In Interviews, handle tricky questions with calmness and ease: Hardipinder Singh

Hardipinder Singh is Senior Security Engineer at Wipro technologies, Bengaluru. He completed his Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) from Apeejay Institute of Management & Engineering Technical Campus (AIMETC), Jalandhar in 2013-16. He explains how the faculty of AIMETC helped him discover his passion and the importance of courtesy in business communication.

What made you join AIMETC? 

Everyone in my immediate family is a doctor so it was natural for others to expect that I will follow suit. However, it did not take me long to realise that my interest was in Computer programming. I wanted to pursue BCA to take my interest forward.  Soon, I started visiting college campuses to figure out which one is the best for me. I found the personal touch in AIMETC when I interacted with the faculty before the admission. The faculty ensured that all my fears and misconceptions about my future in IT are dispelled.

What did you like the most about AIMETC?

AIMETC doesn’t foster favouritism and provides equal opportunities to all. Most importantly, it helps shine a light on your strengths. Let me illustrate this with an example. Mr. Harpreet Singh, one of the amazing faculty members at AIMETC, inspired me to pursue a career in cybersecurity. He advised me do a certification course in ‘Ethical Hacking’ to increase my job prospects. When I mentioned about it in the Wipro interview, the interviewer was pleasantly surprised. I can’t thank the faculty enough for guiding me in the right direction. 

How can you best prepare for placement drives?

Last year, I was invited to AIMETC to give a lecture on Cyber Security. It was indeed a proud moment for me. I will repeat some of the placements tips that I mentioned in my lecture to freshers. Firstly, be well-groomed to make a good first impression. You should look smart and presentable. Secondly, think of an interviewer as a normal human being with who you will have a regular conversation. Thirdly, you should handle tricky questions with calm and ease. I remember when I greeted ‘Good Afternoon’ to WIPRO interviewer, he said, ‘Its 3:30 pm! Shouldn’t you be wishing ‘Good Evening’ instead of ‘Good Afternoon’? I said that 12 pm to 3pm is Good Afternoon and after 5 pm is Good Evening. 3:30 pm falls somewhere in the middle and I thought Good Afternoon will suit the time best. The interviewer started laughing and the rest of my interview went like a breeze. Fourthly, tell your interviewer about your strengths. Don’t fool him by saying that you are good at everything under the sun. Lastly, leave the interview room with a big smile and enthusiasm regardless of how your interview went. I would like to mention that apart from Wipro, I got selected in Accenture and Infosys too. 

What are your big learnings from the corporate world? 

Always be humble and respectful to others regardless of their designation. You have to choose your words extremely carefully. For example, as students we are told to write ‘kindly’ as a mark of respect but in IT world ‘kindly’ means you are ordering someone. So, you must use ‘please’ instead of ‘kindly’. Also, give confidence to your clients that you can solve all their problems. 

“Don’t get paranoid about personal interview round. You are just there for a conversation. You may never see your interviewer in the rest of your life.“