Blogs“Winging It” Is Not a Strategy: 5 Things You Must Do Before Your First Interview (Unless You Love Rejection)
Hustle Culture
Apr 09, 2025
“Winging It” Is Not a Strategy: 5 Things You Must Do Before Your First Interview (Unless You Love Rejection)

Let’s be real. I’ve lost count of how many candidates show up to their first round of interviews with all the enthusiasm in the world… and zero prep. No idea what the company does, no clue why they’re asking for 18 LPA, and absolutely no questions when asked “Any questions for us?”

Look, I get it—interviews are stressful. But walking into one unprepared is like showing up to a sword fight with a spoon. Through my work as a consultant, I’ve seen what not to do—and now, I’m here to share what you should do. These five moves are your golden ticket to cracking round 1 and making it to round 2 with your head held high.


1. Stalk the Company (In a Non-Creepy Way, of Course)

Before you even think about hitting “Join Meeting,” get to know the company. What do they do? What problem are they solving? Who are their clients? What’s their latest funding round or product launch? This isn’t just trivia—it shows you’re proactive, curious, and actually interested in being there. Interviewers can sniff out a bluff in seconds.

💡 Pro tip: Casually drop in a nugget like,

“I read about your recent acquisition of XYZ. That’s a great move considering your expansion goals in APAC.”
Instant credibility. ✅

 Boom. Instant brownie points.


2. Connect the Dots: Your Work + Their Mission

Once you’ve understood what the company is building, ask yourself: “Where do I fit in?” Align your past work, your strengths, or even your future goals with the company’s mission. This isn’t a TED Talk—it’s your chance to say, “Here’s what I bring to the table, and here’s why I care about what you’re doing.” That combo of purpose + alignment = irresistible.

“Your focus on AI in healthcare is something I resonate with. I worked on a similar model during my time at…”

This tells them: “Hey, I’m not just here for a paycheck—I belong here.”


3. Have a Salary Talk With… Yourself

Please, I beg you—don’t fumble when asked, “What are your compensation expectations?” Know your worth, be realistic, and back it up with a reason. Whether it’s skill upgrades, cost of living, or industry standards—have a clear rationale.

And while you’re at it, be ready with a solid answer to, “Why are you looking out?” It shouldn’t sound like you woke up and thought, “Meh, new job?”


4. Revisit Your Greatest Hits

You’d be surprised how many candidates blank out on their own projects. Go back and revisit what you’ve worked on. Know your role, your contributions, any data-driven results, and lessons learned. Bonus points if you can narrate it like a story rather than reading off a resume like it’s a grocery list.

Because nothing’s worse than this moment:

Interviewer: “Tell me about the XYZ project you led.”
You: “Umm… it was in 2021… I think it was about…” 😐


5. Ask Questions—Smart Ones

Interviews aren’t interrogations—they’re conversations. Come prepared with at least 2 thoughtful questions. It shows that you care about the opportunity and want to understand more. Ask about the team culture, growth plans, challenges in the role, or even the company’s future vision. No one wants to hire someone who’s just looking for “any job.”


🎁 Bonus Tip: Light Internet Stalking Is Allowed

Yes, it’s totally okay to ask who your interviewer is. Once you know, do a quick LinkedIn scroll. Maybe you share a common connection, interest, or alma mater. 

Starting with:

“I noticed you’ve grown with the company over 5 years—would love to know what’s kept you here.”
...is a great way to break the ice. ❄️


Takeaway

A little preparation goes a long way. You don’t need to rehearse every line like a stage actor, but being intentional shows. You’re not just another CV in the pile—you’re a future colleague, a culture fit, a solution to their problem.

So tell me—what do you think are some must-dos before round 1? Let’s help each other not just survive, but thrive in interviews. Drop your thoughts below! 👇

 

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Career Gyaan
Oct 17, 2025

You've gone through an education system that probably never taught you anything about professionalism, logical deconstruction, and comfort with ambiguity. You may have tremendous bookish knowledge, but lacking these three attributes is an immediate invisible red flag that will stop you from getting the job or the promotion you always wanted.

Let's throw some light on the top-5 common mistakes that highlight your lack of these attributes, and what you should be doing instead

