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[Official ] Interview Preparation 2021 - Ask Questions, Debates and Doubts, Hobbies, Home State

@Neyawn Its a long query, but i have been following your advice on mains, prelims and studies though have commented only thrice on forum, Please give your guidance as its needed, would be immensely grateful :) 

1. In the column for prizes/ scholarships, will it make sense to write about school level district competitions in GK / GATE rank/ giving interview for BARC scientific officer position?

2. I have done two research internships in abroad during my IIT years. It will be considered under employment right.

3. Under extra-curricular activities along with hobbies. Would it be okay to fill in extra-curricular activities like volunteering in NGOs.

4. In college, i mentored a junior who had failed classical mechanics course to pass course. I happened to join a fellowship called "India fellowship" just after passing oand have worked and lived in a community school in a village near Sitapur district at Hardoi Border for an NGO as part of fellowship.

Now thing is during my stay in village, i had mentored 4 girls from community (two from school and two from community) out of my pocket and as personal project along with work. It so happened that one of girls got job in police constabulary, two in govt colleges for engineering and fourth has now done diploma in software.

After completing fellowship, i kept in touch with students and children from nearby villages and infact have guided another girl clearing polytechnic (but this time no physical presence)...

Whenever i find time during preps, i do check with those children to check mental well being, guide, persuade parents and help find books.

I also had mentored a child of really poor farmer (less than 150 rupees a day earning) pass class 10th exam during my stay at village

Work was about implementing process in community school and even work also involved taking life skill sessions during which i used to mentor couple of students. 

*I feel like i have decent track record of mentoring, can i write "mentoring" as hobby of mine? as some friends have said it cant be written as hobby, problem is i don't seem to have any other genuine hobby it seems*


About second hobby, i used to write blog on social issues for fellowship but have stopped completely since december 2018, similarly i have watched many infotainment documentaries (500 GB HDD has 190 GB documentaries) but again i have missed out on them for last 3 years although i have started rewatching post this mains. what to do?


I am bit talkative, lack clarity of expression sometimes i feel which may be offputting to examiner i think... Please suggest your solutions to them...

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@Neyawn Ton of thanks for your frank suggestions and wishes. I will not disturb you again with more long questions as i am new and quite confused. Especially on talkative thing, Ma'm scores are some hope for talkative person like me. Just need to clarify things,
1. How does one sit and correct such behavior of one's Man ki Baat like she did? Is there something on that I should do before mains results? Writing what i say is really good advice, where do i start? Should i open some
2. I agree i should not write volunteering with NGOs as part of extra-currics as all of them during college were superficial and in slums area.  This is indeed correct (thanks!)
3. I will write Documentary watching as hobby (i was just watching one in morning) then.
4. Makes sense to remove BARC interview from achievements.
5. On social commitment thing,
However, this fellowship (was 13 months long) which i did was in proper hinterland of uttar pradesh, i actually lived in a classroom of community school amidst the village. Yes, it is accessible by "local thheliya" which was probably reason why NGO founder told me saying he has high hopes from me and i was first one to choose to work there as most of young people chose to live in city and volunteers for school used car from lucknow to have travel of two hours instead of staying in community.

Indeed, many left fellowship (fellows were placed across country, many in tribal belts like kala handi, bastar left fellowship) because of reasons of comfort even i became afraid when i came to know many deaths due to snake bite. Indeed if i had been bitten by a snake, i would have probably died as nearest tahseel (Sidhauli block) is 40 minutes away from village and good hospital was two hour away. Since i was living in school, mobile network was hard to have, so me being able to ask for help was difficult given i was new and lived in isolation so i had to walk alone to seek help which seemed difficult.  

Somehow pep talks by my mentor and realisation that i had commitment to community made me stay back and indeed it was most learning experience. Infact my mentor gave me option to stay at guest house in tahseel and use transport but i also was sure if i want to guide some community girls, it will require a place which is not my private place (parents are reluctant to send adolescent daughter to home of a 21 year old young bachelor). 

