Identifying Your Selling Points

Identifying Your Selling Points

Identifying your selling points to begin marketing yourself.
Write a list.

It's best to get it all onto paper so you can sit down and look over it afterwards (and use it to write your CV). There is no point in knowing in your head what you are good at. So write a list.

Your selling points, or strengths are what you will be judged on (you also have to use them to overshadow your weaknesses).

Selling points are ideally unique, but you need to cover the basics that most employers look for (e.g. communication skills, team player, reliable, etc - you've probably seen all that stuff on job adverts). So use these basic skills as a starting point.

When you've got the basics out of the way, you need to concentrate on your unique skills. What sets you apart from the crowd? Why should the employer hire you over the hundreds of other candidates? What are your strengths?

Be An Ideal Being

Be An Ideal Being

you-get-that-by-being-good-worker-

A good worker who's willing and eager to learn and has a lot of enthusiasm for the job.
Be willing to do more than you are being paid to do. Help others in higher positions with their job, and you'll learn how to do their job. This is a great way to boost your experience.
A reliable employee who they can count on to be there every day and ON TIME.
An employee who gets along with his co-workers.
An honest employee who doesn't steal or lie to his employer.
An employee who knows that the customers of the business are where your paycheck really comes from and making sure to treat them with respect and enthusiasm.
And always try to leave a company on good terms, so that you can use them as a reference.

They All Wanted Job Experience

Job experience

They all wanted job experience. So I went back to all the managers I'd talked to about the bartending school, and asked them if they'd train me - for free. I offered a proposition: "I'll come in on my own time. You don't have to pay me. I will train for free. Train me, and if you like my work, then you can hire me with pay."

For them, it was a win-win situation. They didn't lose any money by giving me a chance. And if I did real well and showed an aptitude for the job, they could then hire me and we'd both make out.

Story of a Fresher

Beating the System

We've all heard it: "You can't get a job if you don't have experience, but how do you get experience if no-one will give you a job?". Doesn't seem fair, does it? Some kids are lucky. They've got an uncle or brother or cousin who can pull a few strings for them. Once they're in, they can say they've got that magical stuff called "job experience" that every boss looks for. Some kids are so smart. You know the type. They skip grades in school and all the colleges are begging for them. They're too busy being smart to be cool. They really make an impression on potential bosses, and they get hired. Then there are the kids who find underhanded ways to make money. They don't want a real job. They usually look pretty cool driving around in big fancy cars flashing wads of money. They don't look so cool years later sitting in a jail cell. And finally, there's the rest of us. We walk into one personnel office after another, filling out job applications. By the time you're finished, you've memorized your Social Security number for life. They all say the same thing: "We'll let you know."

Only they don't. You never hear from them again. There is a way to beat the system. It's a pretty ingenious solution, too! But you've got to want it. What I wanted was to be a bartender, but my idea will work for almost any job. It started when I signed up for a bartending school. The contract gave me three days to change my mind and cancel. In those three days, I went around to different bars and asked the managers if they'd hire someone who'd gone to this school. They all said no, not if the person didn't have any real-life job experience.

Presentations: In The Interview

Presentations In The Interview

In many information agencies, it is customary for the candidate to make some sort of a presentation before a group as part of the interview situation. Ask if this will be true in your situation. If it is, be certain that you understand how much time is available, the nature of the audience, and the purpose of the presentation. The presentation should be specifically designed to meet the audience needs and interests. If you will be using ANY information technology, verify the availability of hardware and software. Let your host know your hardware/software requirements and how much setup time you will need before your presentation.

Always take manual backup material in case something doesn't work. Often, something will not work! Make your presentation as interesting and as interactive as possible. DO NOT look at the slides and present your back to your audience. DO NOT have 57 slides each crowded with bulleted items. Do limit slides to three to five bullets and no more than five words for each. The presentation needs to be clean, clear, and focused. It is a summary of something interesting and important. It is NOT a detailed research presentation. A common error is including too much content and then rushing toward the end.

Eye contact and interactivity with the audience are especially important. Your body language should be welcoming and positive -- even relaxed. Do use gestures. Walk around a bit.

If a question and answer session follows, provide relatively brief but focused responses to questions. Don't be afraid to say that you don't know or are uncertain. You can't know everything. However do consider that sort of questions that might be asked about your presentation.

The presentation will be evaluated as evidence of your knowledge and comfort level with technology, your ability to deal with the unexpected, and your speaking/teaching effectiveness. It is a major moment.

While presentations are not a major concern for many search committees, they are especially important for public service positions. Most search committees understand that a presentation in a strange place with strange equipment that does not always go well.

INDUSTRIAL PLACEMENT

This scenario emphasises the vital importance of a good industrial placement as an integral part of an engineering degree. There is no doubt that students who do not undergo an industrial placement are less likely to find employment than those with industrial experience.

Commonly, universities leave the task of finding an industrial placement entirely to the student. The consequence of this is that the student is poorly prepared to make a job application and, in the event of an interview, is not able to present themself in the best light. Also, because many companies have built up long-term relationships with specific universities the individual applicant will often simply not be considered.

The solution to this problem lies in your careful selection of your university. Some universities approach the placement of students in industry in a highly serious and efficient manner. These universities employ full-time industrial placement officers whose task it is to assist the students in finding high-grade and challenging industrial placements. Also assistance can be given in preparation of job applications and in improvement of interview techniques.

Experience & Employment
These placements can be in a wide range of industry ranging from the large blue-chip companies to smaller companies as well as companies in all parts of the world. Placement officers will ensure that the students receive good work experience whilst on placement and that they receive formal visits from academic staff members to check on progress. Often an industrial placement leads to a highly relevant and challenging final year project, possible sponsorship and sometimes the offer of permanent employment. Some employers view the industrial placement as a year long interview!

Earning & Learning
An additional bonus of the industrial placement is the opportunity to earn some extra money whilst continuing with your academic career by. You will also interpret your final year degree subjects in a different way as a result of your industrial placement.
So if the objective of your studies at university is to obtain a good well-paid job after the successful completion of your degree then the sensible route to take is via a sandwich degree with a high quality industrial placement.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IN RECRUITMENT

IT recruitment is caught in a paradoxical situation. On the one hand companies are eager to induct new hires, while on the other the right candidate often proves elusive. On the other hand, hundreds (even thousands) of hopefuls who have sent in their particulars wait anxiously for an interview call. The twain seldom meet to their mutual satisfaction.
Data analysis can go a long way in making the hiring process faster and more efficient. This is where the application of business intelligence (BI) has a considerable impact on the hiring process.
BI relates to the tools and systems that play a key role in the strategic planning process of an organisation by gathering, storing and accessing data. Traditionally used by companies to solve problems related to distribution, sales, marketing and logistics, the next step is to use BI to supercharge the hiring process.
To make 250 offers, our team met 5,000 people and went through 20,000 biodatas.

