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.

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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.

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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.