How To Get A Job

Follow Up

You searched for openings, you find one.
You then send your resume. You even got a call. You then appear for the interview. The interview was phenomenal.

So what do you do next?

Sit tight and wait for the results?

Sorry! That’s not an answer.

There are still a couple of things to be done before you can relax.

What is that?

The answer is – follow up.

But what exactly do we mean by follow up? And what is the procedure?

Let me explain.

After the interview is over, send a thank you note to your interviewers stating that you are thankful for their time to consider you.
Tell them that you are looking forward to work with them.
Keep this mail short and concise.

And most importantly, do it on that very day.
There is no point in reaching out to them after a week. Mail them while they still remember you.

For this to happen, you will need their email id – won’t you?

How  do you get it?

Simple, by asking for it.
Once your interview is over, ask your interviewer for their business card.

If you don’t have the email id of your interviewer, mail your thank you letter to the HR office of the company.

Taking out time for a thank you mail after a job interview is not only a good interview etiquette; it actually reflects that you are ready to go an extra mile for the job.

Plus, it can actually be a wonderful opportunity to market your talent for one last time.

While thanking them, tell them that you are looking forward to hearing from them and that while meeting the panel you felt  that your values resonated with that of the company.

Job or no job, this gesture creates a good impression of you.

Remember, even if you decide not to work with the company, it’s always helpful to have a contact or two in the industry where you are planning to land into.

Why Should I Hire You?

How To Answer H.R. Questions During An Interview.

One of the most popular HR question is – Why do you want to work with us?

I know the reason is that probably you have to repay your education loan or that your grades suck and they are the only company that you are eligible to sit in.

But when they ask you this question, the idea is to never tell them the “REAL” reason. Instead, you just throw a big smile and tell them that they are an awesome company to work with.

But for that you need to know every bit of information about the company that it is proud of. Because the very moment you tell them that you find their company to be awesome, they will ask you what really interests you.

And take my advice, never answer this question with “paycheck” or “annual package”.

So, what do you answer in such case?

Well, there is no “Standard” answer to this question and the answer varies from company to company. But, the underlying principle is same in all the cases. Answer it with something that the company prides itself with.

For example – If the company is in a habit of launching  a new product every quarter, tell them that you get inspired by their innovation and would love to work with them.

Similarly, if it prides itself with philanthropy. Tell them that you feel really touched to see how their efforts have touched so many people.

The idea is to tell them precisely what they want to hear.  Trust me, they know that you are lying. But it’s a lie they love to listen.

But how do you know what is that thing which the company prides itself with?

The answer is simple – Google.

Visit the company website,  find out the company’s tagline, its history and its work culture.
Follow the company on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter to get updates.

The more informed you, the better equipped you are in not only answering the questions, but also in deciding whether you are willing to work with the company.

Natural question – Why put your effort in researching about the company, when there are so many things you need to revise for your interview.

My answer – Because it gets you that job.

How To Crack A Phone Interview

Telephonic interview

Telephone interviews make you nervous?

Relax, they can’t see how nervous you are.
Also, you don’t have to get that crumpled shirt of your ironed.

In short, a telephone interview is far easier than a “conventional” job interview.
But it’s a totally different ball game. And unlike the conventional interviews, the strategy required to crack it is also different.

Before I start flooding you with “rules” to be followed during a phone interview, keep in mind, not to  take these interviews lightly. Just because it’s a telephonic interview, it doesn't mean that you sip a coffee or smoke while you are on the phone line.

Show the same seriousness that you would have shown, if it were a “conventional” interview. Because when you are not serious, it reflects in your voice.

Wish them in an with enthusiasm.
Smile as you wish them. Because, even when they can’t see you, anyone can find out your state of mind from your voice.

Preparation for a phone interview is just like any other interview.

Even they ask you the similar nature questions as a “conventional” interview.

Here also, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and the questions related to your background.

However, because you don’t get to interact with the interviewers, face to face; there are other things to be taken care of too.

