The Professionals Academy Of

Commerce

Welcome to
Mind Your Interview
Seminar by
Mr. Jafar Husain, FCA

REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING INTO

PRACTICAL PHASE OF PROFESSION
PHASES

MEDIUM

CONTENT

1- Filing of applications
/ CVs

Online / Manually

Academic, Professional
education history

2- Appearing in testsOptional

Manually

Technical / General

Face to face (often more

than one)

Technical / General

3- Interviews

CONTENTS
1. Attractive capabilities & skills for
prospective employers & firms
2. How should you be dressed for
Interviews
3. Things to do before interview
4. Interview Techniques
5. Points to remember during the interview
6. How to cope with difficult questions
7. After the interview

ATTRACTIVE CAPABILITIES & SKILLS FOR

PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS & FIRMS
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.

Personal Capabilities
Academic Capabilities
Analytical Skills
Presentation And Communication Skills
Communication With Impact
Flexibility
Motivation And Initiative
Teamwork And Collaboration

A- PERSONAL CAPABILITIES

Commitment with work & job

Punctuality
Regularity
Responsibility of work
Integrity
Hard working
Due care

B- ACADEMIC CAPABILITIES

Past history of schooling & performance.

Grades/positions achieved there.
Performance history in CA.
Total time taken to pass CA inter.
No. of attempts for each paper.
Is there any distinctions or medals in CA inter
exams.
Strong academic record and approach to study.

C- ANALYTICAL SKILLS
Expresses considered opinions on current affairs
and relevant commercial issues.
Could assess commercial organizations in which
they worked or visited and recommended
improvements.
Could assess different industries performance &
can explain causes of poor performance.
Awareness of the accountancy industry.

D- PRESENTATION SKILLS

Making an extempore presentation

Preparing and delivering a presentation

How to make a group presentation

E- COMMUNICATING WITH IMPACT

REQUIRED QUALITIES:
Can express themselves clearly;
Can ask relevant questions
Has the potential to operate in a client service
environment;
Has good listening skills
Energetic and positive

E1-COMMUNICATION WITH IMPACT &

CONDITIONS

UNACCEPTABLE
CONDITIONS
1. Mumbles & softly
spoken.
2. Poor verbal skills or
literacy.
3. Asks inappropriate
questions.
4. Difficulty making self
understood.
5. Fails to answer
questions, does not
properly listen to
questions.

ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS
1. Contributes to
discussion
2. Speaks clearly and
readily understood
3. Holds attention of
interviewer.
4. Effective listener
5. Asks relevant
questions.

VERY GOOD CONDITIONS

1. Communicates with
confidence
2. Effectively express
complex information in
a form appropriate to
the audience

3. Active and effective

listener
4. Probing relevant
questions asked.

F- FLEXIBILITY
REQUIRED ABILITIES:
Can balance multiple demands.
Can organize multiple tasks.
Able to work to deadlines.
Evident from studies, home life,
part time work.

F1- FLEXIBILITY & ITS CONDITIONS

UNACCEPTABLE
CONDITIONS
1. Evidence of being
inflexible.
2. Repeatedly asks others
what to do
3. Inability to complete
tasks.
4. Difficulty in dealing with
changing situations.
5. Lack of forward thinking
and planning.
6. Struggles with multiple
demands.

ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS

VERY GOOD CONDITIONS

1. Adaptable to changing
priorities.
2. Reasonably accepting of
opportunities.
3. Knows when to, and is
able to seek advice.
4. Reasonably effective in
changing situations.
5. Able to establish a
considered plan.
6. Maintains a sense of fun
even when the going
gets tough.
7. Can work to deadlines.

1. Effective in stressful
situations.
2. Entirely open to new
opportunities.
3. Seeks advice efficiently.
4. Identifies what is really
important.
5. Organized and aware of
importance of careful.
6. Able to juggle multiple
demands effectively.

G- MOTIVATION AND INITIATIVE

REQUIRED CAPABILITIES:
Actively seeks self development
Seeks
and
accepts
responsibility
with
enthusiasm.
Goal oriented.
Maintains drive to achieve personal objectives.
Has long term aims.
Evident from bands, hobbies, youth groups,
prizes awards, & positions of responsibility.

