Key Areas to concentrate
Here are some of the key areas on which an applicant should focus basically :
Knowledge:
The first and most common question which can be asked to you is WHY Bank Job ? The Interviewer are very much interested and need you to have adequate knowledge about the job you are aspiring for Bank PO. You should do your research on the specialization and Jobs and Responsibilities along with proper banking terminology and banking processes. Do not forget to research on the particular Bank you are appearing for the Personal Interview, as the most common question asked is What and How much you know about the Bank which you are applying for the job?
o The panel wants to know how you will cope with the demands of the job ?
o How this job will benefit you and how you will contribute to the organization in return ?
Also be prepared to answer what your other areas of interest include.
Extra-curricular activities also play an important role.
Clear Goals of LIFE
Personal interview is a chance you get to emphasize and express your goals Long Term and Short Term Goals Both. You will have to have clarity of your goals to answer the questions such as
o Why Bank Job?
o How does it fit your career goals?
o What are your plans after joining the Bank Job?
The panel is looking for the inner motivations of the candidate. Since there are no right answers to these questions, it demands introspection. Honest self-assessment may help you answer these questions convincingly. So be clear and be confident while answering such question in a Personal Interview.
Communication skills:
Good communication skills is the key to success for passing with good score in Bank PO personal Interview. Personal interview is all about communicating your ideas, goals and motives to the panel who is listening to you to know you better. Learn to speak clearly and be professional. Have confidence in what you say and answer to the point. Listen to what is being asked and do not be afraid to give yourself some time to understand it well before you answer. Do not try answering when you have no clue and accept the things you do not know. The panel you will be addressing is experienced and will be easily aware that you are trying to use tactics to impress them.
This might trigger one question in your mind - how to prepare for the interviews ? The only short answer we can think of, after numerous discussions with a variety of expert interviewers , is Be What You Really Are !"
The questions asked in a Personal Interview can range from your graduate-level core subjects and high school mathematics to your hobbies, politics, economy and general awareness on social issues. This must sound very tough to you, as this would make preparing for these interviews almost impossible. However, this makes life a lot easier for you. This is why most of the Training & Coaching institutes spends lots of man hours to train their candidates for Personal Interviews. Sometimes, candidates are even paid to remember the questions asked to them and report them to the coaching institutes so that the institute pass these questions to the upcoming aspirants for the next interviews. ( A list of Top ten Questions and General questions are displayed at the end of this article as a guiding stone for the Bank PO aspirants )
Marketing yourself
If you know how to market yourself then consider the battle half won.
1.Introduction: This is the very opening part of the applicant-interviewer interaction. So an introduction has to have effective, precise and well presented.
2.Education: The education here doesn t mean high school or graduation details but also the extra curricular activities and other courses as well. Academic learning is validated in terms of basics and relevance of graduation, comfort level with reference to core /favourite subjects and projects and industrial training. Extra-curricular activities are measured on a dual scale versatility and achievement.
3.Current affairs: Knowledge on key events in the political, economic, business and socio-cultural sectors is a must to be prepared for a personal interview.
4.Career planning: This is another key factor which is most important to be prepared for. You career goals for life- short term & long term both, should be clearly presented if asked in a Personal Interview. The marketing challenge here is to evaluate your time-bound plan and the relevance of a Bank Job. While answering questions on short and long-term goals, it is advisable to present a clear and logical pitch and to strike a balance between ambition and pragmatism.
5.Personality-based questions: In questions related to your personality, you should be focused on demonstrating examples showcasing your strengths, having a remedial plan for overcoming weaknesses and demonstrating learning from people/situations.
