Mahindra Automotives Sales Engineer Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Be confident and share your views freely

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Good experience intreview are so good

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: I come from a 29 months work ex in Automobile Industry. However, I wasn't shortlisted in first 2 lists. Later, when some of the placement committee members pushed for me personally, I was the only candidate shortlisted in third list.

In campus recruitment, you need to be extremely lucky if the first selection is CV based. In a campus like KJ SIMSR, where recruiters generally get around 200-250 CVs, its unlikely that they'll look at them personally and completely. CGPA and Work Ex (having more can also go negative) are general filters.
Tips: Either make sure that you are one of the best CGPA holders or have good access to recruiters so that they look at your other credentials too. (Good relations with PCommers could be really helpful in this.)

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: After getting shortlisted at 11:45am, I was told to sit for the GD at 12:10pm. But since it was a case study based discussion, everyone was on the same page. HR guy explained the case study to all of us and asked us to put our individual points in first 5 mins. Then it was opened for forum. It went on very peacefully without any interruption by the moderators (more because very few of the participants had a little bit of product knowledge). We were asked to plan marketing stratergy for TML's commercial vehicle Tata Magic which is used for passenger movements. Out of 12 participants, 4 were shortlisted including me.
Tips: Start well, speak less, speak sense. Save your best words to close in last two lines.
Duration: 15 minutes

Round: HR Interview
Experience: HR interview was very generic. Reason to join Automobile, Team Handling capabilities, role description, past experiences. I have worked with Tata Motors before as a vendor in my previous company. So I could take many known names, discuss various experiences in detail. Tatas are known for ethics. And trust me, as far as my experience is concerned, I have really felt that its people who work there, make it really special. HRs made me very comfortable and complete interview experience was really nice.
Tips: Speak the truth. Company like Tata Motors have been recruiting people since last 60 years. They'll catch you if you're lying.

Round: Technical Interview
Experience: Tech interview was not that difficult. I had spoken to one of my friends in service department who helped me a lot with pros and cons of TML products. I knew the market wise performance of the company. Hence, I am sure that I scored the most there. Being an experienced candidate, the interviewer took me on a discussion level than interview. Some of the basic guesstimate questions were like,

1. What is TML's market share in Commercial Business
2. Why TML commands so much of MS?
3. Why do you think Ashok Leyland is doing better in South and not anywhere else?

Just have some basic knowledge about Automobile industry and you should be through. They don't expect you to know everything.
Tips: Learn, study or talk to people who are working in the company. People are very simple here. So don't try to impress them with your style. They'll get impressed with sensible, real knowledge and material that you have. If you are a fresher, then obviously they won't expect you to have product knowledge and information on commercial vehicle industry. But you should be able to convey your passion for Automobile Industry and domain for which you are being interviewed.

General Tips: Be properly dressed. Speak clear, speak sense, to the point. Don't try to show off. Ethics are very much important in this organization. So don't say otherwise in interviews. The company can have gone places if it starts following market practices. But its firm on what it is doing and will stick to it.
Skills: Market Analysis, sales, domai, Leader
College Name: KJ Somaiya Institute Of Management Studies And Research
Motivation: Past work ex as a vendor, people who work there, excellent leadership that company has had in past.
Funny Moments: I knew that I was selected even more finishing my interview. As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't shortlisted in first two lists. So I missed the presentation that TML gave to all shortlisted candidates. Hence I requested the interviewer to go through the presentation so that I don't miss on anything important. He replied with a question asking me if I really need any presentation to know more about the company?

Round: Test
Experience: The test had difficult aptitude questions, also pasaages were really long, just attempt those questions which you know that you can solve. Don't waste your time on questions you dont have any idea. Around 200 students gave the test.
Tips: Test was a bit difficult but it would be difficult for everyone, also technical section was easy
Duration: 1 hour
Total Questions: 50

Round: Group Discussion
Experience: After the test, 80 students were shortlisted and had GD. Trending topic is always given for gd. If you know your points then start the discussion or else listen to what others have to say and then say your points. But what matters is that you speak. I have given many GD and have got selected in all of thme because I spoke and gave my points correctly.
Tips: If you dont get time to read newspaper daily then an hour before gd, just go through the trending gd topics on google. Read the topics and it will really help you.
Duration: 10 minutes

Round: Presentation
Experience: They asked us to make a presentation having 3 slides consisting of our best skills, also we just had 3 min to present ourself. I made 3 slides, the first consisting of my introductiin, the second of my strenths and last about my internships and extra curricular activities. I had done my internship at Hyundai which really helped me to clear this round. The interviewer wasn't even looking at yiu, you just had to give a point that would so strong that he starts listening to you. Show the skill which others dont have.
Tips: It was an eliminating round and around 20 students were there for presentation. After the presentation around 10 were shortlisted.

Round: Technical + HR Interview
Experience: I had done my internship at Hyundai so they also asked me about the internship, my role there. Then basic Q's like diff between diesel and petrol engines, casting defects, which fuel is better and why, what will happen if petrol in diesel eng and vice versa. After this they had HR queations which were the normal ones. They were very specific about their location preference, so DO NOT SAY THAY YOU WANT JOB IN YOUR CITY, just say that you are flexible and location doesn't bother you. Or else you won't be selected.
Tips: Study ic engines, workshop technology. Basic HR questions. Show your confidence, also you should posses good communication skills.

College Name: Delhi Technological University, Delhi