So i agree with your statement. Many people do leave due to challenges of work (like community ignoring your efforts, it took me more than 6 months to convince parents of girls to send their child to school to me for tutoring) and comforts. Those NSS hours at colleges at IIT are sham, so i will not write them ( i was unsure because of this, thats why asked). But fellowship, i think, is fine to mention.

Even during lockdown, i was supporting school teachers of village for online classes. I even fundraised significant money for Covid Cash relief (https://www.indiafellow.org/covid-relief/) which involved giving direct cash to migrants in distress using network of development sector, I think quality of social commitment was decent during that year. 

I think mentoring is only hobby i can say with conviction because despite many odds, i worked with social commitment and i do use my leisure time to mentor children even after my job as fellow. Also mentoring which i did had some results which i could show them as matter of actual track record i think. During fellowship, i used rest of my time after work on a day in engaging with community people and asking children come to school (which was my home for a year)

Besides just so you know, i have worked with PAGIR NGO of LEH (10 day workshop component of fellowship using self fundraiser) for a design thinking project there for them. 

My fear is although i have social commitment, my poor quality of expression and inability to summarize things may make my day worse if i do get that golden chance of interview this year. Now do you suggest should i write mentoring as hobby, or i am diverting??? Please know i am not indulging in self appreciation, its just that i am confused and want to eliminate clutter which i present. Does mentoring make sense then or i should write something to showcase this.

A relevant blog i wrote and a relevant news clipping of a newspaper,  documenting my stay at school:  https://www.indiafellow.org/blog/2017/12/my-first-3-months-at-swarachna-school/





5.3k views

Neyawnsaid

Prafull401526said

@Neyawn Its a long query, but i have been following your advice on mains, prelims and studies though have commented only thrice on forum, Please give your guidance as its needed, would be immensely grateful :) 

1. In the column for prizes/ scholarships, will it make sense to write about school level district competitions in GK / GATE rank/ giving interview for BARC scientific officer position?

2. I have done two research internships in abroad during my IIT years. It will be considered under employment right.

3. Under extra-curricular activities along with hobbies. Would it be okay to fill in extra-curricular activities like volunteering in NGOs.

4. In college, i mentored a junior who had failed classical mechanics course to pass course. I happened to join a fellowship called "India fellowship" just after passing oand have worked and lived in a community school in a village near Sitapur district at Hardoi Border for an NGO as part of fellowship.

Now thing is during my stay in village, i had mentored 4 girls from community (two from school and two from community) out of my pocket and as personal project along with work. It so happened that one of girls got job in police constabulary, two in govt colleges for engineering and fourth has now done diploma in software.

After completing fellowship, i kept in touch with students and children from nearby villages and infact have guided another girl clearing polytechnic (but this time no physical presence)...

Whenever i find time during preps, i do check with those children to check mental well being, guide, persuade parents and help find books.

I also had mentored a child of really poor farmer (less than 150 rupees a day earning) pass class 10th exam during my stay at village

Work was about implementing process in community school and even work also involved taking life skill sessions during which i used to mentor couple of students. 

*I feel like i have decent track record of mentoring, can i write "mentoring" as hobby of mine? as some friends have said it cant be written as hobby, problem is i don't seem to have any other genuine hobby it seems*


About second hobby, i used to write blog on social issues for fellowship but have stopped completely since december 2018, similarly i have watched many infotainment documentaries (500 GB HDD has 190 GB documentaries) but again i have missed out on them for last 3 years although i have started rewatching post this mains. what to do?


I am bit talkative, lack clarity of expression sometimes i feel which may be offputting to examiner i think... Please suggest your solutions to them...


Answering your query inline

@Neyawn Its a long query, but i have been following your advice on mains, prelims and studies though have commented only thrice on forum, Please give your guidance as its needed, would be immensely grateful :) 

Thanks for the accolades , I hope you make the most of it. The dream is to have a community meet soon. Ever since the quality of discussions collapsed, we couldnt get anyone from the community for a community meet. It became a Toppers meet from the academy, which we stopped doing. I am hopeful folks from this thread, this participation make it with flying colors :)

1. In the column for prizes/ scholarships, will it make sense to write about school level district competitions in GK / GATE rank/ giving interview for BARC scientific officer position?

