Like everything else in life, preparation and research is key. As the old adage goes " fail to prepare, prepare to fail!"
- Treat every application and interview as unique - you must make the company or the person interviewing feel like they are the only place that
you are applying to even though everybody knows that this is not the case.
- Research the company extensively and find out some specific details which you should be prepared to discuss if necessary. You must remember
that the management team is interviewing hundreds of candidates and you need to stand out from everyone else.
- CV should be no longer than 2 pages. Include non-academic achievements and highlight whatever work experience you have including volunteer work. If you haven't got any work experience, you need to get it! It shows that you have the ability to juggle different priorities and are not simply
reliant on parents.
- Think about what you would do to add value to the company that you have applied to. Why should they hire you? Just because you have top marks doesn't entitle you to the job.
- Your appearance is important - Dress smartly, conservatively, matching colors - shirt, tie, pants and shoes. Your clothes don't need to be
expensive but the tie has to be worn right, your shirt should be crisply ironed and your shoes should be polished.
- Be confident in the interview. The interviewer will typically try and throw you off and away from your comfort zone by being aggressive or asking
controversial questions. Take your time and pause before responding if you think that helps.
- Finally and most importantly use every opportunity to network. Knowing people helps - that's true for the largest companies in the world to
companies in Bangladesh. Find ways to maintain the contacts you make without being overbearing and annoying. There is a fine line between the
two and it is easy to make the mistake of overdoing it.
- Self-promotion is important but important to present in a team context. Remember you are selling yourself !
Jafar Amin
Executive Officer, HSBC, London
Read
