The Candidate
Miss Shobana Roy is a very charming and attractive young lady candidate of good height and fair, smooth complexion. Her large almond-shaped black eyes add to her beauty and at once attract attention. She is blessed with sharp features and shapely figure and these are shown to advantage by her well-fitting and carefully chosen dress revealing taste and fashion. Her prominent and lively eyes sparkle with warmth and sincerity and the pleasing smile playing on her lips confirms friendliness and interest. Her well-formed figure with ideal statistics enables her to gain the first favourable impression at sight.
While conversing with other candidates she speaks with effordess fluency and her English accent and pronunciation clearly indicate years of good convent education and class. Even though she happens to be the only lady candidate present for interview in the UPSC waiting hall, we find her fully at ease, relaxed and absolutely assured and self-confident. She is quite at home in the midst of strangers who all belong to the opposite sex. She is able to mix with them freely, exchange ideas, advance arguments, offer comments and tender advice without inhibition, hesitation or reserve. Her approach is positive, helpful and constructive. In fact, she observes some nervousness on the part of the two male candidates engaged in some discussion with her and she takes special pains to put them at ease. She flashes a friendly smile and requests them to address her informally by her first name.
Pre-Interview Chit-chat
Shobana : Friends, please call me Shobana. When you address me Miss Roy, if sounds distant and formal.
Perhaps few know their potential which is why the majority flounder and only a few manage to climb up the ladder to success. One’s measure of success depends upon the extent to which one is capable of tapping one’s enormous reserves. Those who have made it to the top in the Civil Services or other realms are those who have realised themselves, harnessing their worth to the optimum limit with determination and perseverance.
Kashyap : (The more nervous among the two male candidates, he attempts to light a cigarette but changes his mind and drops the cigarette and crushes it with his foot. He appears rather confused and turns to his other male companion for help.) Yes, thank you. My friend, Mr. Dayal wants.
Dayal : Oh, thank you madam, well I mean Miss Shobana. You see Shobana, we have been talking about this interview or personality test. I believe it is not like the written test, but rather tough. I am told it is very difficult.
Kashyap : That is right. My fear is that during this interview they will ask all kinds of difficult and awkward questions. I am told only a few can or will be able to furnish the right answers. You see it is six or seven people against one. There are so many to ask questions but you alone have to answer. (He again automatically takes out a cigarette, but hesitates to light it. It looks as if he wants the permission of the lady candidate to smoke in her presence.)
Shobana : (Observing the dilemma of Mr. Kashyap and his hesitation, she smiles encouragingly and speaks with friendship and warmth.) Thank you Mr. Kashyap. I don’t smoke (she smiles) but I have no objection if others wish to do so. You can go ahead and smoke if you like.
Kashyap : No, no, please. I won’t smoke if you do not approve of that. In any case, you see I can’t smoke before the Board during the interview. Can I?
Dayal : Certainly not. That will go against you.
Shobana : Not to worry, Mr. Kashyap. During the interview, you are likely to be so busy and pre-occupied that you will completely forget about your need for smoking.
Kashyap : Oh! really ?
Shobana : The Board wants the candidate to be frank and free, no doubt. But we should be prudent and stay within limits.
Dayal: Yes, you are right. I see your point.
Kashyap : (Whispers to Dayal) Hey, ask her about likely questions and also the correct answers. I am sure she knows.
Shobana : (Smiling) Oh, come on Mr. Kashyap, you can ask me yourself because I could hear what you are saying to our friend Mr. Dayal. Now, I wish to assure you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about this interview. Please believe me that the Board is not interested in posing difficult, tough and awkward questions to the candidate. On the other hand, it is interested in your views, ideas, comments, appreciation or opinions on various topics, subjects or issues.‘This interview is not a mere question and answerÂ
WINNING STRATEGY
Develop a positive image and purge all that is negative. As soon as one moulds one’s thinking process in a positive way, one sees the horizons ever expanding and one sees that life’s goals could be achieved by a combination of positive traits like cheerfulness, optimism, determination, devotion and perseverance. An individual endowed with these qualities rightly feels that he can achieve whatever he wants since he is mentally predisposed not to lose in any venture. He would be the last one to blame the circumstances for what he is. He does not believe in fatalism. The people who ride the waves of success are those who look for chances they want, and if they can’t find them, they are hell-bent to make them.