What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

This is another common interview question that you are likely to face in every HR interview. Answering this question in an impressive way can take you very closer to your dream job.
Before providing you with how to answer this question in a politically correct manner, I would first like to define the terms strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:
Internal positive aspects that are under your control and upon which you may capitalize.

Weaknesses:
Internal negative aspects that are under your control and that you may plan to improve.
Now here is how you should answer this question:

Assessing Your Strengths
Assess your skills, and you will identify your strengths. This is an exercise worth doing before any interview. Make a list of your skills, dividing them into three categories:
1. Knowledge-based skills: Acquired from education and experience (e.g., computer skills, languages, degrees, training and technical ability).
2. Transferable skills: Your portable skills that you take from job to job (e.g., communication and people skills, analytical problem solving and planning skills).
3. Personal traits: Your unique qualities (e.g., dependable, flexible, friendly, hard working, expressive, formal, punctual and being a team player).
When you complete this list, choose three to five of those strengths that match what the employer is seeking in the job posting. Make sure you can give specific examples to demonstrate why you say that is your strength if probed further.

Assessing Your Weaknesses
This is probably the most dreaded part of the question. Everyone has weaknesses, but who wants to admit to them, especially in an interview?
The best way to handle this question is to minimize the trait and emphasize the positive. Select a trait and come up with a solution to overcome your weakness. Stay away from personal qualities and concentrate more on professional traits. For example:
"I pride myself on being a 'big picture' guy. I have to admit I sometimes miss small details, but I always make sure I have someone who is detail-oriented on my team."
Here is another example:
“I am a natural pessimist. This isn’t by choice and I’m not sure where it comes from, but it’s there. I can get very excited by new technologies and very passionate about things I’m interested in, but I’ve noticed my first reaction to most new ideas is pessimism.”

References:
http://career-advice.monster.com
http://www.radicalbehavior.com

Dear Freshers,
After a log break, I am back to guide you about various topics of your interest. If you want to know anything particular, please let me know by leaving a comment. Keep visiting for lots of new exciting information!

Persistent Campus Placement Experience

One of my very good friends Rajan manage to got placed with Persistent Systems Ltd. last year.
This was his experience:

Statistics:
Place: DKTE Ichalkarangi.
Appeared for Aptitude : 600+
Shortlisted from apti : 138
Final selected : 13

Persistent Apptitude Test:
1. 40 marks test
three sections : Logical, Quantitative, Technical
2.Two technical interviews followed by HR interview.
3.Options were given to choose either development or testing.
If you choose development then there is another programming test (on paper only).

Persistent Interview Questions:
First Technical Round
Q. Tell me about yourself?
Q. He said there are coins are arranged in pattern shown in diagrams. You have to make any one diagram looks like other by changing only three coins position?
Q. Puzzle There is cage which contents rabbits and chickens the total legs counted in cage are 170 and total animals in cage are 50.Find out number of rabbits and chickens in the cage.
Q. Puzzle In a lake ther are two types of fishes gubbi's and non-gubbi's,gubbi's are 1% and non-gubbi's are 99%,total fishes in lake are 200.So by removing how many non-gubbi's you can make non-gubbi's 98%.
Q. What is difference between array and linked list?
Q. Write a program to insert node at the end of singly linked list?
Q. Write a program to insert node in between linked list?
Q. Write a program which will convert given decimal number into binary?
Q. Write above program using recursion?
Q. What are storage classes?
Q. Explain static ,auto storage classes?
Q. Expain project you have done?
Q. Tell me range of int,float,char,short int,long int,usinged char,singed char?
Q. What is malloc and how it is work?
Q. Allocate memory for link list node dynamically?
Q. Why we required type casting after allocating memoy using malloc?
Q. What is TCP/IP explain?
Q. Differentiate UDP and TCP/IP?
Q. Explain second program you have witten during development test? (The program is about calculating connectivity of given path matrix and display highest and least conectiviy nodes.) Second Technical round
Q. Write code for allocating memory to object using new and malloc?
Q. What is difference between memory allocation of new and malloc?
Q. What is polymorphism?what are it's different types?explain with example?write code for them?
Q. Consider following code
class obj{ int num; float fraction;};
if we create object of class obj then how much memory it required?if we add some member functions to the class then what will be memory required to object? if class do not have any data members and any member functions then how much memory requiresto the object of such class.
Q. How we access database from java?
Q. Explain life cycle of software?
Q. What is process model?list process models?
Q. Explain waterfall model , Iterative enhancement model and prototyping model?
HR Round
Q. How aptitude test was?
Q. Tell me about yourself?
Q. What are your strong points?
Q. What are your weak points?
Q. Which are your favorate subjects?
Q. Why they are so favorate to you?
Q. Why you choose this field?
Q. Do you know anyone who working in Persistent?
Q. Why team work is important?
Q. What do you think about Persistent?

