[UPSC TOPPER] INTERVIEW TIPS FROM VARUN KUMAR [AIR – 3]

I am currently undergoing training at National Police Academy, Hyderabad. Our foundation course at Mussorie was over on 9th december 2011. Training at Mussorie is fun. Government pays you hefty salary to have fun for eg. to go on a trek, to go for river rafting, watch cultural programmes, learn photography, cooking and what not.

It was like a 3 months tour. And the beauty of LBSNAA cannot be matched. It is located in such a place that you will never feel like leaving the place. It is so energetic to go and touch the soil where Tendulkar comes and plays cricket with boys in the street. You can watch Ruskin Bond walk around. And the faculty members in LBSNAA are so kind and jovial that those memories are firmly etched. No wonder they say FC is the most amazing part of life of a civil servant.

Guys, put your heart and soul to clear this examination asap. It is a life in paradise!

My experience –

a) I went for the interview with a heavy baggage. Problems back home. I was left with so much time after the interview to deal with all of them. It was foolish for me to think of all of these issues on the moring of the interview. For heaven sake preserve something good for that day’s morning to give you the josh you need, for instance a greeting card from mom, an inspirational movie, an inspirational song, a photograph….The thing which you take to Delhi should instantly inspire you to raise your motivational levels. Wake up early and go for a walk. It does calm you down.

b) I was expecting a particular board. And did not want to land up in a particular board. What a foolish thought? Nobody gives you the license to rate an interview board. Even if you cry for ten days you can’t get it changed. So learn to live with it.

c) Rumors are the most depressing things in these times. They told me “Razni Razdan madame asks factual questions and she may not award great marks”. I prayed to all holy angels that I should not go to that board. Ultimately I landed up there. But result? 234/300. People talk crap. Never pay heed to it. Just go to the interview with the thought that you got a job. Interview is only going to decide whether you are getting IAS or IPS or IAAS or IPoS. You need to perform very well in order to get the service and cadre you want. The Chairman of the board does not matter. Their scoring does not matter. WHAT YOU SPEAK MATTERS! TRUST ME.

One word of caution for all the candidates preparing for CSE –

As long as you prepare for CSE life is all good like a college student. We are careless, more focussed on upsc.gov.in and we rarely pay fine attention to essential things. The moment you get selected, the equations change. You are no longer the same person after your name appears in UPSC list. Dowry is the most notorious and painful disaster that can happen to you even before you land up in the field as officers. Reputation is at stake. You speak something before the result is declared and the same words get interpreted into various meanings after the result.

So my advice to all of you is that “THE MOMENT YOU START PREPARING FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAM, YA’LL START BEHAVING LIKE OFFICERS. WATCH WHAT YOU SPEAK, WATCH WHAT YOU SMS AND THOROUGHLY ANALYZE WHOM YOU ARE TALKING WITH‘. After all we go through severe difficulties and challenges and we put our family through so many things in order to find our name in the list in upsc.gov.in. Once we find our names there we become turtles, very hard on the surface. But this serious issue called dowry is like the underbelly of the turtle. It will destroy all the hard work you put in. All of us come to this job to do something for the society. Even before the career begins if such baseless allegations crop up then there is no point in getting selected. Kindly have clear ideas about your profession, family etc and then stay steadfast in getting selected.

People fail to realize that once you join the academy you haveto file the properties you possess. I wrote NIL as this is my first employment. In the next sheet they have asked us to file the properties in possession of father (if the probationer is employed for the first time).

In my case I have given only one property in name of my dad and that is a land of size 1800 sq.ft. My dad is also a retired govt. servant. We have to keep updating this year after year and it will be updated in MHA. How will anyone account for BMW car? basless allegations will be ignored on inquiry but who is going to get back the reputation that a probationer has lost? So kindly be very careful and start behaving like officers. Come to the service of this country without any burdensome baggage.

I am explainig my personal story here so that candidates get warned of the ‘real’ situation. Once you land up in LBSNAA, they will show you all case studies wherein probationers’ reputation have been targets. Now that the situation is clearly explained to all of you, be alarmed and enter the service with an impeccable record. All the best.