Kris Lakshmikanth Managing DirectorHeadhunters India
BI tools can be used to track blacklisted candidates. It becomes easier to weed them out

Rajaram Agarwal Managing DirectorTalentAhead India
Bangalore-based Headhunters India has been using an in-house-developed proprietary BI tool for the last two years. Says Kris Lakshmikanth, its founder and managing director, “Search or recruitment companies like ours conduct recruitment day-in and day-out. In December, we generated over 250 offers with an average CTC of over Rs 3.5 lakh.” As a rule of thumb, Headhunters India would have to meet 5,000 people in order to make 250 offers. To meet 5,000 people, its team would have gone through 20,000 biodatas. “This is a massive task anytime, so BI tools are useful to us,” says Lakshmikanth. For executive search companies, whose earnings are solely dependent on the joining of the candidate, the BI tool is vital for converting offers into hires.

BI can help recruiters:
Identify cities, companies or media from where they can recruit talent.
Find the right recruitment company to partner with.
Pick the college campuses that must be targeted.

Experts agree that the hiring process can be made more efficient by analysing data regarding existing employees to create a hiring profile. An organisation also needs to know the right mix of skills needed to achieve its business goals. Nirupama V G, executive vice-president, TeamLease Services, points out that some employers use data mining techniques to understand the characteristics of their top performers. “By understanding the characteristics of this group and rating them on parameters such as education, years of experience, skills and personality traits, a hiring profile can be established to recruit individuals who possess similar characteristics,” she says, adding that while this technique has been used many times, one must realise that the profiling is based on historical data which may not always successfully indicate who will be a top performers in the future as changes in social, economic and environmental conditions can throw a spanner in the works.

How Temporary Agencies Match Your Skills With The Right Job

The purpose of a temporary agency is to find employers skilled workers to fill their temporary job positions. During these troubled economic times, many people have found temporary agencies to be helpful while seeking full time work. The agency keeps a list of qualified people to match the position that an employer needs to be filled for a short period.

There are a number of benefits to signing on with a temporary agency. One such benefit is the agency can match a worker's skills with the right job. Most temporary agencies will help you create aprofessional resume that highlights the skills that make you qualified for a particular job. As well, they will offer training to keep your skills current as well as learn new skills. You will be prepared to use all of your skills on the first day of the temporary job. Because you will be working for short periods at a variety of work environment, you will be acquiring more skills and discovering what job environment meets your needs. The more experience and training you acquire, the more valuable you will become to a potential full time employer. Employers love acquiring employees that they do not have to train.

When you first meet with a temporary agency recruiter, you will normally be interviewed and have your skills and qualifications reviewed. You may also have to do a test such as a computer test. The higher you score on the test, the more chance you have of obtaining a placement quickly. These tests and the interview help the agency determine what type of job you are best suited for.

Because temporary agencies have access to jobs that may not be advertised to the public, the agency can go through your resume to find the position that best matches your skills and education. In a matter of minutes, a temporary job placementagency will go through all of their applications and locate the right job for you. If you apply yourself and work hard, you may be noticed by an employer. If you are successful at your temporary job, you may find yourself working full time as many companies will hire full time employees that have worked for them for a short period. Because there are so many benefits to working with a temporary agency, the likelihood of finding your perfect job will be significantly increased.

If you are new to the job market, and do not have many skills, a temporary job agency can work with you to acquire new jobskills by providing such training as computer skills, typing, accounting, math, office administration, and spelling. You will also have access to resources on creating professional resumes and preparing for a job interview. They will help you incorporate theses skills for use in a position that is suitable to your experience and skills.

Temporary agencies provide a great opportunity to fill in any gaps in your employment history. You can acquire new skills, maintain your current skills, and most importantly, provide you with a source of income while you are seeking a permanent job.

Tips for Personality Development

Tips for Personality Development

Self-confidence- Self-confidence is a great mantra for a powerful personality. If you are not confident of your actions and decisions, you can never get success. Have a firm faith, determination and confidence in yourself as if you are sure of your decision, you will put your best efforts to achieve the goal, other persons will also show the confidence in you and then nothing can stop you from stepping the stairs of success.

Organize your mind- Organizing the mind means taking the charge of your thoughts, emotions and imagination and controlling the reactions, being systematic in every field of life, increasing the efficiency and tackling the difficulties and obstacles by preplanning and anticipation. The more organized you are, the more focused you are for your goals of life. Somebody has said that the way you think is the way you live. So organized thinking paves the way to success in every sphere of life.

Be loyal, honest and truthful- these qualities go a long way. By being mean or by ditching someone you can’t get anything in life. Remember one thing that there is no short cut to success and you can be successful only by being honest, determined to achieve what you want and by working hard.

Try to like other people- If you want that other people should give you attention and appreciate you, try to give attention to other people also. Be a good listener, listen to them politely and if you don’t like other person’s idea, never condemn or make a complaint about his idea, instead praise his good qualities. While communicating with others, always give honest and sincere replies. Never boost of yourself. Make other person feel that he is important and talk about other person’s interests. Be kind and show basic courtesies to other people.

Avoid indecisiveness- Take all the decisions yourself. Never depend on anybody for taking the decisions on your behalf. Don’t let indecision plague you as indecisiveness may cause failure and future leads to regretful conditions.

Feel good about your accomplishments and analyze your mistakes- Analyze your mistakes and learn a lesson from them and never ever compare yourself with anybody else as everybody commits some mistakes in life and no one is perfect on this earth. Your confidence and self esteem should not get eclipsed by the fear of failure. Feel good about your accomplishments and maintain a list of them. Every time you achieve some goal, give yourself a reward. Be a true friend of yourself and try to find and recognize your weaknesses as well as your strong points, jot them down on a paper and start working on your weaknesses to replace them with your strong qualities.

Try to look good- At first sight, a person is judged by his physical personality as it is said first impression is the last impression. Maintain the right posture of your body. It means that you should always sit and stand straight. Try to look good and you will feel good about yourself. It will increase your confidence level also. Whenever you feel lack of confidence, go for some change in your wardrobe, get your hair style changed or if you are a little heavy, try to shed some weight by exercise or cutting down some extra calories and you will more energetic, confident and fresh since a change is as good as a rest.

Maintain a good life style- Maintain a good and healthy life style as it is a key to healthy body and sound mind. Don’t be a fast food junkie, instead have a balanced diet that contains lots of green leafy vegetables and fruits. Sleep for at least 6 to 8 hours a day because if you don’t sleep for adequate amount of time, your efficiency decreases and it hampers your productivity. Say no to alcohol, smoking or sleeping pills. Reduce your intake of tea or coffee as caffeine is very harmful for your body. Indulge in some physical activities like brisk walk, swimming or aerobics daily. To improve your concentration and decision making quality, practice yoga and meditation.

Sense of humor- Sense of humor is also an important component of a pleasing personality. Maintain good sense of humor and learn to laugh at yourself also. But sense of humor does not mean laughing when something wrong happens with other person.