Reasons Applicants Are Rejected During An Interview

1. Poor personal appearance.
2. Inability to express him/herself clearly. Poor voice, diction, grammar.
3. Lack of planning for a career; no purpose or goals.
4. Lack of confidence and poise; nervous, ill-at-ease.
5. Overemphasis on salary.
6. Unwilling to start at bottom; expects too much too soon.
7. Makes excuses; evasive; hedges on unfavorable factors in records.
8. Lack of tact. Lack of courtesy; ill-mannered.
9. Condemnation of past employers.
10. Fails to look interviewer in the eye.
11. Indecision. Merely shopping around.
12. Sloppy application.
13. Over-elaboration of details of experience.
14. Wants job only for a short time.
15. Little sense of humor. Cynical.
16. Lack of knowledge of field of specialization.
17. No interest in agency.
18. Emphasis on whom he she knows.
19. Unwillingness to go where the agency sends him/her.

Common Interview Questions

Irrespective of the career/job you choose there is a certain set of common interview questions each candidatehas to face. In HR interviews of top IT companies such as TCS, Infosys, Microsoft, IBM you will certainly come across these common questions. Here is a list of top 30 common interview questions:

1. What are your long range and short range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?
2. What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established for yourself for the next 10 years?
3. What do you see yourself doing 5 years from now?
4. What are your long range career objectives?
5. How do you plan to achieve your career goals?
6. What are the most important rewards you expect in your business/technical career?
7. What do you expect to be earning in 5 years?
8. Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?
9. Which is more important to you, the money or the type of job?
10. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
11. How would you describe yourself?
12. What motivates you to put forth your greatest efforts?
13. Why should I hire you?
14. What qualifications do you have that makes you think that you will be successful in your business/technical career or in this position?
15. How do you determine or evaluate success?
16. What do you think it takes to be successful in an organization like ours?
17. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our organization?
18. What qualities should a successful leader possess?
19. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
20. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree?
21. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
22. How do you work under pressure?
23. Why did you decide to seek this position?
24. What two or three things are most important to you in your job?
25. What criteria are you using to evaluate the organization for which you hope to work?
26. Do you have a geographical preference? Why?
27. Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you?
28. Are you willing to travel?
29. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
30. What have you learned from your mistakes?

Tell me about yourself

“Tell me about yourself…”-perhaps the most common, yet most difficult interview question! Why do employers ask this question? It is an opportunity for the person on the other side of the desk to take a few minutes off - to sit back, listen, and silently determine where to take the interview questioning next.

This is perhaps the most discussed interview question. For some, this is the most challenging question to answer. This is because the candidate has to answer a rather different question- Why should we hire you?

For some, this is the biggest point of confusion as the candidate wonders what the interviewer really wants to know and what information he/she should include. For others it is the biggest opportunity to market themselves as a prospective employee.

An impressive answer to this question holds the key to success. Many HR surveys have proved that most of the interviewers make up their mind on interviewees in the first 5 to 10 minutes. It is up to you how you make use of these 5 minutes to best demonstrate your qualities and abilities in a decent manner. You have to expand on your strengths and give the interviewer exactly what he/she is really looking for.

When an interviewer asks you to tell her a little about yourself, you are being asked to provide a general framework for discussion. You will set the stage for later questions that will address various aspects of your academic and work life. If you plan properly, this will give you the opportunity to steer the critical opening portion of the interview into an area in which you are proficient.
I suggest you to prepare a model answer for “Tell me about yourself” in advance, get it checked from your friends, colleagues or mentors. Your answer should include following points:

1. Statement of why they should hire me.
2. 3-5 accomplishments that would be of interest to hiring managers in this position/industry.
3. 3-6 personality traits appropriate to this position/industry.
4. Other key selling points that may apply even indirectly to this industry or position.

