Hey everyone, this is CH again — back with another experience to share!
Today, I just wrapped up the second day of mock interviews organized by the alumni association of our college, i.e., SPECANCIENS — yes, where I hold the position of Senior Associate.
In this blog, I’ll be sharing my experiences from both days — my mock interview journey and the changes I’ve noticed in myself after joining this association.
In this blog, I’ll be sharing my experiences from both days — my mock interview journey and the changes I’ve noticed in myself after joining this association.
Day 01 – 4th October 2025
The energy level within SPECANCIENS was already high as soon as the dates for the mock interviews were announced by our General Secretary — and so was the excitement!But this time, I really wanted us to conduct mock interviews for the third years, and I had two main reasons for it:
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After facing failure in a recent real interview experience, I felt an urgent need for more CRT sessions and prior interview exposure. Because by the time I reach my fourth year, I’ll already have faced multiple real interviews (maybe even rejections). Then what’s the point of having mock interviews later? It would be too late.My resume, projects, and technical skills come later — first, I need to learn how to present myself. So, I asked our Executive Member if I could get a chance to sit for the mock interviews. Initially, he said no since they were meant for fourth years, but he agreed to discuss it with the General Secretary. Later, I also spoke to him directly.
And then one day — I got an email notification saying I was eligible for the mock interviews! I was like, Seriously????I was on cloud nine! I asked our EM if it was true — why was I getting the email? He replied, “Because you are part of SPECANCIENS.”Later, I got to know that every SA member had to go for the interviews (first years included). I was so happy — I couldn’t believe it!
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I wanted to identify my weak areas early, so that I could work on them as soon as possible.
Then I was asked to take a psychometric test — there were no correct answers, we just had to select the most appropriate options. I scored 36%, but honestly, I wasn’t disappointed at all.
On 10th October, we had a meeting to discuss a lot of things — the distribution of responsibilities, instructions to be followed, and the schedule for the next day. As always, being a member and SPOC (Single Point of Contact) of the Reporting Team, my tasks included making event reports (writing everything that happens during the event), collecting feedback from candidates, and training my junior (a first-year newbie) on how to work as a Reporting Team member.
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After facing failure in a recent real interview experience, I felt an urgent need for more CRT sessions and prior interview exposure. Because by the time I reach my fourth year, I’ll already have faced multiple real interviews (maybe even rejections). Then what’s the point of having mock interviews later? It would be too late.My resume, projects, and technical skills come later — first, I need to learn how to present myself. So, I asked our Executive Member if I could get a chance to sit for the mock interviews. Initially, he said no since they were meant for fourth years, but he agreed to discuss it with the General Secretary. Later, I also spoke to him directly.And then one day — I got an email notification saying I was eligible for the mock interviews! I was like, Seriously????I was on cloud nine! I asked our EM if it was true — why was I getting the email? He replied, “Because you are part of SPECANCIENS.”Later, I got to know that every SA member had to go for the interviews (first years included). I was so happy — I couldn’t believe it!
-
I wanted to identify my weak areas early, so that I could work on them as soon as possible.
Then I was asked to take a psychometric test — there were no correct answers, we just had to select the most appropriate options. I scored 36%, but honestly, I wasn’t disappointed at all.
On 10th October, we had a meeting to discuss a lot of things — the distribution of responsibilities, instructions to be followed, and the schedule for the next day. As always, being a member and SPOC (Single Point of Contact) of the Reporting Team, my tasks included making event reports (writing everything that happens during the event), collecting feedback from candidates, and training my junior (a first-year newbie) on how to work as a Reporting Team member.
11th October – The Day of Action
8 AM — I was all set in my formal attire. Allah knows how much struggle it took to get even a single pair of formals!
I reached the venue (T18), met all the SA members, kept my backpack aside, and we got a briefing about the day’s schedule. Then we moved to Rojamma Hall — all the fourth years were gathered there along with their respective HoDs and CRT trainers.
And then entered the real people — the panellists!Our President, Vice President, and Joint Secretary were there, but what made me happiest was seeing one of our recent graduates as a panellist! I waved a “Hi,” and he responded with equal excitement. We exchanged a few words, and I asked him how things were going with his job and all. He actually inspired me to participate in hackathons.
After our General Secretary’s briefing about the day, the platform, and the procedure of how interviews would take place throughout the day, we returned to our respective venues.But since I’m from the Reporting Team, I didn’t have a fixed venue — I had to stay everywhere, collecting points and feedback.
The interviews began — all the fourth years lined up with their resumes. I was ready to take feedback and ask them lots of questions, especially the seniors I knew — that was exciting!But I also had my own interview scheduled after lunch.
