10 Mistakes to Avoid During an Interview

8/2/2019 10 Mistakes to Avoid During an Interview

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Avoid the Top 10 Job Interview Mistakes

Avoid the Top 10 Job Interview Mistakes

Interview is your only chance to make a lasting first impression.

You can reduce your stress level by knowing some common mistakes that

interviewees make when meeting with potential employers.

Here are 10 of the most common mistakes people make on job

interviews:

1 . Not taking the interview seriously - Dont make the mistake of

thinking the interview is just a formality. Even if all the preliminaries have

gone well, dont be cavalier and start imagining how youll start spending

your new salary. The biggest error you can make is to assume that, because

youve gotten this far, the job is in the bag.

2. Dressing down - How you present yourself during your initial meeting with

a potential employer is very important, and your physical appearance canspeak volumes to someone who is meeting you for the first time. Even if you

know that the firm allows employees to wear jeans, dont sabotage yourself by

showing up to the interview in casual clothing. Err on the side of conservative

and show up in neat, professional clothing, preferably a business suit.


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3.Not showing why youre the best choice - Be familiar with the job

description of the position youre interviewing for so you can illustrate how your

experience, abilities, and strengths are in line with the companys needs. Many

potential employers want to know why they should hire you specifically. Make it

clear to them.

4 . Being too modest - Failing to talk yourself up during an interview is one of

the most self-defeating mistakes you can make. This is not the time for

humility, so sing your praises! Dont be afraid to talk up everything youve

accomplished, whether in school or in previous companies. This is your time to

shine.

5 . Talking too much - Be careful not to talk over the interviewer. This

meeting should be a two-way conversation, and many interviewees cover up

their nervousness by blathering on. Sit calmly and listen carefully, answering

questions thoughtfully.

6 . Focusing on the funds - Dont start talking about money too soon into the

interview. Focusing on your salary requirements and previous salary history

right off the bat may cause you to reveal too much. While the topic of salary

will certainly come up, follow the interviewers lead. He or she may be saving

that topic for a later conversation.

7. Trash talking - Even if you hated your former boss or felt you were treated

unfairly by your previous employer, a job interview is not the place to launch

into a litany of complaints. Dont go there. If you were laid off or fired from a

previous position, be prepared with an explanation that puts a positive spin onthe circumstances.

8 . Failing to ask questions - Your resume may be impressive on paper, but

employers also appreciate a candidate who can ask several intelligent

questions during an interview. Prepare at least 3 or 4 questions in advance to

ask the interviewer. Interviews are an exchange of information, and not having

questions to ask can reveal a lack of preparation.

9 . Lack of enthusiasm - This is your first and sometimes only chance to

showcase your personality. Dont walk in announcing how youre having a badday. Be polite and upbeat. Show your enthusiasm for both the job and the

opportunity to interview for it. And dont forget to thank the person at the end

of the interview!

10 . Forgetting the follow-up - Make sure to send a handwritten thank-you

note or polite email to the interviewer expressing gratitude for his or her time

and consideration. And while you dont want to start calling the company on a

daily basis, a phone call checking in a week after the interview is perfectly


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acceptable.

Equity Portfolio Management Mechanics

The goal of virtually all investment analysis is to make investment decisions or

advise others in making their own investment decisions. Therefore, there is an

inextricable link between the art and science of equity analysis and equityportfolio management.

College finance programs and the CFA Institute's Chartered Financial Analyst

program embody this link by teaching the two concepts side by side.

As a result, most analysts have a good educational background in both equity

analysis and portfolio management subjects like modern portfolio theory (MPT)early in their careers.

Analysts frequently turn into portfolio managers over time.
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Even with a good understanding of equity analysis and MPT, there are certain

mechanical elements to portfolio management that must be addressed before

actually constructing and running equity portfolios.

As is the case with many professions, the real-world application of theoreticalinvestment concepts can involve thinking beyond one's specialty and training.

Running a group of portfolios involves extensive attention to detail,

computerization and the need for administrative efficiency. In this article we'll

explain the mechanics of equity portfolio management and how this system

can create a group of different portfolios that perform as a homogeneous

element.

Investment Philosophy and the Investment Universe

Professional portfolio managers who work for an investment management

company generally do not have a choice about the general investment

philosophy used to govern the portfolios they manage.

An investment firm may have strictly defined parameters for stock selection

and investment management. An example would be a firm defining a value

investment selection style using certain trading guidelines. Furthermore,portfolio managers are usually also constrained by market capitalization

guidelines.

For example, small-cap managers may be limited to selecting stocks in the

$200 million to $3 billion market cap range. Therefore, the first step in portfolio

management is to understand the universe from which investments may be

selected. (For related reading, see Determining What Market Cap Suits Your

Style.)

Another philosophical consideration is the analytical approach for the portfolio

in question. Some firms or portfolios use a bottom-up approach, where

investment decisions are made primarily by selecting stocks without

consideration to sector selection or economic forecasts.


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Other styles may be top-down oriented and portfolio managers pay primary

attention to analyzing entire sectors or macroeconomic trends as a starting

point for analysis and stock selection. Many styles use a combination of these

approaches. (For related reading, see A Top-Down Approach To Investing and

Where Top Down Meets Bottom Up.)

Tax Sensitivity

A lot of institutional equity portfolios, such as pension funds, are not taxable.

This gives portfolio managers more managerial flexibility than taxable

portfolios. Non-taxable portfolios may use greater exposure to dividend income

and short-term capital gains than their taxable counterparts. Managers of

taxable portfolios may need to pay special attention to stock holding periods,

tax lots, capital losses, tax selling and dividend income generated by portfolios.Taxable portfolios may be more effective with a lower portfolio turnover rate

relative to non-taxable portfolios. Understanding the tax consequences of - or

lack thereof - portfolio management activity is of primary importance in

building and managing portfolios over time.

Building the Portfolio Model

Whether running one portfolio or a thousand portfolios in one equity

investment product or style, building and maintaining a portfolio model is a

common aspect of equity portfolio management. A portfolio model is a

standard against which individual portfolios are matched. Generally, portfolio

managers will assign a percentage weighting to every stock in the portfolio

model and then individual portfolios are modified to match up against this

weighting mix. Portfolio models are usually computerized using software such

as Microsoft Excel or specific portfolio management software tools.

For example, after doing some mix of company analysis, sector analysis and

macroeconomic analysis, the portfolio manager may decide that he or she

wants to own a relatively large weight of a particular stock. Perhaps in the

portfolio manager's style, a relatively large weighting is 4% of the total

portfolio value. By reducing the weighting of other stocks in the portfolio model

or by reducing the overall cash weighting, the portfolio manager would buy

enough stocks of a particular company in each portfolio to match up against

the 4% model weight. All of the portfolios will look like each other (and the


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portfolio model), at least in terms of the 4% weighting on that particular stock.

(For related reading, check out A Guide To Portfolio Construction.)

In this way, the portfolio manager runs all portfolios in a similar or identical

fashion given the specific style mandated by that portfolio group. He or shewould expect all portfolios in the group to generate returns in a standardized

way relative to each other. All of the portfolios will also be very similar to each

other in terms of the risk/reward profile. In effect, all of the analytical and

security evaluation that the portfolio manager does is run on a model, and not

on the individual portfolios.

Achieving Portfolio Efficiency

Running all of his or her portfolios in a similar way allows a portfolio manager

to achieve a remarkable analytical efficiency. The portfolio manager needs to

only have an understanding of perhaps 30 or 40 stocks owned in similar

proportions in all portfolios, rather than 100 or 200 stocks owned in various

proportions in 1,000 different portfolio accounts. Analysis on the 30 or 40

stocks can be applied to all portfolios easily by changing model weights in the

portfolio model over time. As the outlook on individual stocks changes over

time, the portfolio manager only needs to change his or her model weightings

to reflect the investment decision in all portfolios simultaneously.

The portfolio model can also be used to handle all day-to-day transactions at

the individual portfolio level. New accounts can be set up quickly and efficiently

by simply "buying against the model". Cash deposits and withdrawals can be

handled in a similar way. If the portfolio is large enough, the model only really

needs to be applied to the change in asset size to build a portfolio that looks

just like the portfolio model. Smaller portfolios may be limited by stock board

lot constraints, which may affect the portfolio manager's ability to accurately

buy or sell to certain percentage weightings.

