It was an off-campus interview at a reputed college. Our details were shared by our college with the CoCubes website, and we initially applied for the job and generated a hall ticket for August 4, 2012.

Our scheduled time for Round 1: Aptitude Test was 12:30 PM, but due to some technical problems, it started at 2:00 PM. The online test had three sections, each with 25 questions:

• Section 1: English
• Section 2: Programming
• Section 3: Numerical + Logical Reasoning

Each question carried 1 mark with negative marking of 0.25, so we had to be very careful in our choice of attending questions. I attended 60 out of 75.

The results were declared, and I, along with 15 of my batch mates, got selected. We were waiting for Round 2: Group Discussion. We were split into three groups, and our group's topic was "Is social media a boon or a bane?" We were told to take a positive or negative stand and give equal chances for our fellow speakers to speak. I spoke about the ill effects of social media, how it has distanced us from people, and how it makes us addicts. I highlighted security concerns caused by status updates, confessions by users, the looming danger of cybercrime on social media, and the lack of attention towards useful platforms like LinkedIn.

Four of my GD mates were selected for Round 3: Personal Interview. Before that, we were asked to submit our resumes and photos (or ID proof) to the interview panel. Then, they called us one by one to the interview room. When my turn came, I was waiting outside the room for the previous candidate to come out. When he did, I expected someone to call me in, but to my surprise, the interviewer himself came out and asked me to join him. It was a general HR interview with questions like "Tell me about yourself," questions about college projects, why I joined that college, and what edge IT background students have over other stream students.

Finally, the interviewer was kind enough to tell me that he was satisfied with my performance but needed to consult with other panel members. He mentioned that if I were selected, I would be intimated via email or SMS.

Hurray! I had a very good outing in my first off-campus interview!

Why do you think people with an IT background have an edge over others?