Preparing for Job Interviews

I Can Spot a Great Candidate in 30 Seconds - Without Looking at Their Resume. At Vicco Laboratories, the first few interview rounds are handled by our HR and leadership team. They assess skills, experience, performance history - all the standard checkboxes. But when someone reaches my room, I’m not evaluating capability. I’m evaluating character. Because skills can be trained. Character can’t. So in the final round, I deliberately observe three things before we even get into formal questions: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 1: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 Before they enter, I always ask our receptionist to make them wait for a few minutes. Not to trouble them — but to observe: Do they greet her or ignore her? Do they show gratitude or entitlement? Do they smile or stay blank? Do they thank her when being called in? If someone is only respectful upwards, they’re not fit for leadership. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 2: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 During the conversation, I pause intentionally. A great candidate: Doesn’t panic when things go quiet Holds eye contact without overcompensating Thinks before responding, instead of rushing to impress Silence is a pressure test.  Silence exposes a person’s comfort with themselves. And self-assured people make better decisions under pressure. 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 3: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐤 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐨”, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 “𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐈 𝐆𝐞𝐭?” I watch closely when compensation and responsibilities are discussed. If the questions are only about salary, perks and timings, they’re employees. If they ask about learning culture, values, decision-making structure…they are already thinking as an owner. I’ll always choose alignment over achievement. So if you’re ever preparing for your final round anywhere — don’t just prepare your resume. Prepare your presence. Because long after your words fade, your character stays in the room. Sanjeev Pendharkar  Just sharing what I’ve learnt #values #business #hiring #hr #decisionmaking #cv #leadership #skills

A recruiter said I rambled too much in my interviews. I didn't like it but I appreciated the honesty. How this negatively affects interviews: → Can make you seem unfocused → You might miss the main point → Long-winded answers can bore the interviewer and cause them to disengage 7 strategies I used to cut down the rambling: (and get straight to the point) 1. Cheat Sheets Keep notes handy to jog my memory on certain stories, especially for common interview questions. 2. STAR Storytelling Organize answers using STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to ensure clarity and relevance. 3. Adopt the 'Rule of Three' Limit my points to three when responding. Our brains typically grasp three items most effectively. Example: "Three pivotal experiences that shaped my professional journey were X, Y, and Z..." 4. Embrace the Pause Allow moments of silence between my thoughts, understanding it's OK not to fill every second with words. 5. Minute Mastery Ensure my answers are between 60-90 seconds to stay concise and relevant. 6. Regular Practice Practice by recording myself (I recommend video to see your body language, hand gestures, etc.) 7. Pre-Plan Key Messages Before any interview, I'd identify core attributes or experiences I want the interviewer to remember. Example: For a marketing role, I'd prepare my talk track for 1) Campaign management 2) ROI-driven strategies 3) Cross-channel integration — Once you start doing these, your interview game will change for the better. And remember a detailed answer isn't bad, but it's important to ensure it doesn't become a rambling habit. ♻ Repost to help someone on their next interview And follow me for more posts like this.

We tend to polish our resumes to look flawless. Ironically, that can make them less convincing. An HR leader at Apple once shared that a perfect resume is often a warning sign. Not because excellence is bad but because smooth paths rarely reveal how people respond when things collapse. What stands out instead is productive failure. A startup that collapsed. A risk that didn’t pay off. A gap that exists because you tried something uncertain. Those moments create scar tissue. And scar tissue is evidence of learning under pressure. The most predictive signal of future growth is a dip followed by a rise. It tells a powerful story: you stumbled, reflected, course corrected and moved faster afterward. So before you erase that gap or disguise that failure, pause. It may be the strongest proof you don’t just endure setbacks, you improved because of them. I’d say stop hiding gaps. Frame them as your superpower. What's your productive failure story?

