Q and A (contd)

Here are the rest of the questions. The original link for the first 3 questions and their answers is as follows:

http://varunslife.blogspot.com/2009/03/questions-and-answers.html

4. Describe yourself? (In not more than 3 sentences)

I am passionate about anything that I believe is right and just. I am bold enough to take on any challenge that comes to me. I am confident of making a quick decision, and try my best to make it a successful one.

My take: Short and sweet.

5. Describe a situation when you had to accomplish an objective in an ambiguous situation.

When I was in school, my Mathematics/Catechism teacher Mr. James encouraged me to start a quiz club, because we had a few quizzing enthusiasts among my classmates and a few more among my seniors. I was not very sure of this, because I had just started quizzing a year ago and there were more capable seniors who could pursue this idea much more effectively. I was also very apprehensive of the proposal being accepted, because my school principal was a tough person to deal with, and a new club would mean more spending by the school.

What did you do to handle the situation? What was the outcome?

I talked to some of my schoolmates and tried to ascertain the interest that they had in a new quiz club. After seeing the initial levels of enthusiasm, I talked to my school principal about it. I had to convince him that many students were interested in it, and that there was little or no financing that would be required. After a lot of persuasion, he agreed. However, because of the timings of the meetings (after-school hours), the attendance was dismal and we had to shut down the club after 9 months.                            

What were your learnings? Please specify 1 - 2 key learnings from the situation.

Through this experience, I learnt that the perfect execution of any project is as important as the initial enthusiasm levels. After the club was approved, I was sure that it would succeed, but I failed to look at the timings aspect of it beforehand and the club bombed. Hence, I learnt that one needs to look at a situation from all angles and imagine the outcome in one's mind before trying to tackle the problem.

My take: Detailed, yet to the point. Situation was ambiguous and the handling was good. All points were driving towards the key learnings that one could have got from the situation.

 

6. Describe a task/situation that you faced during your summer internship / past work experience which you consider as a complex problem. Please elaborate on the relevance of the problem to your role and the organisation. 

My role/task was to prepare my organization's budget. This exercise was being carried out in my organization for the first time; hence none of the department heads had any idea of how to approach the budget. Some of them were not interested in the budget and had the "I will think when I need" approach towards it. It would have been impossible for me to prepare the budget without their full support.

How did you approach the problem? What options did you generate to solve the problem?

I talked to all the department heads and tried to understand their exact roles and limitations. I had to find out what they did so far and what their needs were in the last financial year. Based on this information, I created easy-to-use charts that they could use to think about the future budgetary needs and the possible rise/fall in their needs. These forms could be filled in their free time, and helped then stimulate their minds towards the budget. It worked, and the budget was prepared successfully.

What were your key learnings from the situation? What would you do in case you were to handle a similar problem in future?

I learnt how to get people to co-operate with me on something that was not just beneficial to me, but for the whole organization. I learnt to adjust to their needs and schedules and change my schedule accordingly. It helped me to think in their shoes, to understand their perspective of the work being done. If a similar problem occurs in the future, I would address it by first talking to people about it and trying to understand them.

My take: It was based on my real experience in my firm. Although I exaggerated a bit, the approach and the learnings showed my commitment to resolution of a problem by talking my way through and my sense of understanding.

 

7. Mention "one" personal improvement area that you have worked upon in the last one year. Why do you feel the above area was an improvement area for you?

In the last one year, I have worked on my humour levels. People always told me that I am very serious when I talk about something I am very passionate about and that I needed to lighten up. I also felt that humour in any conversation would be well received by people and improve my people-engagement skills. Humour lightens up the atmosphere in any situation and is appreciated by most of the people. It helps make quick friends too. I also felt it would make me a better speaker. So I felt it was essential to work on my humour.

How did you identify the improvement area? What did you do to improve yourself in this area?

I identified it through the feedback of my close friends and a few relatives whom I usually engage in serious conversation. I started watching sitcoms and listened to the speakers carefully and learn how they saw humour in every situation, both. Then I tried to use a similar logic in my daily situations. I had to be careful not to offend anyone through this.

Do you think you have achieved your objective? What makes you think so?

I can definitely say that I am more humourous than what I was before. It helped me become more cheerful and changed my outlook towards life. It was tough at first, but by working on it continuously I was able to bring humour into any situation. My objective was to make myself a better people-person than what I was and I am confident that I have succeeded in that.

