Academic Gap Year Remedies In Interview

I've a year gap in my class 12, my results were bad in test so I decided to sit and prepare for another year, and after passing my +2 I took admission in a college and after 1 year I left that college and took admission in another college in some different course, but to my utter dismay I failed in several papers and had to clear all those back papers for 1 year, which made my graduation duration 5 years. After this incidence i was shattered but didn't give up my studies and pursued my post graduations from a reputed university. Now i'm getting call for interviews from big PSUs. So my question is that, wad'll i say to the interview board if they ask about my academic gap years, please friends help me so that i can land on a good job and pursue my career with flying colors....

Tell them the truth. As Judge Judy says when you start to ;lie you will need a good memory. It's not worth uttering a lie.

If I were you, I surely would fail answering the question related gaps.
But, if your performance is extraordinary, it may outweigh the gap.

If the company where you are getting interviewed are experts in money-laundering, scams, illegal transactions, etc. they may hire for your expertise in 'telling lies' and may take you as a Sales Manager ! Do you want such a position ? One fine day, you may be passing in front of TV Cameras of news channels trying to cover your face ! Whereas you tell your interviewer that I failed and I worked hard and appeared for the examination and I passed in my second attempt. You can also tell them that you know what is failure and how to overcome it. There is a video in Youtube by Mr. Harsha Bhogle, Cricket commentator. He tells in the video that in the Australian army when they recruit candidates for their Elite Commando Force, they look at the CV. If the candidate has not failed atleast once in his life, the candidate is rejected. In their opinion, the guy who has not failed even once in life do not know what is failure and how to ,cope with it.

So, be frank and admit it so that your mind will be free and you need not invent stories !

Best wishes

Hello Koustav,

Even though being repetitive, the plain advice anyone in this Forum would be: DON'T LIE your way thru.

Even though it gives one an immediate advantage, in the long-run, it comes back to haunt....who knows it MIGHT be when you would heading a complete Dept.

The latest on the Sheena Bora murder episode that's currently shocking the nation should bear ample proof of this aspect. The Past ALWAYS has a habit of catching-up with the Present....except that one never knows nor predict the timeline of the 'Present'--could be 1 or 2 or many years down the line.

Coming to 'how to handle' your situation in the interviews, I would have liked to know more about your background.

In case it's middle-class or lower, than I MAY see more chances of family situations being the primary cause for failing in your education.....rather than lack of focus on your part [else you wouldn't have taken the trouble of appearing all over again].

USE THIS to your advantage. You can tell them the Truth AND adding that you had so & so family issues that didn't allow you to focus on your studies & get good marks in the First instance itself.

The very fact that you continued & scored well in a PG Degree from a reputed Univ would be proof for your tenacity & will--a 'never-say-die-attitude' so to speak.

Even IF you don't get thru in some I/Vs, don't get disheartened....some Companies do give a lot of weightage to the number of attempts in the Degree/PG. But there are many Companies that take a holistic view & decide.

All the Best.

Rgds,

TS