Landing That Coveted Job – How Did Aishwarya Saxena Crack Her Interview With EY?

Aishwarya Saxena (Big Data & Visual Analytics Program – Class of 2018) recently aced her interviews with Ernst & Young, landing a job coveted by many. What is her success story? We caught up with Aishwarya to find out.

 Hi Aishwarya, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your course at SP Jain?

A Charted Accountant by profession, I worked with PriceWaterhouse Coopers for 3 years before deciding to pursue the Big Data & Visual Analytics course with SP Jain. While the course focussed on helping us master R, Python, Statistics, Mathematics and Algorithms as part of the intense curriculum, we also participated in real-time industry projects, guest lectures and workshops that helped us build an expertise in the field.

You recently cracked the interview at Ernst & Young and got placed even before completing your course! How did you achieve this?

I like to face the challenges head-on, instead of worrying about the end result. For my first round of interviews with EY, we had a Group Discussion (GD). Other than keeping myself updated on the latest news and reading up on the recent advancements in Big Data & Analytics, I barely prepared for this round. My only goal was to express myself clearly and confidently when the opportunity arose.

After clearing the GD, I was asked to appear for a Personal Interview. To prepare for this round, I brushed up on my technical knowledge and revised everything I had learnt in R, Statistics, and Algorithms. Apart from this, I researched EY’s work in analytics and read an article written by Rajiv Memani (Chairman & Region Managing Partner – India, EY) about the use of analytics in audit in the future – which turned out to be quite useful for me in the interview.

Were you nervous for the interview?

Isn’t everyone? Although, I have to say, I tried to remain as calm as I possibly could. I think I answered every question in the simplest way possible and with a smile!

Did you receive adequate support from the SP Jain community during this process?

Abhijit Sir (Dr Abhijit Dasgupta, Director – Big Data & Visual Analytics) was a source of constant support and motivation along with every other faculty member we studied with during the course. I would also like to thank Malabika Ma’am (Malabika Ahuja – General Manager Corporate Relations), Shalini ma’am (Shalini Kalia – Associate Professor, Communications) and Aditya sir (Aditya Narvekar – Faculty, Data Science).

I participated in several grooming sessions and mock interviews with them that helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses. All this constant help went a long way in making me confident and positive in my skills.

What tips would you want to give the current SP Jain students who will be preparing for their placements soon?

First and foremost, be confident about what you know. Try to remain calm and don’t focus on the results too much. Be ready to face any challenges the interview might throw at you, but also prepare well for the D-day. Even if you don’t crack the interview you were excited about, it is not the end of the world. There’ll always be more opportunities.

Additionally, don’t forget to do your due homework on the company you wish to work with – read about the work they have been involved with and the latest developments within the firm. Take a thorough look at their website as well.