Conclusion

Portfolio modeling is a good way to apply analysis and evaluation of a key set

of stocks - those that the portfolio manager wants to own - to a set of portfolios

in one group or style. Portfolio modeling is an efficient link between equity


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analysis and portfolio management. As the outlook for individual stocks

improves or deteriorates over time, the portfolio manager only needs to

change the weightings of those stocks in the portfolio model to optimize the

return of all portfolios in the group or style. As long as the individual portfolio

accounts are traded efficiently, the group will perform as a homogeneous

element.

How to attend for job interview

The first physical impression the prospective employer gets

of you is 75% of all the work and I do not mean beauty or

good looks. No matter your physical shape, it's how you

carry yourself. Be someone!

Don't be late, be early. Take extra time even if you

know how long it should take. You never know what willdelay you. Don't arrive all rushed and possibly disheveled or

sweaty. Extra time will let you calm down.

Be presentable. Get a good night's sleep before!

Shower, shave (if necessary), groom yourself like for a night


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on the town but hold off on the perfumes or aftershave. Less

is more. The same goes for make-up.

Tone down on the fashion statements. Unless the jobrequires it, stay on the middle road of fashion. You want

them to focus on you, not your apparel. Think of the

company's or job image, try to compliment it.

Be calm. Be polite. Try to appear relaxed. Be friendly.

Have your wits about you; focus on the task at hand. Be

yourself. Show interest.

Don't go on an empty stomach. A couple of plain

biscuits or toast will keep your stomach and nerves intact. If

you still have the shakes decline any offer of coffee, tea or

food. Water is fine and you can ignore it or just take a sip.

Don't drift off the subject. Ask or answer questions

directly and as succinctly as possible. If they are interested

about your personal life, they will ask, don't spill it all over.

It's not what you are there for.

Know your subject. Unless you're the inventor, count on

it that someone at the interview will be familiar with thesubject matter. But perhaps having the latest news or

development may be something they do not have yet.

Address the speaker. Unless you are familiar with

speaking to groups of people, if there are more than two


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people present just concentrate on the person asking

questions at that moment and ignore the others.

Negotiate. You would not be at the interview if they didnot think you can be an asset to the company. If the salary is

not fixed and it is obvious they are interested, negotiate! It

may be your only opportunity to do so for a (long) while.

Registering Company Why?

In a partnership, there can be a maximum of 20 people.

Because of this limit, the amount of capital that can be

generated is limited. Also, because of the unlimited

liability of partnerships, the partners may be discouraged

from taking huge risks and further expanding their

business. To overcome these problems a public or a

private company may be formed.

Private and public companies are much better

investments because of Limited liability. This means

that if an investor has invested Rs.1000/- in a particular

company, and the company goes bankrupt, the investor

only looses the money he has invested. To pay of the

debt, the investors property, bank accounts etc. are "not"

used.

Because of this limited liability, many investors are

interested in investing in these private or public

companies. Hence, a large capital can be generated and a

huge business can be run.


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The major disadvantage of Private and Public companies

is that they have a costly and elaborate process of setting

up. They are also closely regulated by the government.

So what are Pub l ic or Pr ivate

Companies?

These companies are also known as joint stock

companies. The companies in India are governed by the

Indian Companies Act, 1956. The Act defines a company

as an artificial person created by law, having a separate

legal entity, with perpetual succession and a common

seal.

What this means is that, the company is different from

the investors. The investors put in money and capital is

raised. But the company is treated as a virtual person.

The company is treated as a person who is different from

its investors. The company has an identity of its own. If

some one sues the company, he does not sue the

investors; he sues the virtual person that is the company.

To understand the concept of joint stock (private and

public limited) companies, consider the following

characteristics:

Legal formation:

No single individual or a group of individuals can start a

business and call it a joint stock company. A joint stock

company can come into existence only when it has been


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registered after completion of all the legal formalities

required by the Indian Companies Act, 1956.

Artificial person:

Just like an individual takes birth, grows, enters into

relationships and dies, a joint stock company takes birth,

grows, enters into relationships and dies. However, it is

called an artificial person as its birth, existence and

death are regulated by law.

Separate legal entity:

Being an artificial person, a joint stock company has its

own separate existence independent of its investors.

This means that a joint stock company can own property,

enter into contracts and conduct any lawful business in

its own name. It can sue and can be sued by others in

the court of law. The shareholders are not the owners

of the property owned by the company. Also, the

shareholders cannot be held responsible for any of the

acts of the company.

Common seal:

A joint stock company has a seal, which is used while

dealing with others or entering into contracts with

outsiders. It is called a common seal as it can be used byany officer at any level of the organization working on

behalf of the company. Any document, on which the

company's seal is put and is duly signed by any official of

the company, becomes binding on the company.

For example, a purchase manager may enter into a

contract for buying raw materials from a supplier. Once


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the contract paper is sealed and signed by the purchase

manager, it becomes valid. The purchase manager may

leave the company or may be removed from his job or

may have taken a wrong decision, yet, the contract is

valid till a new contract is made or the existing contract

expires.

Perpetual existence:

A joint stock company continues to exist as long as it

fulfills the requirements of law. It is not affected by the

death, lunacy, insolvency or retirement of any of its

investors. For example, in case of a private limited

company having four members, if all of them die in an

accident, the company will not be closed. It will

continue to exist. The shares of the company will be

transferred to the legal heirs of the members.

Limited liability:

In a joint stock company, the liability of a member is

limited to the amount he has invested. While repaying

debts, for example, if a person has invested only

Rs.10,000 then only this amount that he has invested can

be used for the payment of debts. That is, even if there is

liquidation of the company, the personal property of the

investor can not be used to pay the debts and he will lose

his investment worth Rs.10,000.

Democratic management:

Joint stock companies have democratic management and

control. Since in joint stock companies there are

thousands and thousands of investors, all of them cannot


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participate in the affairs of management of the company.

Normally, the investors elect representatives from among

themselves known as Directors to manage the affairs of

the company.

The above discription must have given you an idea about

public and private limited companies in general. There

are some special charecterstics of Public and Private

limited companies that must be understood. There are

given below.

Spec ia l character is t ics o f Pr ivateL imited Companies

These companies can be formed by at least two

individuals having minimum paid-up capital of not less

than Rupees 1 lakh.

As per the Companies Act, 1956 the total membership of

these companies cannot exceed 50.

The shares allotted to its members are also not freely

transferable between them.

These companies are not allowed to raise money from the

pub-lic through open invitation.

They are required to use Private Limited after their

names.


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The examples of such companies are Combined Marketing

Services Private Limited, Indian Publishers and

Distributors Private Limited etc.

Special characterist ics of Publ ic

Limited Companies

A minimum of seven members are required to form a

public limited company.

It must have minimum paid-up capital of Rs 5 lakhs.

There is no restriction on maximum number of members.

The shares allotted to the members are freely

transferable.

These companies can raise funds from general public

through open invitations by selling its shares or accepting

fixed deposits.

These companies are required to write either public

limited or limited after their names.


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Examples of such companies are Hyundai Motors India

Limited, Jhandu Pharmaceuticals Limited etc.


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Reference Material for Workshop on

Practical Finance, Business and Communication Skills

Empower ing Peop le towa rds Persona l Exc e l l enc e


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Session: 1 Expression Skills

Session: 2 Accounting Terms

Session: 3 Stock & Company Terms

Session: 4 Financial Management Terms

Reference Material on Session: 1 Expression Skills

1.1 Communication Skills

Communication skills are the set of skills that enables a person to convey informationso that it is received and understood. Communication skills refer to the sum ofbehaviors that serve to convey information for the individual.

Communication skills are the ability an individual displays in consistently demonstrates


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the ability to effectively communicate with clients, colleagues, subordinates, andsupervisors in professional manner and in the personal department.

Communication skills are generally understood to be the art or technique of persuasionthrough the use of oral language and written language. To understand the basic ofcommunication skills, one need to understand that communication is one of those

words that is most hyped in contemporary culture. It includes a large number ofexperiences, actions and events; also a variety of happening and meanings, as well astechnologies.

More often than never, most people consider themselves to be good and effectivecommunicators simply because they feel they can speak fluently.

While speaking fluently is an important aspect of communicating, yet it is not the onlyrequirement. One should be able to listen effectively, speak fluently and clearly, writewell and read in the language/s they are familiar with.

