||||
|
|
"An unexpected
question was about the new corporate governance law passed by the USA.
