Finally the placement season has arrived and almost every Business School and MBA college is gearing up with the same. Placement is an eagerly awaited event at every college and students are all set to show their mettle. Nearing the completion of two years of hard work and slogging, placement interviews are often the real ‘Make or Break’ kind of career defining time in every student’s life. A number of top notch companies visit the college campus to provide placements offering lucrative career opportunities with handsome salary packages. And though campus interviews carry a certain degree of excitement and prove to be a turning point in every student’s life, they can also provoke a kind of fear also. But a little preparation in advance can help a great deal. Here our 8 effective tips for PGDM students appearing in campus interviews:

• Punctuality: Always plan to arrive at the venue about 10-15 minutes before the interview. Arriving a bit early is a great way to let the employer know that you’ve got the professional etiquette and are interested in the opportunity. Arriving early will also allow you a bit of time to collect your thoughts and calm your nerves.
• Appropriate Attire: When attending an interview, making a good impression is extremely imperative. Attire plays a major role in the interview process. Always dress in business formals and try to wear clothes that suit you well. The first judgment is based on how you look and what you are wearing.
• Self-Confidence: Being confident is a key to success. During the interview, you need to come across as a confident individual who is interesting, and possess the appropriate knowledge and skill-sets required to properly execute the job. Always walk straight, and give a firm handshake to initiate positivity and a level of interest toward your interview session.
• Do practice those commonly asked interview questions: Whether you’re a student of marketing or international business or banking and finance, your potential recruiter, for sure, will ask you to tell him or her a bit about yourself. Other commonly asked questions include, “Why did you choose marketing or finance as your management concentration,” or, “What do you know about our company,” or, “What are your goals?” You will have to practice a lot to come up with short and sweet answers to these questions. Google and Youtube can help you a lot in this.
• Complete Research on Company– We’ve talked about this in the above paragraph as well. Always do a prior research to know as much as you can about the company which is coming for campus placement. Read about its products and services, its top management and its recent news and development goals and agenda. Also,  study reviews and interview experiences of other candidates to get an insight about the company’s expectations and work culture. Good amount of research is also needed to get familiar about the current market trends and company’s market plans and financial reports and other trends.
• Relevant Resume: During the actual interview process, a resume is arguably the most valuable document that demonstrates an applicant’s suitability for a particular job interview. Invest a good amount of time in perfecting your resume. It should be well-crafted with your employment objective that includes a summary of skills, knowledge, potential contributions and a list of certifications.
• Summarize Internship/Project Experience: Prepare a few points to describe and highlight your internship project’s objective and other assignments in your head. Intelligent and thoughtful description of your internship experience will showcase your exposure to the corporate world. Prepare yourself to answer all the possible questions regarding the same.
• Be Inquisitive: During an interview session, be always ready if given a chance to ask questions to interviewer. You should be prepared with few questions like kind of role offered to you, work culture, key skill areas, most challenging part of that particular role and what traits are needed in an individual to be successful in that role. This is often the last chance for you to make a great final impression of landing your dream job!

  There is a lot during an interview session which you cannot control, but yes a good preparation prior an interview and your hard work and determination will greatly help you to give your best.