Tips on interviews and Group Discussions

1. In a group discussion what should my objectives

be and how should I achieve them?
2. Is it wise to take a strongest and either in
avour or against the topic right at the start o a
Group Discussion ?
!. Is it a good strategy to try and be the irst
speaker on the topic in a GD?
". In an interview how does one handle the #uestion
$Tell us about yoursel?$.
%. Is it better to have a longer selection
interview or a shorter one?
&. In the '() entrance interview how do I justiy
my decision to pursue the '() programme?
In a group discussion what should my objectives be
and how should I achieve them?
In order to succeed at any unstructured group
discussion* you must deine what your objective in the
group is. ) good deinition o your objective is + to
be
seen to have contributed meaningully in an attempt
to achieve the right consensus.
The key words in this deinition are ,seen,*
,meaningully,* and ,attempt,. -et us understand what
each o these imply in terms o action points .
The irst implication is that merely making a
meaningul contribution in an attempt to achieve
consensus is not enough. /ou have to be seen by the
evaluator to have made a meaningul contribution in
an attempt to build the right consensus.
In other words you must ensure that you are heard
by the group. I the group hears you so will the
evaluator. /ou must get at least some airtime. I you
are
not a very assertive person you will have to simply
learn to be assertive or those 1% minutes. I you get
cowed down easily in an aggressive group* you can
say goodbye to the business school admission.
'any GD participants oten complain that they did
not get a chance to speak. The act o the matter is
that in no GD do you get a chance to speak. /ou
have to make your chances.
The second important implication is that making
just any sort o contribution is not enough. /our
contribution has to be meaningul.
) meaningul contribution suggests that you have a
good knowledge base* are able to structure arguments
logically and are a good communicator. These
are #ualities that are desired by all evaluators.
'any GD participants eel that the way to succeed
in a GD is by speaking re#uently* or a long time and
loudly. This is not true. The #uality o what you
say is more important than the #uantity. Don,t be
demorali0ed i you eel you have not spoken enough. I
you have spoken sense and have been heard* even
i only or a short time* it is usually good
enough. /ou must have substance in your arguments.
Thereore* think things through careully.
)lways enter the room with a piece o paper and a
pen. In the irst two minutes jot down as many ideas
as you can. It pays to think laterally. 1verybody else
will state the obvious. 2an you state something
dierent? 2an you take the group ahead i it is stuck
at one point? 2an you take it in a resh and more
relevant direction? /ou may like to dissect the
topic and go into the underlying causes or into the
results.
3ne way o deciding what sort o contribution is
meaningul at what point o time is to ollow two
simple rules. 4irst* in times o chaos a person who
restores order to the group is appreciated. /our
level o participation in a ish market kind o
scenario can be low* but your degree o inluence must
never
be low. In other words you must make positive
contributions every time you speak and not speak or
the sake o speaking. The second rule is applicable
when the group is loundering. In this situation a
person who provides a resh direction to the group is
given credit.
The third implication is that you must be clearly
seen to be attempting to build a consensus. 5obody
e6pects a group o ten people* all with dierent
points
o view on a controversial subject to actually
achieve a consensus. (ut did you make the attempt to
build a consensus?
The reason why an attempt to build a consensus is
important is because in most work situations you will
have to work with people in a team* accept joint
responsibilities and take decisions as a group. /ou
must demonstrate the act that you are capable and
inclined to work as part o a team.
7hat are the ways that you can try to build
consensus?
4irst* you must not just talk* you should also
listen. /ou must reali0e that other people also may
have valid points to make. /ou should not only try to
persuade other people to your point o view* but
also come across as a person who has an open mind and
appreciates the valid points o others.
/ou must try and resolve contradictions and
arguments o others in the group. /ou must synthesi0e
arguments and try and achieve a uniied position in
the
group. Try to think o the various arguments o
your,s and others, as parts o a jigsaw pu00le or as
building blocks o a larger argument or or against
the
topic.
Try and lay down the boundaries or the area o the
discussion at the beginning. Discuss what the group
should discuss beore actually beginning your
discussion. This will at least ensure that everyone
is talking about the same thing.