Positive thinking and positive doing- Avoid negative attitude towards life as positive thinking is the key to success in any field of life. But we should replace positive thinking into positive doing also. Many a times, we think of so many positive things and like to do them but the fear of failure or difficulties stop us from turning those positive thoughts into reality. You should understand that these obstacles test your capabilities and you should not let them bother you too much. At this time, just think of your past accomplishments no matter how small or big they are and just go through the difficulties or hurdles you faced to accomplish them. It will give a sense of confidence. Face these challenges, do your best under all circumstances and you will feel the great feeling of accomplishment.

Be a good speaker- To be a good speaker is also an aspect of a good personality. If you have to make a speech, first of all make a lay out of the speech and write down each and every thought in a proper sequence that you want to include in your speech and while giving the speech, you can refer to these points. Give a proper introduction and conclusion as they are very important parts of the speech. Never cram your speech word to word. Don’t try to be too loud. Keep your speech short and to the point. 

Physical gestures and expressions are also important to connect with the audience. Take pause at the proper points and put emphasis on certain important words. Speak with authority and don’t be monotonous. Bring a little humor in your speech and make the audience laugh occasionally. If there is a large audience and you are feeling nervous, look into the eyes of only one person at a time as if you are talking to him. Make the

Control your fear and worries- Conquer your fears and worries, stress and anxiety. When these thoughts come in your mind, instead of wasting your time in thinking what will happen to you in future, think of new ideas and solutions and keep yourself as busy as you can. You should know that most of our fears and worries don’t get materialized at all. Prepare yourself for the unexpected and always be ready to face what comes in your way.

Strike a balance among your personal, professional and social life- Maintaining a balance in your life for harmony and happiness. Don’t bring office work at home on weekends and in office be determined to give your 100%. Develop a social circle and try to spend your time with people who have positive attitude towards life.

Concentrate your goals- Be focused and concentrate on your goals. Avoid all the distractions and give put your entire attention to one goal. By doing this, you will be ale to identify the obstacles and hurdles associated with it and once you identify the obstacles, half of your job is done. Now focus on every problem according to its priority.

Student Placement Policy

Student Placement Policy

Rationale and Objective(s)

1.1. The policy will ensure that:
there is appropriate consistency and Quality Assurance in the management and administration of placements across the University;
placements achieve their educational outcomes;
reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the health and safety of students are not jeopardised by activities undertaken during placement;
reasonable steps are taken to ensure that the University is not rendered liable for any conduct by either a student or placement supervisor during an external placement; and
reasonable accommodations are made for students with disabilities.

2. Definitions and Acronyms

In the context of this policy:
Course Coordinator means the member of the University’s academic staff designated by the Head of School as responsible for planning and coordinating the delivery of a Course and for ensuring its appropriate assessment, in consultation with the Program Convenor and with the Head of School, who has the final responsibility. The Course Coordinator may also be the/a placement supervisor;
misconduct means unacceptable behaviour that includes but is not limited to conduct that:
engages in unlawful or criminal activity on the premises of the placement agency; o r
disrupts, interferes with, or is detrimental to the conduct of the agency; or
obstructs any officer or employee of the placement agency in the performance of their duties; or
damages or wrongfully deals with any property on a location where a student is present under the auspices of the University; or
disobeys, without reasonable cause, any instruction of an officer of the University or the placement agency, including the failure to leave any building or part of a building when directed to do so; or
refuses, withholds, or fails to identify oneself truthfully or furnishes false personal information to any officer of the placement agency; or
disobeys or fails, without reasonable cause, to observe any policy, procedure, or regulation of the placement agency; or
assaults or threatens a person, or causes others to fear for their personal safety; or
breaches confidentiality or privacy requirements or obligations in respect of the placement agency, its staff, or other relevant parties.
placement means a clinical placement, practicum, internship and any other like form of professional, industrial or vocational experience included in a course or required for a program;
placement supervisor means a member of the University’s academic staff responsible for the supervision and assessment of students undertaking placements included in a course;
placement agency means any agency or body which provides placements for students of the University;
placement agency supervisor means a member of staff of a placement agency who is responsible for supervising and/or contributing to the assessment of students on placement;
Pro Vice-Chancellor means the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty which offers the placement .
unprofessional conduct means behaviour that is not characteristic of or befitting the profession; it includes but is not limited to conduct that:
is unethical,;
departs from the standards set by the profession;
uses language that is unacceptable in the presence of co-workers; supervisors of clients; or
demonstrates a lack of respect or sensitivity to clients.

3. Scope

3.1. This policy relates to all clinical, professional, industrial or other placements that form part of a course or program coordinated by the University1 and for which
students will be assessed; and/or
a grade is awarded; and/or
completion is required for an award of the University.

4. Provisions

4.1. Placement supervisors, placement agency supervisors and students will be provided with appropriate preparation for undertaking placement which will include information regarding their role and responsibilities before, during and after the placement (refer the Guidelines attached to this policy).

4.2. Documentation for each placement will provide a clear statement regarding:
the procedures for allocation of placements;
criteria for determining eligibility to undertake placement if any, for example, completion of required courses or program schedule requirements;
the completion by students of any additional requirements, for example, vaccinations, first aid certificate, essential criteria or course requisites;
the provision by students of any required documentation, for example, Criminal Record Check, Prohibited Employment Declaration or health checks;
procedures for students with disabilities seeking to negotiate adjustments (refer Procedures attached to this policy);
the roles and responsibilities of placement supervisors, placement agency supervisors and students before, during and after the placement;
how the placement fits into the learning objectives of the course and program;
whether the placement is required to comply with relevant professional accreditation;
the specific learning objectives of the placement;
how the placement is to be assessed including the means by which assessment will measure the achievement of the learning objectives;
requirements for complying with privacy legislation within the agency in which the placement is to be undertaken;
procedures for dealing with absences, conflict or other difficulties encountered during the placement, including breakdown of the placement due to student performance and /or other unforeseen circumstances (refer Procedures attached to this policy);
an indication of the cost involved in the placement and clear advice that the cost must be borne by the student; and
the date determined by the Head of School and advised in the Course Outline after which a student may not withdraw from a course containing a placement without academic penalty other than in exceptional circumstances and with approval from the Head of School.

4.3. All students undertaking a placement will be supervised by a professional in the field preferably with at least two years professional experience, or a designated individual supervisor of equivalent clinical/professional/industrial experience.

4.4. All students undertaking a placement will be in regular communication with agency and/or University supervisors.

4.5. All students undertaking a placement will be provided with feedback during the placement regarding their progress towards the learning objectives of the placement.

4.6. Placement agencies and placement agency supervisors will be provided with the necessary information, training and support to enable them to fulfil their role and responsibilities to the satisfaction of the University, the placement agency and students

.
4.7. Placement agencies, placement agency supervisors, placement supervisors and students will be advised of their responsibilities under Anti Discrimination, OH&S and Privacy legislation and the University’s risk assessment policy.

