hey geeks,

My first interview experience sounds like a memorable one!

I had my first interview with an IT company Ignis IT Solution for an internship position. It all started when I called the company to inquire about internship opportunities, and to my surprise, they scheduled an interview for the very next day. I was thrilled and a bit nervous, as this was my first professional interview. Determined to make a good impression, I arrived at the office 40 minutes before the scheduled time.

Upon arrival, a lady directed me to sit and wait. Soon, the HR representative called me into her cabin. She began with the classic question, “Tell me something about yourself.” Despite my nerves, I answered confidently. She observed me closely as I spoke, asking about my family background and other typical interview questions. One question stood out: she asked why I pursued a B.Sc. in bioinformatics if I wanted to join an IT company. I explained my interests and the projects I had worked on, among other things.

After the interview, she asked me to wait outside for a while. When she called me back in, she explained the company’s policy regarding the internship: a one-month unpaid training period, followed by a salary of 8k for three months, 10k for the next three months, and 12k for the following four months, with further increases after that. She asked if I agreed with these terms. I thought it would be wise first to see how I performed in the technical interview before making any decisions, so I agreed to proceed.

She reviewed my performance and gave me feedback, noting that my interview was great but advising me not to move my head too much. Then, it was time for the technical interview, which added to my excitement. The technical interviewer was a very senior professional who asked me logical questions and SQL-related queries. I answered each question confidently, and he seemed impressed with my responses.

After the technical interview, the HR representative called me back in and informed me that I had been selected. She reiterated the company policy and mentioned that I would need to sign a two-year bond, including a check for 1 lakh. This requirement caught me off guard, and I became apprehensive. Additionally, the salary offer did not meet my expectations. Although I tried to negotiate, she firmly stated that the salary for freshers was already set.

Feeling disappointed, I told her I would confirm my decision in two hours. After careful consideration, I decided not to join the company due to the bond requirement and the salary not aligning with my expectations. Despite the positive feedback on my performance, these factors led me to decline the offer.

This experience taught me a lot about the interview process and helped me understand the importance of aligning company policies with personal expectations.