Apart from these basic aspects of communications, one needs to keep in mind the non-verbal aspects too, in order to be considered adept in communication skills.

The fact is that one needs to constantly work towards developing effectivecommunication skills.

1.1.2 Types of Communication Skills

Intra-personal communication skills: This implies individual reflection,contemplation and meditation. One example of this is transcendental mediation.According to the experts this type of communication encompasses communicating withthe divine and with spirits in the form of prayers and rites and rituals.

Interpersonal communication skills: This is direct, face-to-face communication thatoccurs between two persons. It is essentially a dialogue or a conversation between twoor more people.

It is personal, direct, as well as intimate and permits maximum interaction throughwords and gestures.

Focused Interactions: This primarily results from an actual encounter between twopersons. This implies that the two persons involved are completely aware of thecommunication happening between them.

Unfocused interactions: This occurs when one simply observes or listens to personswith whom one is not conversing. This usually occurs at stations and bus stops, as wellas on the street, at restaurants, etc.

Non verbal communication skills : This includes aspects such as body language,gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, etc., which also become a part of thecommunicating process; as well as the written and typed modes of communications.

Mass communication: This is generally identified with tools of modern mass media,which includes: books, the press, cinema, television, radio, etc., It is a means of

conveying messages to an entire populace.

1.1.3 Why Communication Skills are Important


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Communication skills are some of the most highly prized and sought-after skills in

business. And they are equally essential at home.

Without communication skills we are unable to let others know what we think, feel, or

want to accomplish. We are unable to build partnerships, motivate others, or resolve

conflict.

Studies show that as professionals rise higher in an organization, communication skills

become more important, not less.

1.1.4 Examples of Good Communication Skills

Taking responsibility for one's messages

Claiming ownership for one's messages

Preparing to listen

Encouraging the speaker to speak more

Reflecting on what the speaker has to say

Adapting to difference of opinionsBeing open minded

Acknowledging differences

Assessing without being judgmental

Accepting feedback

Being assertive

Ability to share one's thoughts

Sharing one's feelings

Conveying to others a message without commanding or dictating terms

Being aware of the information coming in

Maintaining a communication wheel of conclusions, sense data, emotions, impact and

desireCalm repetition to drive in a message

Addressing people by their name

Ability to explain a concept differently so that all those present understand it at their

level

Ability to resolve conflicts so that it is a win-win for all

Ability to be concise and clear

Ability to convey thoughts in a focused and concrete manner

Ability to confront a situation without ruffling any feathers

Ability to convey with and empathetic statement

Ability to explain objectively without evaluating

Ability to provide specific details supported by concrete examples

Ability to monitor emotional reactions and filter out irrational thoughts

Ability to project oneself into the audience's point of view

1.1.5 How to Improve Communication Skills

Develop your voice A blunt 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


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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. Dont 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 arent sure how to say a word, dont use it.

Use the right words If youre not sure of the meaning of a word, dont 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 techniqueto help with this is to consciously look into one of the listeners eyes and then move

to the other.

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.

Dont 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.

Body awareness: One needs to be aware of all that their body is conveying to

them, as well as others. For instance, if there is anxiety rising during the course of

a conversation then one feels thirsty and there maybe a slight body tremor. At that

point one needs to pause and let someone else speak. A few deep breaths and

some water works as the magic portion at this point.


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Convey one's thoughts: It is important for one to courageously convey what they

think. This is because when things are left unsaid, then what is being spoken is not

as convincing as it should be. Then a lack of confidence develops.

Practice effective Speaking & Listening skills: One should practice speaking

and listening skills as often as possible. In order to practice effective speaking

skills one cane read passages from a book aloud, in front of a mirror, or simply

perform a free speech in front of the mirror. And where listening is concerned, one

can try transcribing from the radio or television, etc. this helps in honing sharper

listening skills.

Develop Language Skills: When one is required to communicate complicated

ideas, one need to first and foremost work on improving their skills in

communicating. Firstly, one needs to overcome all language related barriers by

first seeking how to learn English speaking. This is essential, because most people

find it difficult to convey their thoughts, because of a strong influence of their

national language, regional language and mother tongue.

Well, to overcome the language barrier, one can attend English speaking classes.

But then thereafter one also needs to be aware of other nuances involved in

improving communication skills.

1.2 Resume Preparation

Your resume is critical to your job search success. Therefore it must be highly effective

to capture the employer's attention in today's market. Here's 21 ways employers

recommend improving your resume.

1. Emphasize Achievements / Results

This was the top survey response. State the action you performed and the achieved

results. Include details about what you increased or decreased. Use numbers to reflect,

how much, how many, and percentage of gain or reduction. Stress money earned or

time savings. Example: Managed the project for implementing a new tracking system

that resulted in a 17% decrease in cost overruns.

2. Be targeted

Offer only the specific qualifications you have to best perform the job advertised since

employer screening will eliminate any broad scope or generalized resumes submitted.

State the desired job title, i.e. trainer, and make all content relevant to performing that

job. Best practice tip: use a customized resume for different job titles even if you are

qualified for several (i.e., one resume for Trainer, another for Administrator) stressing

only the information pertinent to doing that specific job.


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3. Use keywords!

Employers who sort resumes electronically look for keywords. Be sure to include

potential keywords for job duties in your resume. Example: state purchased, bought or

procured inventory (instead of bought inventory). If the employer searches using the

keyword 'procured' your resume will come up.

4. Show business savvy.

Your resume should reflect your interest in your field of work you have applied. You

need to write what trainings you have undergone relevant to that job title, how you

think you are right fit for the position, how confident you are in discharging the duties

of that job.

5. Add a 'Summary of Qualifications' section.

Employers find this highly desirable in the survey. Encapsulate your most marketable

skills and experience into four to six sentences so this section is a mini-verbal business

card that details what you are bringing to the new employer.

6. One page is best.

While we do hear different opinions on this one, employers in this survey stated

resumes get less than a 15-second glance, so concise and to the point worked best no

matter what level position the candidate applied for. Cover in detail the major job

duties performed noting results achieved. Be a skillful editor, deleting old portions oranything not relevant or helpful to your securing a particular position and at the level

you seek. No vague generalities. Say exactly what you mean, using the smallest

number of words to make the point.

7. Make it visually appealing.

The formatting of your resume must be kept readable, sharp and professional. Make

sure sentences are concise and that there is adequate white space between points.

Many online resume-posting programs eliminate italic and bold formatting, bullets, and

fancy fonts so use Arial font, 12-14 point size. Lines can trigger page breaks so avoidany graphic design. Printed resume should include bullets, bold, italicizing to improve

speed-reading and comprehension.

8. Don't lie!

Employers stated that over 50% try to exaggerate their skills, which is almost always

uncovered during interviews and reference checks. State your skills, qualifications, and

experience as positively as possible without misstating the truth.


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9. Use a clear job title.

If your job responsibilities are not adequately described by your job company title,

indicate your responsibilities as the title with appropriate terms (i.e. financial data

Analyst, instead of Finance job).

10. Use action verbs.

Start each sentence with a descriptive action verb such as directed, organized,

established, created, planned, etc. They add power to your sentences. And, never use I

on the resume, only short impact sentences. Example: Designed the company's new

marketing flyer.

11. Be complete.

No abbreviations or acronyms Spell out names of schools, cities, business terms,

abbreviations, and titles completely, as employers may not recognize the exactly what

the letters stand for.

12. Make bullet points.

Complete sentences are not necessary in resume writing; it is better to use simple

descriptive statements to make a point.

13. Justify Experience.

In all your sentences, use past tense words since they imply that you have done it all

before. This reassures employers you can do it for them.

14. Be perfect.

This was employers' number one stated mistake job hunters make in the survey. The

resume must be flawless. No spelling errors, mistakes or typos, especially in emails.

Many HR managers insisted they would not hire offenders. Proof read carefully. Don't

trust computer spell checkers since a correctly spelled word like sea would go

unnoticed by your computer but would be incorrectly used if you meant to say 'see.'

15. Make it readable.


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Present it in logical order. A crammed, cramped resume often goes unread. Make

deletions wherever necessary to achieve a readable product. Use white space; use

bullets to highlight key points; and eliminate redundancies.

16. Avoid graphics.

Artistic designs, color inks, clipart, are distracting to the reader and should be avoided.