Try and summari0e the discussion at the end. In the
summary do not merely restate your point o view8 also
accommodate dissenting viewpoints. I the
group did not reach a consensus* say so in your
summary.
/ou must carry people with you. 9o do not get
emotional* shout* invade other people,s private space.
Do not bang your ist on the table e6cept in e6treme
circumstances.
I you have spoken and you notice that someone else
has tried to enter the discussion on a number o
occasions and has not had the chance to do so maybe
you could give him a chance the ne6t time he tries.
(ut do not oer a chance to anyone who is not trying
to speak. :e may not have anything to say at that
point and you will just end up looking oolish.
The surest way o antagoni0ing others in the GD as
well as the e6aminer is to appoint yoursel as a de
acto chairperson o the group. Do not try to impose a
system whereby everyone gets a chance to speak in
turn. ) GD is meant to be a ree lowing discussion.
-et it proceed naturally. Do not ever try to take a
vote on the topic. ) vote is no substitute or
discussion.
Do not address only one or two persons when
speaking. 'aintain eye contact with as many members o
the group as possible. This will involve others in
what you are saying and increase your chances o
carrying them with you. Do this even i you are
answering a speciic point raised by one person.
3ne last point. /ou must not agree with another
participant in the group merely or the sake o
achieving consensus. I you disagree* say so. /ou are
not
there to attempt to build just any consensus. /ou
have to attempt to build the right consensus.
T3;
Is it wise to take a strong stand either in avour
or against the topic right at the start o a Group
Discussion ?
In theory yes. I you believe something why
shouldn,t you say so? I we are convinced about
something our natural response is to say so
emphatically.
:owever in practice what is likely to happen i you
take a very strong and dogged stance right at the
beginning o the interview is that you will antagonise
the people in the group who disagree with you and
will be unable to carry them with you and convince
them o the validity o your argument. 7e thereore
recommend that ater you hear the topic you think
about it or a minute with an open mind and note down
the major issues that come to your mind. Don,t
jump to any conclusions. Instead arrive at a stand
in your own mind ater e6amining all the issues in a
balanced manner. 3nly then begin to speak. )nd
when you do so outline the major issues irst and
only then state your stand. In other words give the
justiication irst and the stand later. I you were
to state
your stand irst chances are that the others in the
group who disagree with your stand will interrupt to
contradict you beore you can elaborate on the
reasons why you have taken that stance. In this
situation the evaluator will only get an impression o
what you think and not how you think. <emember you
are being evaluated on how you think and not what
you think.
T3;
Is it a good strategy to try and be the irst
speaker on the topic in a GD?
In most GD,s the opening speaker is the person who
is likely to get the ma6imum uninterrupted airtime.
The reason is simple + at the start most other
participants in the GD are still trying to
understand the basic issues in the topic* or are too
nervous to speak and are waiting or someone else to
start.
Thereore the evaluators get the best chance to
observe the opening speaker. 5ow this is a double
edged sword. I the opening speaker talks sense
naturally
he will get credit because he opened and took the
group in the right direction. I on the other hand the
irst speaker doesn,t have too much sense to say* he
will attract the undivided attention o the
evaluators to his shortcomings. :e will be marked as a
person who speaks without thinking merely or the sake
o
speaking. )s someone who leads the group in the
wrong direction and does not make a positive
contribution to the group.
9o remember speaking irst is a high risk high
return strategy. It can make or mar your GD
perormance depending how you handle it. 9peak irst
only i
you have something sensible to say. 3therwise keep
shut and let someone else start.
T3;
In an interview how does one handle the #uestion
$Tell us about yoursel?$.
)n oten asked opening #uestion. ;erhaps the most
re#uently asked #uestion across interviews. /our
opening statement needs to be a summary o your
goals* overall proessional capabilities*
achievements* background =educational and amily>*
strengths* proessional objectives and anything about
your
personality that is relevant and interesting. This
#uestion represents an opportunity to lead the
interviewer in the direction you want him to go e.g.*
your
speciality or whatever else you may wish to
highlight.
