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No two interviews are the same, so you can’t plan exactly how the interview will go, but it is important to have a Interview Strategy. It is imperative that you face the interview as a selling meeting; meaning building personal chemistry and establishing an open dialogue for free information exchange.

Tells Nokia…… why  interview clear aapne na kia?

Anil Mahajan

Back to Mr. Disaster

Lemme continue with Mr. Disaster attending a mock interview session with me.

Now, I am sick of this man & shoot a question to him. “You left company XYZ in January 1984 & joined company ABC in October 1985. What were you doing all these months? The man, who was no longer slouching, starts tapping his foot more furiously. This is fidgeting. It is criminal to indulge in fidgeting like playing with your hair, clicking pen tops, tapping feet or unconsciously touching parts of the body. Nobody likes others indulging in fidgeting & rejection in the interview is guaranteed 100%.

I have been trying in vain to make eye contact with him for the last 25 minutes. You must build chemistry with the interviewer by looking the interviewer in the eye. You don’t want to stare, as this shows aggression. Occasionally, and nonchalantly, glance at the interviewer’s hand as he is speaking. By constantly looking around the room while you are talking, you convey a lack of confidence or discomfort with what is being discussed.

The bugger is nervously giving incoherent reply to my question on the gap in service again without eye contact. Check your CV for possible gaps! Make sure you know how you are going to explain time gaps on your CV. Write down and practice possible questions! Writing them down and practicing them with someone will make it easier to remember when you get to the interview.

Mr. Disaster is nervous? Neither being nervous nor being incoherent helps. Both these unwanted traits drive the final nail into the coffin. Take a deep breath and remember you’ve already passed the first test, generally a screening of your resume by either a placement consultant or HRD fellas or by both. You better know they’re interested or they wouldn’t be taking the time to interview you. Therefore, go into the interview knowing you’ve already got them on the hook. Be confident, yet not boastful.

I think space constraints signal me to sign off now.

No two interviews are the same, so you can’t plan exactly how the interview will go, but it is important to have a Interview Strategy. It is imperative that you face the interview as a selling meeting; meaning building personal chemistry and establishing an open dialogue for free information exchange.

Success is not necessarily what you say, but how you say it.

By Anil Mahajan, MBA PGDIT (IIFT)

He has made pioneering contributions in the field of Resume Writing and Resume Management.

Courtesy Jobnet Magazine issue 108

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the Author

Posted under Job Interviews

With more organized information available on placement firms, job seekers in India are finding that spreading the nets wide with a personalized and assertive approach with placement firms is yielding a better catch than mass -mailing resumes.

Lima Sehgal

Clinging to the flotsam and jetsam doesn’t necessarily get you Kate Winslett. Or so the placement industry has realized.

Those in the recruitment business say that, though, the aftermath is not pretty, the job market crises does not call for a salvage operation but the makings of a new beginning.

The placement business has opened with a new vigor. To the job seeker’s delight, they have become more realistic in candidate handling. Vacancies are few, and the competition severe. This has resulted in an improvement in the processing speed. Be it the job seeker or employer or a placement firm, no one has time anymore to spin good impressions. Only results count.

With more organized information available on placement firms, job seekers are finding that spreading the nets wide is yielding a better catch. Once upon a time, the credibility of placement firms was judged by the volume of clients or vacancy offers- But not today. The good ones are those who know when to say no.

It is certainly warming up, but I think it is more than just the weather.

Copyright © 2011, Jobnet magazine, issue 97

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publishers of Jobnet magazine

Courtesy Jobnet’s Directory of Placement Firms

Posted under Articles by Lima Sehgal

Job seeking professionals tend to cling to the conventional

Lima Sehgal

Today, jobseekers need to know about what can be caught rather than what can be got!

The old tendencies remain. Especially the stereotyping of education — we still talk about Sunrise Industries and courses with great futures, as an absolute. Today, it is dangerous to ask — What is the best career for me? — There are a million advisors ready to spring.

What is also getting worrisome is the fact that amongst professionals there is a tendency to cling to the conventional. The stereotyping continues, and the shoreline never extends beyond the experience or even beyond the expertise.