17. Don't state salary.

Employers were annoyed by job hunters who put previous salary in resumes or stated

desired salary in resumes. Better to state solid accomplishments and leave salary

negotiations until you are offered a position since your expectations may well be lower

than what employers are willing to pay.

18. No tag lines.

Employers know you'll provide references if they request them, therefore it is not

necessary to put "References upon request" at the end of your resume.

19. Don't advertise negative information.

The resume is the wrong place to advertise that you were laid off, fired, or had an

extended illness. Never state why you left a position; simply list the dates of

employment.

20. Update often.

Keep a current resume updated semi-annually so you can apply for promotions or new

positions at a moment's notice, not missing any potential opportunity since your

resume wasn't up-to-date.

21. Final Test -- Are employers calling?

Is your resume getting results? Are employers calling on appropriate jobs you are

qualified (not over or under) to perform? If not, rework, or get professional help to

improve yours. Eliminate anything in it that does not support the job you are targeting.


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Your resume must clearly and quickly communicate to employers that you can do the

job. So you need to make your key strengths easily apparent.

1.3 Interview Skills

Preparation and confidence

P r e p a r a t i o n a n d c o n f i d e n c e a r e v e r y i m p o r t a n t t i p s . G o o dp r e p a r a t i o n a l w a y s c r e a t e s c o n f i d e n c e . S o t h e i m p o r t a n tt h i n g t o a n i n t e r v i e w i s t o b e w e l l p r e p a r e d .

I n t h i s y o u h a v e t o c o n s i d e r t w o t h i n g s :You must prepare yourself practically for the interview.You have to gather information which is useful during the

interview.

Checklist

W h i l e g o i n g t o i n t e r v i e w y o u m u s t c o n s i d e r t h e f o l l o w i n gt h i n g s :You have to confirm about the time, date and location of the

interview and name of interviewee where appropriate.You have to plan to get there no earlier than half an hour before

the interview time.You must ready with your dress which is professional.Concentrate on the interview at the interview.If you are asked to bring certificates, references etc., get them

ready before the day. Your interview letter must be with you.On arrival ensure the receptionist knows you are there.

Be on time!

P u b l i c t r a n s p o r t m a y b e u s e l e s s i f t h e t r a f f i c i s h e a v y .A l w a y s k e e p i n m i n d t h a t y o u n e v e r g e t a s e c o n d c h a n c et o m a k e a f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n . S o b e o n t i m e a t t h e p a r t i c u l a rl o c a t i o n o f i n t e r v i e w .

A l s o i f y o u a r e t h e r e s o e a r l y , y o u c a n w a i t n e a r b y c a f e o f s h o p . A n d i f y o u a r e g o i n g t o b e l a t e , t h e n b e s t o p t i o n i sc a l l t h e m .

Be Prepared!

P r e p a r a t i o n s m e a n s n o t o n l y p r e p a r a t i o n o f y o u r s y l l a b u se t c . b u t a l s o l o o k a t t h e c o m p a n y s w e b s i t e a n d l e a r n


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s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h e c o m p a n y b e f o r e y o u a t t e n d y o u ri n t e r v i e w .

I f y o u c o l l e c t t h e j o b i n t e r v i e w s a m p l e q u e s t i o n s a n dp r a c t i c e f o r i t t h e n i t w i l l m a k e e a s y t o r e m e m b e r w h e ny o u g e t t o t h e i n t e r v i e w .

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

F i r s t k e e p i n m i n d t h a t y o u n e v e r h a v e t h e s e c o n d c h a n c e t om a k e a f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n s o b e c a r e f u l .

S o m e p o i n t s a r e h e r e t o r e m e m b e r :

Smile is one of the things which may matter in your impression.Good smile always please people.

You should be in professional dress and must be looking formal.Do not forget for firm handshake.Eye contact without glaring is showing your confidence.

Do not talk too much!

A l w a y s r e m e m b e r t h a t c o m m u n i c a t i o n i s t w o - w a y t h i n g s s og i v e t h e m a c h a n c e . A l s o d o n ' t i n t e r r u p t t o i n t e r v i e w e rw h e n h e / s h e i s t a l k i n g . G i v e h i m / h e r f u l l c h a n c e t o t a l k .

O n e c o m m o n m i s t a k e c a n d i d a t e s m a k e w h e n i n t e r v i e w i n g i st a l k i n g t o o m u c h . I t i s i m p o r t a n t t o l i s t e n t o t h e q u e s t i o na s k e d a n d a n s w e r t h a t q u e s t i o n . K e e p y o u r a n s w e r s t o t w ot o t h r e e m i n u t e s a t t h e m o s t . W h e n y o u l i m i t y o u r t i m e ,y o u t e n d t o s t a y m o r e f o c u s e d . I t i s v e r y e a s y t o s t r a y o f f t h e s u b j e c t a n d r a m b l e a b o u t t h i n g s i r r e l e v a n t t o t h e j o bi f y o u r a n s w e r i s t o o l o n g .

Be enthusiastic and positive!

D u r i n g i n t e r v i e w a l w a y s b e e n t h u s i a s t i c . D o n o t s a y b a dp o i n t s f o r t h e p r e v i o u s e m p l o y e r s . F o c u s o n p o s i t i v ea c h i e v e m e n t s a n d v i e w s .

E y e c o n t a c t i s s h o w i n g y o u r c o n f i d e n c e . E y e c o n t a c t i s o n eo f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t s o f n o n v e r b a l c o m m u n i c a t i o na n d c a n m a k e a s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e i n h o w y o u p r e s e n ty o u r s e l f . I f y o u l o o k a w a y w h e n s p e a k i n g t o s o m e o n e , y o ua r e v i e w e d a s l a c k i n g c o n f i d e n c e o r i n t e r e s t . S o a l w a y sa n s w e r t h e q u e s t i o n w i t h e y e c o n t a c t t o i n t e r v i e w e r .


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Take a spare photo and CV with you!

I t m a y h a p p e n t h a t t h e i n t e r v i e w e r w a n t s y o u r r e s u m e a n dp h o t o .

Y o u r i n t e r v i e w e r w o n ' t b e e x p e c t i n g i t s o y o u w i l l i m p r e s st h e m .

I t a l s o h e l p s t h e m r e m e m b e r y o u a f t e r t h e i n t e r v i e w .

S o a l w a y s k e e p a s p a r e p h o t o a n d r e s u m e w i t h y o u w h i l eg o i n g t o i n t e r v i e w .

Look Better, Feel Better

I f y o u w a n t t o s p r u c e u p y o u r a p p e a r a n c e f o r t h e i n t e r v i e wb u t c a n n o t a f f o r d n e w c l o t h e s , c o n s i d e r a l t e r i n g a n o u t f i ty o u a l r e a d y h a v e b y p a i r i n g i t w i t h a d i f f e r e n t s h i r t , t i e ,b l o u s e o r a c c e s s o r y .

E v e n o n a t i g h t b u d g e t , y o u c a n f i n d s o m e r e a l b a r g a i n s o u t

t h e r e .F o r b e t t e r o r w o r s e , l o o k s c a n m a k e a d i f f e r e n c e .

Talk about specific achievements!

I n t e r v i e w e rs l i k e t o k n o w h o w y o u f e l t a b o u t a p a r t i c u l a rs u c c e s s .

S o m e w i l l a s k f o r s p e c i f i c e x a m p l e s o f t h i n g s y o u h a v e d o n et h a t y o u a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y p r o u d o f ;

H o w y o u s o l v e d p r o b l e m s ;

H o w y o u l e a r n e d - a n d i m p r o v e d - f r o m d i f f i c u l t s i t u a t i o n s .

Explain Why You Left

F o l l o w t h e s e g u i d e l i n e s w h e n i n t e r v i e w e r s a s k , " W h y d i d y o ul e a v e y o u r c o m p a n y ? " C a r e f u l l y d e s c r i b e t h e r e a s o n f o ry o u r d e p a r t u r e , a n d d o n o t g o i n t o d e t a i l s u n l e s s a s k e d .

P r o v i d e r e f e r e n c e s t o s u p p o r t y o u r r e a s o n s f o r l e a v i n g a n d j o b p e r f o r m a n c e .

S t a y w i t h t h e f a c t s o f w h a t h a p p e n e d , w h a t y o u d i d , h o w y o uf e l t a n d w h a t y o u l e a r n e d .