B SCHOOLS PLACEMENT WOES THIS YEAR (2009)

A year ago, as the India story peaked with the economy racing at more than 9% for the third year on the trot, the elite Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) took just six days to place all its 270 graduates from its 2008 batch. Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB) took a day more to hand over its 440-odd wards to blue-chip Indian and global firms.
But that was then. As a decade of exponential job growth drowned under a rising tide of pink slips in 2009, faculty at IIMs and other top Indian business schools realised early on that placements in 2009 was going to be a long haul.The reasons were obvious. Very few are left standing in the world of investment banking, the traditional favourite at B-schools.
Much of the Western world is in the grip of a severe recession, pushing multinational firms based there into layoff mode. The dearth of credit and its knock-on effects on demand have made marketing-intensive sectors like FMCG and durables freeze expansion plans.
Cut to the first week of March. More than a week into placements, IIM-A has just managed to place 200 of its 259 students. IIM-Calcutta (IIM-C), which placed all its 290 students in four days flat last year, has managed jobs for its 265 students after 10 days of a placement session conducted in two parts.
This year, ISB - rated by the Financial Times as one among the Top 20 B-schools in the world - started its campus recruitment season in January. But as of last week, only 250 of its batch of 440 have got offers. Placement officials at IIM-A, IIM-Kozhikode and ISB say the process would spill over into more weeks in the hope that more companies will visit their campuses.
With companies becoming increasingly choosy, B-school managements have also done away with traditional eligibility thresholds. The upshot: Even a firm with a Rs 3-crore turnover managed to grab an IIM-A graduate in 2009. “This year, since the number of visiting companies has come down, we are inviting a lot of firms. We obviously cannot issue them any deadline,” says IIM-Bangalore’s placements chairperson Sourav Mukherjee.
IIM-B saw a lukewarm turnout on Day Zero, and faculty members say salaries being offered are 40% lower than in 2008. However, one student at IIM-B was offered Rs 1 crore salary from an investment bank for an overseas position, said a faculty member who didn’t want to be identified. Reports also abound of students from flagship PGP and PGPX (executive) programmes of IIMs opting out of the recruitment drive to pursue independent ventures. Eleven IIM-A students had opted out of the PGP placement last year, and that number may go up this year, say institute officials.
The slowdown will affect IIMs far less than other institutes, simply because of our brand equity, but nonetheless, they will get affected all the same,” said a senior faculty member at one of the IIMs, summing up the mood.
That sentiment echoes in Tier II business schools where faculty members describe the situation as “precarious”. Many top companies have given them the slip and the placement process in these institutes has been extended indefinitely.
At the Jamanlal Bajaj Institute of Management, officials who didn’t want to be named reported a 30% drop in the number of recruiters. Replying to an email from ET, a spokesperson of the Wellingkar Institute of Management said.

HISTORY OF GLOBAL PLACEMENT, HYDERABAD

INCORPORATED in 1993, Global Placements, Hyderabad , India is a professionally managed overseas manpower recruitment organisation registered with Ministry of Labour, Government of India, dealing with the placement of Indian Professionals in various fields.
Global Placements is run by a team of qualified professionals with its main objective of rendering reliable and prompt services to its clients and job seekers It has unparalleled experience in recruitment and enjoys immense trust and respect among the professionals seeking overseas jobs.
Global Placements has recruited Professors/Lecturers , Polytechnic lecturerss, School Teachers, Nurses, Engineers, Technicians, IT professional, etc , to various countries .
We at Global Placements are dedicated to bridging the gap between the requirements in various countries and the career aspirations of individuals We seek to establish a lasting relationship between the employer and the job seeker. We are dedicated to overall organising, processing and need understanding capabilities. We are proud of our efficiency and instant response to any given situation.

Interview Do's and Dont's

To Do's -
- Arrive 15 minutes early. Late attendance is never excusable. Clarify questions. Be sure you answered the questions the employer really asked. Get the interviewer to describe the position and responsibilities early in the conversation so you can relate your skills and background to the position throughout the interview. Give your qualifications. Stress the accomplishments that are most pertinent to the job. Conduct yourself professionally. Be aware of what your body language is saying. Smile, make eye contact, don’t slouch and maintain composure. Anticipate tough questions. Prepare in advance so you can turn apparent weaknesses into strengths. Dress appropriately. Make your first impression a professional one. Ask questions throughout the interview. An interview should be a mutual exchange of information, not a one-sided conversation. Listen. This is probably the most important "do" of all. By concentrating not only on the employer’s words, but also on the tone of voice and body language, you will be able to pick up on the employer’s style. Once you understand how a hiring authority thinks, pattern your answers accordingly and you will be able to better relate to him or her.
Not To Do's -
- Don’t answer vague questions. Rather than answering questions you think you hear, get the employer to be more specific and then respond. Never interrupt the employer. If you don’t have time to listen, neither does the employer. Don’t smoke, chew gum or place anything on the employer’s desk. Don’t be overly familiar, even if the employer is doing all of these things. Don’t wear heavy perfume or cologne. Don’t ramble. Long answers often make the speaker sound apologetic or indecisive. On the other hand, don’t answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain whenever possible. Do not lie. Answer questions as truthfully as possible. Do not make derogatory remarks about your present or former employers or companies.
Too many people second-guess themselves after an interview. By closing strongly and asking the right questions, you can eliminate the post-interview doubts that tend to plague most interviewees. If you feel that the interview went well and you would like to take the next step, express your interest to the hiring authority and turn the tables a bit. Try something like the following:
"After hearing more about your company, the position and the responsibilities at hand, I am certain that I possess the qualities that you are looking for in the (title) position. Based on our conversation and my qualifications, are there any issues or concerns that you have that would lead you to believe otherwise?"
You have a right to be assertive. This is a great closing question because it opens the door for the hiring authority to be honest with you about his or her feelings. If concerns do exist, this is a great opportunity to overcome them. You have one final chance to dispel the concerns, sell your strengths and end the interview on positive note.
A few things to remember during the closing process: Don’t be discouraged if no definite offer is made or specific salary discussed. The interviewer will probably want to communicate with the office first, or interview other applicants, before making a decision.
Make sure you answer the following two questions: "why are you interested in the company?," and "what can you offer?"
Express thanks for the interviewer’s time and consideration. Ask for their business card so you can write a thank you letter as soon as possible.
When you get in your car, immediately write down key issues uncovered during the interview. Think of the qualifications the employer is looking for and match your strengths to them. This follow-up processes is very critical. A "thank you" letter should be written no later than 24 hours after the interview.

