Tips to crack interview

Hello Friends,
How does it feel when someone interviews you ? Nervous, tensed, chills
running down your spine, Right ? In first 4- 5 interviews you feel that but after that it
becomes normal. So dont take too much tension about interviews .Now lets talk
about interviews. Interviews are a medium by which the employer judges you and
your calibre through your communication skills. If you talk effectively and clearly as
to what have you done and what are your aims regarding a particular job bang on
you can be certain that boss you have cleared your interview. Now as I mentioned in
my previous blog about the diversification of biotech into marketing, R and D and
PhD research the interviews strategies differ slightly. I will deal with each aspect
seperately. Now lets jots down some important to do list before you appear for an
interview.

First Check the advertisement throughly before applying as to what all are the essential
qualifications and what are the desirable qualifications. Now people generally mix them up
generally freshers that some jobs ask for Essential qualification as Msc Biotech or lifescience
and they write seperatly desired qualification in HPLC handling etc etc. Now the question do I
need to apply for this job. The answer is yes essential qualification is that matters leave what
they desire and prefer (i am not talking about NET / gate qualification i will come to that latter).
Do you match that qualification if yes apply.
After applying check whether will they give preferance to you like some JRF post
mentions that you should have NET/GATE some funding to do that sadly these are generally
seen in research institute studies because these institute want funding so you really cant help it.
BUt when you go for an R and D job it hardly matters
Most important thing Beware : please read about that institute or organisation before
going for the interview their achievements, mile stones, products, current researches, new
prospects etc. If you dont do that I bet 97% - 99% you will lose that job plus you will give them
a negative impression so never this crime.
Your C.V. 95% of the C.V of candidates who apply goes to raddi or crap. yes thats
the fact. Why ? simply because you have not tailormade your C.V to that particular
organisation requirement. For e.g. if some company is producing microbial products
instead of highlighting your microbiology points you put I did PCR, PAGE etc will it
count. answer is No. Companies have a dumb sorter software that picks C.V based
on key words like cellculture, Isolation, Fermentor, PCR etc. so start tailormaking
your C.V. to that particular job and role. Dont put anything extra, if you want to say
that you may tell during your interview. C.V differ depending upon which field you
are applying. Your common things are personal details and educational qualification
but be very careful while adding extracurricular activities and hobbies. Only add
things pertaining to job like if you re applying for marketing job your C.V must not
say I am interested in music , dancing etc how are these related instead put
something like net savvy or playing sudoku which says that he vists new sites and
applies brains ( some people may say this as crap but i don't care a damn it was my

duty to inform you and you decide what to do). NOw lets come to what all things a
person likes to see in a C.V.
Marketing head: Wiling ness to travel, has interest in market research, Has an
MBA qualification (optional), Professional skills and areas of interest, has sound
knowledge regarding the product that company is marketing or is willing to
market.In some cases experience too (depends on job requirement) He needs these
thing he doesnt care about what you did with your nichrome wire loop or what did
you do with your chick embryo. So remove these unwanted stuff from the C.V

Researcher (University): Willing ness to learn new things, industries vistied during the
academic, What academic training and project you did, do you know about the professor and
researches taking place in their campus, SOps ( if you have written), extra qualification like NET
SET GATe etc.
Researcher ( R and D): Willingness to work hard, Instruments handled during academic
training and project, know the research taking place in organisation, are you a team player
so tailor make your C.V. give everyday 20 mins to your C.V and think as to how can i make my
C.V more attractive such that recruiter of the particular job get interested in me.
So once you are done with your C.V 10% your battle is over. Now comes the famous scenario of
interview.
People feel interview mein kya hain aise clear kardenge well. Boss khade mein jaoge aise
attitude rakha toh . Interviews require 40% of your effort. Yes an average fellow can clear any
interview in this world yes i challenge that any interview on this whole planet provided he has 4
c's Concentration, common sense, Correlation to examples , Communicate effectively what
he knows. Now since i have never given a Marketing interview I cant help you out with that
(probably others might help you out or post your queries in blog i will help you out) i dont know
the questions but research interviews i have given plenty of them now lets see some question
Let us assume you have come to some institue doing research in plant hormones using a
particular molecular biology method. The first question the person ask every where is
what is your area of interest?
Now dont blurt out Plant tissue culture and molecular biology there are 5678 books on Plant
tissue culture and 10000 books on molecular biology and additional articles its such a huge field
man. here 1st C comes concentration.
What did the person ask you your area of interest now mention something which is very close to
that topic but directly not related to the topic for example I would say, " I am interested in the
action of plant hormones on the growth of stunted shoots of (some xyz) plant" this clearly
mentions that your area of interest, Correlates to the research and has effectively communicated

your research interest just by applying your comon sense so be very very precise on answering
things.
Next type of questions are applying concepts question these questions require 2 C and 3 C in
terrific ammounts thats is common sense and correlation for example I have to target a
particular protein say hameoglobin from a pool of protein how do I do that.
Common sense tells me that it has some thing to do with tagging of proteins and my correlation
tells that i can do that by antibody or fluorochrome. Combine these two concepts and say in order
to identify that protein i will use antibodies which many or may not be fluroscently tagged if I do
not tag them I would sperate these antibodies using affinity chrmotgraphy by chosing a ligand for
the Fc receptor of that particular antibody.
So start refreshing your concepts and start applying them. This is your 40% effort you dont need
to know all of lehninger but you need to know everything about what is your area of
interest you are going to work on so start reading things just 2 hrs a DAY is sufficient for
the brain to store your data.
Last but not the least a fresher can clear an interview for a job asking for 0 -2 yrs experience.
The questions asked are based on the research and type of instruments, their use, they just want
you to know the basic principle and working of that machine whether you have handled them or
not is a seperate story. But dont be afraid to say what you know about a particular instruments.
Lastly For GOD SAKE dont blurt out wrong answers and goof up your interview just say i
am yet to find out that fact or I havent read about that or simply i dont know honesty counts
rather than beating around the bush.
SO start polishing your project, instrumentation if any related to your training and area of interest
and fundamental concepts.
Finally tips for the interview:

Wear what is comfortable for you in formals I prefer bright color shirts and jeans shoes
and socks but wear formals only for the interview. Girls can wear salwar kameez or kurta
but no mini skirts or other casual attire
Be very confident and make best use of hand actions to communicate a concept
Use chalk and board in an research institute interview to explain the concept everytime its
a must. They get highly impressed by the fact that what you had in your brain has been
diagramatically been potrayed on the board

All the very best for interviews hope you crack it. Please rate the blog if you like it. If you have
any queries please post it on comments i will be willing to help you out with them.
Here's me signing off. Have a nice Day. please excuse me for spelling mistakes and admin please
restructure the blog so that it looks good just as you did with my previous blog.