Campus Interviews - How to get your dream jobs - 2

In the last blog we discussed about the campus interviews and its basics. We also learnt about the things that you need to prepare for the interviews. Lets carry the same discussion further.

Selection of the recruiters

After selection of the centres and preparing for the topics, the next important step that you have to follow is the selection of the recruiters. Almost a week before the campus placement program, on the website of CMII, the candidates get a list of the companies which have shortlisted them. In turn the candidates are given the privilege to select the recruiters with whom they want to be interviewed.

As discussed earlier the candidates during this time are to be provided just 4 interviews per centre and hence they can select maximum 4 companies only. So please select the companies carefully and not in a hurry. First know about your areas of interests and decide in which field you want to build up your career and then select the recruiters.

Go through the company profile first. Google it and find out the credentials of the company which you are going to select. DO NOT get attracted by the job profiles the companies offer. Use your mind while selecting the recruiters.

Tips for the day prior to interview and on the day of Interview

Some of the recruiters have a system of online aptitude test which needs to be given before the campus interviews. Be careful in noting the time of such tests and please note that it doesn't miss our or else out of four, your one chance will be wasted as it is.

On the day of the interview reach the place before time and get fully prepared for the interview with confidence. One typical thing about the campus programs is that the recruiters start all the interviews simultaneously. There may be chances that when you are appearing for the interview of a company, at the same time you will be called for interview from some other company.

Dont panic in such situations. You can always make some Jugaad with the interviewers and can shuffle between the interviews. But be sure to appear for both of them. Also be relaxed on the day of interview. Dont panic and worry about job. Everyone's going to get the job.

Dont get disappointed when the recruiters come out with new criterias for selection of candidates on the day of interview itself. For e.g. lets say XYZ company in its pre-placement talks and in the information given to all the candidates on the placements website may mention that they will choose all the candidates who have passed in first attempt. But on the day of the campus placement they might change their mind and now only select rankers. At this point of time dont panic. Do not waste your time in complaining about this issue to the ICAI committee. Instead concentrate on the next 3 chances you have and work hard to impress those recruiters.

Exposure (Experience) vs. Money

Its obvious that all the young, fresh CAs are full of enthusiasm and vigour. They have that hard working attitude and a fire in the belly to achieve something in their career and their life. What I have personally experienced is that every fresher who is new to the outside world gives more importance to the exposure/experience that they will get in their jobs.

Its the common mentality of all the young CAs to spend first 3 years of their professional life in gaining a good work exposure and knowledge and then start minting money. They get the same advise when they turn to their seniors. This leads to very deadly results. In order to gain the so called "work exposure", freshers tend to accept the jobs in which they are underpaid. And the sad part is that the freshers dont know themselves that they are underpaid.

This has a chain reaction. Soon you will be frustrated of the job which you took up for the experience purpose and then you will start searching for the new one. New jobs are not easy to find in this recession scenario and thus this small decision of your will make all your future plans go haywire.

In this materialistic world, money is of utmost importance. This reminds me of a Hindi movie scene where, a boy and girl are in deep love with each other. The boy loves the girl madly and proposes her to marry him. The girl rejects his offer saying that the boy doesnt have money. The boy in turn shows her how much he loves her. At this moment the girl says a typical Hindi dialogue "Sirf pyaar se hi duniya nahi chalti"

The same thing applies to all of you freshers. I believe that work exposure, knowledge and the experience are very much useful to progress in any of the professional field. But you cannot ignore the money part.

If you have money you can rule the world. You can fulfill your desires and you can live a life of your own. Money automatically brings you experience and knowledge.

So during the campus interviews given a choice between a good work exposure and a good package, be rational and select the company paying a higher amount of salary. I am telling you to do this because the first salary package of yours will become a benchmark for all the next jobs. The more higher you are paid in the first job, the more benefit you will receive in the second job.

I know I might sound somewhat weird or unusual but this is the truth. Lets say a a young fresh CA ABC passed out in the first attempt has got a very good job in terms of work exposure in one of the best corporate if the country but his package is just Rs 4 Lacs p.a. Now we have one another fresh CA PQR who selected a job which has very limited work exposure like preparing MIS reports and monthly reporting but his package is Rs 6 Lacs p.a.

Now lets say they both quit their first job at the same time and apply for the a new job. There are chances where PQR would be offered a good pay package in comparison to ABC because of PQR fixed his minimum benchmark salary level of Rs 6 Lacs p.a. in the first job itself, leaving a very little scope for the future recruiters to negotiate for a salary less than Rs 6 Lacs.

You would be the luckiest person if you are getting a good pay package with a good exposure. But given a choice between the two, be rational and take a wise decision. My theory may not hold good in all the cases. So think patiently and then take a decision of choosing the job.

In the next post I will provide you the tips for your first job and some general tips on the campus placements and how to face interviews.

Till then if you have any queries you can post the comments over here or mail me on snehal.sukhadia@gmail.com I will be happy to help you.

Bye.....