Interviewing Skills: Conducting an Interview

Conducting an Interview

Types of difficult Interviews

Some interviewees demand a particularly focused interviewing techniques.
In order to get an accurate assessment of a candidate’s ability, the interviewer’s ability to handle different types of candidate is very important
Before Interviewing, develop an understanding of the following types of candidates:
Nervous candidate
Uncommunicative candidate
Talkative candidate

Handling a nervous candidate

Give them an especially warm greeting
Engage in more small talk than usual
Point out various facilities or areas of interest within your organization
Start with specific , fact-based questions that are easy for the candidate to answer and unlikely to be stressful
Speak slowly in a relaxed, informal manner

Handling an uncommunicative candidate

Many reserved or uncommunicative candidates simply need to be encouraged to share their thoughts
Using silence can be effective
If the candidate is having trouble in answering questions related to their strengths and weaknesses, tell them that you will give them some time to think about it and come back to the question later

Handling a talkative candidate

Candidates who talk too much , often about things unrelated to the job or interview can be challenging,
Tell the candidate that you will be following a structure, and stress on the time available for each section of the interview,
When necessary, remind the candidate of the time limits,
Redirect the conversation as politely as possible,

Ten Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

Ten Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills

We all have people with whom we have to work to get things done. Our ability to communicate with clients, customers, subordinates, peers, and superiors can enhance our effectiveness or sabotage us. Many times, our verbal skills make the difference. Here are 10 ways to increase your verbal efficacy at work:

Develop your voice – A high whiney voice is not perceived to be one of authority. In fact, a high soft voice can make you sound like prey to an aggressive co-worker who is out to make his/her career at the expense of anyone else. Begin doing exercises to lower the pitch of your voice. Here is one to start: 

Sing — but do it an octave lower on all your favorite songs. Practice this and, after a period of time, your voice will begin to lower.

Slow down – People will perceive you as nervous and unsure of yourself if you talk fast. However, be careful not to slow down to the point where people begin to finish your sentences just to help you finish.

Animate your voice – Avoid a monotone. Use dynamics. Your pitch should raise and lower. Your volume should be soft and loud. Listen to your local TV news anchor; take notes.

Enunciate your words – Speak clearly. Don’t mumble. If people are always saying, “huh,” to you, you are mumbling.

Use appropriate volume – Use a volume that is appropriate for the setting. Speak more softly when you are alone and close. Speak louder when you are speaking to larger groups or across larger spaces.

Pronounce your words correctly – People will judge your competency through your vocabulary. If you aren’t sure how to say a word, don’t use it.

Use the right words – If you’re not sure of the meaning of a word, don’t use it. Start a program of learning a new word a day. Use it sometime in your conversations during the day.

Make eye contact – I know a person who is very competent in her job. However, when she speaks to individuals or groups, she does so with her eyes shut. When she opens them periodically, she stares off in a direction away from the listener. She is perceived as incompetent by those with whom she consults. One technique to help with this is to consciously look into one of the listener’s eyes and then move to the other. Going back and forth between the two (and I hope they only have two) makes your eyes appear to sparkle. Another trick is to imagine a letter “T” on the listener’s face with the cross bar being an imaginary line across the eye brows and the vertical line coming down the center of the nose. Keep your eyes scanning that “T” zone.

Use gestures – Make your whole body talk. Use smaller gestures for individuals and small groups. The gestures should get larger as the group that one is addressing increases in size.

Don’t send mixed messages – Make your words, gestures, facial expressions, tone, and message match. Disciplining an employee while smiling sends a mixed message and, therefore, is ineffective. If you have to deliver a negative message, make your words, facial expressions, and tone match the message

So Why Didn't We Shortlist You?

So Why Didn't We Shortlist You?

You didn’t seem to know which school or which job you were applying to

Your letter began “Dear Sir/Madam” - couldn’t you check on our documents the actual name of the head? And find out if it’s a male or a female?

You put the name of another school in your letter. “I am particularly interested in working in Eton College because…

”You send a photocopied letter with the name of our school hand-written in it.

You have little, or inaccurate, information about the school or area: “I wish to work in a vibrant, ethnically-diverse community such as Surrey” (That application was someone lazily using the same letter for every post, not bothering to see if it was relevant)

You apply for a job that is not on offer. “I am particularly interested in this Foundation Stage post”. Sorry, ours was KS2· 

 

You apply for too many jobs: “I have seen on the TES website that your school offers many employment opportunities, and would like to apply for the posts of Senior Teacher in the Junior School, Head of Physics, Head of Psychology and teacher of English in the Senior School”.

 

Mock ye not - I have seen this actual example! The letter continued: “Please send a ticket from Buenos Aires to London so that I can attend your interview at your earliest convenience”

You didn’t do as we asked you to

We asked for a supporting statement of no more than 2 sides A4, you sent one which was 4 sides long Or one which was two sides, but in a tiny, tiny font Or just one paragraph.

We asked for your experience in chronological order, most recent first, you started with your GCSE results.

You left parts of the form blank (“Please outline your contribution to extra-curricular activities: nothing?”) Or you just wrote in: “See CV”. 

We actually want the form filled in to enable us to compare easily 50 different candidates. If you cannot be bothered to take the information out of your CV, why should we go to that trouble? Bin it.

We needed the fax and e-mail numbers of your referees, so that we could contact them urgently for a reference. 

We were unsure whether to shortlist you or another candidate, you were Even-Stevens. But he gave all the details, whereas we would have had to ring up the school to get the missing information to get your reference. So we chose him, and binned you.You didn’t have your current head as a referee. 

We are required by Safer Recruiting Guidelines to get a reference from your current employer (or most recent if not teaching at present). For NQTs, a head from one of your TPs is fine.You didn’t seem to be trying very hard to impress us

Form completed in a scruffy fashion

No reference anywhere to the actual person/job spec that we sent you, so your application seemed to be something you were scattering around everywhere.

You leave gaps in your chronology. Were you in prison? We need to consider this possibility under Child Protection guidelines.

Your spelling, grammar and punctuation leave much to be desired.

You don’t give the head of your current school (PGCSE tutor for NQTs) as referees. Why not? We would have to contact your current head anyway under Safer Recruiting guidelines, so put him/her in

You were trying too hard to impress us

A CV beginning with your mission statement: “An educator seeking appointment in fast-paced demanding professional environment where I can utilise my skills, education and experience to groom myself”. What does this actually mean? And why do I care about your desire to groom yourself - I am looking for my advantage, not yours.

You haven’t got the right balance in your CV: too much about your early experience (“I was a form captain in Years 7, 8 and 10, and a school prefect in the sixth form”) and too little about your current contribution to the school where you are working now.

Your statement/letter is too full of jargon and waffle, and includes paragraphs on irrelevant points.

You tell us as great length how good it would be for you to work with us. But would it be good for us.

TYPES OF INTERVIEW

PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW: 

The aim of prelims is to eliminate the applicants who are obviously unqualified of jobs.These interviews are generally informal and unstructured and conducted even before the candidates fill in the application blanks. This is presenting more obvious facts and information.This enables the manager to quickly evaluate the interviewee on the basis of appearance and quality of communication.
Formal and structured Interview: This interview is based on through job analysis, which directs the flow of interview.The questions cover all pertinent facts.The same questions are asked to all candidates which helps in better evaluation.

UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEW: 

No structured frames of questions.The more open ended questions. A candidate remained comfortable through out the interview.This tends to more subjectives.
Indepth Interview: This is more suitable in selecting the candidates for high end technology and high skill jobs. Experts in the relevant areas test the candidates ,knowledge and understanding of the subjects and assess his expertise.They determine suitability of candidates for the jobs in questions and based on these evaluation.

