Hello All!!

When we were in the last year of our degree, the career and placement department of our university emphasised on things like shaking hands, keep smiling, being open and witty etc etc during interviews. But those interviews were for management related jobs in the private sector where the culture is more open than public sector. I want to know if it is equally recommended to shake hands with the board in CSS interview as in the case of MNCīs? Or perhaps any of our senior forum members actually did this?

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Blessed are those who can give without remembering and receive without forgetting. ~Jeremy Fitzgerald~

Shaking hands, keep smiling, being open,witty, etc these all things are related to business/marketing. There is much serious atmosphere in public sector's interviews. I'll not recommend you to be frank with interview panel. I've given interview to FPSC Panel, just greeted them ''Assalam-0-Alaikum" they replied and offered seat while leaving the said 'Good Luck'. :P

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No matter how fast i run or how far i go it wont escape me, pain, misery, emptiness.

The basic norm of manners, especially in official conduct, is that offering a hand for handshake is a prerogative of the senior. If he extends his hand, you extend too, otherwise no.

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Muhammad Ali Asghar

This may be a trivial a thing to ask whether interviewee should take the seat after entering the room or he should ask for permission and stand by the chair as long as he is not told to sit.
I would like seniors to reply.

Enter the room; greet the members and they will reply and in some cases they do not. You will find the exact position/seating, move towards your location while having eye contact with the person esp who chairs the panel. when you reach the chair, already there for candidates to be interviewed, they will offer you 'have a seat please' if they don't offer take permission.

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No matter how fast i run or how far i go it wont escape me, pain, misery, emptiness.

I havent had the honor of yet appearing for CSS interview. But for other interviews, public and private that I have appeared in, always there has been a panel.

So following your question, if we assume that we have to shake the hand, that brings up new questions: whose hand to shake first? which side to start from? do you start from the right (Islamic teaching) or shake hands with the incharge of the interview panel?

Therefore, I have always been advised to not approach the panelists and shake their hands. Now that this point is under discussion, another thing I noted was that in all cases of interview, the chair for interviewee (me) was placed a good 2 -3 feet away from the table of the panel. This in itself, to me, indicated not to go forward towards the panelists and shake their hands.
I think it goes without saying that should the panelists offer you their hand for a shake, then do shake their hand.

Secondly, coming to taking the seat: do NOT sit down unless given permission. In all interviews I have had, after entering the room, I said "Salam" loudly, then approached the chair and stood by its side. After that I asked "May I have seat please?" and got the answer. In all interviews of public sector, I was not offered the seat automatically, I had to ask, whereas the private sector interviewers offered me a seat.

May Allah ta'ala help us all reach our goals, ameen. Good luck all.