So, as the interviews continued, I talked to many seniors — asking about their experiences, questions they faced, technical rounds, difficult parts, and feedback they received.I noticed that many fourth years didn’t have their resumes in the correct format — either due to disinterest or lack of knowledge. Whatever the reason, the panellists gave them great suggestions.
The half-day went well, and after lunch, it was my turn.I wasn’t nervous because I was confident about my resume (I’ve learned to only include what I truly know and not exaggerate). I also had a prior interview experience with SPECANCIENS, which was no less than a real one.
Our EM came and asked, “Whom do you want to go to for the interview?”I paused and thought for a few minutes — where could I get the best chance to learn?Then I decided — I wanted to go to the President of SPECANCIENS (2013 graduate). Everyone gave me surprised looks like I’d said something risky.
I took my resume and went to Panel 1. He was sitting there — I opened the door and said,“Sir, may I come in?”
He looked surprised and said, “No, why are you here?”I replied, “For the interview, Sir.”He said, “No, I won’t take your interview. And call me bhaiya, not sir.”Me: “No sir, we’re simulating an interview, right? I have to call you sir. Please take my interview — I really want to.”He: “No way.”Me: “Please!” (standing at the door holding my resume)He: “Okay, come in.”
I thanked him, placed the mic on the table.He said, “Wait — are you recording this? Then it’s not an interview!”Me: “I know, sir, but I was asked to do so.”He: “Alright, not a problem. Give me your resume.”
He asked, “Whatever you’ve mentioned here — can you answer everything?”Me: “I’ll try.”He: “No. The answer should be yes or no.”Me: “Yes, sir — I can.” (confidently)
Then came the classic question — “Tell me about yourself.”I gave him all the important details — my course (3rd year AIML undergrad), my role as Senior Associate of SPECANCIENS, hobbies, and strengths.
He asked me to explain one project — I picked my most recent one, AstroScope, built for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025.I explained that it’s an ML-based project for exoplanet detection, trained on NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope dataset, achieving 74% accuracy on unseen data using a Decision Tree model. He appreciated it.
He then asked about Jupyter — what it does, and what language it’s built on. I didn’t know the language but explained everything I’ve done on it during ML labs.
Next came a question on the full form of PHP — I answered Hypertext Preprocessor. He asked why it starts with “H” and not “P” — what do we call such acronyms? I didn’t know, so I said, “I’ll look it up later.”
Then he asked about my role in SPECANCIENS.Without thinking that the President himself was in front of me, I confidently explained my position as Senior Associate, SPOC of the Reporting Team, and part of SA projects, handling documentation, event reporting, and project contributions.
He asked about volunteering experiences — I shared that I worked as a fundraiser for Kshitiksha Foundation twice and volunteered in many SPECANCIENS events.
Then he moved to my education section — I told him about my current B.Tech AIML course, the Aspire Leadership Program (by Aspire Institute, Harvard Business School affiliate), DCA in Web Designing, and CCC from NIELIT.He asked about my two-year gap (2021–2023) between Intermediate and college — explaining that every interviewer would ask this.
I told him honestly that being from a small town, I had no guidance or clarity about what to do next. I wanted to become an Astronomer or Astrophysicist, but it was hard to convince my parents. I attempted JEE and UGEE (IIIT Hyderabad) but missed both due to a technical issue and a narrow cutoff miss. Feeling demotivated, I pursued DCA, where I developed an interest in coding and IoT. That’s how I decided to take CSE and landed here in AIML — I didn’t know what AIML was back then, but it sounded interesting, so I said yes.
He later asked about my poster presentation project — 3D Printing of Human Organs, for which I won 2nd prize in the Technical Fest. I explained how it can help save lives when organ donation isn’t possible.
Then he referred to my psychometric test and asked, “Being a North Indian, you don’t know Telugu — do you think learning Telugu is important?”I replied that yes, it’s important to learn a new language when living in a new place. Communication matters, and I don’t see any problem in learning it unless it’s forced. I told him I’m learning through YouTube and daily interactions — I can understand Telugu to a decent extent now.
He asked a situational question — “What if one of your team members isn’t working?”I said I’d first talk to the person directly, try to understand the issue, and resolve it. If that doesn’t work, I’d inform the project manager to confront them.
He remarked that I was doing great overall but needed to work on teamwork. He also suggested improving the font size on my resume for readability and appreciated my design.
When he asked if I had any questions, I said:“You mentioned I struggle with teamwork, but I feel teamwork can only happen when every member is equally motivated. If one person does all the work while others remain spectators, it doesn’t feel like teamwork. They should at least have the mindset to contribute and learn.”
I also shared my first-year experience — when two new members were added to my solo project for Project Expo. Despite my efforts to explain everything, they messed up my presentation. I asked him how to handle such situations.He advised giving such members responsibilities like documentation or research, so they stay involved.
