DESTINATION SUCCESS

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Hi Guys,

I am really sorry to my readers for my absence over the past few weeks... Due to some or the other engagements, I have been unable to share my views with you... Anyways from now on I will not disappoint you. So select any of the options below and wish you a happy stay on my blog.

1. HR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

2. GROUP DISCUSSIONS TIPS

3. CV WRITING TIPS

4. QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE

5. TECHNICAL BUZZ AND SUPPORT

kEEP vISITING mE :)

Monday, January 19, 2009

HR QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Below is a list of frequently asked questions in various interviews... Click on the questions to view the requisite solutions... I would love to receive your comments and suggestions regarding this endeavor of mine... You can subscribe to my posts via email too...Do not forget to cast your vote... These statistics keeps me charged up to improvise and develop this blog...Do remember to mail me at sampat.honey@gmail.com / patnaik.sampat@gmail.com / sampat.patnaik@sun.com

01: Tell me about yourself ?

02: What are your greatest strengths ?

03: What are your greatest weaknesses?

04: Why should I hire you?

05. What are your Short Term Goals?

06: What are your Long Term Goals?

07: How do you evaluate success ?

08: What is your Salary Expectation ?

09: How many hours a week do you normally work?

10: Are you willing to travel?

11: How do you feel about working nights and weekends?

12: The “Silent Treatment”

13: What good books have you read lately?

14: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

15: Describe your ideal company, location and job.

16: Who has inspired you in your life and why?

17: Why do you want to work for us?

18: What do you know about this company?

19: Can you work under pressure?

20: What makes you angry?

21: Aren’t you overqualified for this position?

22: Would you lie for the company?

23: Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company !!!

24 : Demonstrate Your Skills : Sell this stapler,etc or some object on the desk

25: What are your goals?

26: What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?

27: The “Hypothetical Problem” – What would you do if… ?

28: What do you worry about?

29: Give me an example of your creativity (analytical skill…managing ability, etc.)

30: How could you have improved your career progress?

31: What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?

32: Looking back, what would you do differently in your life?

33: How do you feel about reporting to a younger person (minority, woman, etc)?

34: The “Fatal Flaw” question

35: What are your outside interests?

36: What are your career options right now?

37: Do you prefer to work alone or as a team player?

38: What made you choose your major?

39: Why didn’t you pursue a career in your major?

40: What do you seek from a job?

41: Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little ashamed of.

42: Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.

43: What changes would you make if you came on board?

44: I’m concerned that you don’t have as much experience as we’d like in…

45: What would you say to your boss if he’s crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?

46: Why aren’t you earning more money at this stage of your career?

47: Tell me about the most boring job you’ve ever had.

48: What do you see as the proper role/mission of a good (job title you’re seeking) in serving the community

49: What would you do if a colleague wasn’t pulling his/her weight…and this was hurting your department?

50: POSSIBLE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:

51: What’s the most difficult part of being a (job title)?

52: Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?

53: Tell me honestly about the strong points and weak points of your boss (company, management team, etc.)…

54: CONFIDENTIAL ISSUES

55: Could you have done better in your last job?

56: You’ve been with your firm a long time. Won’t it be hard switching to a new company?

57: Why have you had so many jobs?

58: May I contact your present employer for a reference?

59: Have you considered starting your own business?

60: THE ILLEGAL QUESTION

61: THE SECRET ILLEGAL QUESTION

62: What was the toughest part of your last job?

63: Looking back on your last position, have you done your best work?

64: Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?

65: Do you have the stomach to fire people? Have you had experience firing many people?

66: What do you for when you hire people?

67: Have you been absent from work more than a few days in any previous position?

68: Why have you been out of work so long?

69: If you won A $10 million lottery, would you still work?

70:Is there anything else that we should know about you that would impact our decision?

71: During your performance reviews, what criticism do you hear the most?

72: If I tell you, you are an IDIOT, a FOOL, a RASCAL; can you think anything positive about it?

73: Suppose I tell you I don’t like your face? Then why should I select you?

74: What will you do if you are asked to give a bribe?

75: If your boss is taking all the credits for your work, what will you do?

76: Suppose you find yourself in a deserted island. What three things you will need to survive?

77: How do you think you conducted or performed during this interview?

78: On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Group Discussion

What is a group discussion?

A set of persons brought together to express their opinion and the subsequent exchange of views on the allocated subject is called a group discussion. Group discussions are held as a part of recruitment process, as a part of eliciting opinions /ideas on any subject or plan of action, as part of decision making, problem solving, as part of reaching a consensus.

