Tuesday, February 5, 2008

PREPARING THE Curriculum Vitae

1. List the qualifications in the reverse order, so that your highest qualification comes first. Your prospective employer is most interested in your highest qualification. This order is better than the routine chronological order.2. List your experience also in the reverse order.3. Make sure that there is no gap of years when you were doing nothing. At least there should be some training, apprenticeship, or social work to fill any blank period.4. While mentioning your achievements, your membership in a college table-tennis team may be mentioned if you are a fresh graduate. But after 25 years of professional experience this may be irrelevant, since you will have many career achievements to be listed.5. Do not keep a standard CV to be sent to all prospective employers. The emphasis will have to be different in tune with the nature of work expected from you.6. Never send photocopies of your CV. Computers can give you any number of originals.7. Remember that the CV of a person is a constantly growing phenomenon. It grows as you grow. So it will have to be updated periodically.8. If you have long experience in jobs, emphasize what you have done during the most recent ten years.9. Do not make any dishonest claims. Be careful when you mention a hobby; you should be able to answer an in-depth question on the subject during the interview. If you fail at that stage, it may create an impression that you are dishonest. It is certain that the CV will be before the interview board, when you are being tested.10. Whatever you indicate in the CV should be as far as possible in tune with the job requirements.11. You may give the names of two references who know you well, and who would honestly report in your favour if the company makes an enquiry about you. It is preferable to have persons of repute in your own profession as the referees. Do take the permission of the referees before you send their names.12. Check and recheck your draft to confirm that there is no error in spelling. No one would like his name or the name of his company misspelt. If necessary, show your draft to a knowledgeable person to correct errors in language.13. Write a simple but elegant cover letter.
Personal details
Name, home address, college address, phone number, email address, date of birth.
Do you have your own web homepage?
If your name does not obviously show if you are male or female, include this.

Education

Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work.
Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, including grades. Subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest.

Work experience

List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included.

Interests

They will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless it connects with the work you wish to do. Give only enough detail to explain. (If you were captain of a sports team, they do not want to know the exact date you started, how many games you played, and how many wins you had! They will ask at the interview, if they are interested.) If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details.
If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details.

Key Skills

Summarise the things about you that are relevant to this role. You can present the information as a list of achievements. Give as much evidence as you can to suggest that you are suited to the career that you are pursuing.

References

Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Or if this does not apply, then an older family friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference. Give their day and evening phone numbers if possible.

Length

Maybe all you need to say will fit onto one sheet of A4. But do not crowd it - you will probably need two sheets. Do not normally go longer than this. Put page numbers at the bottom of the pages - a little detail that may impress.

Style

There are two main styles of CV, with variations within them.

Chronological

Information is included under general headings - education, work experience, etc., with the most recent events first.

