Interview

   PERSONAL INTERVIEW 

On completion of Psych tests and subsequent refreshment break, some of the candidates have to appear before the Interviewing Officer for Personal Interview. The interviews will continue in the afternoon and evenings of Day 2, 3 and 4. You will be interviewed only once and will be informed well in advance about the time and place.

TIPS FOR FACING INTERVIEW IN SSB

• Preparation for the Interview: The candidate has to prepare himself to be able to answer basic questions regarding the service which he wishes to join. Before facing the Board, the candidate must try to acquire sufficient knowledge on the burning topics of the world and of the service which he wishes to join. Being not able to answer basic questions regarding army and telling the board that you wished to join army from your childhood will only put you in a awkward situation. 
• Increase your general awareness: The candidate must be able to answer questions on all the current events in the world. But one thing is to be noted that if you didn’t know about an event, be truthful and tell the interviewing officer that you don’t know it. Your wide store of knowledge will of course increase your confidence. 
• Relaxation: Tension causes nervousness which is really fatal in SSB Interviews. You should not worry about SSB Interviews. Early preparation will reduce your tension and if you feel nervousness, take 15 long breaths, It will surely restore your confidence. 
• Facial expression: It is said that face is the index of mind. So be natural in your facial expression. 
• Dress: The dress should be according to the place and climate. The dress should not be shabby and as far as possible, wear light colored shirts. The mustaches should be properly trimmed and cut your nails. 
• Manner of sitting in the Interview room: Always put your hands on your thighs and must not move it. Avoid use of unusual; gestures and speak truthfully to the Interviewing officer with a smiling face. The candidate should maintain eye contact with the Interviewing officer, should not look up, down, left or right. 
• Manner of talking : Talk politely to the Interviewing officer and if you ever want to disagree with the Interviewing officer, do it politely and be natural in your talks with the interviewing officer. Your voice should be pleasant and audible. Do not murmur or stammer. Maintain a normal speed while talking. On controversial topics, it is always better to talk both for and against it and try to provide a solution for it. It shows that you have a constructive approach. Sometimes the interviewing officer may put anger provoking questions. Do never lose your temper. Be cool in answering. 
• Leaving the Interview room: After the interview is over, you will be told to leave the room and never forget to thank the interviewing officer. Leave the room confidently as you came in the Interview room. Leave the room with a gentle smile and with your head held high. It shows that you are confident. 
• Preparation for SSB Interview: The candidate must be able to answer questions related to their educational back ground right from their 8th standard, Regarding your hobbies. Interests ,activities in which you participated , basic information regarding the service you wish to join ,why you want to join that particular service ,why were you screened out last time, some SRT’S LIKE THAT 

7 INTERVIEW ETIQUETTES CANDIDATES SHOULD KNOW

 

1. Good Entry – A good beginning is half done. These need to be kept in mind while preparing for SSB interview. Positive entry with humble behaviour makes the good image of the person. Polite voice coupled with gentle entry is the best way to enter the interview room.

 

2. Eye Contact – While attending the personal interview, candidates are advised to maintain eye contact with interviewing officer. This not only shows your alertness but also shows your confidence. Avoiding eye while answering any question or thinking something leaves a bad impact over IO.

 

3. Posture – The way you sit after entering the room, the way you stand while going out of the room and even the way you sit in entire interview period matter a lot. Shaking legs, biting nails, non-erect posture, etc. should be avoided. These traits show non-presence (mentally), lack of interest or lack of social moral values. Erect posture shows attentiveness and your interest to the speaker/ interviewing officer.

 

4. Hand Movements – Hand movement should be as low as possible. Try to bind your palm with your legs. Your attention and discipline will impress the interviewing officer. Hand movement with conversation should be controlled. Excess usage shows low confidence of the candidate. 

 

5. Talking Style – The way of talking while the questioning and answering is going should be in a cordial manner. Speaking louder, or in a lazy way, fumbling, confusingly speaking, correcting yourself again and again, might take your chances of selection down. 

 

6. Mild Smile – Answering with a mild smile on face doubles the impact of the candidate. Personal interview has some questions of enjoyment, seriousness and more, but candidate must keep a smile on the face. Remember, excessive laughing means you are excessively frank and not a serious guy toward your future or work. An officer has to be cool minded in all kinds of situations. An unstable mind can take the entire team to into a problem. 

 

7. Total Attention – Paying total attention to the interviewing officer shows your attentiveness. It is the most important quality that an officer must possess. Hearing the questions or getting what IO wants to ask, his counter questions and his expression have to be attentively observed and your reply must be as per the requirement of the question. Answering irrelevant or out of topic will reduce IO’s interest in you. Keep the conservation, comprehensive and crisp.