Things you should be ready with

Remember, a telephonic interview is not just a casual call to your friend – “Hey buddy! ‘Wat’s up? ”

It’s an interview and your job depends upon it. There are things to be taken care of, prior to your interview.

Let's start with the basics.

 Notepad and a pen.

You might need to note down some details and contact information. Also, you might have to answer a few analytical questions.
You don’t want to fumble and say – “Hold on! I will get a pen.”

So, always keep a pen and a paper in front of you, before you make that call.

A glass of water.

A glass of water can always come handy during stress, which is common when you are appearing for an interview.

Your resume

What do you need the resume for? After all, you know about your background – right?

You will be surprised to know how many people fumble in telling even about themselves during stressful situation of the interview.
Keep it with you – You have been warned.

Other things to take care of

Apart from the above mentioned points, you need to pay a special care to avoid any possible source of distraction, whatsoever.

The first thing that you need to do is, to ensure that there is no noise in the room. Inform your roommates before hand. Ask them to turn the music and TV off. Go to a quiet room and turn the call-waiting off, so that your call doesn’t get interrupted during the interview.

Talking on the phone isn't as easy as it seems. 

I've always found it's helpful to practice. 

Search for common telephonic interview questions and ask your friends or family members to take a mock interview for you.

Record this interview and listen to it.

You'll be able to hear your "ums" and "uhs" and "okays". Avoid using these fillers.

When you need a moment to recollect your thoughts, simply pause.

And always enunciate slowly and clearly, especially while you are giving your interview.

Also, in a phone interview your answers should be short and precise, because a long answer may bore your interviewer, something which you would never want to happen.

Too many rules – right?

Don’t worry! These rules apply to your competitors as well.

Have a great interview!

How To Connect To Your Audience?

Your Cheat Code To A Standing Ovation.

At some point in your life, you must have been tortured by a speaker who goes on and on. He seems to be the only person enjoying the speech, while everyone is glancing at their watches.

You don’t want to be such a speaker, do you?

You want your audience to wait for your every next line.

The question is – how?

The first step is to tailor your speech, according to your audience.

You probably won’t want a group of college students to be bombarded with data – right?

Similarly, while addressing a group of senior managers, you would like to cut the crap and come straight to the point.

In short – Give them what they want!

No one is interested in knowing who you are and what you have accomplished and how you have accomplished. They will be more interested in your speech if it’s about them.

So, use as many “you”s  as you can.
Talk about “their” lives, “their” jobs and “their” problems.

Greet your audience with energy and enthusiasm.

Let your voice reflect how pleased you are to meet them.
Your opening line sounds dull and mechanic; and you have already lost their attention.

Take care not to choke your speech with too many difficult words.

The purpose of a speech to convey the message, not to show off about vocab.

Keep it simple and speak slowly.

You don’t want to deliver a speech that only you are able to understand.

The other important thing is, to keep the session interactive and not turn it into a monologue.

Don’t just keep on forcing your ideas, ask them questions. Encourage them to ask questions and keep them engaged.

Instead of asking them to switch their phones off, and pay attention, try to win their attention.

Who doesn’t like to laugh a little?

Even if it’s a “serious” speech, put some jokes in it. You don’t have to be a stand up comedian for that.

But, that doesn’t give you a freedom to put any random joke from the internet into your speech.

Think of funny instances from your experience and use them to convey your ideas.

But there is a warning here – Don’t put too many of these jokes in your speech. It makes your speech sound less “serious”.

And yes, look the audience into their eyes.

It shows that you are confident about your subject.

It also helps you in winning the trust of the audience, because people trust confident people.

And one last point – Realx!

I know that you can do it.

How to overcome stage fear

Overcome your nervousness on the stage

Stage fear!

Yes, that is what they call it.

But do you know that these two words describe perhaps, the human race’s greatest fear.
Right from forgetting your lines, to shaking of legs on the stage – the list is endless.

You feel nervous before delivering a speech?

