Last two times , after my interview, I wrote in detail about the minute happenings in those important minutes. Well before my third interview, I thought to continue that ‘custom’. But slowly through my preparation for the interview, in the last two days before the interview, and well, after the interview, I have been increasingly believing that writing down the questions I was asked and how I adjusted my chair in the interview room, will not give a true picture, may be , it gives a thoroughly wrong impression of the whole story. Questions are indeed not the interview is all about. It is a personality test (PT ) !

So, instead of just jotting down the questions asked in my third interview, I would rather try and give the essentials that are expected out of the person facing the interview also , along with the questions . Of course that is what I wanted to do by writing the questions asked, to help the next candidate.

Panel : Rajini Razdan

Personality Test time : 15-20 minutes.

I wanted to give a highly emphatic impression right from the first second. The moment I was told to go inside, before I turn the knob of the door, I told to myself, loud and clear so that I can hear, that ”  I am an IAS officer and I have nothing to lose ” .

This initial step is very important , for many reasons, for me and for everyone else. Since this is the most important moment , we try to give extreme weight for the moment, increasing the pressure automatically. The more serious we are with the interview , and more concerned about our performance inside, the more tougher it becomes. This I learnt through the hardest way, with two interviews faced. My preparation this time, I allowed myself to be flexible for all the suggestions that come my side, and I took some of them very seriously. My senior, said to me that How many ever question and answers we prepare, they are not going to be asked, at all. The preparation for these questions is only to give us confidence , to answer even those questions which we don’t know. I guess most of you reading this might not totally appreciate the weight of the above statement, but this is the single most important factor, that changed my approach to the preparation for it. I am no more afraid of any questions. I am  no more in that state to expect only the questions that I prepared should be asked. I am , instead, eager for questions, eager to answer any question with the same kind of confidence and agility. I prepared little in this direction, and when I was asked about Justice, Lawyers (my first set of questions), I was rather unmoved in my outlook. I maintained a cheerful face, full of confidence and ideas. At least that is what I feel.

The beauty is that, sometimes, questions that you are prepared do come your way. Its an awesome time, your confidence just doubles up. The words just flow from your mouth. That is what just happened to me when they went on to Water security. A series of questions on how to solve this problem, at the domestic household level, district state and national level. Suggestions were given and there were counter questions.