ROLE OF SELF-SELLING IN JOB SEARCH

WE ALL WANT A CAREER WHETHER IN PRIVATE, GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ETC. TO LEAD AN AFFORDABLE AND RESPECTABLE LIFE. MOST OF US DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOOK FOR JOBS. WE ARE NEVER TAUGHT HOW TO DO THIS. OUR TRAINING AND LIFE EXPERIENCE NEVER PREPARE US FOR IT.SOME PEOPLE WITH THE SAME OR LESS QUALIFICATION & KNOWLEDGE ARE WELL PLACED AND ADVANCE IN THEIR CAREER COMPARED TO OTHERS WITH HIGHER QUALIFICATION AND KNOWLEDGE. WE LEAVE IT TO LUCK BUT IN REALITY THESE PEOPLE HAVE MASTERED THE TECHNIQUE OF SELF-SELLING IN CAREER. EACH ONE OF US CAN DO IT AND THE NEED IS ONLY TO BE WELL AWARE OF THE CHANGING SCENARIOS OF THE JOB MARKET AND MASTER THE ART OF SELF-SELLING ALONG WITH ACQUIRING THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.IN THE WORLD OF JOB-HUNTING, YOU HAVE TO SELL YOURSELF BECAUSE THAT WILL (A) GET YOU IN FOR THE INTERVIEW AND (B) IT WILL ENABLE YOU TO PREVAIL OVER THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE COMPETING AGAINST. SELLING ONESELF IS BASIC TO ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WRITING A "KILLER" RESUME, WRITING GOOD COVER LETTER, NETWORKING SUCCESSFULLY, INTERVIEWING SO YOU GET THE JOB, AND NEGOTIATING THE BEST SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE. ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES INVOLVE SOME MEASURE OF PERSUASION, SOME MEASURE OF SELLING YOURSELF.SOME OF THE PEOPLE INITIALLY PUT OFF BY THE IDEA OF SELF-SELLING/MARKETING, IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. THEY HATE THE IDEA OF BEING PERSUADED; THEY FEEL THAT THERE IS SOMETHING INTRINSICALLY BAD ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN ANY ACTIVITY THAT EMPLOYS PERSUASION AS A MEANS TO GAIN AN END.IN CONTRAST, WE NEED TO CONSIDER "GOOD" SELLING, WHICH IS A SKILL THAT CAN BE PRACTICED WITH INTEGRITY, SINCERITY AND NO LOSS OF PERSONAL WORTH OR ESTEEM. "GOOD" SELLING DOES NOT INVOLVE SLEAZY PRACTICES, OR LYING, OR UNDERHANDED METHODS. MOST PEOPLE EQUATE SELLING OR PERSUADING WITH THE WORD "BAD", WHICH IS A PREJUDICE IN ITSELF. IF IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOD MARKETING MATERIALS THAT SUPPORTED THE SALESPERSON AND POSSESSING THE SKILLS TO USE THEM IN ORDER TO FINDING ENOUGH PROSPECTS TO HAVE A REASONABLE CLOSING RATIO, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT HOW TO SELL TO GET A JOB.SOME POINTS OF SELF-SELLING PRACTICE ARE SUMMARIZED HERE AS:IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE SELF ESTEEMl & CONFIDENCEIT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A POSITIVE, FORWARD-LOOKING FRAME OF MINDlTO HAVE AN EXCELLENT AND PERSUASIVE RESUME THAT SELLS YOU AS BETTERl QUALIFIED THAN THE NEXT PERSON, BEING ABLE TO WRITE GOOD COVER LETTERS, DEVELOPING A COLLECTION OF EXCELLENT PERSONAL MATERIALS AND STORIES THAT DESCRIBE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTSKNOWING HOW TO GIVE AN "ELEVATOR" SPEECH THAT EVOKES WHAT YOU WANT IT TOlTHE SELF-AWARENESS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE IMPRESSION YOU'RE MAKING ON OTHERS IS A FIRST STEP IN REVERSING THE TRENDlHAVING THE BASIC SKILLS TO INTERVIEW WELL (I.E., TO BE ABLE TOl DETERMINE WHAT THEIR "PROBLEM" IS AND HOW TO SELL YOURSELF AS THE FIXER OF IT)PROSPECTING BY NETWORKING FOR THESE "PROSPECTS" AND/OR VIA Al PRO-ACTIVE BROADCAST LETTER. STRIKING THE RIGHT CHORD EITHER THROUGH PERSONAL INTERACTION OR THROUGH E-MAIL OR THROUGH POST WITH THE EMPLOYER ALWAYS PAYSNETWORKING BY JOINING PROFE-SSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GETTINGl INVOLVED WITH THEM, YOU MEET OTHERS WHO WORK AT OTHER COMPANIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.KNOWING HOW TO NEGOTIATE THE BENEFITS/SALARY PACKAGElIT OBVIOUSLY PAYS TO BE CREATIVE AND FLEXIBLElUNDERSTANDING THAT REJECTION WILL OCCUR REGULARLY IN THE JOB-HUNTING PROCESS AND NOT DE-MOTIVATE YOUlIT'S POSSIBLE TO LIMIT YOUR RANGE OF OPTIONS, AND BY THINKING THISl WAY, YOU CONSEQUENTLY LIMIT THE RANGE OF ACTIONS YOU TAKE. THAT, IN SHORT, LIMITS YOUR CHANCES OF FINDING A NEW JOBTAKING AN EARLY BREAK IS BETTER INSTEAD OF GOING ON FOR GETTINGl HIGHER QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE. PEOPLE ARE JOINING SERVICES AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF THEIR EDUCATION AND THEN MAKING BEST USE OF FACILITIES AVAILABLE IN THE ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALIFICATIONS AND TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE WITH ALL THE SERVICE BENEFITSTHERE IS NO USE OF STICKING TO ONE ORGANIZATION AND SWITCH OVER CAN BE MADE WHENEVER BETTER OPPORTUNITY COMES IN THE WAY.

Monday, January 28, 2008

CAREER CHANGES

Many workers have no idea what steps to take to embark on a career change when it is clear that the time has come to do so. Leaving full-time employment can be very stressful. Understandably, facing a career change can bring up all kinds of fears. A career change can be a fantastic, liberating experience if an employee understands how to embark on this new path without jeopardizing their ability to be hired in the future.

Career change should start by looking at the skills and interests of a worker while they are employed. This enables a worker to have time at his disposal both for training and acquiring skills that would make for a smooth transition into the new field of employment. It is always useful to get advice and ideas on ways to organize a career change. If you want to make a career change, you can start by going on line and there you will find a community that can help you with the process so that you can learn from other's mistakes and have a better chance at succeeding. It's easy to find out how to make a career change once the decision has been made. Choosing a specific career to change to is the hardest part; but once that's done, you can move on to the easier aspects of it. It is not only necessary that workers extrapolate their previous experience on to the new field of work, but also equip themselves with a new skill set by undergoing relevant courses so that they become not just employable but, over and above, desirable employees.