T h e n d e s c r i b e h o w y o u w i l l h a n d l e t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t l y i n t h ef u t u r e .

Your References

F o r y o u r r e f e r e n c e l i s t , y o u w a n t t h r e e t o f i v e p e o p l e a n dt h e i r c o n t a c t i n f o r m a t i o n .


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D o n o t f o r g e t t o g e t p e r m i s s i o n t o u s e y o u r r e f e r e n c e s 'n a m e s , a n d w h i l e y o u a r e a t i t , a s k h o w t h e y p r e f e r t o b ec o n t a c t e d .

Y o u s h o u l d a l s o s e n d t h e m a c o p y o f y o u r r e s u m e s o t h e yw i l l b e a w a r e o f w h a t y o u a r e s a y i n g a b o u t y o u r s e l f .

Know What You Offer

P r e p a r e a n s w e r s f o r o p e n - e n d e d q u e s t i o n s , l i k e , " T e l l m ea b o u t y o u r s e l f , " b y m a k i n g a l i s t o f y o u r s k i l l s a n d t r a i t st h a t m a t c h t h e e m p l o y e r ' s r e q u i r e m e n t s .

T h e c l o s e r y o u r s k i l l s a n d t r a i t s a r e t o t h e j o b d e s c r i p t i o n ,t h e b e t t e r c h a n c e y o u h a v e o f l a n d i n g t h e j o b .

Y o u s h o u l d l e a v e t h e i n t e r v i e w e r w i t h a c l e a r p i c t u r e o f w h a t y o u h a v e t o o f f e r .

Prove What You Could DoA l w a y s p u t a p o s i t i v e s p i n o n y o u r a n s w e r s t o d i f f i c u l t

q u e s t i o n s .I f y o u l a c k a p a r t i c u l a r s k i l l o r d o n o t k n o w a c e r t a i n

c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m , b e s u r e t o e m p h a s i z e h o w q u i c k l y y o ul e a r n .

G i v e a n e x a m p l e o f a t i m e w h e n y o u w e r e a b l e t o g e t u p t os p e e d i n a s i m i l a r s i t u a t i o n .

C o m p a n i e s a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n p e o p l e w h o c a n l e a r n a n d g r o wa s p e r t h e i r r e q u i r e m e n t .

Sell YourselfI n t e r v i e w i n g i s a b o u t s e l l i n g y o u r s e l f .

T h e p r o d u c t y o u a r e s e l l i n g i s y o u .G i v e t h e m r e a s o n s t o b u y .

T e l l t h e m w h a t y o u c a n d o f o r t h e m .E m p h a s i z e w h a t y o u c a n b r i n g t o t h e c o m p a n y , d e p a r t m e n t

a n d p o s i t i o n .C o n v i n c e t h e m t h a t y o u r p r o d u c t i s b e t t e r t h a n t h e

c o m p e t i t i o n ' s

Talking Salary

T i m i n g i s e v e r y t h i n g i n t h e i n t e r v i e w .L e t t h e m b r i n g u p t h e s u b j e c t o f m o n e y .I f y o u a r e a s k e d w h a t y o u r s a l a r y e x p e c t a t i o n s a r e t o o e a r l y

i n t h e p r o c e s s , j u s t s a y y o u w o u l d r a t h e r p o s t p o n e t h a td i s c u s s i o n u n t i l y o u h a v e m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h ep o s i t i o n .


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Ask your way into a better job

Y o u c a n n o t r e a l l y t e l l h o w g o o d a j o b i s f r o m a w a n t a d .T h e r e ' s o f t e n a g a p b e t w e e n t h e e x c i t i n g o p p o r t u n i t y

p o r t r a y e d i n t h e a d a n d t h e a c t u a l j o b .Y o u c a n o f t e n g e t t h e s t r a i g h t s c o o p a b o u t a j o b b y a s k i n g

t h e r i g h t q u e s t i o n s . F o r e x a m p l e , i n t h e j o b i n t e r v i e w ,a s k , " W h a t a t t r i b u t e s a r e m o s t n e e d e d t o s u c c e e d i n t h i s

j o b ? "A f t e r y o u a r e o f f e r e d a j o b b u t b e f o r e a c c e p t i n g i t , a s k a

f e w m o r e q u e s t i o n s o r e v e n a s k p e r m i s s i o n t o t a l k w i t hy o u r f u t u r e c o w o r k e r s .

Do not forget to listen

L i s t e n i n g i s o n e o f t h e m o s t u n d e r u s e d i n t e r v i e w s k i l l s . M o s t

c a n d i d a t e s a r e s o n e r v o u s a b o u t a n s w e r i n g i n t e r v i e wq u e s t i o n s c o r r e c t l y t h a t t h e y f o r g e t t o l i s t e n .

F o l l o w t h e s e t i p s :Listen through eye contact.Listen with nonverbal expressions.Listen until the speaker is finished.

D o n o t i n t e r r u p t .

Ask good questions about job

What are you most hoping to find in the person you hire?What would be my first priorities on the job?

What kind of skills required for the job?What career growth opportunities you provide?How much period I can spend in getting trained?

It is OK to be nervous

N o t o n l y i s i t O K t o b e n e r v o u s a b o u t a n i n t e r v i e w , b u t i t i se s s e n t i a l f o r y o u t o a c c e p t h o w y o u f e e l .

T e l l i n g y o u r s e l f y o u s h o u l d f e e l d i f f e r e n t l y t h a n y o u d o i su n r e a l i s t i c a n d j u s t m a k e s y o u f e e l b a d a b o u t y o u r s e l f .

W h a t ' s t h e w o r s t t h a t c a n h a p p e n a t a n i n t e r v i e w ? F o r m a n y ,i t w o u l d b e n o t g e t t i n g a n o f f e r .

D i d y o u e v e r t h i n k t h a t m a y b e t h e j o b w a s n ' t r i g h t f o r y o u ?T r y t o l o o k a t t h e p r o c e s s a s a l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e

Dont put up with rejection

I f y o u a r e r e j e c t e d f r o m t h e c o m p a n y , y o u m a y f e e l h u r t ,a n g r y o r f e d u p .

I n s t e a d o f b e i n g s t u c k i n f e e l i n g r e j e c t e d , t a k e b a c k t h ep o w e r b y s t a y i n g p r o a c t i v e .


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I f y o u r e a l l y w a n t e d t o w o r k f o r t h a t p a r t i c u l a r c o m p a n y , s i td o w n a n d w r i t e m i s t a k e s y o u d i d .

S t a r t i m p r o v i n g t h o s e r e q u i r e d s k i l l sS e n d y o u r j o b a p p l i c a t i o n a n d C V t o t h e s a m e o r g a n i z a t i o n

s t a t i n g t h a t y o u h a v e i m p r o v e d a n d n o w s u i t a b l e f o r t h e i rr e q u i r e m e n t

Face the feedback

I f y o u a s k f o r f e e d b a c k f r o m a n i n t e r v i e w e r , be p r e p a r e d t oh e a r t h i n g s t h a t c o u l d b e u p s e t t i n g .

Y o u s h o u l d l i s t e n c a r e f u l l y , a n d t a k e n o t e s t o r e f e r t o a n dr e a c t t o . D o n o t a r g u e o r d e f e n d y o u r s e l f .

A t l a s t d o n o t f o r g e t t o t h a n k t h e i n t e r v i e w e r .T h e n , t a k e t h e a d v i c e a n d t h i n k a b o u t c h a n g i n g s o m e

t e c h n i q u e s t o i m p r o v e o n y o u r n e x t i n t e r v i e w .

Follow the interviewer

D u r i n g t h e i n t e r v i e w , y o u r i n t e r v i e w e r i s g i v i n g y o ui n f o r m a t i o n t h a t c a n g u i d e y o u o n h o w t o b e h a v e d u r i n gt h e m e e t i n g .

O b s e r v e y o u r i n t e r v i e w e r ' s s t y l e .L i s t e n v e r y c a r e f u l l y , a n d l e t h i m / h e r k n o w t h a t y o u h a v e

b e e n l i s t e n i n g b y a s k i n g g o o d q u e s t i o n s a n d m a k i n g g o o dc o m m e n t s .

A n s w e r q u e s t i o n s b y p r o v i d i n g t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a s k e d f o r .