However while doing this keep following points in mind:

1. Be honest. They have your resume with contact information right in front of them and they will be calling on your references.
2. Don’t bluff Not everybody can be the class representative or the project manager of your college’s final year project. 95 percent, the chances are that you will get caught as a result of counter-questioning. (There is still 5 percent scope for bluffing! It is perfectly fine to exaggerate a little. But I would say No No to bluffing.)
3. Keep it short and relevant. Find your best qualities and skills and limit it to what is important to the company that you are interviewing with.

I am providing you a taste of what I answered when I was asked “Tell me about yourself”:

“I am Nilesh Miskin, a third year engineering student at KIT’s college of Engineering, Kolhapur. Databases and networking are my favourite subjects. In addition to programming, there is one more thing I like to do often – collecting information on current topics by browsing the web, reading books, news-papers, indulging in discussions with my dad, my colleagues and my teachers. I won many quizzes and participated in paper presentation contests. While retaining the first rank at the school I also held the positions of treasurer and vice president of Interact Club of Kolhapur and got appraisals from senior Rotary Club members. I am a team player and whenever I got the opportunity to lead, I lived up to every team-member’s expectations- be it my project team or our one-act-play team that represented our college at the university level. Using my strong creative and logical skills, backed by my keenness to learn, I want to give my best to the industry and excel in my field”

The company I applied for is one of the world’s most respected companies and also one of the biggest IT companies. As you might be rightly guessing, the ultimate result was that I got selected!
As you can see, I presented myself as a person with techno-commercial skill-set. I emphasized on my strong academics, multitasking ability, enthusiasm to learn, my ability to work in a team, take initiative and make a difference. I backed my qualities by providing real statistics and demonstrated how I was the close-to-perfect package they are looking for.

Let me know whether you liked this article. Also leave your comments to let me know what else you would like to know about interviews, group discussions, aptitude preparation or any other related topic.

Resources:
http://www.careerdevelopers.com/AnsweringtheTellmeaboutyourselfQuestion.htm
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issues/articles/0000/interviewing_skills_what_to_do_when_they_say http://www.fiveoclockclub.com/careerCoach/06answeringQuestion.html
http://www.emurse.com/blog/2007/10/24/tell-me-about-yourself
http://www.jobsdb.com/MY/EN/V6HTML/jobseeker/121_career.html

Fresher’s Life at Infosys: Infosys Training FAQ

This post is a little different than the rest of my posts. It is not about how to prepare for the Campus Placement but about what to do once you are placed.

In this post, my intention is to guide those freshers who have been selected for the Infosys Technologies, one of the most respected companies in the world. For others it’s a glimpse of what it is like to be in the Infosys. I found these useful set of questions and answers on a community page on the net

http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=27994099&tid=2520243172445477721

Many of you might have got the offer letters and would be having some idea about how will be your firsthand experience. Following Q-As will make your many doubts as clear as sunlight:

Q. I have not got the hard copy but recieved the email that my doj for training is at mysore ...plus they told that i will be recieving the accomodation details in mysore ... that also not recieved!!!!!!whom to contact?
A. Accomdation details will be sent to you as a mail some 5 days before date of joining...
regarding your call letter:::if u havent received ur hard copy even after 1 and half weeks of u receiving ur call letter through mail try contacting the HR in the email itself.

