How to improve your skills and grow your professional network?

How to improve your skills and grow your professional network at the same time in a proper way.

How to face an interview - for Freshers (New graduates) [1st article continuation] 2nd Part

Earlier we discussed about the Written tests and Group Discussion rounds in the previous article. You can refer that article, if you haven't gone through yet, its mandatory.

Now here, we discuss the remaining rounds that are Technical, Managerial and HR rounds.

Lets start with the Technical Round.

Technical Round:
This round may be written or oral or in the both forms, its depends upon the organization/consultancy, the number of candidates going to be attaended and their time scheduled for that particular interview.

How to love going to office everyday

Get addicted to work:
Whenever you are in office, always do something related to work.
Remember,

"If you do personal work at office, it will destruct your work ethics,
If you carry work to home, it will destruct your personal life." 

So try to avoid personal things while you are at office, that small things not only destructs your work ethics but also the good impression on you at office.

Make colleagues as friends/fun makers:

Job Priority for Freshers

Company	Work	Priority	Description
Big	Related	1	You will get working knowledge and corporate experience
Small	Related	2	You will get the good working experience and knowledge which is very useful for future.
Big	Non-related	3	You will get good corporate world exposure but try to get the related work(job).
Small	Non-related	4	You should be looking better opportunity if you are forced to work

How are you searching for your first job?
Over 12,000 engineers secured their first job in 2010 through AMCAT. Book your AMCAT slot online

How to face an interview - for Freshers (New graduates)

Here we will discuss the interview process of Software companies (big MNCs to Small startups) i.e. how many rounds of interviews will be there, what they expect from the candidate, how they shortlist the candidates, which skills they look for in every round and how freshers should act as per the round etc.

First let us take big MNCs like TCS, Cognizant, Accenture..etc.
There will be mainly five rounds.
They are

How to find relevant job by using search engines

We use search engines to find the theaters in which a particular movie is running, to get details about a person, to download music, to find addresses etc.  but not for finding a right job which is more important than all others above.

And we have been using conventional ways to search jobs i.e. checking in job portals like Naukri, Monster, Timesjobs etc. some other fresher jobs sites, which is a conventional way.

Here in this post we will find a new way to find particular job based on the interest/course.

T Cover Letter -the most powerful Cover letter

When a hiring authority comments on how good the format of your cover letter is, you know you have done something right. That is what one of my clients experienced this week and she asked that I republish the article I wrote “The Most Powerful Cover Letter” so others can benefit from it as well.

Here is that article.
Recently I heard an interesting statistic from a poll taken of recruiting and hiring managers. The poll uncovered that 75% of the people who review resumes said they read cover letters but only if they know the cover letter has been customized for the company and the position.

I have two ALWAYS statements regarding the job search and one Always is to ALWAYS send a cover letter. There is one cover format I recommend over any other: the T cover letter.

Resume Writing Tips for Freshers & Experienced

OUTSIDE RESUME ::

Resume Format

Always have a .doc (Microsoft Word) format and .txt format of your resume with you. When you are filling your resume in websites, you need the text format and when you are sending resume through mail, it's better to send the .doc format.
Few companies may ask specifically for .rtf format. In such case, you don't have an option anyway.
Resume Size

Try to see to it that the .doc resume file size is less than 100 KB.
Resume File Name

Don't give some junk names as file name for the resume. If you keep use junk names, there is every possibility that your mail will travel to bulk/trash folder of recruiter. Your resume's file name should ideally denote your name, experience, technology, years of experience and company name. Keep some valid name for your resume.

Will your resume get you the interview call?

IT is an act in creating your personal brand image. Your resume reaches the interviewer before you do. Yet, many people lose out on an interview opportunity thanks to a poorly written one. Your resume is the first step in projecting yourself effectively to the recruiter.

So create an image that you genuinely identify with – it is a sharp world out there and no one is buying false niceties. We address ten important issues related to your resume.

1. Should your resume have a career goal/ objective statement? A resume that is worthy of representing you, should clearly state your career objective. A career objective is an indirect way of advertising what all you would bring to the company/ role. It must display a ‘giving’ attitude and not a ‘taking’ attitude.

Take a look at this: “To achieve an appreciable status in an organization that offers full scope for growth and where I can fulfill my aspiration of becoming a world class software professional.”

And this: “Be a part of an organization that recognises my skills and provides me with suitable environment to perform to the best of my ability.”

Beware of Fake Opportunities, Courses / Job assistance / Job Guarantee Programs

Thumb Rule # 1:
DON'T BELIEVE IN ANYONE WHO ASKS YOU TO PAY MONEY FOR OFFERING A JOB.
Companies don't need to take any money from you. They might tell you hundreds of stories like they are taking money as a 'Security Deposit' or for 'Infrastructure' purpose. Don't trust them. If they don't have enough money for their infrastructure, they don't deserve to run the company :)

Instead, I advise you to trust a company who doesn't ask a penny from you even if it is a start-up company. You can work for FREE (or for a very less salary) if you want to get some work experience. That is Ok. But never pay money from your pocket for any reason. In worst-case scenario, if you are paying money, don't forget to take a signed paper (On their Company Notepad with the signature from an official) or a valid bank receipt from them in which it's clearly written that you have paid the money as a refundable security deposit and it should also have the Terms & Conditions.

Online job search: 7 common mistakes by job-seekers

DESPITE a barrage of online applications from job-seekers through job portals, recruiters are often left with very few ‘worthwhile’ applications. Most candidates commit seven cardinal sins and lose out on a good opportunity.

Sin 1: Application is incomplete

Instead of keeping recruiters guessing, as is the case often, do your bit and provide all relevant details. Time-crunched recruiters who are swamped by hundreds of résumés every day, usually end up spending time on applications that are complete, and which do not need them to ferret out information.

When creating a profile, register yourself by filling in your details on the job board, then upload your résumé, and finally, write a cover letter. On the job board and in the résumé, it is best to give all the information sought - from educational qualifications and particulars about current and previous organisation/s to relevant personal details. “The biggest blunder one can commit is to send the application without contact phone numbers. We have no way of getting in touch with and are compelled to reject the candidate even if they make the cut,” says Parama Biswas, HR Generalist, BOC India.

50 Keywords That Can Ruin Your Resume

If you are looking for a job change and are aiming to write an eye-catching resume, this may surprise you. Some keywords or buzzwords you use in your CV could actually ruin your chances of getting that dream job.
Why?
According to Karen Burns, the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, these words are simply “vague”. It makes your resume look like everyone elses.
She advises:

You want your resume to stand out. The best way to sell yourself is to show, don’t tell. Explain your accomplishments rather than spouting them off in trite ways. So check your resume for these boilerplate words and phrases. If you find them, replace them–or at the very least, elaborate upon them — with real-life, specific examples.