Skills assessed in a GD:

1. Communication skills
2. Presentation skills
3. Soft skills
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Team working skills
6. Leadership
7. Team working skills
8. Negotiation skills
9. Observation skills

TIPS:

• Knowledge of the subject and ability to put across this knowledge in a logical and convincing manner with good delivery.

• Be assertive and forceful in your arguments

• Keep a watch on the time and just before the end time try to sum up the proceedings.

• Interruption in the middle of candidates’ arguments in not viewed kindly but if the trend of discussion is drifting away from the subject do not miss the opportunity of bringing it back on the rails by interruption.

• Do not fumble or vacillate. Keep shifting your gaze while speaking in order to rivet other’s attention towards you.

• In case your knowledge on the subject is limited –listen to few speakers and develop fresh ideas on their points or refute them.

• Knowledge and power of expression are two most important requirements in a group discussion. Hence you must study and gather knowledge on contemporary topics.

• Remember, communication skill and confidences have overriding influence and not so much whether you are in favour or against the topic.

Hints:

Introduction

• Friends, I do not think we can have a more interesting topic than this.

• The subject given to us is very interesting…

• In my opinion this is a very controversial and challenging topic.

• The subject we have before us is of tremendous importance.

• I wish you a very good morning. I hope we shall have a very insightful deliberation among ourselves on such a significant topic.

Interrupting

• Well friends, excuse me for interfering at this point..

• I love the point Mr.XYZ made but what I would like to say is…

Concluding remarks:

• I suggest a few measures in this regard…

• Gentleman we have had some excellent suggestions and our friend gave us some original ideas.

• I think we have discussed fairly in detail…

• Thanks friends, I am both surprised and pleased to hear such interesting points from the speakers .I don’t think I have anything to add.

• Dear friends, thank you all for your nice observations. Being the last speaker I have strong points, both in favour of and against the topic.

• I hope you will appreciate my idea that…

Agreement

• It is absolutely true that…

• I agree with…

• I (do) appreciate the feelings expressed by…but the

• Gentleman I must congratulate our friend no.8 who gave us the other view of the topic.

• I endorse and support the views of…

Opinion

Friends, I am really surprised and also happy to observe that all of you are so widely aware of the…and that you have put forward cogent and valid arguments on the…

Disagreement

• I think we are slightly off the actual point..

• The emphasis in this regard should be…

• We should be analytical and inquisitive to find out the truth…

• I think our friend is deviating from the main point…let us not waste our time on…side issues…

• Gentlemen, no.6 has not grasped the problem…so let us first find out how we can avoid it and thereafter discuss other alternatives..

• Please give me a chance to finish my views on the subject. you have enough time to give yours …

• I think we are forgetting one aspect of …

• I strongly oppose what…

• Thank you no.2 but I strongly disagree with no.1

• Your idea seems interesting, but in fact, this is against…

In GD, both the kind of group you are in and the topic you are given play a significant role in how you would approach the discussion and how you would be perceived by the selection panel.

Remain calm and confident. Don’t let anyone to dominate you .This doesn’t mean you try to hog all the air all the airtime; that will work against you.Be alert without being artificial.

Initiation : this usually conveys a positive impression , but make sure you do it only if you have understood the topic properly.If you start the GD despite having only a fuzzy idea of the topic’you risk taking the whole discussion along an incoherent or irrelevant path.In later stages ,when everybody wants to put forth their own points ,you have to fight to be listened to.It generally works well to define the topic first,before starting to interpret it.Usually people tend to place the events only in the current socio-economic milieu. Break out of that mould.

If you don't agree with a statement or idea that has been presented by other another member, address the issue in a polite manner. Instead of attacking their idea directly, why not come up with a better idea instead? It is also important avoid interrupting other members when they are speaking. This is extremely rude. If you feel the need to interrupt someone while they are speaking, try to interject as politely as you can. In some discussion groups, you may be required to raise your hands after someone has finished making a statement.

It is important to avoid putting down the ideas that are presented during the discussion. This is especially important if the group is brainstorming ideas. When you put down ideas that are presented by someone else, you are humiliating them in front of the other members, and you are disrupting the brainstorming process. In addition to this, you can create conflict between you and the person you are ridiculing. Never attack the idea of someone else. It can cause other members to be uneasy about sharing their own ideas, because they may fear being ridiculed.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

CHRONOLOGICAL CV

The chronological CV is named thus as it details your career history most commonly in reverse chronological order with the most recent employment detailed first and working backwards. A complete record of career history is detailed along with a complete education record. It is the most frequently used CV and is usually 2 sides of A4 in length.