People have done that. There is no negative things about them. The BARC interview can be skipped.


2. I have done two research internships in abroad during my IIT years. It will be considered under employment right.

Again, Internships have been kept out of employment, but you can still put that. Last year also people have done that. Prepare well on those topics.


3. Under extra-curricular activities along with hobbies. Would it be okay to fill in extra-curricular activities like volunteering in NGOs.

Thats okay. I personally do not think highly of NGOs thing as something that attracts a bureaucrats towards your profile. Also the questions get messy sometimes.


4. In college, i mentored a junior who had failed classical mechanics course to pass course. I happened to join a fellowship called "India fellowship" just after passing oand have worked and lived in a community school in a village near Sitapur district at Hardoi Border for an NGO as part of fellowship.

The fellowship is fine to mention.


Now thing is during my stay in village, i had mentored 4 girls from community (two from school and two from community) out of my pocket and as personal project along with work. It so happened that one of girls got job in police constabulary, two in govt colleges for engineering and fourth has now done diploma in software.

After completing fellowship, i kept in touch with students and children from nearby villages and infact have guided another girl clearing polytechnic (but this time no physical presence)...

Whenever i find time during preps, i do check with those children to check mental well being, guide, persuade parents and help find books.

I also had mentored a child of really poor farmer (less than 150 rupees a day earning) pass class 10th exam during my stay at village

Work was about implementing process in community school and even work also involved taking life skill sessions during which i used to mentor couple of students. 

*I feel like i have decent track record of mentoring, can i write "mentoring" as hobby of mine? as some friends have said it cant be written as hobby, problem is i don't seem to have any other genuine hobby it seems*


Look, you set the bars very high when you say work with NGO. There is a famous guy from forum, whose book on Socio is a bit famous. He was in Bihar when I spoke to him last. He had NGO / Mentoring and all that in his DAF. But he was actually socially committed. It was completely different talking to him. He had worked only for non profits in Africa, India.

The guys who really like to work for NGOs serve in hinterlands of Bihar and UP and poorer states. Not in posh urban areas and claiming to  serve the urban poor in their locality. Worse, they run away when there is actually serving the poor without AC in rural areas and there is no car, but kharata bus and overloaded bolero travel.


About second hobby, i used to write blog on social issues for fellowship but have stopped completely since december 2018, similarly i have watched many infotainment documentaries (500 GB HDD has 190 GB documentaries) but again i have missed out on them for last 3 years although i have started rewatching post this mains. what to do?

You could watch them like 5 -10 of them and put that. 


I am bit talkative, lack clarity of expression sometimes i feel which may be offputting to examiner i think... Please suggest your solutions to them...


This girl was talkative. The first time, it was a mess, I hated to say it, but she sat hours just to correct that behaviour. She worked very hard.

Made a 180 degree turn in how she said things and what she said.

Got a 201. Sent a thank you note. Also her mantra.

Here is a screenshot.




The solution is in written answers and not blabbering first thing that comes to your mind.

Matlab Man ki baat nahi karni hai. We already have a PM do that. 

Hope I address your query to some extent. 

@Neyawn Ton of thanks for your frank suggestions and wishes. I will not disturb you again with more long questions as i am new and quite confused. Especially on talkative thing, Ma'm scores are some hope for talkative person like me. Just need to clarify things,
1. How does one sit and correct such behavior of one's Man ki Baat like she did? Is there something on that I should do before mains results? Writing what i say is really good advice, where do i start? Should i open some
2. I agree i should not write volunteering with NGOs as part of extra-currics as all of them during college were superficial and in slums area.  This is indeed correct (thanks!)
3. I will write Documentary watching as hobby (i was just watching one in morning) then.
4. Makes sense to remove BARC interview from achievements.
5. On social commitment thing,
However, this fellowship (was 13 months long) which i did was in proper hinterland of uttar pradesh, i actually lived in a classroom of community school amidst the village. Yes, it is accessible by "local thheliya" which was probably reason why NGO founder told me saying he has high hopes from me and i was first one to choose to work there as most of young people chose to live in city and volunteers for school used car from lucknow to have travel of two hours instead of staying in community.