Q. I have a doubt related to my final year marksheet...actually my result is out n i am all clear ...but we have not recieved our marksheet till now in our college.....so i have all three years marksheets with provisional degree but not the final year marksheet....also i got selected through off-campus recruitment process.......so is is going 2 create any problem.......plz thow some light on this.
A. If you have your marksheets till the 7th sem then its ok..dont worry.get a course completion/provisional certificate from the college..there is no differentiation between off /on campus if you are a fresher..u will have a verification process on the first/2nd day.give one xerox copy of the following after showing the originals..
1.10(sslc..similar)
2.12(hsc..similar)
3.all marksheets that u currently have
4.course completion/prov
5.passport(if u have//the receipt)
6.your call letter(they themselves would have provided another copy along with the hard copy that u got)
It is no probs even if u dont have ur 8th sem marksheet or even the passport or even ur licence during ur training..u will have some 3 months time (im not sure)..my friends still havent got their 8th sem marksheets or even the passport,they r now into production also(of june 26th batch)

Q. hey are we supposed to dress in formals on all days or is friday an exception?
A. from monday to thursday
formal wear:::
girls::churidhar,salwar,western formals(pants and shirts),sari
gents::
monday and tuesday:::full sleeves shirts with tie
wednesday and thursday:::half sleeves are also allowed and no need for a tie
fridays:::casual wear
jeans t shirts(common)
skirts(ladies)

Q. I wul like to know whether checked shirts are allowed on Wednesday and Thrusday. Also is the food hygeinic? i am not allowed to eat from outside since I am recuperating from jaundice. Also is it difficult to get into the fast track batch?
A. Yes checked shirts are also allowed ..but let it be a formal wear...if ur training is in mysore u have no other go but for staying in the hostel..food is hygienic in mysore but u wont find the taste good..
try having curd rice ,bread,bun etc..the caterers wont use caustic soda ,so no need to worry you have a doctor 24/7 in mysore...if ur condition is bad beacuse of the ailment, try calling the HR to postpone ur date of joining..there will be no probs...many have done it in my batch....if u have CS or IT background, getting into the fast track is not that difficult u can always manage...

Q. whats the food like?.... well yeah...i heard the food isnt all that good....i hope its not only the southie stuff....
A. here in Mysore they have 3 food courts...in fc 1 and 2 both south indian and north indian food is served on immediate payment basis. fc 3 only for north indian and chat.Food will not taste bad (u can manage) but its hard to find time to have ur food if u r put up in the fast track.

Q. Let me know whether camera mobile phones are allowed or not?
A. All sorts of mobile phones are allowed everywhere within the campus..

Q. I just wanna knw if we are allowed to carry Cd's inside?? I wanna carry 5-6 Cd's which contain some of my important documents..thats my GRE stuff.. Do we need to declare that CD's?. Is there any prob if i carry these cd's??
A. Cds,floppies,,USB,,ipod,,laptops are all not allowed inside the campus..try carrying some books...
try having some stuffs in ur yahoo or gmail so that u can study during ur off hours..but if u r put up in fatstrack u wont find time for all these things.

Q. How is the training like?Is it very hectic?
A. For fast track it is very hectic office hours 9:00 to 5:45..after that you will be given with assignments from the very first day..it will take till 8 or more...every week u will have a test and some weekends you have to go on with your projects and also study for the final compre...

Q. 1) i'm a non cs/it graduate and i am appearin for CAT this nov.... do u think we'd get the weekends and the evenings free or the workload doesn't leave time....??? are the tests held on weekends or weekdays and how frequently?
2) are the gymn and the swimming pool open to the employees or is there a membership fee?
3) what is the average cost of food in mysore campus?
4) should we come prepared with the programming languages as i've heard they are too fast.... they finish C and C++ in a 4-5 days.....would i be able to cope up....??
A. 1) Long cycle students do find time for these things.You will know the dates when the tests will be held.u can prepare accordingly.
2)300 will be deducted from the salary if u get ur membership(includes everything) lest u will have to pay for each trial.
3)Fc2 is costlier..North indian food is cheaper compared to southindian.but no other go,u have to bare with the cost
4)Its not mandatory...They teach u from scartch and u need to learn

Q. Is the test occured in the very first day of joining for CSE/IT is online test?
A. evrything is online..may be on the first or second day..all communications are also through mails..nothing in written form or announced.

Q. I wud like to know on wht criteria do they decide whom to put in the fast track batch and whom not to..??
A. All CS and IT students are allowed to write an exam on the first day of joining...(negative marking)10 questions...covering the subjects that we have learnt all these years in the college
the number of students to take up for that batch depends on them..but most of the students will be put into fast track.