I got fired twice because I had poor soft skills. Then, I became VP at Amazon, where my job was more than 80% based on soft skills. This was possible because I stopped being an outspoken, judgmental critic of other people and improved my soft skills. Here are 4 areas you can improve: Soft skills are one of the main things I discuss with my coaching clients, as they are often the barrier between being a competent manager and being ready to be a true executive. Technical skills are important, but soft skills are the deciding factor between executive candidates a lot more than technical skills are. Four “soft skill” areas in which we can constantly improve are: 1) Storytelling skills Jeff Bezos said, “You can have the best technology, you can have the best business model, but if the storytelling isn’t amazing, it won’t matter.” The same is true for you as a leader. You can have the best skills or best ideas, but if you can’t communicate through powerful storytelling, no one will pay attention. 2) Writing Writing is the foundation of clear communication and clear thinking. It is the main tool for demonstrating your thinking and influencing others. The way you write will impact your influence, and therefore will impact your opportunities to grow as a leader. 3) Executive Presence Executive presence is your ability to present as someone who should be taken seriously. This includes your ability to speak, to act under pressure, and to relate to your team informally, but it goes far beyond any individual skill. Improving executive presence requires consistently evaluating where we have space to grow in our image as leaders and then addressing it. 4) Public Speaking As a leader, public speaking is inevitable. In order the get the support you need to become an executive, you must inspire confidence in your abilities and ideas through the way you speak to large, important groups of people. No one wants to give more responsibility to someone who looks uncomfortable with the amount they already have. I am writing about these 4 areas because today’s newsletter is centered around how exactly to improve these soft skills. The newsletter comes from member questions in our Level Up Newsletter community, and I answer each of them at length. I'm joined in the newsletter by my good friend, Richard Hua, a world class expert in emotional intelligence (EQ). Rich created a program at Amazon that has taught EQ to more than 500,000 people! The 4 specific questions I answer are: 1. “How do I improve my storytelling skills?” 2. “What resources or tools would you recommend to get better in writing?” 3. “What are the top 3 ways to improve my executive presence?” 4. “I am uncomfortable talking in front of large crowds and unknown people, but as I move up, I need to do this more. How do I get comfortable with this?” See the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gg6JXqF4 How have you improved your soft skills?

"Tell me why we should hire you" consistently challenges even experienced candidates - because they default to resume recitation instead of demonstrating organizational alignment. After extensive discussion of background and technical capabilities, summarizing credentials already visible on LinkedIn isn't what hiring managers evaluate. They're assessing whether you've researched their organizational mission and whether your motivations align with their strategic priorities. Effective preparation: review mission statements and current initiatives before interviews. Identify specific elements that genuinely resonate, then connect your capabilities to advancing that particular vision. Example: "I know your mission focuses on X. That resonates deeply because in my previous role I achieved Y. I want to continue creating that specific type of impact here." That demonstrates research, personalization, and strategic fit. Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights: https://vist.ly/4mftp #interviewtips #jobinterview #careeradvice #interviewquestions #jobsearch #interviewprep #careerstrategy #interviewskills #jobsearchtips #hiringtips

𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 - “Ma’am, What kind of questions should I expect during the interview?” 𝗦𝗼, 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲. 1. Walk me through the three financial statements. Understand the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow Statement and how they connect. 2. What are the key financial ratios you would use to analyze a company? Profitability, liquidity, and leverage ratios are key indicators. 3. How would you value a company? Brush up on DCF, comparable company analysis, and precedent transactions. 4. What is EBITDA, and why is it important? It's more than just a number—understand how it reflects operating performance. 5. What is working capital, and how do you calculate it? Knowing this can highlight your grasp on liquidity and operational efficiency. 6. What’s the difference between equity value and enterprise value? This is a must-know for anyone entering corporate finance or investment banking. 7. What is the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method, and how do you calculate free cash flow? Understanding this is essential for company valuations. 8. What is the WACC and why is it important? Know the weighted average cost of capital, it’s critical for discounting future cash flows. ✅ 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Interviewers are not just testing your technical skills but also how you think and communicate. Be sure to explain concepts clearly, showing that you understand both the details and the bigger picture. ✅ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Don't hesitate to ask clarifying questions during the interview. It's a sign that you're engaged and eager to understand the problem at hand. Best of luck! #finance #hiring #interview #freshers

Don't Wait for Job Postings—Take the Initiative! Want to work for your dream company but don't see any openings? Try sending a letter of interest! Instead of submitting your resume into the void of an applicant tracking system, a well-crafted letter of interest can put you directly on a hiring manager's radar. Here's why this approach works: ✅ Good managers are ALWAYS looking for their next great hire  ✅ You'll stand out from the crowd who only apply to posted positions  ✅ It demonstrates initiative and genuine interest in the company Quick tips for writing an effective letter of interest: 1. Research thoroughly—understand the company's challenges, culture, and recent news 2. Address your letter directly to the decision-maker (not HR unless that's your target department) 3. Craft an attention-grabbing subject line 4. Keep it concise with short paragraphs or bullet points 5. Include a link to your LinkedIn profile instead of attaching a resume 6. Ask for a conversation (not an interview) to learn more about their needs 7. Always follow up This approach might feel bold or outside your comfort zone—that's exactly why it works! While others wait for job postings, you could be having meaningful conversations with decision-makers. Details and examples of letters of interest are linked in the first comment below ⬇

