Profile Guidelines:
- Ensure the CV file name is with your name, degree & month of update, ex: Mala_BE_Apr2010.doc
- Ensure the CV is in simple text with clarity using Latest Profile templates
- Size of the CV can be limited to 2 pages (<3>3 yrs exp)
- Ensure all important details (experience, education, skills & achievements) are placed in first page
- Be clear & ready with information on the words, skills & projects you provided in the CV
- Ensure you review the CV with 2 senior friends
- Please refer Fresher Resume Format & Sample resumes before preparing yours.
- 8 CV mistakes that could ruin your career - 1. Spelling errors, 2. Ugly presentation, 3. Generic content, 4. Lies, 5. No cover letter, 6. Outdated information and 7. Too many pages
Guidelines for Job Search: (Feel free to connect me for guidance / help)
- Analyze market requirements (through news papers, friends, job sites etc)
- Review your skills, find out Gap between your skill & market requirement and plan to build the gap.
- Ensure to document all company's where you applied & constantly monitor company recruitment site.
- Meet sr. IT professionals to clarify your doubts and listen to them !! Note down the technical (standard) terms used by them
- Your job search plan should contain 3 - 6 months duration with skill update & apply
- Ensure you apply 10 - 20 company's every week & follow-up with them. Follow-up brings 80% success !!
- Remember your skill, hardwork, planning & plan execution brings the Happy result (job) !!
- Ensure to follow ethical methods to apply for Job !! (Never look for un-ethical practices !!, back-door entry or through Money !!)
- Follow-up all channels frequently on status or openings !! (but, Never pressurize a person for Job)
You are not getting Interview Calls ?
Issue: Sending CV to all job roles, all company's and consultants but NO calls. Where is the issue ?
Solution:
You can try below tips to get Interview calls & also build confidence in you !!
Win-Win: Your Profile (CV) should be simple & clear with career goal which should benefit the company & you !!
Specify the details on "why are you trying for that job & how you will justify ?"
CV should target the job role. Example: Looking for Lead role as I have 4 years of s/w engineer experience
Attractive Profile:
CV should attract other party, otherwise it will reach dustbin :)
Prepare CV with good font, design & layout but don't use complex tables, formats which will open in zig-zag in other editors.
High light your goal, experience, skills, education & major achievements in first page
Important KEY words: Identify & high light important key words from your skills.
Most of the company's, consultants search for technical key words.
Up(to)date:
Ensure you update the CV regularly with recent skills, roles, workshop/trainings.
Ensure roles, achievement
related (supporting) information is available with you, like
certification copy (scanned), workshop dates & website etc.
Ensure you login to all accounts (company & job sites) once in a month & do updates...
Follow-up:
Important step !! Ensure you send reminders in frequent intervals to all people whom you sent CV, including HRs of company's.
Ensure you maintain company, recruitment contact & data of apply list maintained which helps to follow-up.
Follow-up shows your interest over job & your dedication !!
Your follow-up call is first interview with company.
Note
: Be prepare to talk at least 3 - 5 min's about your self !! :)
Note: Read 15 Deadly but Often-made Resume blunders to avoid ,
link
10 Ways Job Search Stays the Same Link
Get ready for Interview (Thanks to Mahesh Burukule for sharing)
Do
you want to be paid what you're worth? Do you want to know the steps
you need to take to make sure that your next salary negotiation results
in a better offer? In this short report, I've the basic important
steps you need to take to prepare for a successful salary negotiation.
If you follow these steps, you'll be better able to ask for, and get,
the compensation you deserve.
Before the Negotiation: Remember the 5 P's: "Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance".
1. Know the market for your job title:
You wouldn't walk into an auto dealer's showroom to buy a car if you
didn't know the market price for the car you are planning to buy. Just
the same, you shouldn't go to a job interview without knowing the
current salary ranges typically offered for the type of work you do.
How can you know how much salary to request if you don't know the
current salary ranges?