G1- MOTIVATION & INITIATIVE WITH

CONDITIONS

UNACCEPTABLE
CONDITIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

8.

9.

Little energy or determination.

Tends to drift.
Apprehensive towards new
challenges.
No evidence of taking initiative.
Uses same situations to answer a
number of questions.
Takes part and shows some
commitment.
Examples used do not
differentiate the candidate from
others in peer groups.
Involved in activities that have
been organized by some one
else.
Aware of the need to develop but
not done anything about

ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

Positive attitude.
Demonstrates good
organized skills.
Anticipates requirements &
takes appropriate actions.
Stretches themselves in term
of self development, takes
on new challenges.
Demonstrate how they
overcome challenges.

VERY GOOD CONDITIONS

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.
6.

High Energy And

Enthusiasm.
Frequently Initiates Activities
And Sees Them Through To
Success.
Actively Seeks
Responsibility, New
Challenges And New
Experiences.
Makes Opportunities
happen.
Maintains drive to achieve
personal objectives.
Goal oriented.

H- TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION

Can work in a team environment
Sensitive to others
Supports & promotes team
effectiveness
Voluntary activities
Part time work, sports , hobbies, home
life.

H1- TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION WITH

CONDITIONS

UNACCEPTABLE
CONDITIONS

ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS
1.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Willingly admits being solely

self-sufficient in activities.
Dismissive of others ideas.
Complains of previous teams
and team members.
Insensitive to cultural and
individual differences.
Unwilling to take
responsibility when
necessary.

2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

Successfully participates in
substantive group activities.
Works to build relationships
and trust.
Provides and obtains
knowledge.
Respects cultural and
background diversity and
individual differences.
Takes a leadership role in
some scenarios.
Supportive attitude towards
other group members.

VERY GOOD CONDITIONS

1.
2.

3.
4.

5.

6.

Activity builds relationships

and trust.
Stimulates and coaches
others to develop abilities
and improve performance.
Focused on team objectives.
Fully embracing of cultural
diversity and individual
strengths.
Effectively adopts other
team roles to support the
team when necessary.
Takes responsibility for
sharing knowledge with
other team members.

HOW SHOULD YOU BE DRESSED

BEFORE INTERVIEWS
BOYS

GIRLS

Shirt
Trousers
Tie
Shoes ; socks
Perfume
Shave
Hair

Shalwar kameez
Dupatta
Shoes
Perfume

THINGS TO DO BEFORE INTERVIEW

Dos

Donts

1. Research about the firm

2. Prepare for question
3. Be punctual, reach 20
minutes before scheduled
time
4. Wear comfortable and tidy
shoes

1. Arrive late
2. Reach unprepared for
questions
3. Take the opportunity for
granted
4. Go empty stomach
5. Wear untidy shoes
6. Dress casually and untidily

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES
How to enter
How to pull the chair
How to shake hand
Eye contact
How to sit and stand
Permission before sitting
Take water before appearing in
interview
No perspiration

POINTS TO REMEMBER DURING THE

INTERVIEW
Dos

Donts

1)
2)
3)
4)

1. Get nervous, worried and

tense
2. Being dull and lazy
3. Lean on the chair and slouch
4. Become too intimate
5. Use slang or jargons
6. Rush through giving answer
7. Exaggerate about yourself
8. Mention an interest about
which you dont have
sufficient knowledge

Sit straight
Speak up and speak clearly
Be attentive and confident
Mention your
achievements
5) Support your skills with
examples
6) Dont be afraid to ask
question
7) Maintain medium voice
tone and pitch

HOW TO COPE WITH DIFFICULT QUESTIONS?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Why did you fail in a particular subject?

Why so many attempts?
Have you applied in other firms?
Your academic performance is not so good . why?
If you receive call from other firms , will you join
them?
6. Why you have applied in our firm?
7. Will you be prepared to travel?
8. Will you be ready to join a specific (e.g. Tax or ERP)
department but there is no rotation?

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Dos
Thank the interviewer

Don'ts
Stop searching for other
options
Think its time wastedits a new learning
experience
Get disappointed

THANK YOU
GOOD LUCK