Relax! It’s natural. You are just one among the millions, who share your fear too.
But if it’s that natural, why are we even discussing it?

Because your nervousness has detrimental effect on your speech. Quite a few times, it even shows up in your speech.
So, how to overcome your nervousness?

Let's begin with the basics. Before you enter into the stage, get yourself a glass of water.
No matter how stressful the situation, it always comes handy in decreasing the stress level.

One more thing to do is, to visualize your success. 

Imagine the audience clapping, better still, giving you a standing ovation – It will boost your confidence.

When you enter the stage, face the audience with a smile. It makes you seem confident. It also actually makes you confident.

Even if you are feeling butterflies in your stomach, just pretend that everything is under control. Eventually, you will gain confidence. The idea is to, “Fake it, till you make it.”

Speak slow and clear. It buys you time to recollect your thoughts.
It also helps the audience in understanding your message in a better and more effective manner.

But what if your worst fears come true?

What if you forget a line or a phrase? 
What do you do then?

The idea is simple – pause.
Pause for a second.
Don’t be nervous. 

Just pause and think.

No “umm”s, no “ahhh”s, no “I think”s – No fillers, whatsoever.

Simply pause.

It not only buys you some time to recollect your thoughts, but also helps you in getting the attention of even the least attentive people in the audience. 

When you pause briefly for a second or two, you keep them waiting for more.  In fact, you compel them to look what has happened, even when they are busy with their cell phones.

This is what we call as winning the attention of the audience.

The other big problem comes when you commit a mistake, while on the stage. 

You stated the facts wrong – So what?
It’s just a speech. The audience probably didn't even notice it.

Just ignore the problem and move on. The more you think about it, the more are the chances of you, spoiling the speech.

Even if you have committed a mistake or two, just pretend that everything is fine.

Remember, if the audience has put so much effort to show up to listen to you, it’s because they were expecting a great speech from a confident personality.

People want you to excel, that’s why they have turned up.

Give them your your best and you will excel.

Just give it some time, you will overcome it.

Remember – Even a diamond is just a piece of charcoal that has handled stress exceptionally well.

How To Get A Job?

How to use contacts for getting a job?

Contacts do matter.

No matter how great your grades are, it always helps to have a couple of references in your resume.

About to go on a job interview?
Your contacts can help you even here.

The first idea is – If you know someone with a position, in the company you are aspiring for, put it subtly.
Just mention it humbly in your resume or during the interview. In your resume, just mention about your contact under – “REFERENCE” section.

Don’t highlight this fact and in no case, brag about it. It just shows that you have nothing else to boast of.
Bragging about it simply means that you are covering up for your lack of acumen and certainly, etiquettes.

The difficulty lies when you have to mention it during the interview. Because, any wrong choice of words not only creates a negative impression about you, but also about your “reference.”

So, the million dollar question –  How to mention about your “reference” in a polite manner?

Let me give you a couple of ideas.

a)      When they ask you why you want to work with them, you can tell them that you have been told by Mr. X (Here X is your patron) that it is a great company to work with.

b)      When they ask you why they should hire you, you can tell them that you are interested in the job and that you have already done your homework.
Tell them that you have taken your time in learning about the work culture and the job profile of the company. And in all this, you were helped by Mr. X, who also happens to be your family friend.

So far, so good. But, what if you have no contacts?

Well, in that case you can “create” contacts. 

If you are still a student, request the placement cell of your college to give you the contacts of your college alumni working with that particular company.

You can exercise this option even if you are working, but being a working professional gives you an added advantage. You  can ask your friend circle if they have any contacts in the company you are planning to switch to.

In the worst case, you can search LinkedIn, and find out if someone from your alma-mater is working with that company. 

Does this mean that you use tell everyone in the panel about that contact of yours?

A big no.

Be honest.
Because references are cross-checked.

The question arises - what is the point in putting so much of effort to find out about a possible "reference", if you can't even brag about it?
The answer is simple – To  help you sail through the interview and get the job.