I submitted a photograph in which I had moustache. But I had removed it during the time of interview. Shri Razni Razdan was furious over the issue. My interview started on a bad note over this issue. Somehow managed the situation and got out of it. Keep the things ready. Like certificates, photographs etc. Let them not find out any fault in you. That itself sends a signal that you are well prepared. Please preserve your travel ticket. Otherwise you cannot claim travel allowances.I threw away the ticket hence I got the minimum allowance only. Pl keep this in mind

Book a cab well in advance. Reach the venue well in advance. Several people came late. The tension, the sweating does not put you in a comfortable position. Once you reach the venue SHUT YOUR EAR AND MOUTH. You don’t need to make friends there and prove that you are a socializing person. Ignore a person even if you know him/her. You can apologize to the person after the interview. You are not there to please anyone. Get the job and you will have ample time to prove that you are not arrogant. I am saying this with conviction because the rumors and insider information never ends even at UPSC’s doorstep. They will say “TODAY RAZNI MADAME IS NOT SITTING. SHE’S ON LEAVE”. Ask the person to shut up. You don’t need any of these info. Just do your work. Don’t put yourself in a shocking situation. You might have an elevated blood pressure just before you are called inside knowing at the last minute that she is sittting in the board today

Wear something warm. It will be cold inside that hall. Don’t give any scope for putting yourself in discomfort. IT’S YOUR DAY BROTHER/SISTER. Cash upon every opportunity to feel good and positive

I will tell something silly. But apply this rule at least two days before the interview.

If the person is listening to you keep pumping out your knowledge and you will definitely feel good. If the person is more interested in talking rather than listening STAY AWAY FROM THE PERSON. Don’t get into unnecessary arguments or conversations. Waste of time.

STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREAY IN SERVICE AND WHO HAVE COME FOR INTERVIEW.

Twin problems.
Firstly, the person will think he/she knows better and will try to shower all his/her wisdom on you. Immediately you will feel do I have to ‘run the race’ with this guy/girl?

Secondly, you will be in a vulnerable position. You won’t think rationally. At that time you might get into a position to believe the person. You might think he/she has already got into service facing the same interview, so may be he/she is right. But what if the person got very high marks in mains and got 120/300 in interview in the previous attempt?

 TWO DAYS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW START TALKING AND STOP LISTENING.

One unfortunate thing is that we will be staying in Bhavan and it happens that most of the time you will be staying with people from your state. Kindly try to move in to some other Bhavan if you have to interact. There’s no point in interacting in regional language if you are going to speak in English in the interview.”

“There is a big question in the minds of candidates from outside Delhi- when should I go to Delhi?”.

Should I go 2 days before or 10 days before?

Forget UPSC interview. When do you go to a place? When you have work. Your work in Delhi is to score +220 in interview. If you have a proper plan in Delhi which will contribute to this end then go. Otherwise stay back.

Some people land up in Delhi and then think what to do. Most of the time they keep roaming in Rajinder Nagar streets unable to decide as to what they should be doing. Others who are undecided keep talking on phone. Precious time brother/sister. Don’t make a joke out of yourself. Even if someone has landed up early in Delhi without a plan, don’t waste your time in Rajinder Nagar streets or in the confines of your room.

Go to INDIA HERITAGE CENTRE or INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE in Lodhi estate. Attend the forums. Ask questions. Whether you ‘grow up’ intellectually or not does not matter.

Atleast you should feel that you are growing. Visiting these places will help. Candidates in Delhi please ask me about IHC or IIC. These are knowledge powerhouses for UPSC preparation

Attend mock interview with Ravindran Sir. He has consistently predicted the marks rightly.

For me he predicted 240+. But my interview didn’t go that well. I was expecting 190. I was shocked to see that Ravindran sir was right.

So a week before the UPSC interview attend a mock interview session with him individually and get a rough idea about where you stand. The course of the interview will be decided only from the words you speak.

FOr eg. if you speak about downloading, the next question will be about copyright. Further it will lead to “have you ever downloaded without paying a penny?”. In that situation we might fall into the trap of a morality debate.

So watch what you speak. An interview with Ravindran sir will help you find out what sense/on-sense we speak in interview. Take a camera with you, take his permission and record your interview