  • Showing up late without informing your interviewer/coordinator - there are genuine reasons one could be running late, but that needs to be duly communicated ahead of the planned interaction. Inform every marked on an invite, drop a text or give a call, but keep your stakeholders informed. Their time is as much valuable as yours.
  • Turning up unprepared for the interview - if you are turning up unprepared, why is it that you are turning up at all? why waste your and interviewer's time? You are better off declining the opportunity, instead of ruining your reputation unnecessarily. You must invest 1 hour to read about the company, the opportunity, some information in the public domain and so on, if you have chosen to show up for an interview. 
  • Going silent instead of communicating effectively with your stakeholders - it might come as an insight but everyone knows you would evaluate multiple opportunities before chosing one, everyone knows that your decision might be influenced by your loved ones, and everyone is okay with your being unsure, but nobody likes to be left wondering about what might be happening. So, good, bad or ugly, communicate, communicate and communicate! You'll build more relationships that you ever thought, and you never know, one or more of these relationships may turn gold in the times to come.
  • Rambling stuff that does not make sense - let us fill you in on another secret, nobody - not even the most successful individuals can know everything about everything in the world. So, when presented with topics/questions you have no clue about, you got to either draw parallels from what you have expertise on, rationally break down the information you are presented with to come up with simple yet logical answers, or admit you do not know anything about this but can talk about something relevant to the opportunity being discussed in detail.
  • Demanding a bomb without a concrete rationale - the whole world is underpaid, friends! who doesn't want more, but that's not how it works. Your next compensation cannot ignore your current and/or previous compensations. If you chose to take a sabbatical, took an opportunity by taking a haircut, or become an entrepreneur that eventually did not work out, you have to make peace with your decision. Nobody else had a say in that! You can definitely demonstrate additional skills/knowledge that you acquired during this period (that surely has a value), but that value isn't the only figure on which your next compensation will be decided on. So, learn about the market standards and try to limit your ask within the broadly acceptable range.

 

Job Tips
Oct 07, 2025

 

Let’s be honest — job hunting today feels like swiping right on a dating app where no one ever replies. Employers can’t find the right talent, job seekers chase ghost listings, and somewhere between “We’ll get back to you” and “Position closed,” everyone loses their sanity.

Enter Aplushub — the career saver we didn’t know we needed.

Why Aplushub Exists

Born from the chaos of the modern job market, Aplushub was built on one bold idea — quality over quantity. It’s not just another job portal flooding you with random roles. It’s a curated ecosystem that blends AI precision with human insight to filter out the clutter and keep only what truly matters: authentic, relevant, and verified opportunities.

What It’s Solving

Aplushub is tackling the biggest pain in job search — noise. Fake jobs, expired links, spam recruiters, and endless scrolling are replaced by clean, credible listings. The platform categorizes openings into Free Jobs (posted directly by employers) and Premium Jobs (handpicked by Aplushub’s research team from trusted sources and networks). So, no more digital wild goose chases — only jobs worth your time.

Remote Jobs? Absolutely.

Whether you’re working from your couch in Chennai or a café in Manali, Aplushub’s got you covered. The platform features a dedicated Remote Jobs section — tailored for professionals who value flexibility. It connects you with employers who believe talent shouldn’t be tied to geography.

Why It’s a Win-Win

For job seekers, Aplushub is your career compass — one dashboard, hundreds of genuine opportunities, and no shady “DM for job” drama.
For employers, it’s a hidden gem. Posting is free, candidate access is simple, and you get applicants who are genuinely interested — not bots in disguise.

Bonus Perk: The *OpenBook* Advantage

Here’s where Aplushub really flips the script — OpenBook, its transparency-first feature. It gives job seekers a peek into real hiring insights, company trends, and recruiter updates, turning job search into a smarter, more informed experience. No more guessing what employers want; OpenBook hands you the inside scoop to make data-backed career moves.

The Price Tag (Spoiler: It’s Almost Free)

Aplushub keeps things real and affordable. You can explore its free tier, test-drive premium access with ₹50/Month, or go all in with ₹499 for a full year— basically less than your monthly coffee budget to land your next big opportunity.

So whether you’re hiring, hunting, or just tired of the chaos — Aplushub is here to bring sanity (and a smile) back to your career journey.

👉 Visit AplusHub.com — where jobs finally make sense.

Compensation Guide
Aug 27, 2025

Private Equity (PE) is one of the most coveted industries in finance. One of the highest paying industries, Private Equity (PE) attracts absolute creme-de-la-creme of MBA graduates, management consultants, and investment bankers. Also highly competitive, PE funds hire only a handful of investment professionals across levels in a year. 

A+ research team has spoken to multiple PE professionals across domestic and global PE funds in India. In the table below, we have compiled average base compensation, variable (bonus) and carry components at blue chip global PE funds in India.

  Role Yrs of exp Large Global PE Funds (base salary) Bonus (as a % of base) Carry
  Analyst 0-3 yrs pre MBA $60K-$80K 60-100%
Notional Carry or LTI or Certain bonus is paid in the form of carry distribution in case of multi-billion dollar funds*
  Associate MBA with 4-6 yrs exp $100K-$150K 80-100%
  VP MBA with 6-10 yrs exp $200K- $250K 90-120%
Estimated 0.5%-2% of the carry pool for a multi billion dollar fund*
  Principal MBA with 7-10yrs exp $300K-$400K 90-120%
  MD   $500K+ 100-150%  
           
  Notes:
These figures are estimates of salaries at top global PE funds like Bain, Carlyle, TPG, Warburg Pincus, General Atlantic and the likes
   
Buyout focused funds have 30-50% higher base salaires and respective bonuses
   
*These are estimates from the information gathered through our network; might change/vary with more data