Job Titles and company names are emphasized with skills, duties and achievements detailed under each job title. A chronological CV is most useful if you are staying within the same industry and wish to show career progression.

Most employers prefer the chronological CV format, as it is easy to see who you have worked for and what you did in each particular job. If you do not have many achievements, you can take the emphasis off this fact when using a Chronological CV.

Reasons why a chronological CV may not be the best format include:

If you are changing direction and the most recent employer is not relevant to your new chosen career.
If your career history shows gaps in your employment due to poor health, unemployment, having children, etc. or that you have changed jobs frequently.

WHAT IS A CV ?

A CV or Curriculum Vitae is:

Your Life History
Your Job History
Your Achievements
Your Skills

A CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool. With your CV you will be able to promote yourself.

Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time and skills!

When writing a CV look at it from your employers point of view. Would you stand out against the competition and would the manager want to talk to you for a possible job? You have to ask yourself these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae.

Networking and interviewing are essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search. However, a CV will be your first contact with potential employers and will open the door. If you are invited for an interview, you would then be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV.

A CV is an essential tool in your job search. When applying for a vacancy, you generally first have to send your CV to present yourself to the prospective employer.

MOST IMPORTANT POINTS FOR A CV

In today’s competitive and fast-moving job market, you only have 30 seconds to impress a potential employer with your CV. To give yourself the best chance of securing an interview, you need to make sure your CV works for you. By following a few simple rules, you can maximise your chances and stand out from the other applicants.

To make the most of any job opportunity your CV should :

• Market and sell you by clearly representing your work history, skills and experience.
• Have its content free of spelling and grammatical errors.
• Use the document format all employers, agencies and personnel departments prefer.
• Be made easily and readily available for job applications and interviews including those at short notice or by telephone.
• Be compatible with the major online job boards as well as email and print friendly.
• Make a good impression by detailing your capabilities and strengths in a positive way.

TOP 10 TIPS FOR YOUR RESUME

Your resume is your ambassador to the work world. It opens doors to opportunities you didn't even know existed. But not all resumes are alike or are used alike today with all the electronic means available to reach your potential employer.

Here are the most important issues to consider as you prepare your resume:

1. Write your resume in your own words. It may be challenging but if you write your own resume and don't hand it off well in your interview,what next !!! If you do hire an expert to help you, work closely with that person to be sure your resume realistically reflects your abilities.

2. Put your best foot forward. People remember what they see first and last, so place your least important information in the middle.

3. Make a list of all the work or volunteer experiences you have had that support your candidacy for the job. Select the best ones and write them so that they show what Problems you've solved, Actions you've taken to do this, and the bottom line - Results you've achieved.

4. Use resume etiquette. The word resume does not belong any place on the document. Never use "I" to start out a sentence. The language of your resume should be specific, clear, succinct, positive, and exciting. Make it easy for someone to contact you. Of course references are available.

5. Know what format to use. The two most commonly used and accepted resume formats are the chronological and the functional. Often elements of both are combined. A chronological resume is most widely used and preferred by recruiters and interviewers. It is good for someone with a consistent work history. A functional resume focuses attention on your accomplishments and is often used more successfully if you are often switching careers.

6. Tell the truth. If you lie about your education, job experience or any other element of your work history, you will probably live to regret it.

7. Know your audience. Your resume and every interaction in your job search should answer the question to the employer - "Why should I hire you?" Communicate the information necessary to evaluate your ability to do the job. Use language that is appropriate to the industry or field, but be aware that extreme jargon may not speak to those who are intermediaries between you and the ultimate hiring manager.

8. Get some objective feedback. Have others who have not worked as closely with the resume as you have read it for accuracy and typographical errors before you submit it. Ask questions about whether the resume communicates what you intended. Does your resume support your claim of being qualified for the job? Does it address the requirements of a specific job description you're after? Does it need to be modified to fit the situation exactly?

9. Know your parts of speech. Action verbs are the bedrock of good writing. Use them liberally throughout your resume to communicate your accomplishments: Developed, streamlined, pioneered, implemented, produced...

10. Hit the highlights. Remember that your resume is only one element of your job search strategy. It's important and needs to get you in the door.Be prepared to give more detail later. Think of your resume as your personal brochure.