Perhaps, what is needed is less focus on information and more on introspection.There is a very dramatic shift in the needs of employers. Also, in what the employers label as identification signs while choosing their prospective employees. In the ambience of changing business trends, there is a shift from skills to soul-ambidextrousness.

The problem the jobseeker faces is not the lack of choices, but the choosing of the right alternative. For that, what is desperately needed is to go beyond ones’ imagination.

Copyright © 2011, Jobnet magazine, issue  93

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publishers of Jobnet magazine

Posted under Articles by Lima Sehgal

Dos and Don’ts during the interview

It’s impossible to predict the course of the discussion but there are some fundamentals to be aware of at all times.

Always adopt a professional and business-like manner

Listen intently

Use strong positive language

Be honest, but be prepared to ‘bend’ the truth if it suits the situation and you can get away with it

Ask relevant questions

Wear a smile at all times

Never indicate that you’re desperate for a job

Don’t get into discussions about your personal life, and decline any bait to mention secrets of your present employer, the interviewer should respect your trustworthiness and integrity

Ensure that you don’t smell of any strong odours, e.g. alcohol, garlic or even perfume

Don’t fidget or play with your hair, clothing, items in your pockets etc.

Avoid negative phrases such as: ‘I don’t know’, ‘I’m not sure’

Be persuasive; speak in terms of what benefit you can bring to the company, rather than the other way around

Remain calm and don’t rush your answers.

Copyright © 2011, Jobnet magazine, issue 94

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publishers of Jobnet magazine

Posted under Job Interviews

In India,the weather vanes point to specialization rather than providing ad-hoc need based solutions, for Jobseekers.

Lima Sehgal

The last thing we need is the numbers game, especially when it pertains to the job market. The one major problem in playing the mass circulation game is that, if everyone becomes a player, no one becomes a winner.

Who stops first?

Logic never applied. In our country, where jobseekers are as abundant as the summer sunshine, one would believe that exclusivity would be more saleable. So, one wonders why anyone would want a choice in getting a candidate for a post. Or why would anyone want a voluminous vacancy advertisement response to justify an advertising expense. Or why a company would invite applications from job websites while also dishing out their job requirements to a dozen placement firms.

Perhaps it’s time to ascertain what is encashable. Is it the desperation of the job seeker, who gets his resume circulated by every job website to eliminate the chance of missing out on some pebble on the beach? Or is it the gullibility of the employers who can be made to believe that any one recruitment methodology is more effective than another?

It is also time to ascertain the kind of services required, rather than providing ad-hoc need based solutions. We are past that. The weather vanes point to specialization. And the need of the times is not about having the right answers as much as having the right direction.

Copyright © 2011, Jobnet magazine, issue 90

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publishers of Jobnet magazine

Posted under Articles by Lima Sehgal

Employeers also need to impress good candidates during interviews.

Vijaylakshmi D’Souza

You may consider a more relaxed environment like inviting a senior level candidate for lunch at a restaurant or inviting a group of trainees for an orientation meeting or presentation.

Most hiring managers are so focused on the selection process that they neglect the fact that they are also being evaluated by the jobseeker during an interview. Jobseekers examine the environment as well as the employees of an organization and use these inputs for taking a decision about a job offer. Usually companies believe that a posh office décor will suffice but it is not so. A company is also judged by the kind of people who represent the company during an interview.

So take time to prepare for the interview selection and assessment processes but remember you are the first impression of your company that the jobseeker will have. Decide on what kind of first impression you want to create.

Good candidates have choices. They are not going to be desperate to get into your organization. You will have to sell your organization to them and convince them that it is a good choice for them. It can done in subtle or obvious ways.

But the best way to convey this message to them is to make a jobseeker look at the long term perspective and the growth with your company. But be honest. In today’s job market scenario we tend to treat all jobs as short term and temporary. But at least we can be honest about how this stepping stone would benefit the jobseeker.

The important factor that counts is easy to remember – put yourself in the jobseeker’s side to the table to improve your perspective

Copyright © 2011, Jobnet magazine, issue 179

Republication or dissemination of the contents of this article are expressly prohibited without the written consent of the publishers of Jobnet magazine

Posted under Articles from Jobnet Magazine