BASF Interview Experience | On-Campus Virtual — DTU (2020)
Hi, I am Saksham Srivastava, Placement Coordinator from Delhi Technological University, pursuing my B. Tech in Polymer Science & Chemical Technology. I have accepted a full-time offer from BASF as a GROW Trainee — Sales. I will be undergoing BASF’s flagship GROW Graduate Program from July 2021.
The following is my virtual on-campus interview experience with BASF.
Campus Selection Process
BASF came to campus in the mid of December for the virtual campus placements. The role offered was semi-technical, associated with Sales & Marketing, Project Management, SCM and operations of the Performance Materials Business Management with expertise in Polymer background.
The company had taken a cognitive assessment test followed by 3 rounds of interviews — A Panel Interview, a Business Leadership Round and a Country Leadership Round with MD and Head HR, South Asia.
Round 1: Online Assessment Test Duration: 60 Minutes
Experience: 60 questions in 60 minutes. It was an aptitude test which consisted of 3 sections — 20 Qs per Section (No section-wise time division): -
1. Verbal — RCs, Simple Grammar and Jumbled Sentences
2. Analytical Reasoning — Patterns, sequences, code language
3. Quantitative Aptitude — Basic questions TSD, Interest, Time & Work, etc
The test was conducted on Aon CoCubes, which is a Proctored & Anti-Cheat enabled platform. It was completed smoothly.
Tip:
1. Practice! Practice! Practice!
2. Try giving several mock tests and analyse them to rectify mistakes.
3. Accuracy + Speed is the key. Maintaining both is important.
Round 2: Panel Interview Duration: 45 Minutes
Experience: All the interviews were conducted on Cisco WebEx. Every round was eliminative.
Now, 8 students were shortlisted for this round. A virtual interview guide was also mailed to all the candidates by BASF. The panel consisted of 4 senior leaders.
The main types of questions were:
1) Basic HR Questions — Tell me something about yourself, hobbies, etc.
2) CV Based Questions — Projects, Internships, Extra-Curricular Activities, Leadership Roles & Qualities
3) About Company and Profile — Discussion on Supply Chain, Sales and Marketing, About BASF Products (technical part included), CORE Values, Why BASF, etc.
Tip:
1. Try to be relaxed. It might sound a bit difficult, but it genuinely helps.
2. Always try to drive the interview to your stronger points.
3. Always get in-depth knowledge about your company and job profile before the interview.
4. “Tell me something about yourself” is actually the most essential part of the interview. This gives you the power to drive the interview in your direction.
Round 3: Business Leadership Round Duration: 30 Minutes
Experience: 3 students were selected for this round. This was a one-on-one interview with the Business Director of the PM, the Business Unit I will be working in. I was the first candidate to be interviewed.
The interviewer started with my project, discussing a good 15 minutes about it. It was a healthy discussion. He also discussed technical questions on polymer engineering basics, different types of moulding and their products. The interviewer also asked me about my leadership qualities and my reactions as a leader to different situations.
In the end, I asked him a few questions, which were cleared by him instantly.
Tip:
1) Be confident.
2) Be updated with the current news related to your project and company.
Round 4: Country Leadership Round with MD & Head HR, South Asia Duration: 30 Minutes
Experience: This was the final interview. No one was eliminated from the previous round because of high competition. I was again the first candidate to be interviewed. I was very calm in this round.
Unlike other candidates, my interview went very casual. They asked me some usual HR type questions, leadership roles, my achievements and travelling, and even about my cousin’s marriage.
Tip:
1) Be yourself
2) Always prepare HR questions. It helps a lot in the interview.
Announcement of final selection
The interview day started sharply at 8 in the morning, and it ended at around 7 PM. We waited for hours for the results when suddenly I received a mail at around 9 PM. BASF selected only one candidate from the college.
General Tips
1) Always go through the resources provided by the company.
2) Try to get in touch with the alumni already working in the company you are applying to; this gives a lot of information and keeps you ahead in the preparation.
3) You must know about your CV in and out.
4) In the end, stay calm and believe in yourself. Remember that when the time is right, everything falls in place.
I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
For any further queries, you can reach out to me at sakshamsrivastava2@gmail.com or LinkedIn Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/thesakshamsrivastava/