Indeed, many left fellowship (fellows were placed across country, many in tribal belts like kala handi, bastar left fellowship) because of reasons of comfort even i became afraid when i came to know many deaths due to snake bite. Indeed if i had been bitten by a snake, i would have probably died as nearest tahseel (Sidhauli block) is 40 minutes away from village and good hospital was two hour away. Since i was living in school, mobile network was hard to have, so me being able to ask for help was difficult given i was new and lived in isolation so i had to walk alone to seek help which seemed difficult.  

Somehow pep talks by my mentor and realisation that i had commitment to community made me stay back and indeed it was most learning experience. Infact my mentor gave me option to stay at guest house in tahseel and use transport but i also was sure if i want to guide some community girls, it will require a place which is not my private place (parents are reluctant to send adolescent daughter to home of a 21 year old young bachelor). 

So i agree with your statement. Many people do leave due to challenges of work (like community ignoring your efforts, it took me more than 6 months to convince parents of girls to send their child to school to me for tutoring) and comforts. Those NSS hours at colleges at IIT are sham, so i will not write them ( i was unsure because of this, thats why asked). But fellowship, i think, is fine to mention.

Even during lockdown, i was supporting school teachers of village for online classes. I even fundraised significant money for Covid Cash relief (https://www.indiafellow.org/covid-relief/) which involved giving direct cash to migrants in distress using network of development sector, I think quality of social commitment was decent during that year. 

I think mentoring is only hobby i can say with conviction because despite many odds, i worked with social commitment and i do use my leisure time to mentor children even after my job as fellow. Also mentoring which i did had some results which i could show them as matter of actual track record i think. During fellowship, i used rest of my time after work on a day in engaging with community people and asking children come to school (which was my home for a year)

Besides just so you know, i have worked with PAGIR NGO of LEH (10 day workshop component of fellowship using self fundraiser) for a design thinking project there for them. 

My fear is although i have social commitment, my poor quality of expression and inability to summarize things may make my day worse if i do get that golden chance of interview this year. Now do you suggest should i write mentoring as hobby, or i am diverting??? Please know i am not indulging in self appreciation, its just that i am confused and want to eliminate clutter which i present. Does mentoring make sense then or i should write something to showcase this.

A relevant blog i wrote and a relevant news clipping of a newspaper,  documenting my stay at school:  https://www.indiafellow.org/blog/2017/12/my-first-3-months-at-swarachna-school/




5.3k views

@Neyawn sir cleared mains, 2nd attempt (2nd mains too),.first interview... had a daf analysis session with you other day, please arrange further sessions on what should be done regarding post daf analysis from our side apart from prepping on questionnaire. Seeking your support !!!

6.9k views

Neyawnsaid

AJ_said

@Neyawn Sir, I am pasting this from a Telegram group. I have the similar doubt. Seems like there is some confusion about the wording in the instructions.


Go ahead with your graduation certificate in 1. In others you can combine your certificates - whatever you have or upload the most significant one . Then carry whatever you have to the commission.

Sir my internship certificate abroad is scanned only and they gave it to me in online format only. I am writing it, should I get hard copy as well or this will suffice? (Hard copy may be difficult to get as I am not in touch with professor for long) or I should simply print the certificate in colour format? Besides I have done fundraising for cash relief to migrant laborers, should I get certificate for that? Sorry for silly questions in advance!!

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Sir should I put foreign service out given one has to resign if they want to improve rank to get ias as risk of resigning is high @Neyawn . 

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Neyawnsaid

Prafull401526said

Sir should I put foreign service out given one has to resign if they want to improve rank to get ias as risk of resigning is high @Neyawn . 

Those who are very keen on IAS, they put IFS after IPS which automticalky eliminates the chances of getting it.

Thanks for reply sir :) It makes sense however i am not medically fit for IPS due to issues in ear and not fulfilling height criteria. Where should i put it? Do you think is it fair an answer to say i don't want IFS as i want to improve rank. What's your words of wisdom? 

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