Q. I will b joinin infy soon..so i wud like to know few details reg the training here it goes:
1)i m frm IT background,not so good at programming level.....so will i face any prob due to this
2)wht r the subjects i shud b prep for the pre test tht will b conducted on the day of joinin(i mean will thy conduct only comp sub's like c,c++,java.....or our academic subjects of b.tech).
A. 1::dont worry u will always have references to go through...get some books from the library..but the exact logic can be got only when u sit and think..u have made urself into INFY why worry..u will have that talent u can always get some help from the lab assistants available..
2:::only comp subjects...OS,datstructures,DB,c etc..(not deep into the subject)..u can get help from ur friends who had undergone technical tests and interviews.

Q. I belong to csit&if i dont clear the initial test well or if i get less marks in it,will it b any problem??????still thy wud place me in the fast track or the slow track???? Also they have asked us to go thru 4-5 books on OS, Databases, C etc. Is it for the exam to decide the fast track or slow track? Please reply.
A. if a person does not meet their criteria during the initial test for fast track,that person will be put into long cycle.there is no probs..they dont want to keep people in long cycle,if they are comforatble with that subject.if u have prepared for any technical interview then no need to go thru these books..
but u can alwys manage if u have cleared all the subjects in the semester and are comfortable with it.
yes,the exam decides whether u r into fast track or long cycle.

Q. How long is the training period?...if it is more than a few months?
A. fast track::1 and half months(for cs/it students who have cleared the exam that they have on their first day of joining)
long cycle::4 months

Q. What about the number of tests we have to appear(non cs)..i heard that u got to get a minimum marks of 70 in all tests they put///is that true?
A. Minimum will be more than 12...
65 is the pass mark.

Q. wat about those papers??they r descriptive??or objective>??actually iam an average student and not an adept in computer languages and all...and i wonder how am gonna make it through in the training...any suggestions/comments? u could give?
A All tests will be of multiple choice format.
Just learning wont help much.u need to be through in concepts..try out different ways and come up with ur own questions and solutions.intelligence is more important than knowledge

Q. I wanted to ask you do they have any crietria or any thing when posting later at any of their branch.
A. after getting ur posting details while in training,if the location is not preferable,u can go for swap
criteria::
1..same IBU(business unit...u will have it in ur posting)
2..same release date from training
3.. same stream of training
4..same CGPA range(
I guess:::range 1-->4 to 4.3
range 2-->4.3 to 4.5
range 3-->above 4.5
range 4-->5
You must refer with ur HR at that time..
after joining in respective locations ,stil u can try for swapping if both the persons are not in the project..otherwise go for transfer.

Q. Do i need to come earlier to choose room of my choice (as it may b first come first basis) or they have already decide who is going 2 stay in which room.....n who will b the room partner????
Secondly i want 2 know what books i should carry with me...can u name all those books which u ppl r using in training........plzz inform this.
r u still in training or posted somewhere????n do they ask posting prefrences.....in the beginning or at the end of the training??
A. Accomodation will be provided only from a day prior to the date of joining..after checking ur luggage they will direct u to the reception room..they will be noting down ur registeration number(u will have it in ur mail)and randomnly pick up a key and give it to u..u cant choose ur room partner..
suppose u find the keys kept in pairs urself and ur friend might get the same room..u can always enjoy there...try caching new friends...most of the time u wont be n ur room
PF(programming fundamentals) oracle is common to all..dont carry any book..u have a library there and can always use it..the course material that they provide is more than enough...u wont find time reading other books..its not knowledge that matters but intellgence and shrewdness.
you will be getting a mail regarding ur posting..u need to rank the DCs in the order of preference..but the entire thing depends on the business needs..n our batch most of them were from chennai...so most of them got mysore bangalore or trivandrum though chennai was there first preference..if u have any reason to go back to ur home town and work u need to specify the reason to the HR in advance..dont wait till the posting details are out..and also keep it as a secret.

Q. Plz tell me whether our parents r allowed into d hostel when they accompany us for d first time?
A. When you are joining your parents are allowed only till food court 1...when u become an employee(after getting ur ID and room no)only saturdays and sundays.Your parents are allowed to roam in the campus but they are not allowed inside the hostel rooms..(they are even allowed inside the GEC (gloabl education centre) till the first floor...