PANEL INTERVIEW: 

In this process, representatives from various departments get to meet and interview a candidates.This reduce the subjectivities involved in the one to one interview.
Group Interview :This method is resorted to when the number of applicants is high and time available for interviewing is short.This method is useful in while recruiting for entry level and junior management position.
Stress Interview: the objective is to test the applicants abilities to performs and deliver under stress.Interviewers put the interviewee under stress by repeatedly interrupting him, criticizing his answer,asking him unrelated questions or keeping quiet for long time after interviewee has finished talking.

* Psychometric Assessment :
This is standardized procedure to measure intelligences or aptitude or personality of aspirants. This is one of the important parts of selection process of many domestic and international organizations. This help employer to find best match of individual to occupation and working ambience. It should be standardized, reliable, predictive and non discriminatory. The information given by the candidates is checked by references after final decision taken and before offer is to made.This reference might have been work related (such as former supervisor or co worker) or they might have been personal (such as friend, clergy, or family members). In either case, to the extent that you could, you provided the organisation with a list of people who you believed would generally speak favourably about you.

* The Offer:
Once the candidates are evaluated and final decision is taken, then the offer letters is made which is formal, written and requires acceptance in writing.The objective of the offer letter is " we are pleased to select you for our esteemed organisation:
This is very common in hiring process .This is in fact mentioned in the clause in offer letter to the candidates , which says that the offer is conditional on the candidates being medically fit..

* The Orientation :
Orientation is process by which we introduce new employees to the organisation, their superiors, coworkers and job.The orientation process provides a foundation upon which new employees can build their skill and contribute to our efforts to providing responsive and effective services to the organisation.

Issues in Recruitment and Selection:

* Chances of failure increases in RPO (Recruitment process outsourcing):
The chances of failure will be high if the RPO do not understand the Vision and recruitment strategy of an organization.The entire success of organization depends upon people and their integrity towards employers. Better recruitment begets better results this is true in every aspects.

* Break down in collaboration with other organization in poaching.
Organisation could offer job to which they thought of valuable but it does not means poach and hunting 100% right perspectives.This spoil the goodwill of an organization to some extent.The organization might practice Coordinate Recruitment.

* Competition driving up salary to unrealistic level.
This is common in today's scenario of fierce competition.
Authenticity of resume is questionable in this stiff competitive world. Prospective employers are using track methodology to judge reliablility of the content by references, educational qualification, talking to candidates over phone, previous employer reputation etc.

* Internet and PC savvy:
This is obstacle in popularizing e recruitment, but rate of enhancement in PC penetration is our country is quite high so in near future we donot take it as challenges. Lets we have to set modus operandi for online recruitment which will guide prospective employers and aspirants/jobseekers both. 

* Face to Face interview, meet the candidates in person:
Technologies have created impact on every function of an organisation and Recruitment and Selection is not an exception. An employer prefers to contact or interact people to feel and understand would be HR asset for them. This will help the organisation to manage expectation of would in best possible manner.

* Inbreeding ,nepotism and old boy's network:

Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills in the Interview

Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills in the Interview

Succeeding at an interview is often more of an art than a science. While your experience, education, and other qualifications play a significant role in the hiring decision, the hire is still very much based on the personal opinion of the interviewer. He or she will make a decision about whether to hire you based not only on your qualifications, but also on whether your personality will fit in at their company. Often the interviewer's instinct decides who will get the job offer.

I don't suggest you try to obtain a personality transplant to succeed in an interview. If you really won't fit in at a particular company, you don't want to work there. But what you can do is be personable and professional. Smile, look the interviewer in the eye, and engage in a two-way conversation. Listen carefully, respond thoughtfully, and don't digress into personal details.

Interviewers need to be convinced that you will be able to fix their problems and help their company achieve its goals. One of the best ways to answer interview questions is to use your career success stories. Career success stories are tales of the defining moments in your career when you overcame significant challenges to succeed. These stories create a memorable impression and give the listener anecdotes about you that identify your ability to handle the tasks at hand, solve complex problems and provide a solution.

Personal anecdotes demonstrate your unique ability to solve problems. When you tell success stories, you illustrate how you went about handling a difficult situation at work. Here's the idea -- at some point in your career, you were faced with what seemed to be an insurmountable problem. If the problem continued, there would have been severe consequences. Rather than sit back and watch things fall apart, you took initiative and implemented a plan to solve the problem and bring about a positive result.

For each appropriate interview question, relate it to a similar situation earlier in your career, talk briefly about how you handled it, and highlight the results. These stories demonstrate to the interviewer that you have specific experience in dealing with similar situations.
For example, let's say you were asked in an interview, "How do you deal with high-pressure situations?"
You could simply answer: "I'm very good when faced with high-pressure situations. I dealt with them all the time at my last job."However, this response doesn't do much to convince the interviewer of your abilities. 

Use a career success story instead: 

"I'll give you an example. 

I was leading a team of national account sales reps in the fourth quarter of the year. We were in the running to be the top sales team in the country in our organization. Prior to the fourth quarter, we hadn't even made the top 10. Our sales were good, but we wanted to finish the year as No. 1. I organized and led a sales-planning retreat to motivate my team to accomplish three things: 

First, we identified each of our prospects and determined exactly what we could close before the end of the quarter. 

Second, I had each rep -- with the assistance of his or her support team -- lay out a tactical plan for winning that business prior to the year's end. 

Third, I asked each rep to make a specific sales commitment with support from their team. The bottom line was that we not only surpassed our overall sales plan, we blew away the competition. Every sales rep hit his or her goal, some topping it by 75 to 100 percent. As a result, our sales-team production exceeded 250 percent of the target and we were recognized as the top team in the nation. As our award, my team joined the company's top executives on a five-day trip to Paris."

The key to any interview, particularly if it's for a new field or new job, is to make the connection between your unique abilities and related situations in the new field through your success stories. Although it may be a new industry or job you are pursuing, there are many similarities to the day-to-day challenges and opportunities. Your career success stories bridge the gap.

Few Select Interview Questions

Few Select Interview Questions in Job Interviews

Why have you selected to join us?

I always longed to work with a company. I am familiar and whose products I have used and trusted.(Narrate briefly how you can prove your statement. Do good research on the company before facing the interview)

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

I would like to be frank. Judge me from the work and I am sure you will put me right where I want to be.

Note : Do not over ambitious and speak in a way that you are not satisfied with your current job which you have applied for.

Describe your ideal career?

Talk of what you enjoy most your skills and natural talents. Do not specify your goal and any job title.

Tell me something about yourself.

Do not just repeat what you have given in your resume. Be ready with the answer, a talent or something you did out of the ordinary. You can sound it as unique or give it a touch of your personality.

How did you apply for the job?

Be specific and give a straight answer of how you came to know about the vacancy. If it was advertised specify how you came across it.

Why do you want to work here?

Have a research done about the company / organizationGive just one or two reasons why you are interested. You can add these points (1) company's reputation(2) desire to join the specific field of interest.

