First Solar Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: Around 120 people got into next round after the resume shortlist.
Tips: I guess a standard IIT format resume with some review from seniors would do. I didn't have any startup background nor any big POR's.

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: Our groups topic was solar power.There were two panels, one of the panelist gave a few ridiculous topics like I mentioned above. He was just a one year senior from IIT Madras and I guess was having some fun. My panelist more or less stuck with something related to solar power. I was the last guy to speak in our group.I don't generally like to start the discussions.But by the time the first speaker among us (who thought he was going to get some bonus point) took a little longer to deliver his point and subsequently hurried his final sentence finished others were eager to jump in. And jump they did. I didn't want to raise my voice and enter the discussion forcefully. I waited for my chance. I started by summarizing the discussion till then and ended by guiding the discussion to a particular path. After this I earned the attention of the group and led the discussion. I brought in relevant examples and also expanded on the discussion of others.Towards the end I even asked the least participating member for his thoughts and at regular intervals summarized the discussion. It was like I shifted from first gear to fifth gear and took control of the car.And boy I was rewarded with an interview call. Two people made it to the next round from our group. The other guy spoke well throughout and made some good points. He was also present throughout the discussion and had good execution skill.
Tips: Practice!
Attend as many GD session as possible.I organised a quite a few sessions with my wing mates from as early as September. I learned a very important aspect of GD from the feedback session of Alumni GD workshop. So grab any opportunity to participate in GD sessions. The good old saying 'Practice makes man perfect holds' pretty good!
There is a myth that if you start GD you get bonus points.Very true, but only if you do it well. You should have strong material and good execution skill and shouldn't polarize the discussion to any one side. In my case the first speaker had material, didn't polarize the discussion but his execution was bad and subsequently didn't get selected for the next round. But this is the best chance for you to earn the attention of the group.
And also I know a lot of people who gets put off when they do not get chance to speak in first few minutes. Remember my case! It doesn't matter, All you have to do is master the art of paraphrasing (I learned it from the feedback of Alumni session). If others mention what you had in your mind before you just add to their point and give an extra dimension to it by summarizing their thought. Try winning over the group and earning their respect. You can do this by guiding the group to the end point and devising a strategy. In one other GD people patted me on the back after the session. It was a case study GD. All I did was devise a strategy for how to move forward and carry the discussion ahead. I was the leader of the pack.We didn't even complete the case study and I was the only one selected from the group. So here are the ground rules
1. Attend as many GD's as possible.
2. Start the GD if you are capable.
3. Mark your presence throughout the GD.
4. Paraphrase throughout the GD --> Guide the discussion.
5. Use your gestures well.
6. Involve others in the discussion.

To do the above you might have to be updated on the happenings around the world, meaning you will have to read newspaper. I used Inshorts app and Livemint.com . Learn how to politely interrupt others in GD. Ideal moment to give your point is when the current speaker is going to end his sentence, the time at which his voice wanes.

Duration: 10 minutes

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Most of the selected candidates had three rounds of interviews. All the three was mix of HR and simple cases (I put it under technical because we didn't actually had to go through the standard case interview routine). My first interview was with my GD panelist. He recognized me and ensuing discussion was based on what I said in the GD.Due to large number of applicants this round was a short one, only around 10 minutes. Some people had only for 30 Seconds apparently. I was able to connect with him. We had discussion about the company's business model, my interests and key take away from one of the books I mentioned. Since It was a short round, he apologized for the abrupt end and indirectly gave me the clue I was in the next round.
The second round was with the South Indian business head and he was a foreigner. This was also a HR cum Tech round. I had a good feeling by the time it finished. I engaged him in the discussion and kept him curious throughout.
Third round was with a recent pass out. It was like talking to one of the seniors in freshmen year. I kept my cool and told him about my intention to join start up.

In all the interviews, they wanted to know if you are really interested in joining a start up? Do you know about the company and what they do? Do you have good communication skills? They wanted to understand our thought process. I guess they checked for the qualities to do the job and your intention behind applying for the job.
Tips: Do read up about all the companies you are interested in thoroughly. This saved me in this interview especially as it was repeated in all the three interviews.
Prepare for standard HR questions. Ideal way would be to make a word doc with all the answers. But if your lazy to do that, frame answers to all the questions in your mind in the final few weeks or so and think about the different variants of the questions.
Interviewers is here for people with specific qualities which would be necessary in the job. Our job is to showcase that qualities in us to them. The way you would do that is by first understanding what qualities they want. This information can be got from the job description in placement portal, Pre Placement Talk(PPT) and company website (About Us, Vision and Mission). Once this is done, pick instances from your life that exhibits these qualities and simply put it in front of them. One of the issues with people I have noticed is they mug up answers and sweat during the interviews when they are unable to pull it of the way they want during interviews. This is a strict NO - NO . Just have few bullet points and convey it in your natural style. Idea is to get get your message across and not to impress others with your English. Treat interviews as discussions, an opportunity to introduce yourself to a stranger and to understand about the organisation that you are going to work for. It is not a VIVA where the person on other side of the table grills you.
Show a lot of energy during the interview and pull of your best face throughout the interview. Pause adequately while you talk and do the talking in a composed manner.
Please remove your bag outside the room and only carry your folder to the room. Show him you mean business.
Greet --> Shake hands , You know first impression is the best impression.
Carry your own stationery. i.e Pen, A4 sheets, Resume copies (In fact offer him one once you enter).
Also do carry anything that you consider showing him that is in your resume like Case report etc.

Be prepared on everything on your resume. Do not put junk in your resume. You never know what will catch the interviewers eye. Do not

General Tips: Start your preparations early.
Spend enough time on your Resume. Get it reviewed by seniors. Different seniors might suggest differently but in the end its your Resume, So present it in your way by incorporating the suggestions.
Prepare for at least two different fields and spend most of the time for the field you want.
Prepare for few specific companies you are really interested in. Reach out to seniors for specific preparation strategy. Right from the resume stage.
Do not believe in myths like this company shortlists only studs. Believe me its not true.
Take practice tests through TIME and pariksha.co
Attend PPT's --> These are first hand accounts about the company
Don't be put off by a bad interview. Flush it out from your memory after juicing out the positives and learning from the negatives.
Know why you are in the interview room. NOT because your'e resume is good and you applied because your friends applied. Show him why you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Have belief in your abilities, No point in doubting yourself at the last moment. Show your energy.
Remember its a discussion NOT a Viva.
Most importantly enjoy the discussion, the cases and puzzles. Is it not fun to estimate number of people eating Idly at this time in your state? :)
Do the preparation in groups(of your wingies /Study groups).
Its a fun experience and one that you will be proud of later. So better make it count
Skill Tips: Basically read about the company thoroughly and express your thoughts clearly!
Skills: Knowledge About The Company, Thought Process, Clear Communication, Ability To Express Your Ideas
College Name: IIT Madras
Motivation: Solar energy is having a moment now. The industry is booming and is only going to get better. I am going to make the world a better place to live. The company is technology based, not a service based one. They don't burn investors cash. Its a startup environment were opportunities are endless. You grow the most when environment around you also grows very fast.
Funny Moments: As we friends discuss and help each other out during resume making, Our resumes inevitably happens to contain similar phrasing.Interviewer who was a recent pass-out pointed it out. I had to justify why I put it that way.