Emotional preparationP r e p a r i n g e m o t i o n a l l y f o r t h e i n t e r v i e w i s a l s o i m p o r t a n t .

T h e r i g h t m o o d h e l p s y o u p e r f o r m a t y o u r b e s t . T r y o u tf o l l o w i n g p o i n t s f o r p r e p a r i n g e m o t i o n a l l y :Get moving that means go for a walk, run, exercise, meditate, do

yoga, stretch, dance.Sing your favorite song while driving to the interview.Repeat an inspirational phrase aloud that's meaningful for you

Be honest!

B e h o n e s t w i t h e v e r y q u e s t i o n .N o n e e d t o l y i n g a b o u t y o u r b a c k g r o u n d a n d / o r s k i l l s .I f y o u g e t c a u g h t t h e n y o u w i l l d e f i n i t e l y o u t .

J o b i n t e r v i e w s a r e a b o u t m a t c h i n g n e e d s , i f t h e r e i s n o t ag o o d m a t c h , t h e n t h e r e i s n o c h a n c e o f j o b .


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Check your CV for possible gaps!

I f t h e r e i s a n y g a p b e t w e e n y o u r a c a d e m i c t h e n m a k e s u r ey o u k n o w h o w y o u a r e g o i n g t o e x p l a i n t i m e g a p s o n y o u rC V .

I f y o u m o v e d f r o m o n e d o m a i n t o o t h e r d o m a i n y o u m a yn e e d t o e x p l a i n p o s i t i v e r e a s o n s .

I f y o u l e f t t h e j o b w i t h i n s h o r t p e r i o d o r l e f t o n e j o b w i t h o u to t h e r i n h a n d , y o u m a y n e e d g i v e g o o d e x p l a n a t i o n f o rt h a t .

I f y o u s c o r e d v e r y l o w p e r c e n t a g e o f m a r k s i n c e r t a i n y e a r s ,y o u m a y n e e d t o g i v e p r o p e r r e a s o n s f o r t h a t .

Fresher should work on Everyday Research!

I f y o u a r e U n e m p l o y e d , t h e n y o u r j o b r i g h t n o w i s t o f i n d a j ob .

D o n o t b l a m e t o y o u r s e l f .T h i n k o f t h i s a s g o i n g t o w o r k .

R e s e a r c h c o m p a n i e s , i n d u s t r ie s a n d p o s i t i o n s . T a k e t h i s a sg o o d e x p e r i e n c e t o s u c c e e d i n f u t u r e i n t e r v i e w s .

Talking negatively about current or past employers/managers:

E v e n i f y o u r l a s t b o s s w a s n o t g o o d , n e v e r s t a t e y o u r i l lf e e l i n g s a b o u t h i m / h e r .

N o m a t t e r h o w r e a s o n a b l e y o u r c o m p l a i n t s , y o u w i l l c o m eo u t t h e l o s e r i f y o u s h o w t h a t y o u d i s r e s p e c t y o u r b o s sb e c a u s e t h e i n t e r v i e w e r w i l l a s s u m e t h a t y o u w o u l ds i m i l a r l y t r a s h h i m o r h e r .

W h e n f a c e d w i t h t h e c h a l l e n g e o f t a l k i n g a b o u t f o r m e r

e m p l o y e r s , m a k e s u r e y o u a r e p r e p a r e d w i t h a p o s i t i v es p i n o n y o u r e x p e r i e n c e s .

Failure to match communication styles

I t i s a l m o s t i m p o s s i b l e t o m a k e a g o o d f i r s t i m p r e s s i o n i f y o u c a n n o t c o m m u n i c a t e e f f e c t i v e l y w i t h a n i n t e r v i e w e r .B u t y o u c a n e a s i l y c h a n g e t h a t s i t u a t i o n . F o l l o w i n g p o i n t sw i l l h e l p t o y o u .If the interviewer seems all business, then you must behave like

business.

If the interviewer is personable, try discussing his/her interests.If the interviewer asked a direct question, answer directly.A l l o w i n g t h e i n t e r v i e w e r t o s e t t h e t o n e o f c o n v e r s a t i o n c a n

v a s t l y i m p r o v e y o u r c h a n c e s o f m a k i n g a f a v o r a b l ei m p r e s s i o n .

You are not going on a war

R e m e m b e r y o u a r e n o t g o i n g o n a w a r . N e i t h e r t h ei n t e r v i e w e r s a r e a t w a r w i t h y o u . O n t h e C o n t r a r y , t h e


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i n t e r v i e w e rs t r y t h e i r b e s t t o m a k e y o u f e e l c o m f o r t a b l e .A f t e r a l l , t h e y w a n t t o j u d g e y o u r c a p a b i l i t i e s , a n d t h a tc a n b e d o n e o n l y w h e n y o u a r e c a l m .

Interviewer is perpetually short of timeR e m e m b e r , t h e i n t e r v i e w e r i s p e r p e t u a l l y s h o r t o f t i m e . I n

t h i s s h o r t d u r a t i o n o f 5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s y o u h a v e t o t e l l h i my o u r p o s i t i v e q u a l i t i e s . T h e r e f o r e , i t i s a d v i s a b l e t h a t y o up r e p a r e e x t e n s i v e l y f o r t h e i n t e r v i e w .

S e c o n d l y , m a k e j u d i c i o u s u s e o f t i m e . F o r e . g . d o n o t d w e l lt o o m u c h o n y o u r p e r s o n a l q u a l i t i e s t h a t y o u m a y n o t g e te n o u g h t i m e t o t e l l a b o u t y o u r p r o f e s s i o n a l q u a l i t i e s ,e x p e r i e n c e , e x p e c t a t i o n s e t c .

Project energy and enthusiasm

P r o j e c t e n e r g y a n d e n t h u s i a s m . S m i l e a n d s h a k e h a n d sf i r m l y .

W a i t u n t i l y o u ' r e o f f e r e d a c h a i r b e f o r e s i t t i n g . S i t u p r i g h t ,l o o k a l e r t a n d i n t e r e s t e d a t a l l t i m e s .

L i s t e n c a r e f u l l y a n d r e s p o n d b r i e f l y a n d f l u e n t l y . L o o k t h eh i r i n g m a n a g e r i n t h e e y e w h i l e s p e a k i n g .

E a r l y i n t h e m e e t i n g , t r y t o g e t t h e i n t e r v i e w e r t o d e s c r i b et h e j o b a n d t h e d u t i e s t o y o u s o y o u c a n f o c u s y o u rr e s p o n s e s o n y o u r b a c k g r o u n d , s k i l l s a n d a c c o m p l i s h m e n t st h a t r e l a t e t o t h e p o s i t i o n .

DontsD o n ' t o v e r - a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s . K e e p y o u r r e s p o n s e s n o n -

c o m m i t t a l .D o n ' t i n q u i r e a b o u t s a l a r y , v a c a t i o n s , b e n e f i t s , b o n u s e s o r

r e t i r e m e n t o n t h e i n i t i a l i n t e r v i e w u n l e s s y o u a r e s u r e t h ee m p l o y e r i s i n t e r e s t e d i n h i r i n g y o u .

D o n t r e q u e s t i n t e r v i e w e r t o t e l l y o u a b o u t t h e h i r i n gd e c i s i o n .

D o n t t r y t o i n f l u e n c e b y t e l l i n g t h a t y o u a r e p o o r a n du r g e n t l y n e e d a j o b .

D o n t m a k e m e n t i o n s a b o u t y o u r c a s t e o r r e l i g i o n o r r a c eD o n t s m o k e , c h e w g u m , o r e a t g a r l i c b e f o r e i n t e r v i e w .

Conclusion

A company seeking to fill a single position will typically interview a handful ofcandidates

It is very important to be well prepared for an interview. According to thestudies, a common reason employers gave for not hiring an applicant, is theinability of the applicant to fully explain the contents of his or her rsum.


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It is therefore of paramount importance to be able to discuss in detail everyitem listed on one's resume, and if possible to give examples whereappropriate.

1.4 Will Power and Self-Discipline

Sometimes, you wish to go for a walk, knowing how good it is for your health and how

wonderful you feel afterwards, yet, you feel too lazy, and prefer to watch TV instead.

You might be aware of the fact that you need to change your eating habits or stop

smoking, yet, you don't have the inner power and persistence to change these habits.