/our intention should be to try to subtly convince
the interviewers that you are a good candidate* you
have proved that in the past* and have a personality
that its the re#uirement.
<emember that the irst impression you create will
go a long way in the ultimate selection. ?eep in mind*
most candidates who are asked this #uestion just
blurt out their schooling* college* marks and
#ualiications. )ll this is already there in the 2@.
7hy tell the interviewer something he already knows?
) inal word on approaching this #uestion. 3nce you
have said what you have to say + shut up. Don,t drone
on or the sake o speaking or you just might
say something oolish. 9ometimes interviewers don,t
interrupt in order to give the candidate the
impression that he has not spoken enough. This is just
a
stress inducing tactic. Don,t all or it* i you
eel you have spoken enough. In case the pause gets
too awkward or you just add something like* $Is there
something speciic that you wish to know about me?$
T3;
Is it better to have a longer selection interview
or a shorter one?
The length o an interview in no way is an
indicator o how well an interview went. This is
especially so when there are a number o candidates to
be
interviewed or e6ample in the civil services
interview or the '() entrance interview. In the past a
number o candidates have reported varying lengths o
interviews. 5othing positive or negative should be
read into this. )n interview is only a device whereby
the panel seeks inormation about the candidate.
Inormation that will help the panel decide whether
or not the candidate should be selected. I the panel
eels that it has gathered enough inormation
about the candidate in 1% minutes o the interview
commencing and that it has no urther #uestions to ask
the interview will be terminated in 1% minutes.
I on the other hand the panel takes an hour to
gather the inormation re#uired to take a decision the
interview will last or an hour. In either case the
decision could be positive or negative. It is a
allacy to believe that interview panels take longer
interviews o candidates whom they are more interested
in.
5o panel likes to waste its time. I an interview
is lasting longer than usual then it only means that
the panel is seeking more inormation about the
candidate in order to take a decision.
T3;
In the '() entrance interview how do I justiy my
decision to pursue the '() programme?
7hen you are asked this or God,s sake don,t tell
the panel that you are looking or a $challenging job
in a good irm with lots o money* status and
glamour$. That is the irst answer that most
candidates think o. Anortunately it is the last
answer that will get you admission. In the answer to a
direct
#uestion on this subject you must convey to the
interview panel that you have made a rational and
inormed decision about your career choice and your
intended course o higher study. There are broadly
si6 areas which your answer could touch upon .
2areer 3bjectives . /ou could talk about your
career objectives and how the two year '() programme
will help you achieve them. This implies that you
have a clear idea o what your career objectives
are and how you wish to achieve them. 4or e6ample you
may want to be an entrepreneur and wish to set up
your independent enterprise ater doing your '()
and then working or a ew years in a proessionally
managed company. /ou could e6plain to the panel
that the '() programme will provide you with the
necessary inputs to help you run your business
enterprise better. (ut then you must be clear about
what
the inputs you will receive in the '() programme
are.
@alue )ddition . That brings us to the second area
that your answer should touch upon. 7hat is the value
you will add to yoursel during your two year study
o management. @alue addition will essentially be
in two orms knowledge and skills. ?nowledge o the
various areas o management e.g. marketing*
inance* systems* :<D etc. and skills o analysis
and communication. /ou will ind it useul to talk to
a ew people who are either doing their '() or have
already done it. They will be able to give you a
more detailed idea o what they gained rom their '().
(ackground . <emember* there must be no
inconsistency between your proposed study o
management and your past subject o study or your past
work
e6perience. I you have studied commerce in college
then management is a natural course o higher studies.
I you are an engineer this is a tricky area. /ou
must never say that by pursuing a career in
management you will be wasting your engineering
degree. Try and say that the '() course and your
engineering degree will help you do your job better
in the company that you will join. (ut then you should
be able to justiy how your engineering
#ualiication will help.
3pportunities and <ewards . /ou could also at this
stage mention the opportunities that are opening up in
organi0ations or management graduates.
:ighlight with e6amples. )t the end you may mention
that while monetary rewards are not everything they
are also important and '()s do get paid well.
/ou must not mention these reasons as your primary
motivators even i that may be the case.