Q. 1. what is the minimum amount that we must carry to have good living in the campus during the initial period.
2.will there be provision for accomodation near by if we are given acc only for the first week...provided our parents are not with us..wil that be an easy task to find the acc by ourselves.
A. 1..5000 will do for the first month(if u dont spend much on shopping)
2..they will provide u with persons to contact ,who will guide u in finding accomodation..

Q. Pls give me the following information:-
1)i will be joining on the 18th of Sept.what will be the weather like?r sweaters necessary?
2)is there any reasonable hotel/lodge near the campus where my parents can stay?do u have any idea about the price range?
3)is cycling a must in the campus?or can one do without knowing how to cycle?
4)can u give some idea about the initial screening test for the cs/it students?a couple of sample questions would be of immense help.
5)would they allow us out of the campus on week days?
6)after visiting hours are over on saturdays and sundays ,would they allow us to go out?
A. 1..sweaters are not that necessary...it depends on ur body..(i didnt take one)
2.hotels and lodges are located near the railway station itself.(reasonable)
3..cycles are just for ur emergency..
4..if u have littele knowledge on ur computer related subjects,that will do.
5..u r in a professional environment..there is nobody to restrict u..
6..u r always allowed to go out...
its a leave on working days..
saturdays and sundays are always at ur disposal.

Q. 1.I dont have any bank account right now..plz suggest m in which bank should i apply for the same,which is going to help me for transaction of money from home while i am there for the training.
2.what are the things that i should carry to mysore other than cloths and documents?????
A. They will guide through the account creation process..during induction..(ICICI)
some money..sweater..ur sports things..

Answers to your questions

I heartly thank my viewers for their comments. It is now my turn to provide answers to your queries.

sai shruti said...
1. what is to be expected in the TCS psychometric test?2. what preparation is to be done for the Technical interview?
January 6, 2008 10:14 PM
Ans:
There’s nothing to worry about TCS psychometric test. It doesn’t require any special preparation. Just be true to your self because the test examines your ability to react to the surrounding world in a positive way. If you are looking for a sample psychometric test, you can download it from my e-storehouse
http://www.esnips.com/user/nileshmiskin

unknown said...
what kind of work a mechanical engineer does in the company?
January 11, 2008 1:50 AM
Ans:
As a mechanical engineer, your job profile depends entirely on the kind of company you work for and your post. If you are particularly interested in software sector then the company might give you a kind of work that is related to your domain but its again a software job.


Giri said…
I WANT RECENT INFY PAPER PATTERN....PLZ PUBLISH ON UR SITE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE........
January 25, 2008 8:57 AM
Ans:
The infy aptitude test pattern has changed from last year. The new pattern however seems to be based on CAT pattern but the level of difficulty is a little less. I couldn’t found a sample paper on the net. If anybody has found, please contact me.

giri said...
plz upload INFY study material n paper pattern before 28 jan
January 25, 2008 9:06 AM
Ans:
I suggest you read my last post “Aptitude Preparation: Study Plan” dated January 25, 2008. Also keep checking my e-storehouse
http://www.esnips.com/user/nileshmiskin

Aptitude preparation: Study Plan

In my last post (http://asknilesh.blogspot.com/2008/01/aptitude-preparation.html), I provided information about key resources (books, websites etc.). In this post as I promised, I would like to focus on the Study Plan for the aptitude preparation for the campus placement.

Firstly you need to sit down and work out a flexible study plan. Five hours of study per week for six weeks is more than sufficient. In my case, I decided to study at weekends only.

Try to start with verbal section as early as possible. I firstly concentrated on improving my vocabulary. Side by side, I started solving Shakuntala Devi’s “Puzzles to Puzzle You”.

“Barron’s GRE Guide” was perhaps the greatest help. It’s really an amazing tool to hone your problem solving ability and improve your vocabulary. The book not only provides a word list of about 3500 words but also marks out about 350 imp words separately which is an instant help for those with a crash-course kind of attitude. The exercises in this section are of at most Importance because many companies especially TCS picks up questions for their tests based on these exercises. The “KEY FACTs” in the maths and quant section of the book are simply marvelous! As this book caters to the needs of GRE aspirants the difficulty level of questions is a little higher.

