Here’s what I learned from my first interview and FGD

Kautsar Muhammad Iqbal
2 min readJan 18, 2021

Hi, I just wanted to share with you what I have learned during the interview and FGD on the SC recruitment process. I’m going to divide it into three parts based on my findings on YouTube, Medium, and Sharkproof book. I hope you enjoyed it!

Before the interview and FGD

  1. Do your homework, you should have a good understanding of why do the organization exists, the value they believe, and how do see yourself fit in this organization. You should have already answered typical questions like tell me about yourself, swot analysis, your motivation, etc.
  2. For the study case, you should know the basic principle on solving problems such ah the mece principle, data sufficiency, and initial hypothesis.
  3. Because nowadays the interview is conducted online, you have to make sure that you have a good internet connection and don’t be late. First impression matters, it only takes about 7 seconds to judge people.

During the interview and FGD

  1. For the interview process, always try to elaborate the organization value into your answer. When explaining your experience, try to use the STAR format. Situation, task, action, and result. Pay attention to the assessor and it’s okay for you to pause for 5–15 seconds to organize your thought before coming up with the answer
  2. During FGD, I found it helpful if you already have a link directly to google docs/slide/canva. Moreover, know your role, I believe that the goal of FGD is not simply who talks the most is going to pass. It’s more than that, if you are an introvert like me, you can always be an active listener, and every time you speak, you always mention the previous arguments and elaborate it with yours. Encouraging people to speak is also a good point
  3. Prepare for questions and asked for feedback in the last session of the interview and FGD. I think it is a must that you asked a question to show that you are interested and also asked for feedback to show that you are willing to learn and improve. It’s also nice so that the assessor can feel that it’s two-way communication.

After Interview and FGD

One simple thing, say thank you personally and connect with the assessor. It also going to be helpful because most of the assessor is willing to help you if you have questions.

.

Thank you and good luck!

--

--

Kautsar Muhammad Iqbal

Mindful wordsmith with green visions. Pursuing self-improvement, guided by the amygdala's hidden depths