How to crack Interview at ICAI Campus Interview?

Thu Aug 5, 2021

So, now you have become a Chartered Accountant, what’s next? What should be done to ace the Campus Interview? What questions should I be prepared for?

Interviews are the most important stage at the Campus Placement where you are asked many questions to ascertain your suitability for the post.

The word ‘interview’ can make a lot of people sweat. It demands so many aspects that need to be seen and you are under pressure from everyone. But, you have cleared one of the toughest exams of your life and if you could do that, you can do anything. All the very more, we are here to make the preparations easy for you.

What should not be done:

Don’t be underprepared: You are about to give an interview that can change your professional life. Do not take this lightly and prepare yourself as much as you can. The interviewer is going to ask you technical, behavioral, and experience-based questions and you need to answer them with confidence. Therefore, prepare yourself, practice for the Group Discussions and other questions. You don’t want to become numb in front of the interviewer.

Don’t say anything which you are not: Your resume and your answers should be an exact reflection of you. Considering the experience of the Interviewer, you need to understand that anything that’s not correct will definitely come to his notice. You need to be truthful to yourself and to the company you are going to work with.

Don’t be confused: When it comes to choosing a field in which we want to work, it is a very important and tough decision to make. Therefore, make your decision wisely and make it before entering the interview. You don’t want to start your career in a field that does not excite you. The field can be Taxation, Assurance, Auditing, Accounting, etc. Give yourself a little time to gather your thoughts and understand where you want to work.

What should be done:

Dress to impress: Your first impression is your last impression. Therefore, you need to be dressed in formals in black or grey colors. If you are a boy you can wear a suit with a tie and formal black shoes. For ladies, you can wear Indian clothes or a suit preferably with a tie and tied hair.

Make a good resume: The first thing that needs to be done is to make a resume that should convey everything about you which the interviewer will be interested in knowing. The resume should have points about your academic qualifications, your articleship experience, any internship you have done, your skills, and a little bit about yourself.

Work on yourself: You need to develop various traits in yourself so that you shine amongst your competitor candidates. You need to improve your communication skills, be confident, be calm, and at the same time be alert to any questions being asked to you. You need to be prepared for everything that comes your way.

Have a good internet connection: Due to Covid-19, the interviews are recently being conducted in online mode, through video-conferencing. Hence, having an uninterrupted internet connection is a prerequisite.

Be on time: The interviewer should not be kept waiting and try to be there before time. Punctuality is always seen as merit and you should be on time. In case of video-conferencing make sure to join the video at least five minutes ahead of time to avoid last-moment errors.

Keep yourself updated: Whenever you are appearing for an interview, make sure you have done your research about that particular company. The interviewer must get it that how keen you are to join their company. Also, you must be updated about the recent happenings in the world and be able to put up your view on those topics.

Questions that can be asked in the Campus Interview:

Group Discussions: Topics for Group Discussion can be on any recent important event happening in the world like:

• Coronavirus: Global impact
• Discuss on the Union Budget:2021-22
• Is India ready for Electric vehicles?
• Ethics or profit?
• What are your thoughts on Crypto-currency?
• Pros and cons of E-Commerce
• Women are better multi-tasker: agree or disagree?
• The rise of Gig economy
• Cashless India: Is India ready for it?
• Is Startup India boosting entrepreneurship?

Technical Questions: Questions regarding your academics and their practical applications, your articleship experience and how you handled a particular situation, etc.

• Merger & Acquisition, IFRS, Ind AS, and questions related to various branches of the organization, etc.
• law & audit-related questions, and other subjects like costing & financial management. Must prepare for Costing & FM, as there will be definitely 1–2 questions on cost.
• New amendments, also taxation-related matters like the impact of GST, etc. If you are planning to work in Taxation then you need to properly update yourself with all Direct and Indirect tax rules.
• Company-related information, that why you want to join our company and if any recent major activity by the concerned company like any merger proposal, etc. You need to know about the background of the company, their CEO, products that the company offers, etc.
• Questions relating to the work you have done in your articleship, say, for example, if you have written in your resume that you have handled ITAT Appeals then, the interviewer can ask you “In what circumstances can appeal be made to the ITAT?”.

Behavioral Questions: The interviewer can ask you behavioral questions in order to know how would you react to some difficult situations

• If someday I shout at you in front of everyone, what will be your reaction?
• Do you consider the number of hours as a yardstick for measuring performance?
• How much would to give yourself when it comes to being patient?
• If you have plans for your weekend which you have been very excited about, but suddenly you get an email about an urgent project you need to complete on the weekend. What would you do?

Basic Questions: They might ask you questions about your goals in the company, what do you expect from the job, and basic questions about you.

• Where are you from?
• Where do you stay?
• What do you know about us?
• Why do you want to join us?
• Where do you wish to see yourself five years from today?

The tentative result dates for July 2021 exams can be around 29th August 2021 and accordingly, the Campus Placement starts from 28th September 2021. The time is running and you need to prepare for your dream job. Visit the site below in order to crack the interview and be fully prepared well ahead of time: https://camonk.com/s/store/courses/description/getting-interview-ready-workshop

In the end, you need to understand that it’s not about what you answer but how you answer the question. However, that doesn't mean you have no knowledge of anything. As Chartered Accountants, we are expected to have a minimum level of knowledge which is necessary for our profession. Remember it's the first 30 seconds that matter. Keeping calm and answering smartly is the key to cracking the interview. In closing, just remember that it is just an interview and not your whole life. ICAI campus interviews are only one of the many options that you are going to come across on your professional journey. There are many other options for you that you have not explored yet, so don’t get disheartened and do not give up!

All the Best!