Does this sound familiar? How many times have you said, "I wish I had will power and

self discipline"? How many times have you started to do something, only to quit after a

short while? We all have had experiences like these.

Everyone possesses some addictions or habits they wish they could overcome, such as

smoking, excessive eating, laziness, procrastination or lack of assertiveness. Toovercome these habits or addictions, one needs to have will power and self discipline.

They make a great difference in everyone's life, and bring inner strength, self mastery

and decisiveness.

Definitions of Will Power and Self Discipline

Will power is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to

control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision

and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the innerpower that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the

inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action.

It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material.

Self-discipline is the companion of will power. It endows with the stamina to

persevere in whatever one does. It bestows the ability to withstand hardships and

difficulties, whether physical, emotional or mental. It grants the ability to reject

immediate satisfaction, in order to gain something better, but which requires effort and

time.

Everyone has inner, unconscious, or partly conscious impulses; making them say or do

things they later regret saying or doing. On many occasions people do not think beforethey talk or act. By developing these two powers, one becomes conscious of the inner,

subconscious impulses, and gains the ability to reject them when they are not for

his/her own good.

Will power and self-discipline help us to choose our behavior and reactions,

instead of being ruled by them. Their possession won't make life dull or boring. On

the contrary, you will feel more powerful, in charge of yourself and your surroundings,

happy and satisfied.


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How many times have you felt too weak, lazy or shy to do something you wanted to

do? You can gain inner strength, initiative and the ability to make decisions and follow

them. Believe me, it is not difficult to develop these two powers. If you are earnest and

are willing to become stronger, you will certainly succeed.

In this article you will find some exercises and techniques for developing these

abilities. These simple, but effective exercises can be performed everywhere and at

any time. Go slowly and gradually, and you will see how you get stronger and your life

start improving.

There is a misconception in the public mind regarding will power. It is erroneously

thought to be something strenuous and difficult, and that one has to exert and tense

the body and mind when expressing it. It is a completely wrong concept. This is

one of the reasons why people avoid using it, though they are conscious of its benefits.

They acknowledge the fact that the employment of will power in their life and affairs

will greatly help them and that they need to strengthen it, yet they do nothing about it.

Will power gets stronger by holding back and not allowing the expression ofunimportant, unnecessary and unhealthy thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. If

this saved energy is not allowed expression, it is stored inside you like a battery, and it

becomes available at the time of need. By practicing appropriate exercises, you

develop your powers the same way, as a person who trains his/her muscles in order to

strengthen them.

Developing Will Power and Self Discipline

An effective method for developing and improving these abilities is to perform certain

actions or activities, which you would rather avoid doing due to laziness,

procrastination, weakness, shyness, etc. By doing something that you do not like doingor are too lazy to do, you overcome your subconscious resistance, train your mind to

obey you, strengthen your inner powers and gain inner strength. Muscles get stronger

by resisting the power of the barbells. Inner strength is attained by overcoming inner

resistance.

Remember, strengthening one of these abilities, automatically strengthens the other

one.

Here are a few exercises:

1) You are sitting in a bus or train and an old man or woman, or a pregnant lady walks

in. Stand up and give up your seat even if you prefer to stay seated. Do this not

just because it is polite, but because you are doing something that you are reluctant to

do. In this way you are overcoming the resistance of your body, mind and feelings.

2) There are dishes in the sink that need washing, and you postpone washing them for

later. Get up and wash them now. Do your personal work on your own. Do not let

your laziness overcome you. When you know that in this way you are developing your


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will power, and if you are convinced of the importance of will power in your life, it will

be easier for you to do whatever you have to do.

3) Dont have habits which are harmful to your health and do not contribute to

your progress. Analyze and decide to reduce them by adopting good habits. Coffee,

Alcohol, tobacco, excessive sweets, chocolates, oily foods, junk foods and other habits

will damage health in long term. Replace them with fresh vegetables and fruits

gradually.

4) You may know your body needs some physical exercise, but instead you keep on

sitting doing nothing or watching a movie. Get up and walk, run or do some other

physical exercise.

5) Do you like your tea with sugar and milk? Then for a whole week decide to drink it

without sugar and milk. You like to drink three cups of coffee each day? For a week

drink only two.

6) Sometimes, when you want to say something that is not important, decide not tosay it.

7) Don't read some unimportant gossip in the newspaper, even if you want to.

8) You have a desire to eat something not too healthy. For the sake of the exercise

refuse the desire.

9) If you find yourselfthinking unimportant, unnecessary, negative thoughts, try

to develop lack of interest in them, by thinking about their futility.

10) Overcome your laziness. Convince yourself of the importance of what is to bedone. Convince your mind that you gain inner strength when you act and do things, in

spite of laziness, reluctance or senseless inner resistance.

Never say that you cannot follow the above exercises, because you certainly can. Be

persistent no matter what. Motivate yourself by thinking about of the importance of

performing the exercises, and the inner power and strength you will gain.

It is better to start training yourself through easier exercises at first, and gradually

increase the number and difficulty of the exercises. Practice will improve and increase

your power, giving you a lot of satisfaction.

Most of these exercises can be practiced anywhere, anytime. You do not have

to devote special times for them. Believe me, they are very effective.

Practicing them enables you to be strong and exercise will power and self-discipline in

everything you do. This power would become available whenever needed.

If you practice weight lifting, running or doing aerobics, you strengthen your body.

When you need to move something heavy, you have the strength for it. By studying

one business term each day, you will be able to talk about business when you face


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interview. The same thing happens with will power and self-discipline. By

strengthening them, they become available whenever they are needed.

It is important to remember not to choose exercises that might affect adversely your

body or health. Deny and give up what is not necessary, futile or is harmful, but not

what is vital for your well being. Always use your reason and common sense, so that

you do no damage to yourself.

If for the sake of an exercise, you stop doing something that you usually do, and

overcome the inner resistance concerning it, you may resume doing it, if it is not

harmful. For example, if you love drinking orange juice, and for the sake of an exercise

you switch to drinking apple juice, after doing so for some time and after it makes no

great difference to you, you may go back to drinking orange juice, if you still like it. The

point here is to develop inner strength, not making life difficult for you or continue

doing things you don't like to do.

Advantages of Possessing Strong Will Power and Self Discipline

You need both of them in order to rule your thoughts and to be the boss of your mind.

The stronger they are, the more control you have over your thoughts, and

consequently your powers of concentration get stronger.

When you are the master of your mind you enjoy inner peace and happiness. Outer

events do not sway you, and circumstances have no power over your peace of mind.

This might sound too unreal for you, but experience will prove to you that all the above

is true.

These abilities are essential for self growth, spiritual growth and meditation. They give

you control over your daily life, help you improve your habits and behavior, and they

are the keys to every success.

Practice the exercises presented here earnestly and persistently and you will go really

far.

1.5 Becoming a Great Employee - The 10 Top Traits

1. Dependability: Great employees are always dependable. They do the job theyare supposed to do every time, and no one has to worry that they don't deliverthe goods. A great employee can be counted to always have their work doneright, when it is supposed to be done - it is a forgone conclusion that they will,and no one else has to spend any time worrying about it.

2. Team Spirit: Great employees are team players. They don't constantly seekout attention or hogs the limelight. Rather, a great employee works with othersto make sure that the things that need to get done do get done, for the good ofthe company.

3. Taking Direction: Great employees know how to take direction. They knowhow to take criticism, direction and advice gracefully and make it work for themwhen doing their job.


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4. Trust: Great employees don't spread office gossip and they don't dishcompany dirt. Likewise, they always tell the truth to their employer, even if itlands them in hot water.

5. Confidentiality:This of course is strongly linked to number 4. A greatemployee always guards the confidential nature of their business dealings andprotects everyone's privacy.

6. Participation: Great Employees participate in the day to day life of the office.They don't bow out of meetings or skip the office birthday celebrations. Thesethings may not be a fun part of working life, and everyone involved knows thateveryone else has some place they would rather be - but a great employeewouldn't be any place else.

7. Likeability: Great employee gets along with other employees. Every office hasone person that is in everyone else's business and talks too loud on the phoneand generally stirs things up and gets under everyone's skin. This kind ofemployee zaps office morale - a great employee is a good co-worker toeveryone.