I got placed at Microsoft. From a Tier-3 college. No connections. No campus drive. No IIT/NIT tag. Just consistency, late nights, and a strong belief that “maybe I can.” Let me share how you can do it too: 1. Accept the Reality – Then Break It No big names visit our campus. But skills > college tag. Once I accepted this, I stopped complaining and started preparing. 2. DSA is Your Best Friend Pick a language (C++/Java/Python) and go all in. Solve problems on LeetCode, GFG, or wherever you’re comfortable. Consistency > Speed. 3. Build Projects that Speak for You Projects are your real resume. Build something useful. Host it. Document it. These helped me stand out during shortlisting. 4. Make Your Resume Count Keep it one page. Add only what matters. Good projects + decent DSA stats + relevant skills = shortlist ready. 5. Apply Everywhere. Literally. Off-campus is tough. But possible. LinkedIn, company sites, career pages, hackathons – leave no stone unturned. I applied to 100+ places. Microsoft was just 1 of them. 6. Prepare Smart for Interviews Mock interviews helped me a lot. I practiced calm communication, explained my thinking, and always asked questions. Basics of OS, DBMS, OOPs – revise them. 7. Rejections Will Come. Let Them. I got rejected in final rounds. Ghosted after interviews. Ignored by HRs. But I didn’t stop. One YES cancels out all the NOs. Microsoft was that one YES. To every Tier-3 college student reading this: You don’t need a tag. You need a roadmap. You don’t need luck. You need effort. If I can do it — you can too. Let’s break the bias. Let’s build our own path. For tech content: https://lnkd.in/gdAPeuCj #Microsoft #PlacementJourney #Tier3College #OffCampusPlacement #DSA #CareerTips #StudentMotivation

I’ve hired people with a gap year. Preparing for CAT | UPSC or just time off Some turned out to be the most dedicated ones. No, I didn’t judge them. Because honestly, life doesn’t always follow LinkedIn timelines. But here’s the part most people miss: It’s not the break that bothers recruiters. It’s how you talk about it (or avoid it), that does. If you’re someone with a gap year, here’s how to make sure your CV and interview don’t sell you short: 1) Address the gap directly in your resume Don’t leave it blank. Write: “May'22 - May'23: Full-time preparation for CAT | Achieved 98 percentile” OR “Aug'21 - June'22: UPSC Prep | Cleared prelims, explored alternate careers” 2) Show what you learned You don’t need a top rank to show growth. Talk about consistency. Discipline. Research skills. All of that is work experience, even if it’s unpaid. 3) Mention small wins, side projects, or efforts A part-time course. Freelance work. Helping someone build something. Put. That. In. 4) Prep for the ‘gap year’ question, it will come Instead of getting defensive, flip it. Talk about what the phase taught you. Resilience, focus, clarity, all fair game. 5) Stop apologizing for your choices You chose to pursue something with full focus. That’s not a red flag, that’s courage. You're ready now, sharper, more self-aware, and hungry to work. 6) And please don’t fake it. No fake internships. No ghost experiences. You don’t need to pretend. You just need to explain. You took a break. So what? Life isn't a perfect straight line, neither is a good career. Breaks don’t break careers. But hiding them might. Own your story. Shape your narrative. And walk into the room like you never left. #JobInterviews #Careers #Hiring #CareerAdvice #ResumeTips

Spending another hour prepping for your interview today? Cool. Just know that reading the job description twice isn't the prep. Here it is: most prep feels productive. It's comfortable. It's safe. But it's not moving you forward 👇 STEP 1) Redefine what prepared actually means Stop reading about the company. Start practicing your answers out loud. Three run-throughs of "tell me about yourself" in the mirror beats an hour of research every single time. The goal isn't information, it's fluency. STEP 2) Pick five questions you want to ask Most folks aren't asking great questions at the end of the interview. They say, "nope, I'm all good" or default to, "what's the culture like?" You make yourself memorable by asking great questions! STEP 3) Show up with stories, not bullets Don't walk in with a list of skills. Walk in with three moments from your career that prove those skills. "I led a team that did X" lands different than "I'm a strong leader." Interviewers remember stories. They forget bullet points. Bonus: ask yourself why that story hits home with them? STEP 4) Nail your follow up It's easy to walk out of that room and believe you bombed or it didn't go the way you want. But we don't always truly know the result. Follow up. Thank them. If it was a for sure FLOP, call it out. You gain nothing by sitting back and waiting for them. Leave the comfort of highlighting job descriptions behind. Start saying your answers out loud until they sound like you. One mock run-through today. That's the prep that matters. Go let it fly ✌🏼