I thanked him for the valuable experience. I was satisfied with my performance and happy that I did it.
Afterward, I continued my Reporting work — collecting feedback and documenting observations.
But after talking to so many candidates (both 3rd and 4th years), I realized people are afraid of interviews — even mock ones!What’s the worst that could happen? You won’t know an answer — that’s all! Isn’t that an opportunity to learn?Many didn’t even have their resumes ready, saying things like “It’s just a mock interview, not real.” They were hiding their fear behind excuses.
They didn’t understand that mock interviews are meant to help you learn and improve. In real ones, you only face rejection, self-doubt, and regret.
Overall, from my learning perspective, it was an amazing experience. But from their side, I noticed a lack of motivation and self-initiation — some even registered but didn’t show up.
8 AM — I was all set in my formal attire. Allah knows how much struggle it took to get even a single pair of formals!
I reached the venue (T18), met all the SA members, kept my backpack aside, and we got a briefing about the day’s schedule. Then we moved to Rojamma Hall — all the fourth years were gathered there along with their respective HoDs and CRT trainers.
He then asked about Jupyter — what it does, and what language it’s built on. I didn’t know the language but explained everything I’ve done on it during ML labs.
Next came a question on the full form of PHP — I answered Hypertext Preprocessor. He asked why it starts with “H” and not “P” — what do we call such acronyms? I didn’t know, so I said, “I’ll look it up later.”
He asked about volunteering experiences — I shared that I worked as a fundraiser for Kshitiksha Foundation twice and volunteered in many SPECANCIENS events.
I told him honestly that being from a small town, I had no guidance or clarity about what to do next. I wanted to become an Astronomer or Astrophysicist, but it was hard to convince my parents. I attempted JEE and UGEE (IIIT Hyderabad) but missed both due to a technical issue and a narrow cutoff miss. Feeling demotivated, I pursued DCA, where I developed an interest in coding and IoT. That’s how I decided to take CSE and landed here in AIML — I didn’t know what AIML was back then, but it sounded interesting, so I said yes.
He later asked about my poster presentation project — 3D Printing of Human Organs, for which I won 2nd prize in the Technical Fest. I explained how it can help save lives when organ donation isn’t possible.
He remarked that I was doing great overall but needed to work on teamwork. He also suggested improving the font size on my resume for readability and appreciated my design.
I thanked him for the valuable experience. I was satisfied with my performance and happy that I did it.
Afterward, I continued my Reporting work — collecting feedback and documenting observations.
They didn’t understand that mock interviews are meant to help you learn and improve. In real ones, you only face rejection, self-doubt, and regret.
Overall, from my learning perspective, it was an amazing experience. But from their side, I noticed a lack of motivation and self-initiation — some even registered but didn’t show up.
My Learnings
Across both days, I talked with many people — seniors, alumni, faculty, and CRT trainers.I realized that I’m a good communicator and listener when it comes to meaningful conversations — sharing and understanding experiences.
One alumnus told me something I’ll never forget:
“No matter how great things you achieve in life, your parents and teachers will always remain above them. Always respect them, stay in touch, and be grateful for their role in your growth.”
This line has etched itself into my heart.
They also advised us to grab every opportunity, despite fear or self-doubt. You can only grow when you try, even if you fail.
After joining SPECANCIENS, I’ve seen many changes in myself — I still talk less, but now I express more when I have something to say. I’ve learned to question, to communicate confidently with seniors or juniors alike. These experiences are shaping my character.
And guess what? I’m now eagerly waiting for NOSTALGIA’25 — our signature annual alumni meet! More people to talk to, more stories to hear, more inspiration to gain.
It feels so good to think and write about it.My future self will surely smile reading this version of me.
So, this was me — CH, sharing my experiences.Signing off for today — I’ll be back with yet another blog soon!
Thank you for reading, and please don’t forget to share your feedback — it helps me grow further.
Thank you once again.— CH
One alumnus told me something I’ll never forget:
“No matter how great things you achieve in life, your parents and teachers will always remain above them. Always respect them, stay in touch, and be grateful for their role in your growth.”
This line has etched itself into my heart.
They also advised us to grab every opportunity, despite fear or self-doubt. You can only grow when you try, even if you fail.
After joining SPECANCIENS, I’ve seen many changes in myself — I still talk less, but now I express more when I have something to say. I’ve learned to question, to communicate confidently with seniors or juniors alike. These experiences are shaping my character.
And guess what? I’m now eagerly waiting for NOSTALGIA’25 — our signature annual alumni meet! More people to talk to, more stories to hear, more inspiration to gain.
Thank you for reading, and please don’t forget to share your feedback — it helps me grow further.
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