2. Know the current supply of people who do the work you do and, if possible, are applying for the same job: This
relates to the old rule of supply and demand. If you are the only
person who does the type of work you do and/or you are the only person
qualified to do the job, you're in a great position to ask for more
money. If you know that you are one among many people who are probably
applying for the same job, you can see that your bargaining position is
less and you may need back off on demanding too much.
3. Establish your criteria before you negotiate: Know
exactly what you want you want and why you want it. If you are clear
about what you want from the negotiation, you'll be in a better
position to ask for and get it.
4. Create a list of the benefits you bring to your new employer: These
are your reasons you offer when making your request for more. A smart
negotiator is able to back up a request with a benefit.
5. Decide on your —bottom line"BEFORE you negotiate: Decide
what you will accept as an absolute minimum and where you'll be
flexible BEFORE you go into a negotiation. Be clear about what you want
up front and be clear about what is the lowest you'll accept before
you walk away from the offer.
6. Decide on alternative benefits: If,
for some reason, the salary offer is not flexible, you might ask for
other benefits such as vacation time, sign on bonuses, laptop computer,
etc. A company or hiring manager may not be in a position to offer a
different salary but may have more flexibility in providing other types
of compensation, rewards, or benefits.
7. Base your requests on a clear understanding of the nature of your job:Make
sure you clearly understand the nature of the job you are negotiating
over. Be clear about the hours you will work, your workload, when
you'll receive a salary review, etc. The more you know about the job,
the less likely you'll find that the job wasn't what you thought it
was.
8. When negotiating, think Win/Win: The
ideal outcome from a salary negotiation is for both you, and the
person hiring you, to feel that a fair agreement has been reached. You
don't want an outcome where you feel you are being underpaid because
that starts you off on your new job feeling like you've been cheated.
On the other hand, you don't want your employer feeling that they are
overpaying because you demanded more. Employers who feel they are
overpaying someone will tend to demand more from this person and may
put this overpaid person on the top of the list if a time comes for
layoffs.
During the Negotiation:
1. Be positive and upbeat: Some
negotiation situations are necessarily combative but a salary
negotiation is best accomplished in a cooperative format, UNLESS, you
happen to know that the other person prefers confrontation.
2. Work on the issues as the challenge, not on each other: In
a salary negotiation, it helps to avoid confrontation by trying to
focus together on the issues as the challenge, not each other. In a
sense, you are both on the same side trying to resolve issues together.
3. When asking for something in a negotiation: You must
connect it to the other person's benefit. Remember to negotiate based
on your what you bring to the table, not what you need. It may sound
cold but your future employer doesn't care that you want the extra
salary for a new car or new home. They DO care about getting a benefit
from you that may be worth paying more for. They want to get a bargain
and when you offer additional skills, experience, or benefits as your
reason for asking for more money, you'll be most likely to get it. For
example, if you ask for perks like a laptop computer or cell phone,
emphasize how these perks will benefit the organization and make you more productive.
4. Bring to the negotiation documentation of what you offer and of your accomplishments: Bring
copies of documents that prove what you have done and/or what you can
do. In most negotiations this isn't necessary, but it can be very
helpful if the person you're negotiating with seems to doubt your
skills or accomplishments.
5. Have a contingency plan so you already know what you're going to do : if¼ What
if one of your requests is not met, none of them are met, or you get
nowhere with your requests? Think about this before the negotiation and
have a response planned.
6. Always open a negotiation conversation with positives: You
can start by thanking the person for the job offer or about how you
expect to benefit the company, the job, etc. This helps to set a
positive tone for the negotiation.
7. Use questions rather than making demands: It's
better to be polite and ask for requests rather than demanding what
you want. Also remember not to ask questions that can be answered with
—No" because this might close the topic for good. For example: Don't
ask —Is the salary negotiable?" because they can simply say —No." It's
better to ask something like: —How negotiable is the salary?" because
this requires an answer that isn't final.
8. Keep calm, cool, and professional: No
matter how the negotiation is going even is you end up walking away
from an offer, it's best to do this in a professional manner.
