During interview, don’t use word “passion” if you can't define it.By- Saurabh Shukla

Why you left “unjustified”?

During interviews I have often heard students using one word i.e. “passion” to prove themselves

fit for the organization but they don’t know that they may be correct in their mind but in the mind

of recruiters they are leaving a different range of expectations and there comes a point when

recruiters try to see how passionate you are for this job profile and then all your previous efforts

go in vein.

As placement head, I got several opportunities to interview students who were interested to join

Institute Placement committee. While interviewing them I asked in which field they want to get

in? A few said that they wanted to get in FMCG sector. Now I asked a student why he feels

himself fit for this sector? He then replied saying that he is highly motivated to build his career in

this field and he is very passionate to get in this field. I felt good by his reply. I then asked what

the total market of FMCG sector is. He answered it correctly saying that as per the stats of

2012-2013 graphs the FMCG sector in India was, the fourth largest sector with a total market

size in excess of USD 13 billion which in year 2014 grows to US$ 14.7 Billion and this sector is

expected to grow to a USD 33 billion industry by 2015 and to a whooping USD 100 billion by the

year 2025. I then asked who the major players in this sector in India? Again he answered it

correctly saying ITC, HUL, Nestle, Dabur, Godrej, Colgate, Marico, P&G, Britannia, Emami. Just

to know how much passionate was he for this sector I asked him to tell the market capitalization

of P & G as it is my dream company; he again answered it correctly that the market

capitalization of P& G is Rs.12561cr. I was impressed by his answers but as a recruiter

what you want to see is the shine in your diamond you are willing to hire. I

asked him that if you would have heard Budget 2015, what you think about this GST and how

GST, sops in rural sector will boost FMCG sector? He did reply to my question but couldn’t

justify his points. Then I asked that how do you think FMCG sector will move fast in low inflation.

Not much but just tell me how? There came a point when he couldn’t answer my question.

Now one thing which I want to tell you all here is that the questions like these are

really tough and the person to whom I am asking these questions is just a

fresher not the governor of RBI that he will easily answer those but if you are

using word “passion”, you are bound to face this situation and you have to be ready for such

questions.

Later on, I told him that these questions were asked just because he calls himself passionate for

this sector. At the and when I thanked him and asked if he has any question, he immediately put

forward his query that if not word “passion”, what he should use then? I asked him replacing

word “passion” with “fond”, can he just answer me what is he fond of? He answered very politely

saying he is fond of watching movies. Then I asked which movie? He answered “Shool”. I asked

him what he likes about the movie. He answered that he really likes the fighting spirit of a cop

and how he beats the corruption and corrupts out. I then asked that why do you think, movie

“Gangajal” better than “Shool” as the story is almost same and why “Shool” couldn’t win national

award but “Gangajal” did? He answered saying that, “Sir, I have read the

reviews of movie “Shool” and the thing which critics didn’t like about the

movie was the stand of one person alone. He kept on fighting alone and in this fight

he lost everything i.e. his family, home etc and these were the things which audience couldn’t

digest that how come one person kept on facing all the troubles but in Gangajal the scenario

was different. I then asked that if you had to change one thing what you would change in this

movie. He answered it in the best possible manner and which was absolutely true and then I

answered his question that see, how passionate you are for this movie. You know each and

everything about the movie and also know the ways to discover it.

Friends, see how well you can define the thing which you love from the bottom of your heart and

now if you use word passion here, it will be correct and genuine because no one can find out

any defect here. Instead of passion use can use words like enthusiastic, motivated, fond,

devoted, intensified, zest etc but not passion. Do I mean to say that the word

passion is strictly prohibited? No absolutely not but if you want to use it be like it. As

the title Lord and Sir can be used by authorized personnel only, same way

word passion can be used only by those who mean it and can define it.

By this post I just want to tell you all that next time when you are going for any interview, be

prepared thoroughly and this time use word “passion” confidently and  put your 100% to crack

this opportunity by proving that how much passionate you are for your job.  

All the best.