But there are procedures to be followed, isn't it?

Mail the person asking if they can manage some time and talk with you.

If the reply is in affirmative, call them at that time. Tell them that you are aspiring to work with them and that you are looking for their advice. Ask them about the work culture of the company.

But in no case, ask them to refer you. They themselves will mention it if they are willing to. At the end of the conversation, thank them for their time.

This not only helps you in learning more about the company, but  also the expectation of the company from you. This in turn helps you prepare for the interview in a more focused manner.

BEST OF LUCK!

How to prepare for an interview

I know that group study never works. 
You start with a good intention to complete the chapter, but then you end up playing the video game. Mock group discussions are even worse. 
You start with some serious discussion about “European Union” or “Syrian Crisis”, but this lasts just for 10 minutes.
Before you even know, all the discussion turns into just one topic – tits.

Sorry! But, true story.

So natural question – Will a mock interview work? 
Depends.

.

It depends how serious you are with your job hunt. But let me assume that you are pretty serious.

So, let me cut the crap and come to the point.

To begin with, the first thing that you need to do is to – 
Form a group.

Form a group, consisting of students seeking the same type of job.

Say for example, you are an engineering graduate. Then, your group should consist of engineering students only, unless you are preparing for general exams such as banking.

Even in such cases, make sure that your group consists of students who not only share the same dream job, but also the same branch. After all, how can you mix a bunch of mechanical engineering students with those from computer science – right?

Next, take these interviews very seriously.
Make it a point to meet at least once in a week.

The important point to remember is that, the interview should be as similar to the real life interview as possible.
Dress in formals, bring your resume, wish your friend in the same way as you would wish the panel, and most importantly, be in time.

In fact, it’s even better, if you act as if your friends actually represent the very same company which you are aspiring for.
Say for example, you are preparing for T.C.S., pretend that it’s an actual T.C.S. interview. Include the questions that T.C.S., panel is likely to ask.

Where do you get those questions?

Come on! Just Google it dude. I know that you are that smart.

Better still, you can even short-list the best candidate from your group. (And don't forget to take a treat from the short listed guy)

Happy Interviewing!

Interview Tips

Nonverbal Communication During An Interview.

Let’s start with the cliché – Stay calm.

Am I fucking kidding?

It’s your job at stake, and I want you to stay calm?
No, that's not how things work. 

Let me show how you can make it work.
First of all, when you enter, find out possible time for your turn and then, find your place and sit. 

Feeling anxious?

Well, it’s natural. 
Get a glass of water.
They have a coffee counter?
Get one for yourself.
But resist your temptation to smoke, no matter what.

Start a light conversation with other candidates. 

However, don’t compare yourself with them or discuss possible questions. It will just make you more tensed, nothing else.

Coming to more important stuffs, check the order of name and stay prepared. Once, your name is announced, gently knock the door and ask for the permission.
Never enter the room unannounced.

When you enter the room, your whole personality should be oozing with confidence.
Make sure that your shoulders are not lumped or your neck isn't low.
And most importantly – SMILE!

Wish them good morning or afternoon or evening as per the time. Now, approach the interviewer/s and extend your hand. Look right into their eyes and shake hands with them.
Here again, smile when you do all this. 

If I am asked the most important thing needed to swim across the interview, it would be – smile.

Now, there must be a chair for you in the room. No, don’t sit there yet. First, you ask for the permission to be sitted. Or better still, just approach the seat and stand right behind it. The board will automatically take pity on you and ask you to sit. (This is in fact, is the best way to ask for a permission to sit.)

Now it’s time for the real interview.

Don’t shake your legs. Don’t look around the room. Just relax and sit straight. Maintain an eye contact. However, this doesn’t mean staring right into their eyes. Because a continuous stare will just make your interviewers uncomfortable. Sure, you don't want that.
Just look into their eyes and then drift your eyes for a few second.

Now, all you have to do is to answer their questions. More about that in the next post.

Interview Tips

What not to do at an interview.