Career Change Cover Letter

Once you have decided for a career change life could be difficult. The reason behind is that of competition. You are, most of the time, not alone in desiring and eyeing on that certain job. It would either be rough or smooth for you, depending on the initial actions you make. One of these decisions that can affect this change is the career change cover letter.

Don't' make the mistake of taking out and using an old sample cover letter similar to that from Resume writing services. Or don't ever make the mistake of using one of the templates from popular cover letter template book or use a free online cover letter template. Doing this is a mistake. It will not land you an interview for the job you so desire. Old usual templates are boring and have no influential power at all.

The reason behind this is that most of your competition who are more like a bunch of wild beasts after the same job, are using the same generic templates, templates which are uninteresting and likely to be ignored by recruiters or employers. Your Career change cover letter must be something different, unique and catchy in style, to ensure it doesn't get ignored and be on top of the pile. It should have that "sales" touch to be attractive.

Aside from this, you don't have to worry much about your resume. What matters most is your cover letter. Resumes don't really sell. Cover letters do. This means that cover letters are more like your ad for your hot product which is yourself. Your resume is just an additional info. Cover letters which are worded more like a sales letter can get you that job interview. Cover letters are read first and would create the impression whether you are someone of quality or not.

Do’s and Don'ts while apply for online job interview

Online job interview is the easiest way to crack for getting into any job which you have been longing for quite a long time. But still there is a catch and easy doesn't mean that you should starting taking it for granted and you should be aware about certain facts for cracking the online job interview.

Let's have a brief view that what is online job interview. Online job interview is interview given on the internet. That is why the terminology of the online job interview has been adopted for this kind of interview. Here you are taking the interview job on real time basis.

Yet this interview is not requiring your physical presence in the place of the interview and this is the best feature of the online job interview.

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You need to front of the web camera and you should have got the microphone so that you can converse in with the employer on real time basis.

Therefore, online job interview saves lot of time of the employee and the employer and it is emerging as the favorite choice for the both employee and employer. Because it is giving the employee comfort of his home and employer as the same time get to interact live with the prospective employee.

Online job interview should be prepared hard. As you are having the comfort of the home doesn't mean that you are free to take it for granted. Make sure that you are keeping this thing in your mind that it is an online job interview and your performance should be cent per cent for the job.

So, what you need to do for taking the online job interview is that you need to prepare hard as if you are preparing for interview as if you are going to appear in person in front of the employer and you need to brush your everything from technical interview to HR round of the interview as if you are not appearing for the online job interview.

You need to brush your Human Resource skills because it is necessary as you are live in front of the camera therefore, you should be prepared to behave properly and etiquettes needs to be followed so that you are in a position to create a positive impact in your online job interview.

What not to do - Well this is equally important you online job interview doesn't mean that you can skip form the rigor of the interview. You need to make sure that you are taking it lightly and hence you want to keep the material in front of you while you are taking the online job interview.

Because it would be very much visible to the interviewing team that what you are doing and if during the interview you take a glance away from the camera to some other place it would be enough for the team to make it out what you are doing. Therefore, online job interview should be taken in that which would bring the job and not it take it away.

How to Improve Your Job Interview Skills

Job interviews can be tough going, even for people who don't have problems talking about themselves or striking up conversations with total strangers. While virtually any book on job hunting will recommend doing a mock interview with someone you know practicing standard question and answer routines there is nothing like real first-hand experience

As far as I'm concerned, the best way to improve your interview skills, especially if you find you get very nervous and tongue-tied, is to simply go on more job interviews. If it's really bad, start with jobs you wouldn't take in a million years. That way you can stop worrying about actually getting the job and can spend your time simply experiencing the interview and trying out different choices for how to field questions. So just get yourself into at least three interviews. After the first interview, sit in your car or on the bus or at a coffee shop and try and remember everything they asked you. Write those questions down!

Now go over how you answered each of those questions and pull apart what you did right and what you did wrong. Start developing the set of questions that you'll know you get asked and start formulating your answers to them. If you come up with more than one answer for each question, you will never sound stale or rehearsed. I actually have a notebook with all my job stories written down and I re-read them 15 minutes before walking into any interview. Do the same and you will get more job offers.

Once you've been on about three interviews, you'll have heard virtually every question phrased in every possible way. Build your interview playbook from those questions and start practicing your anecdotes. Prepare an anecdote for each question about your former jobs. You can now walk into all your important interviews ready to respond to the scripts. And remember to be flexible. You should know your stories well enough that you can adapt them to each situation so they sound unique and not like a spiel.

You can practice your interview technique with friends or family, talk to yourself in a mirror or read lots of books about interview techniques, but when it comes down to it there is no experience like an actual job interview. Think of even failed job interviews as a learning opportunity and get what you can out of the experience so you'll be better prepared for the next one.