Working in a PSU is a dream job for many. AS Pandit shares tips on how to secure a seat at Coal India

Securing a Government job in a Public Service Undertaking (PSU) has been an aspiration for many. The lucrative starting pay packages accompanied by other monetary benefits like free medical insurance, retirement benefits and performance-based incentives are key factors behind this rising inclination towards the sector. However, the biggest advantage is the job security. Imagine having a stable job even during an unstable economic environment! So, how does one secure a job in this sector?

The PSUs emphasize on three ways to recruit candidates; conducting their own exams, shortlisting candidates based on their GATE scores or by employing candidates from the premier institutes in the country like IITs and the IIM. The beginning of 2020 has brought good news to all the aspirants as Coal India Limited has opened an online application for the intake of management trainees. A Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Coal, this year has invited applications for 1,326 vacancies across various disciplines.

Eligible candidates till the age of 30 can apply for various management trainee posts through online application mode on or before 19 January 2020 on their official website. The computer-based test is scheduled on February 7 and 28 February, 2020.

Pattern and selection process

It comprises two stages; online exam and interview. The online exam consists of two papers to be completed in three hours. While Paper-I covers objective questions on General Awareness, Reasoning, Numerical Ability, and General English, Paper-II emphasises on questions related to a candidate’s professional knowledge.

Candidates must qualify both the papers along with the medical examination for getting selected for the management trainee post. The entire process aims to assess a candidate’s knowledge and evaluate different aspects of knowledge, skills, understanding, ability and physical fitness. Candidates must score a minimum of 40 marks (General category), 35 marks (OBC category) and 30 marks (SC/ST/PWD) in each paper to qualify the computer-based test. Those who qualify both the papers separately in the computer-based test and rank high on merit as decided by the Coal India will be eligible for the interview.

How to crack interview

• Understanding the nature of the management trainee job: Before joining the organisation, a candidate must be aware of the exact nature of the job. They would be expected to have complete knowledge about Coal India as a PSU, about its commencement, current position nationally as well as globally, the duties and responsibilities of a management trainee, and finally, the role of CIL in India in the existing times.
• Be thorough with your academic and professional background: This is a necessity for the interview. Candidates should be able to answer questions about their stream of education as well as the reasons behind choosing it. For professionals having relevant work experience, they should be able to answer questions about it.
• Stay aware of the ongoing events: Apart from the above basic information, candidates must also have thorough knowledge about the important events taking place across the country. For that, they must read newspapers or follow certain publications like The Hindu or The Indian Express online
• Take mock interviews: Once you are done with the interview preparation, enrol yourself for a mock interview series or ask your family and friends to help you conduct a few. Having such kind of verbal confrontations can actually help you in facing the interview panel with ease on the main day.

Coal India Limited is a reputed origination offering a dream job of management trainee not just to the engineering graduates in the country, but even those who belong to non-technical academic streams. Aspirants should, therefore, follow the above mentioned crucial things to increase their chances of working with experienced professionals in Coal India or its subsidiary companies.