Advertising Industry: Eligibility and Qualifications

Placements in Advertising Industry

Educational: Most advertising agencies recruit candidates with a formal management or advertising/mass communication qualification. Preference is given for MBA's for posts in the market research, client servicing and media planning departments.
In the creative department, on the other hand, a general BA with a command of the language of communication plus knowledge of designing packages like Photoshop, coral draw or fine arts is the requirement.

There are also specialised courses in advertising/mass communication at diploma level and post graduate level for which basic qualification is graduation. However, advertising is also offered as a subject for the graduate degree course in mass communication studies at certain institutions for which minimum qualification is 10+2. In addition there are also certificate courses for which 10+2 is enough.

Personal attributes: Basic qualities like creativity and flair for writing or ability to translate ideas into a visual format are required for making a successful career in this field. They should have insight into the interests of people from all walks of life, ability to work as part of team, mental and physical toughness to be able to withstand high pressure and criticism, must be sociable and have calm temperament. Market and media researchers should have an analytical and logical brain. Those in creative field should possess artistic abilities to make the ad appealing to the masses.

Guidelines for Preparing a Resume

Guidelines for Preparing a Resume

A resume furnishes details for presenting yourself for a prospective job. It is a summary of your skills, accomplishments, experiences and education. There is no standard format for preparing your resume. It should be designed in such a way to impress your prospective employer and to ensure the call for an interview. Apart from the basic categories, you can add on details to make it more impressive. Always make a rough resume with all the details before you finalize on the fair one. We can go through the basic categories, to help you to make a resume.

Name, Address and Telephone: One has to give his/her permanent address with phone number if any. If you have an e-mail address, include that too.

Objective: It should be brief and to the point. It must give the employer an idea about your work preferences and where you want to be in your career, in future.

For example:

• Seeking a challenging position with opportunities for career advancement and learning.
• To have a long career in the (particular field), gain further skills and attain the goal of the organisation aiming at mutual growth.

Profile: This category is optional but valuable. Here one should give an overall picture of his/her abilities and accomplishments. You must stress on your particular strengths. sd

For example:

• Good knowledge on Internet security, E-commerce Transactions, System Analysis etc.
• More than one year experience in the particular industry.

Educational Qualification: Here one has to include your degree, specialisation, institutions attended, year of graduation, subsidiary subjects studied, and any special workshops, seminars, related courses or projects done. You can give your qualifications separately as academic and professional or technical if any.

Career Graph or Work Experience: One must give details regarding the place you have worked, the position you held, your responsibilities and achievements if any, duration of work etc. List the name of the organisation, give a brief description if you prefer and the place it's located. Then give your work responsibilities with an emphasis on achievements- (work projects done, targets achieved etc.) and the dates or period you have served in the organisation.

Personal Profile: Your personal details like date of birth, permanent address and contact number, e-mail, passport details if any, hobbies, languages known etc.

References: References should be given with prior consent from the relevant people. This must include their name, address and phone number. It is not essential to give references in a resume. You can state that references can be furnished if needed.

Targeted Resume

Targeted Resume

A targeted resume is used to focus your resume toward a specific career objective, performed in a specific industry, and for a specific company. The content of a targeted resume is written to highlight the skills, qualifications, and experience that match the requirements of your job target. You may want to consider writing a targeted resume when:
*  You know the title of the position you are interested in and have a good idea of the qualifications that will be required for entry into this position.
*  You are sending your resume in response to an employment advertisement.
*  You are writing or revising your resume to apply to a specific company.
*  You have several different specific career objectives and want a different resume for each one

Tips to Write a Resume

Tips to Write a Resume

Gather and Check All Necessary Information - Learn to write a resume by writing down information under headings. 

Write your resume example that embraces your education; experience; honors; skills and activities and make a list of your training and education relating to your job choice.

Match Your Skills and Experience with an Employer's Needs - Choose a target job/title that works best and write a good resume by matching your wishes with positions that are actually available.

Highlight Details That Demonstrate Your Capabilities - Learn to write a good resume by selecting details of your information that best matches the employer’s needs. Results need to benefit your employer and make you a viable candidate for the target job.

Organize the Resume Effectively - You write a resume by organizing your Personal information followed by a Summary of key points, Education, Experience, Honors and Activities. 

Write a good resume chronologically listing primary jobs held, including unpaid work that fills a gap or that shows you have the skills for the job. 

Write your resume example and compare with other like-positions resumes and create a draft based on the resume format you choose. 

References are a separate entity and may not be included, but always have solid reference available if requested.

Consider Word Choice Carefully - You write a resume that accurately describes you – your skills, talents and expertise. Write a good resume by utilizing active verbs (in many forms) such as achieve, analyze, adapt. Learn to write a resume that describes you positively and accurately. Write a good resume using adjectives and nouns such as analytical, resourceful, capable.

Ask Other People to Comment on Your Resume - We at Houston Job Search will help you write resume and then we will critique it. Remain open-minded when you write a resume and with our constructive criticism, the final resume will achieve its objective. Ask your friends and trusted colleagues to review and critique your resume.

Make the Final Product Presentable - A resume should be printed on a high quality (24 lbs stock or more) paper using a laser printer. We at Houston Job Search can provide the resources.

Finance Rules the Roost in IIM-C Placement

Kolkata, Nov 11 (PTI) 

Finance emerged as the most sought subject for summer placement at the country's coveted business school Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C) 2009-11, with as many as 43 per cent choosing to pursue it this season.

"Some 43 per cent of 407 students of the batch has opted for summer jobs in banks. This includes 80 offers from investment banks and private equity funds as against 58 offers in the previous year," an IIM-C final summer placement release said here today.Though there was increase in absolute number of placements in investment banks and private equity funds this year, however, in percentage terms it stood at 19 per cent.The number of students in the 2009-11 batch was higher by 104 students over last year.

Thanks

IIM Kolkata Placement

The summer placements for the 2009-11 batch of IIM Calcutta which concluded recently, saw 80 offers being made by investment banks. The corresponding figure last year was 58.
The placement situation, though, was tough given the fact that this was the largest batch so far — 407 students, the highest ever by any IIM in the country. The number of seats had increased by 33 per cent.
For the placements, which took place from November 3-9, the number of participating companies too, increased.
According to the chairperson of the placement office, Prafull Agnihotri, 140 companies participated. Last year’s figure was 110.
The institute officials claimed all students.

Thanks

Preparing for the Interview

Preparing for the Interview

Job-seekers can best prepare for job interviews by anticipating interview questions, researching the employer, developing interview response outlines, and practicing your responses (but avoiding memorizing those responses). In all your preparation, always remember that a job interview is a sales call; you have to actively sell yourself to the employer from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

You can anticipate questions in a number of manners. If you have an insider with the prospective employer (a friend, colleague, or champion), you can seek his/her opinion about the types of questions you should expect. If you have any sort of weaknesses (perceived or otherwise) in your background, you should prepare responses that downplay them and/or spin them.