8. Competence: Great employees have good working skills. It may soundobvious, but a great employee has the abilities needed to do their job, and theyconstantly seek ways to improve, like going to training seminars or seeking

further education. Great workers have great skills.9. Tact: Great employees have tact and decorum. If there is a problem in the

office, a great employee doesn't make a scene in front of everyone else. Agreat employee will deal with such issues with privacy and diplomacy. Further,a great employee doesn't tell tasteless, political or religious jokes, nor do theysend emails that tell these kinds of jokes.

10.Attitude: Last but certainly not least, great employees have a great attitude.Bad attitudes bring everyone down. A great employee helps make work greatfor everyone else by having a good spirit about their job.

That's a lot of good traits to try and acquire! Don't be dispirited if you fail to match upon a number (but hopefully not all!) of them. Just work on them one at a time and you'llfind your career progressing faster than you would have ever believed possible.

Workplace disciplinary action issues

Theft or inappropriate removal or possession of property Falsification of timekeeping records Working under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs Possession, distribution, sale, transfer, or use of alcohol or illegal drugs in the

workplace, while on duty, or while operating employer-owned vehicles orequipment

Fighting or threatening violence in the workplace

Negligence or improper conduct leading to damage of employer-owned orcustomer-owned property

Insubordination or other disrespectful conduct Violation of safety or health rules Smoking in prohibited areas Unwelcome harassment on co-employees Possession of dangerous or unauthorized materials, such as explosives or

firearms, in the workplace Excessive absenteeism or any absence without notice Unauthorized absence form work station during the workday


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Unauthorized use of telephones, mail system, or other employer-ownedequipment

Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information Violation of personnel policies Unsatisfactory performance or conduct Unauthorized use Corporate Email ID for spreading useless messages

1.6 Presentation Skills

Leaders make presentations to a wide variety of audiences, for example, Boardmembers, employees, community leaders and groups of customers. Usually there is alot that can be quickly gained or quickly lost from a presentation. A little bit ofguidance goes a long way toward making a highly effective presentation.

Note that meeting management skills are often helpful in designing an effectivepresentation.

Basic Guidelines for Designing Your Presentation

1. List and prioritize the top three goals that you want to accomplish withyour audience. It's not enough just to talk at them. You may think you knowwhat you want to accomplish in your presentation, but if you're not clear withyourself and others, it is very easy - too easy - for your audience to completelymiss the point of your presentation.

2. Be really clear about who your audience is and about why is it importantfor them to be in the meeting. Members of your audience will want to knowright away why they were the ones chosen to be in your presentation. Be surethat your presentation makes this clear to them right away. This will help you

clarify your invitation list and design your invitation to them.3. List the major points of information that you want to convey to your

audience. When you're done making that list, and then ask yourself, "Ifeveryone in the audience understands all of those points, then will I haveachieved the goal that I set for this meeting?"

4. Be clear about the tone that you want to set for your presentation, forexample, hopefulness, celebration, warning, teamwork, etc. Consciouslyidentifying the tone to yourself can help you cultivate that mood to youraudience.

5. Design a brief opening (about 5-10% of your total time presentation time)that:a. Presents your goals for the presentation.

b. Clarifies the benefits of the presentation to the audience.c. Explains the overall layout of your presentation.

6. Prepare the body of your presentation (about 70-80% of your presentationtime).

7. Design a brief closing (about 5-10% of your presentation time) thatsummarizes the key points from your presentation.

8. Design time for questions and answers (about 10% of the time of yourpresentation).

Basic Guidelines about Presentation Materials


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You might be handing out supplemental materials, for example, articles, reports, etc.along with making your presentation. You might also be handing out copies of yourpresentation, for example, handing out copies of your slides that you will bereferencing during your presentation. You might be using transparency slides orshowing slides from a personal computer onto a project screen.

1. If you plan to project your slides from a computer onto a projection screen, then besure to check out the computer system before people come into the meeting room, ifat all possible.

2. Use a consistent layout, or organization of colors and images, on your materials.

3. If you use transparencies on an overhead projector, then allocate one slide for every3-5 minutes of your presentation. Include 5-8 lines of bulleted phrases on each slide.

4. If you provide the supplemental information during your presentation, then youraudience will very likely read that information during your presentation, rather thanlistening to you. Therefore, hand out this information after you have completed yourpresentation. Or, hand it out at the beginning of your presentation and ask them not to

read it until you have completed your presentation.

5. If you hand out copies of your slides, be sure that the text on the slides is largeenough that your audience can read the text on the table in front of them withouthaving to hold the handouts up to their faces. Be sure to leave space on the handoutsfor the audience to make notes on them.

Basic Guidelines about Your Delivery

1. If you're speaking to a small group (for example, 2-15 people), then try toaccomplish eye contact with each person for a few seconds throughout yourdelivery.

2. Look up from your materials, or notes, every 5-10 seconds, to look into theaudience.

3. Speak a little bit louder and a little bit slower than you normally would do with afriend. A good way to practice these guidelines is to speak along with a newsanchor when you're watching television.

4. Vary the volume and rate of your speech. A monotone voice is absolutely toxicto keeping the attention of an audience.

5. Stand with your feet at shoulder-length apart.6. Keep your hands relatively still.

1.7 Public Speaking

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than

you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language

that way you wont easily forget what to say.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on

using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe.

Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.


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3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. Its

easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers. Understand what their

background is and what kind of speaking will reach them quickly.

4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using

the microphone and any visual aids.

5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves.

Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. Transform nervous energy into

enthusiasm.

6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voiceloud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping it will boost your

confidence.

7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting,

stimulating, informative and entertaining. Theyre there to learn some thing from you.

8. Dont apologize for any nervousness or problem the audience probably

never noticed it.

9. Concentrate on the message not the medium. Focus your attention away from

your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

9. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you as an authorityand as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effectivespeaking.

Reference Material on Session 2: Accounting Terms

2.1 Accounting Principles


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Total business transactions are divided in to three They are

Transactions related to persons

Transactions related to Things

Transactions related to incomes & expenditures

In accountancy we have three types of accounts they are - personal, real, nominal

Personal Accounts

Personal accounts refers to all the transactions related to natural persons, artificial

persons and representative persons ex:- rama, ravi, andhra bank, outstanding rent. ,.

Ist category of transactions belongs to personal accounts

RULE : debit the receiver and credit the giver

Real Accounts

Real accounts includes things in the business i.e. assets. Transactions related to Real

accounts ex: buildings, machinery, cash etc..

RULE: Debit what comes in and credit what goes out

Nominal Accounts

Nominal accounts includes all the transactions related to expenditures , incomes,

losses and profits . ex:- rent paid, rent received, bad debts, profit on sale of an asset.

RULE: Debit all expenses and losses and credit all incomes and profits

2.2 Accounting Concepts

Money Measurement Concept

Accounting records state only those facts about a business firm, which can be

expressed in monetary terms. In other words, business events and facts that cannot be

expressed in monetary terms, howsoever important they may be, are excluded.

For example, the death of the managing director who was guiding the destiny of the

company since its inception, the emergence of a better product at a lower price in the


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market, the emergence of a new technology and so on (though very significant from

the future perspective of business) are ignored.

The operational implication of the Money Measurement Concept is that financial

statements do not provide all information about the business

Going Concern Concept

The Going Concern Concept implies that the firm will continue to operate in the

foreseeable future. The operational implication of this assumption is that assets are not

shown in Balance Sheet at their realizable market value, which implies liquidation

value.

Instead, evaluation of assets is with reference to the value of goods and services they

are likely to produce in future years to come.

Cost Concept

Assets/resources owned by the firm are shown at their acquisition cost and not at

current market value/current worth.

The rationale for this assumption is that it provides objective and verifiable basis for

accounting records. Market valuation of assets in use is not only difficult to be made

but also is related to subjectivity. Besides, market values may be constantly subject to

change.

Above all, determination of objective and undisputed market price of assets, say of

land and buildings, plant and machinery, furniture and so on that are not intended for

sale is fairly expensive and time consuming. Further, it is important to note that theselong-term assets are acquired to be used in business and not for resale.

Clearly, Cost concept is a logical fall-out of Going Concern concept in which current

market value of assets does not hold relevance.


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Evidently, individual assets (except cash and bank balances) shown in Balance Sheet

do not reflect their current market value. Some assets such as land and buildings in

major cities may have higher v

10 Mistakes to Avoid During an Interview

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