My take: The problem identification shows that I am open to feedback. Although my story is grossly fabricated, it shows that I am a serious person, who knew his weakness and worked on it. It shows the desire to change for the good.

 

8. At times, many of us are caught in a situation of moral conflict, where we have to choose between two seemingly right alternatives. Give us one situation when you faced this conflict. How did you resolve it? (Maximum 500 characters)

In engineering, one of my best friends confronted me on issues of faith. Since I was a Christian, I was supposed to spread the word of God to people of all religions. I was in a dilemma whether to preach to him about Christ (as my religion demands from me) or brush aside the topic (as he was a close friend). I finally decided to tell him about Christ. It worked, as he did not feel threatened in any way and our friendship still remains.

My take: This story, although highly fabricated, exploits the fact that I am a Christian. Being from a minority religion helped me fabricate this answer more authentically. But the story is weak and may not always work.

 

9. Sometimes, we may find a group of people disagreeing with our beliefs/point of view. Give us an instance where you had to convince a group of people on your point of view. (Maximum 500 characters)

In the recent US Presidential Election, most of my friends were supporters of Obama, while I was a strong McCain supporter. When asked why, I had convince them of my reasons i.e. McCain is not another Bush as claimed by Obama; He is more experienced; He has a solid professional background and shares many of my beliefs about the limited role of Government etc. I managed to convince a few of my friends, who turned towards McCain later on.

My take: This was a true story. I was asked the same question in one of my interviews and the interviewer seemed to like it. Views can be mostly political or religious, so it’s good that I could have a political viewpoint addressed in this.

 

10. Outline briefly in not more than 50 words your reason for applying to our firm (SBI Caps) and choice of career.

The mission of SBI Caps, to provide a credible and customer-focused world-class Investment Banking Services, resonates deeply with my idea of an ideal firm to start my career with. A career in I-Banking is both exciting and full of opportunities, and hence is one of my career choices.

My take: Make your vision and mission the same as that of the firm and you shall reap a lot of benefits! This is one sure-shot way of answering this question.

 

11. What is your Career Objective? How do you plan to achieve it?

I want to become a successful professional in my field, no matter what field it is. I am flexible, because I don’t have any prior preferences. I plan to achieve that by working hard in my job, with full dedication and sincerity. I would contribute to my workplace with my new ideas and cheerful disposition. I want to specialize in a particular field and become an expert in it. I want to establish myself as a credible source in my field of expertise.

My take: Very common answer. But it highlights a lot of strengths.

 

12. What is your idea of a “Dream Job”?

My dream job is one which will help me achieve a perfect work-life balance. I want to work in an environment which requires me to dedicate a fixed number of hours per day solely for the purpose of work and does not require me to work from home. My work and my personal life must not interfere at any phase in my dream job.

My take: This answer shows that personal space is very important to me as an individual. I could have phrased the answer much better than this though.

 

13. Who is your role model and Why?

My father has always been a role model for me. He put his heart and soul in what he believed in and strived for it. As a union leader, he worked for the betterment of his colleagues and juniors. His zeal and leadership made me believe that each one of us can become a leader, provided we have the passion to lead and inspire. He earned the respect of his colleagues, and my admiration.

My take: It is always better to make the person you know best as your role model, especially when you are emphasizing more on what the person has done and less on the status of the individual. Since my answers were mostly related to “family” and “values”, it was a good fit.

 

14. What do you think is your greatest achievement? And why?

My greatest achievement in life was winning the “Prodigy (Solo Quiz)” during my engineering days. I had put in a lot of effort and worked for it earnestly, each quiz was a stepping stone for me. Although I did not win any Group quizzes before that, I knew that I was on the right path and was continuously improving. This win helped me get the much-needed recognition and acknowledgement from my batch mates, seniors and juniors. They knew that I got what I deserved and I relished their appreciation.

My take: This answer shows my dedication to the task at hand & my craving for recognition and accomplishment (thereby making me ambitious).

 

15. How would you describe yourself as a person?

In a nutshell I would describe myself through five words – Logical, Sincere, Hard-Working, Ethical and Caring. I am very passionate about my beliefs and have a “never-say-die” attitude towards life. I believe in living life to the fullest by doing what I believe is right. I try hard to live upto the values that my parents taught me. I believe in God and have faith in the people around me. I am flexible in my daily habits and can adjust to situations appropriately.

My take: More emphasis on personal values.

 

What do you think about my answers? Do tell me in the comments in the original post if possible…