 Researching the employer is vital. In the job interview, and within the context of most of your answers to interview questions, you'll want to showcase your knowledge of the employer and relate yourself to the employer. You must expect the "what can you tell me about our company" question -- and you must be able to provide a detailed response. One of my favorite clients develops a detailed "client briefing book" for each job interview; the book is a three-ring binder of key information about the company gathered from company sources, such a brochures, annual reports, and the corporate Web site. When employers ask the question, he not only responds intelligently, but pulls the book from his briefcase -- and it has never failed to impress the interviewers.

Developing responses to interview questions is important because you want to have intelligent responses rather than rambling answers. In developing responses, remember to focus on positive, quantifiable, and specific issues. Never say anything negative about previous employers or bosses and always spin any negatives or weaknesses into positives. For many types of interview questions -- and as a great memory aid -- you should consider developing short stories that describe a situation that illustrates your answer…that shows more than it tells.

Practicing your answers helps reinforce to memory (but without memorizing) your answers, while also allowing you to work on fine-tuning responses. Ask a friend to serve in the role of the interviewer and ask the questions. If that's not possible, at least spend some time going over them with yourself. Try to critique your responses from the point of view of an employer. hem in a positive light.

Tips For Interview

Tips For Interview 

1. First impressions counts - Greet your interviewer with a smile and firm handshake. anything else and the first 30 seconds are when the interviewer subconsciously makes decisions about whether they like you or not and whether you will fit into the team."

2. Be prepared -Re-read your CV and the job advert just before the interview. Do your research thoroughly: Look at the company Web site or obtain literature. You may be asked about the salary you are after so make sure you research that as well.

3. Don’t waffle - Answer questions properly - even if you need a few moments’ silence to collect your thoughts. Anderson advises, "It’s better to say you need a minute to think about your answer rather than speak instantly and regret it afterwards."

4. Why should they hire you? - Most job adverts will list qualities they’re looking for - a team worker, a good communicator – so it’s up to you to think of examples of how you can demonstrate these skills. Be ready to talk about your knowledge, experience, abilities and skills. Have at least three strong points about yourself that you can relate to the company and job on offer.

5. Be positive - Your interviewer will be thinking about what it would be like to work with you, so the last thing they’ll want to hear is you talking about your boss or current colleagues behind their back. Interviewers like to see someone who enjoys a challenge and is enthusiastic.

6. Remember your body language - It is not what you say, but how you say it. During the interview, do not fold your arms and lean back or look to the floor! Sit upright and try to maintain good eye contact. Use your hands and lean forward when making a point. Many people cannot think and control their body language at the same time, which is why you need to prepare.

7. Expect the unexpected - Your interviewer may try to catch you off guard: A survey by OfficeAngels has revealed that 90 per cent of employers ask 'killer' questions in interviews. It is impossible to plan for every difficult question, such as “How would your colleagues describe you?” but try to appear relaxed and in control. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if necessary but do not evade it. Hopefully you will not befall the fate of those job candidates at B&Q who were asked to dance to “Blame it on the Boogie”!

8. Develop rapport - Show energy, a sense of humour and smile. Jean Smith, a social anthropologist says: "It's infectious, being positive and enthusiastic." Ask your interviewer questions about themselves and any issues the business is facing.

9. Clarify anything you are unsure of - If you are not certain what are meant by a particular question, ask for clarification. At the end, ask the interviewer if there is anything else he or she needs to know about. Do not be afraid to ask when you are likely to hear if you have been successful or not.

10. Remember your manners - It is better to choose than to be chosen. Tell the interviewer why you are interested in the company and job opportunity. Ask them for a business card and follow it up by sending a "thank-you" e-mail or letter, saying how much you enjoyed meeting them and how interested you are. Take the opportunity to detail the key advantages you bring.

Rules for Facing G.D.

Rules for Facing G.D.

1.Communication Skills
The first aspect is one’s power of expression. In a group discussion, a candidate has to talk effectively so that he is able to convince others. For convincing, one has to speak forcefully and at the same time create an impact by his knowledge of the subject. A candidate who is successful in holding the attention of the audience creates a positive impact.
It is necessary that you should be precise and clear. As a rule evaluators do not look for the wordage produced. Your knowledge on a given subject, your precision and clarity of thought are the things that are evaluated. Irrelevant talks lead you nowhere. You should speak as much as necessary, neither more nor less. Group discussions are not debating stages.
Ability to listen is also what evaluators judge. They look for your ability to react on what other participants say. Hence, it is necessary that you listen carefully to others and then react or proceed to add some more points. Your behavior in the group is also put to test to judge whether you are a loner or can work in a group.

2.Knowledge and Ideas Regarding a Given Subject
Knowledge of the subject under discussion and clarity of ideas are important. Knowledge comes from consistent reading on various topics ranging from science and technology to politics. In-depth knowledge makes one confident and enthusiastic and this in turn, makes one sound convincing and confident.

3.Leadership and Coordinating Capabilities
The basic aim of a group discussion is to judge a candidate’s leadership qualities. The examiner withdraws and becomes a silent spectator once the discussion starts. A candidate should display tactfulness, skill, understanding and knowledge on varied topics, enterprise, forcefulness and other leadership qualities to motivate and influence other candidates who may be almost equally competent.

4.Exchange of Thoughts
A group discussion is an exchange of thoughts and ideas among members of a group. These discussions are held for selecting personnel in organisations where there is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group can vary between 8 and 15. Mostly a topic or a situation is given to group members who have to discuss it within 10 to 20 minutes.

Tips On G.D for Placement in Companies

Tips On G.D. for  Placement in Companies 

1. Always be the initiator and concluder of the GD then being a participant.

2. But if you are participant always try to be the most viral/key participant.

3. Put points firmly and always try to get others support too.

4. If you find that the discussion os going off-track then never loose an opportunity to bring it back to stream this is the best point to score max.

5. Try to keep latest information on the topic.

6. Be very polite , people may try to provoke you to to get more points but try to keep cool.

7. Most important don't wait for your turn to speak when discussion is on. interrupt politely if you want to put forward your points.

8. Last but not the least keep a tab on the time given for discussion. score points by wrapping up the discussion if you feel that the discussion is heating but the time is going to be over.

9. During conclusion, do end with the conclusion note. that shows your leadership quality.

Do's and Don'ts of Group Discussion :

Be as natural as possible.
Do not try and be someone you are not.
Be yourself.
A group discussion is your chance to be more vocal.

Help With Interview Nervousness - You will be nervous

Interview Nervousness is Natural

There is nothing wrong with being a bit nervous. If you use the nervousness to do the right things. Preparation will give you an area where to channel that nervous energy. 

* Remember they are unlikely to give the job to someone calm, relaxed and laid back either. 

* Too laid back and you will seem as if you don't care. 

* What makes everyone nervous about interview is the fact that they are going to judge you. Absolutely they are going to judge you! This is supposed to happen. Remember, it's a test, so get some interview help or interview training and do some practise. 

* You wouldn't dream of going to your driving test without studying the Highway Code, so treat an interview in the same way. But remember also, you are interviewing them as well. The test is two way. If you can keep that in the forefront of your mind, it can also help settle interview nerves.