Interviews are not get together, where you give a high-five and say – “Hey buddy! I am looking for a job. You wanna hire me?”

Interview are organized to select PROFESSIONALS. You have to look, act and sound professional. Not cool, not hot, just professional; period.

Don’t go to an interview, listening to an i-pod or texting.
Of course, you wouldn’t do all this, while entering the interview room.
But I am talking not just about the interview room, but even the venue. You think sipping a coke or chewing a gum is cool?

Save it for some other day.

Talking or texting on your cell phone while sitting in the waiting room for your turn can be the reason; why you were not there in the final list, when everything went so wonderfully.

They are looking for some serious (read - boring) guy for the job, who can manage two hours without talking to his girlfriend.

And one more thing, do you find the receptionist to be hot?
Control!

Don’t you dare to flirt with her.
Anything which you do. can spoil your prospects of getting selected.

I hope, I don’t need to remind you for being there in time.

But an added caution – Prepare for reaching there an hour before.
Anything from a traffic jam to a flat tire can steal away your dream job from you. 

Even if it’s a campus interview, there is always a chance of a form, which you forgot to get printed. Being prepared for such situations, lets you face these difficult situation calmly.

One more thing, keep a pen and a couple of papers, along with the resume. In case, they ask you to explain an idea, in an interview; a pen and a paper always help.

Of course, they can provide you with that. But it is always better to stay prepared – isn’t it?

Interviews gives you a chance to shine.
What you say and what you do, is going to either get you your dream job, or knock you out.

It doesn't take much to make an impression – good or bad.

Remember, if you haven't taken your time to dress appropriately or if you say the "wrong" thing, or act in an “inappropriate” manner, it will be over before you know it.

How To Answer Interview Questions

How To Crack An Interview?

Relax! It's just a job interview.

And, there is no reason, they won't hire you, if you do well.

Afterall, it's their job to hire people, and they know their job very well.

The question is - How well you know about your job?

Because, when you enter into the room, the first question they ask you is to tell about yourself.

Remember, "Tell me about yourself" or for that matter, any other question, are just ice breakers.
But you can utilize even these questions to your advantage, with proper answers. (More about that in another post.)

When they are asking questions, listen to them. Tilt your head  slightly and nod.

It shows that you are paying attention.

Now, think about this.
They ask you a question, from a field, in which you are an expert.
You know the answer, every bit of it.
Congratulations! But just don’t answer it yet.

First listen to the question completely.

It's always better to take some time and answer a question, than to jump to the answers.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, just admit it.

If you are in a doubt, tell them that you are not sure. But if you think that, you can befool them by pretending that you know the answer, but you have just forgotten it; seriously dude, you are heading towards a suicide…..

They are just looking for an honest, committed person for their firm.
There is nothing wrong in not knowing an answer. If they wanted to hire, “Mr. All Knowing” they could have just hired encyclopedia Britannica.

Now, suppose that you don't know the answer and you admit it. They, would for sure then answer it for you. In such a case, thank them.

When one panelist asks a question, respond directly to him/her. But, turn your head, even for a second, towards the rest of them as well.

Don’t make it a mechanical question answer session. It’s an interview, not a viva-voice from your school. Engage in a Conversation. Say funny things and laugh with them, as long as you don’t use slangs.You don’t have to be a stand-up comedian for that.

Just be your natural self.
The more comfortable and relaxed everyone is, the better are the chances of you moving to the next round.

This was all about answering questions. How about asking questions?

What do you do, when they say, “Any questions?”

This might be just a routine, but again, if you know the trick, you can use even this to your advantage.

Ask them a question that shows that you are interested in working with them.
Ask about their transfer policy, or an upcoming project, or their expectations from you, in case of your selection.

This shows that you are looking forward to working with them.

Trust me, an employer loves such candidates. Again, when they answer your query, thank them.

Once the interview is over, shake hands again. 

Thank them for their time and say that you look forward to work with them.

And most importantly, don’t forget them to wish them a good day or a good night.