The Service Selection Board (SSB) interview is a crucial step in the selection process for candidates aspiring to join the armed forces. It is a comprehensive assessment of your personality, skills, and suitability for a military career. During this process, the Interviewing Officer (IO) plays a pivotal role in evaluating your potential. To succeed, it’s not only essential to focus on what you should do but also what you should avoid. In this article, we’ll explore 10 things that the Interviewing Officer doesn’t like about you in an SSB interview.
1. It is hard to catch when you lie, I lied: Ahh, you are not even a good liar, do you plan and lie or do you lie spontaneously, depending on the situation? If you fall under the second category, then it may take years for you to get recommended or perhaps in the next life. I am not saying all recommended candidates were ‘Harishchandra’ neither I suggest lying to get recommended, but the whole point of discussion is, if you get caught or IO felt something fishy in your statements, you are done.
2. You look Lazier than the guy who created the Japanese flag: None like poor body language, not only in SSB but in other areas, one has to be an active participant, you are there for a special purpose and you got a golden chance. Be like a gentleman and be active during a personal interviews, be cheerful and lively, and enjoy the personal interview.
3. Why you are nervous, it’s not a war zone: It is a war zone for us, getting nervous is normal for most of us, but IO doesn’t know this because it is daily work for him. He won’t count your nervousness as an excuse. You have to control your nervousness if you want to be in, else pack your bag and wait for another call letter.
4. Kid you have super intelligence, you are good to be a scientist: Avoid showing or saying something they don’t ask for and speak up to a level that satisfies IO and you. Don’t add something extra to your answer; you might face some more unexpected questions which might put a negative impression on your performance. It is not bad to have a high intelligence level, but it is not always required everywhere.
5. You are emotional: Nothing bad if you are emotional, but who cares? The point is, you might face certain questions which can make you emotional and you might think that it helps you gain some place in IOs heart. Getting emotional in between interviews may spoil your performance, and trust me, it never helps either.
6. Where your confidence is: You might not be good in studies or sports, and you may not have big achievements, but how do you verify the worthiness of your life and your place in defence forces is counted? One must be confident and responsible for what he does and did in his life, IO may force you to regret not getting 80% in 12th but it depends on you whether you support your hard work in getting 75% in 12th or regret not getting extra 5% because you were indulging in sports as well. You have to support your past and present, no one else will do it for you.
7. Do you even prepare before stepping in: Especially for repeaters, if you are not able to answer the same rapid-fire questions in a personal interview again, it clearly shows the level of your preparation. But IO can figure out one quality from this “you are careless bro”. At least show that you have prepared this time. That is why you always face the question “Why you were not recommended last time,” if you don’t know the answer, you are still unprepared.
8. You are here for a time to pass: When you are interested in joining some organization, it is most likely that you have done homework about that organization, if you are interested in joining Army then at least you must know basic questions related to the army. If you don’t answer such question properly, it may have a bad impact as well.
9. Don’t mess with me: If you think being aggressive on IO may help you to portray your image as a strong man, better go for Jawan Bharti Mela or Roadies, IO doesn’t give a damn.
10. You have surrendered: There are mainly two ways followed by candidates, one is, just totally surrender himself in front of IO and start dancing to IO’s song. That candidate loses the ability to use his brain and IO can completely judge his negative qualities because it is more likely to be visible at that time. On the other hand, an average candidate is confident and faces each and every question and replies to the counter questions with confidence, sometime he may not agree with IO’s point of view on certain discussions, but he can deny it in a polite way, this shows he has brains and he thinks after listening and before speaking. IO would better take chance with the second candidate.
Conclusion
The Interviewing Officer in an SSB interview is trained to evaluate not just your skills but also your character, values, and suitability for a military career. Avoiding these 10 pitfalls can significantly enhance your chances of making a positive impression. Remember that the armed forces seek individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also embody the values of integrity, commitment, and teamwork. Prepare well, stay true to your principles, and approach the SSB interview with a sincere desire to serve your country.