I also recommend to study following sections from “Quantitative Aptitude” by R. S. Aggarwal:

1) Problems on ages

2) Ratio and proportion

3) Chain rule

4) Time and work

5) Pipes and Cisterns

6) Time and distance

7) Permutations and combinations

8) Probability

and the entire Data Interpretation section

I also found many useful tricks and tactics in the book “How to Prepare for CAT” by Ahemad Muneer.

You also need to fair well in your exams in order to become strong in your respective area of specialization; e.g. a computer engineer should have a good knowledge of data structures, networking, compilers etc.

Inculcate a habit of reading especially about current issues. This will improve your vocabulary, hone your communication skills and also prepare you for GDs and interviews. I regularly read “Times of India” and “Reader’s Digest”. Especially the “Ascent” supplement that comes with TOI tells you exactly the latest trends in various job sectors and includes useful write-ups for guiding job aspirants.

Besides this I will be providing you company specific study material. You can download it from my e-storehouse

http://www.esnips.com/user/nileshmiskin

You can always google the net for more study material. You may find links to some popular sites for aptitude preparation right here right on the side panel under the title “Adds by Google”.

Aptitude Preparation

These are the must have books for your aptitude preparation. I suggest to straight away buy these:

1) Puzzles to Puzzle You – Shakuntala Devi
2) Barron’s GRE guide
3) Quantitative Aptitude- R. S. Aggarwal

These are a few optional books if you are interested:

1) More Puzzles to Puzzle You – Shakuntala Devi
2) Verbal Ability- R. S. Aggarwal
3) Word Power Made Easy
4) Other books for CAT, GMAT, GRE

Besides this I will be providing you company specific study material. You can download it from my e-storehouse

http://www.esnips.com/user/nileshmiskin

You can always google the net for more study material. You may find links to some popular sites for aptitude preparation right here right on the side panel under the title “Adds by Google”.

In my next post, we will discuss the right study plan for both, early movers and those with a crash course attitude.

Campus placement: A word of caution

If you are at this site, you are right on the expressway to your dream job.

The placement season is nearing and everybody has gone crazy thinking how will I prepare for aptitude test, my verbal is poor, even if I crack the apty, what about GD and interviews… bla bla bla!

Well, if your placements are so near, don’t feel exhausted, face it and give it your best shot. This is not the time to think of what you should have done.
This is the time to just do it. Don’t regret that you spent your valuable time in college canteen or watching movies or doing nothing at all! This is the time to make the best of all the resources available to you.

I will be always there to guide you throughout the process. I will guide you about preparation for the aptitude test, group discussions, interviews, CV writing, your future prospects and everything you want to know about how to get placed. Even for those who are in a hurry, I will be providing crash course tips.

I congratulate to those who have decided to prepare for the placements much earlier. Early players do get an advantage. I will be there with you at every stage of preparation and always ready to address your queries.
All you have to do is just visit my blogsite every now and then to check out the new posts. Your feedback in form of comments will help me provide you exactly what you want.

TCS Recruitment Procedure

This is a brief introduction to how will be your D day!

1) You are required to be present at the centre at 8:00 AM.

2) Get your seat no/exam hall no from the registration counter.
Contact TPO or the right commitee member in case of any query.


3) There will be a formal presentation by the company's recruitment team.
Ask them on the spot if you have any doubts about renumeration, posting,
work environment etc. Feel free to discuss this with the officials.


4) TCS has an online test engine to test your abilities. First section is the general maths i. e. Quantitative section. Then comes the verbal section. If you pass then you are taken to the page of psychometric test. Generally you don't have to face this part of the test. If you reach to this page you are sent for the interview. If you don't make it to the next round, you are taken to the page teasing "Thank you for taking the test".


5) TCS doesn't conduct GDs.


6) There are 2 Interviews: Technical & Personal. For detailed discussion about interviews keep watching this website.


7) The whole procedure takes almost night to complete after which results are declared. So maitain your tempo throughout the procedure.


All the best for your dream job!!


Feedback on:
asknilesh.blogspot.com