 

8 POWERFUL TRICKS TO BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE BEFORE THE INTERVIEW 

 

1. Stop Thinking Too Much.

It’s finally come down to the moment that every Defence Aspirant waits for, your interview, which gives you the chance to express yourself and to convince the authorities that yes “I have it in me”. So just stop over thinking. One of the biggest reasons why people fail to feel and be confident is their fear of thinking of the ‘what ifs’. Don’t make the situation more complicated for yourself by dwelling in such thoughts. 

 

2. Work on your Non-Verbal Communication. 

93% of the communication between humans occurs through means of non -verbal communication. Your words only comprise of 7% of the total communication. So I hope you realise how important it is to focus and to work on your gestures and postures. From the moment you enter the room, till the time you move out of the door, The IO is observing your body language. There should be congruence between what you say and what your body says. 

 

3. Think happy thoughts. 

While you are sitting outside and waiting for your interview to start think about the happy moments and memories that you have about yourself and your loved ones. It could be a day out with your family, a trip with your friends, a conversation with your teacher or time spent with your pet. Anything. Think about whatever makes you happy. In doing so, the level of your stress hormones decreases and you start to better and positive.

 

4. Superman Pose. 

Research says that standing in a superman pose before doing anything significant and important helps you feel better and confident about yourself. The superman pose causes a decrease in cortisol level of 25%. So 10 minutes before your interview starts, go somewhere private and for 2 minutes stand in the superman pose. Be self-assured. 

 

5. Go back to the last time you felt confident. 

Think of the last event in your life in which you felt really confident about yourself. Mentally go back to that event and try to recall your emotions and feelings at that point of time. Try to remember how much relieved and happy you were after the completion of that particular task. Try to feel the same emotions and feelings and you’ll end up becoming more confident. 

 

6. Rehearse Mentally. 

Just go through major points that you have to remember during your interview and try to just scan through all the pointers that you had prepared for yourself. You should be clear about each word that you had written in your Personal Information Questionnaire (PIQ), so just rehearse whatever you had written and any other major fact and detail that you have to remember. 

 

7. Think of nice things that people have said about you. 

Try to think of all the positive things that your friends, family, colleagues and your teachers have said about you. It’s the best way to remind yourself that you are capable of doing good and great things in life. You will instantly feel positive and confident about yourself. 

 

8. Enjoy the moment! 

You are about to give probably the most important interview of your life. You’ve worked hard, you’ve dreamt about it and you’re so close to living your dream. So just live in the moment. Breathe in and breathe out. Later in life this’ll be one of your fondest memories, provided you believe in yourself and follow the above tricks! 

 

13 PSYCHOLOGICAL LIFE HACKS TO CLEAR THE PERSONAL INTERVIEW

 

We are shaped by our thoughts. How we think, perceive and believe all influences how we adjust and function in our environment. We all know that psychology has an integral role to play in the SSB interview. The agenda of the interview is to determine whether the candidate possesses the Officer Like Qualities (OLQs). This is done by means of a purposive or directed conversation between the candidate and the Interviewing Officer (IO). Not only is the current personality evaluated but the training potential of the candidate is also assessed. 

 

In order to excel in the interview, the candidate needs to be in touch with his/her own personality and of their surroundings. The following psychological life hacks will help you in performing better in the SSB interview. 

 

Cognitive reframing 

It is a psychological technique used to identify negative thoughts, and reframing those thoughts into more positive challenges. Before your interview starts, instead of thinking it to be a threat, perceive it as a challenge which you have to overcome. You’ll be likely to perform better and efficiently. 

 

You are in control of your emotions, and thoughts. 

Tell yourself you’re happy or you’re excited. Eventually your brain will end up believing it. Saying that you’re depressed or you’re feeling anxious will make you all the more depressed and anxious. 

 

Your attitude is everything. 

Learn how to deal with stress without changing your behaviour. It’s not always possible to answer all questions in the correct manner. Don’t lose your cool and don’t be demoralised if the interview isn’t going the way you wanted it to. Just go with the flow and give it your best shot.

 

Maintain proper eye contact. 

In a research it was found that 67% of interviewees fail to maintain adequate eye contact. Maintaining proper eye contact is essential since it shows that you are confident. A candidate who looks straight in the interviewer’s eye will be appraised as more confident than a candidate who looks at the floor or at the ceiling and avoids eye contact. But don’t stare or gaze hard at the IO. Look at their eyes long enough to notice what colour they are. 

 

Chewing gum before the interview

Researchers from St. Lawrence University found that gum-chewing benefits working memory, episodic memory and general information-processing speed. The chewing motion makes it easier to focus and concentrate. Chewing some gum before the interview may help you focus, remember important information and it helps to combat the stress and nervousness. Don’t forget to spit the gum out before entering the interview room!

 

Smile! 

While entering the room, greeting the IO, thanking him or listening to him, keep your smile on. Smiling from time to time (wherever appropriate) makes you feel more relaxed and cheerful. Smiling indicates that you are cheerful and connect with people easily.