Interview tips you dare not miss
While appearing for an interview, questions may differ from industry to industry, but some dos and don’ts remain the same.
Interview
is your first impression on your dream company after your resume. From
clothes to conduct to language to information to skill – everything is
important. Employers don’t just want a skilled person, they want a
complete package of skills and soft skills. Questions may differ from
industry to industry, but some dos and don’ts remain the same. Here are a
few tips for your next interview:
Know yourself: Though
more important for first timers, but even those who have worked for a
few years tend to short sell themselves. Know your strong, weak
and salable points. Understand the job profile thoroughly and articulate
your words accordingly.
Know the interviewer: In
times of social networking and professional networking it’s very easy
to know the person you are scheduled to meet. Try to look up the profile
of the interviewer, it will help you conduct yourself in the right way.
Identify saleable points and talk well about them: You
know your job and your achievements more than anyone. Be prepared
and prioritize them in your head. Depending on the profile state nice
and crisp without sounding verbose.
Do not keep personals on the table: This
includes everything from - bag, wallet, mobile and also your elbows. In
terms of body language, this is a complete no. Don’t rest yourself o
the table and keep your bag near the chair you are sitting on.
Informal formality: That’s the style for an interview these days. You have to be proper, without being stiff.
Dress smart: Your
dress up may not be the only thing, but it’s the first thing to be
noticed. Wearing formals is safe and best. Stay away from T-Shirts and
torn jeans. Comfort and cleanliness should be the motto.
Ladies, be minimal: We
are asking you to dress smart and not provocative. Stay away from
plunging neck lines or short skirts. Heavy duppattas and too much
jewelry will also be difficult to handle and will distract both the
parties.
If you don't know the answer accept it: It’s
not necessary that everyone knows everything. Please do not cook up, if
you don't know the answer say so. Don't jump to answer a question, take
time to think.
Don't try to be a wisecrack: Sense
of humor is great, but in an interview you will be judged for things
which matter to the company. Be light heart'ed but don’t be frivolous.
For phone interviews, don’t let sarcasm make way through your voice.
Everyone wants a positive person: This
may sound like a cliche, but be good human being. Employers are looking
for more than skills. Be smart, don't criticize and don't accept
criticism, tackle it.
Learn from every interaction: Every
job profile has its own requirements. Don’t be disheartened if you are
not called for the next round. Review it in your mind and do your
learning and move to the next one.
Ten things HR managers look for in potential hires, read more
1. Energy:
Organisations need people who are always eager to learn new skills and
are eager to add to their knowledge base.
2. Ability to energise:
These people are self-motivated and they demonstrate it outwardly.
3. Edge: ability to take decision in grey.
4. Ability to execute:
These candidates are action-oriented and are focused on getting
results.
5. Customer-focused and quality conscious:
These people understand customer business and customer pain points and
strive to make customers successful by delivering superior quality
products and superior service delivery.
6. Respect for individuals:
These candidates value different cultural and religious backgrounds.
They compliment in public for a good job done and offer candid and
constructive criticism in private. This helps in creating a truly global
environment in the workplace.
7. Integrity:
These candidates mean what they say and say what they mean. They make
us trusted partners of customers or for that matter they make good
partners in every sphere of our life. They help build great
organisations that can sustain over long periods of time during periods
of prosperity as well as during challenging times.
8. Creative and enterprising:
To create a differentiator, it is important that we offer different and
unique proposition to our customers, which will bring value superior to
that given by peers.
9. Collaborative/ team player:
Organizations need people who have good interpersonal skills and gel
well in the team. They put team goals above individual goals.
10. Technical competency and solutioning mindset:
Technical competency is important in helping to foster a firm's
competitive advantage.
Useful links for your day-to-day works:
- Academia support by IBM & IBM Webinars on deep technical skills: link (mainly for Academic Schools)
- Backup, Access & Sharing files on Net: Sugarsync
- Telugu Transliteration: link