 

Posture 

Stand up straight, avoid slouching, keep your hands out of pockets, and head held up high. It’s not just a cliché — you literally feel better.

 

Dress smartly. 

If your clothes create an initial unfavourable impression, you’ll have trouble neutralising it during the interview. If you look good, you feel good; and if you feel good, you’ll do well. 

 

Etiquettes. 

Manners and courtesy help in tilting the direction of the interview in your favour. Before entering the room, gently knock on the door. You can politely ask if you can come in- enter only when you are asked to, with confidence. Wish those present as per the time of the day. Wait till you are asked to sit and thank the person who asks you to sit down. While answering questions, be respectful and say ‘sir’, however excessive use of the word ‘sir’ must be avoided. 

 

Believe in yourself. 

The interview revolved around you; therefore, it is you and your performance that matters. Keep telling yourself that you have ‘it’ in you and believe in it. Don’t be nervous and don’t get intimated by the personality and the aura of the IO. 

 

Express your emotions. 

Use your emotions to allow the IO to have a better understanding of yourself. Describe your feelings as and when appropriate. Avoid extreme emotions such as anger, sentiments, etc. Use your body language as a part of your emotional expression. Avoid giving political opinions. Remember, armed forces are always apolitical and above board. 

 

Be truthful

Credibility, once lost is hard to regain. You want to portray yourself as morally trustworthy since your reputation is at stake. Be respectful towards the other person with whom you’re speaking and be sensitive towards others’ feelings.

 

Positive thinking.

Having a positive mindset is vital. Positive thinking helps in combating negative thoughts, it elevates one’s mood and it helps us to focus on the bright side of life. It motivates us towards success. Being optimistic in the face of challenges is a positive trait that will help a candidate in the interview. While you are waiting for your interview to start, keep these tips in mind as they will help you combat stress and anxiety.

 

GOLDEN TIPS FROM A SENIOR INTERVIEWING OFFICER AT SSB

 

The interviewing officer discusses by way of questions and answers the opportunities you had in life and the utilization which you have made of them. It is a test of your heart. The interviewing officer is fairly senior and experienced in the armed forces. While he interacts with you, he visualizes whether you have the essential qualities to be trained to be an army officer. What you have done till date with regard to your basic educational performances in exams from 10th to present level, your achievements in extracurricular activities, your hobbies, sports, activities and any other interests in life, your relation with your parents, friends, teachers and society at large, your general awareness and general knowledge and your physical and mental fortitude are important facets of his assessment. The interviewing officer understands and gives you fair benefit for shortcomings or mistakes which you may have committed. Thus, do not try and hide anything. The tendency of lying or making false pretenses is viewed negatively and is easily discernible.

 

Do’s of SSB Interview

Some basics which a candidate must keep in mind while preparing during an interview are as under:- 

1. Be appropriately turned out for the interview. 

2. Look smart, cheerful and enthusiastic. 

3. Must remain happy and calm and respond politely to the interviewing officer’s welcome remark. 

4. Be audible but not too loud. Appear keen to speak and respond to questions. 

5. Sit straight and comfortably, do not fidget, do not keep moving your hands and legs. 

6. Acknowledge questions being asked by gently nodding your head and maintain eye contact throughout. 

7. If you have not understood anything, politely ask for a clarification or to repeat the question. 

8. Must be clear about facts and figures regarding your bio-data, marks obtained, ranking in competitive exams, dates, names of school / institution, teachers, friends etc. Avoid stating “I do not remember” and respond as far as possible. 

9. A large number of questions are normally asked at one go in a sequence. Try and remember all these questions and attempt to answer them in the same sequence. If you fail to recollect all questions, finish those you remember and then request to clarify for anything, left out. 

10. Prep well in general knowledge for the interview. You are expected to be aware about current events if asked. 

11. Talk about hobbies, participation in games & sports, adventure activities and any other interests. You must have adequate technical knowledge about your hobbies and games you play. You shall get some questions on these. 

12. Utilize your time while waiting for interview by reading newspapers and journals available in waiting room. 

13. Watch TV News for updating yourself in candidates lines / waiting room. 

14. Remain relaxed and at ease throughout during the interview. 

15. Listen to complete questions before attempting to reply. 

16. Be truthful and honest while replying to questions.

 

Dont’s of SSB Interview

 

1. Do not be shabbily dressed. 

2. Do not be under stress during interview. 

3. Do not discuss the questions asked by interviewing officer. 

4. Never lie or put up a false pretence.  

5. If you are well read it is an advantage. If not, do not pretend to have read books/magazines and newspapers which you have only heard of. 

6. Do not reply as has been told to you by the candidates interviewed before you. Their questions may have had a different perspective. 

7. Avoid guess work. Better be polite and say I don’t know, sir, I shall find out”. 

8. Avoid being rigid, restorative, argumentative, overbearing, complacent and stiff, throughout the interview. 

9. Don’t keep mobile, watch etc on person during interview.