How to be confident in an Interview

First Job is one of the most important steps we take in the corporate ladder.  Interviewing for your first job is enough to add on to the nervousness and anxiety. Although, feeling nervous in an interview is only human, but if you don't make it this time you will not get a second chance. You need to project confidence in spite of having butterflies in your stomach.

You have worked hard to get that interview. Preparing and updating resume, writing cover letters, applying for jobs, getting references are not easy tasks. Even if you have great ideas, nobody will listen to them if you have a shaky or a cracking voice.

Speaking confidently is difficult at the times it is most required. This could get even worse when you are unemployed, and possibly torn between the urgent pressures of finding a survival job and the hope of finding a fulfilling longer term career position.

Interstingly, even a person of mediocre caliber sounds intelligent when speaking with confidence.

Fortunately, it's not difficult to do well in an interview if you follow these simple rules:

• Do your homework: Have a good look at the Job Description. It will give you an idea about the company's expectations. Visit the company's website, research their history, their products/services, leadership team and the recent news. You could also have a look at their LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter page.
• Don't be late: And if possible try to reach a little early. It will give you some time to settle down, recheck your appearance, revise what you prepared and chat with other interviewees (if any)
• Stick to the facts: Being overconfident, giving untrue information or exaggerating facts in an interview may become fatal if the interviewer asks follow up questions. Sticking to the facts is always the best practice.  
• Practice: Before the interview, practice the most commonly asked questions by interviewers. Read the job description and revise the subject. Prepare yourself in the best possible way. 
• Speak a little slower than seems natural: It may sound funny to you at this moment, but you should listen to some good orators (including Barack Obama). Many people also express nervousness by talking fast. People with real expertise tend to speak a bit slow, as if they expect their listeners to hang on every word.
• Eliminate your verbal ticks: Some people use verbal ticks ("Uhhh....," "you know...," "I mean..., etc.) while thinking of what to say next. This makes you sound like you're unsure of yourself, so it's better simply to silently pause in mid sentence. Record yourself and practice, if needed.
• Keep an eye on your body language: An interview is much more than a question answer session. How you conduct yourself is a huge part in your success or failure. Your body gestures might affect the outcome of an interview, so you need to be really careful.
• Smile: Interacting with a charming person can make people remember the conversation. Moreover, smiling only makes you more pleasant.

Writing a Cover Letter

Writing a Cover Letter is one of the most important but often overlooked part of job hunting. While a perfectly written resume is a must have, cover letter is something that adds value to it.

You must have heard of a very famous fact that a hiring manager takes no more than 30 seconds to screen a resume. A cover letter should be written in such a way that it tempts the hiring manager to open and see the resume. Infact, if you write a perfect cover letter half the battle is already won.

Most of the students think that if they are sending a resume with all the required details they do not need to attach the cover letter. But that is not the case. A cover letter adds that customized touch to your job application. For example, your resume remains the same for all your job applications and interviews, but your cover letter is customized as per the job requirement. Here are some tips to help you write the cover letter:

Starting the letter: Do not write “ To whomsoever it may concern”. Try to find out the hiring manager’s name and address it properly.  Most of the job descriptions have the hiring manager’s name mentioned on it. Mention the job title that you are applying for in the first paragraph as the recruiter who reads your letter may be hiring for several other posts simultaneously.

Keep it precise and to the point: You do not need to write an entire one page letter to make the impact. Rather, your cover letter should be brief yet compelling.  Convey that you understand the company and its goals, and explain how you'd help it reach those goals.

Do not include the same details as your resume: A cover is supposed to focus on details that are not mentioned in your resume. Like, your interest in working for the organization you are applying to and how you can be the best fit for the job.

Mention your achievements: This can be one of the luring factors for a hiring manager. Include your achievements in the cover letter like worked on a new and rare technology, involved in the growth of a company, increased the revenue of an organization and so on. However, please stay away from using generic terms such as hard working, fast learner etc.

Break it into paragraphs: A letter written in paragraphs makes it easier for the hiring manager to read. Start with your introduction and background. In the next paragraph mention your skills and how you fit into the profile. An additional paragraph for your achievements and then ending the letter by adding thanks and your contact details.

Proofread before you send it: Like your résumé, your cover letter should be error-free. A single typo or other mistake can lead to your application being discarded. other mistakes besides typos include addressing the letter to the wrong company or misspelling someone’s name. Neither error would be picked up by a grammar or spell checker so you need to proofread carefully before sending.

I would also suggest you not to use form letters from books or internet. Experienced human resource professionals can sense when a cover letter is a form letter, perhaps copied from a job-hunting book, with a little customization thrown in.. Like your résumé, your cover letter should be customized for a specific job opening.

No Luck at Campus Placements?

Smriti was having sleepless nights. The worries kept her awake. The final semester was coming to an end and she would be completing her degree next month. While some of her batch mates had been placed, she and a few others were still struggling. As the campus placement drive had ended, there was little hope.

She would be moving with her parents next month if she’s left jobless. They are looking forward to it, but Smriti is not. Her aim is to be independent, to get a job, to have a life of her own.

She came to me last week asking for help. I gave her a few tips. I also jotted them down for my readers. So here you go:

1. Do not solely depend on Campus Placements: We all look forward to campus placements but it is not a good idea to depend solely on the campus. Look for means outside the campus, use your contacts, network with people, your college alumni, job boards, professional networking websites. Just spread the word that you are available in the job market. The employers are always on a hunt for good resources and if you are talented, you have a good chance of getting noticed.
2. Do NOT upload and forget: The first thing most us do when we look for a job is to upload out resume on job portals like naukri.com and monster.com However, I always recommend people that your job is not finished after the resume has been published. You must constantly keep updating your resume, so that the employer knows that you are actively looking for a job. For example, I will never call a person who has not updated his/her resume in past 4 months assuming that he/she might have got a job already.
3. AUDIT your online presence:  After the introduction of social media, micro blogging and professional media websites, the world has really shrunk. Most of the organizations do a thorough background check of their prospective employees. Do a thorough check of all your online profiles and if there is something you do not want your employer to see, just delete or hide it.
4. Make use of professional networking websites: LinkedIn is one such well known website. You can make your profile, join groups, subscribe for jobs, network on LinkedIn. Employers these days are extensively using LinkedIn for hunting talent

I hope it helps you and Smriti.

"SUCCESS" That's what we all want

Success is one word that all of us adore. We all want to be successful. As children, we wanted to get good grades in school, win that drawing competition, success in class test, winning that inter school challenge, success in board exams, cracking the entrance examination, getting admission in that college, landing that dream job. The desire for success never fades throughout life. Various workshops and seminars are being conducted throughout the world on how to become successful. Organizations spend millions in achieving success. But how does one really become successful. Here are some pointers for you all 

• Stand Out and get Noticed: The only way to stand out in a job is "Hard Work". Most people shy away from assignments that are tough. The chance is all yours. Take up the challenging assignments and deliver on time.
• Attitude: Yes, attitude does matter. A lot, in fact. Act pleasant and act like you want to be there. Don't just do your work, but strive to do your work in the best possible way.
• Upgrade your Knowledge: Keeping yourself updated with the latest buzz in the corporate world is of utmost importance. Read, read and read to upgrade your knowledge
• Relation with your Manager: Nothing can be better than sharing a good bond with your manager. But, it is not always necessary that all of us will really get along well with our respective Managers. Even if your boss is a jerk (I've known a few of those) show respect. You have to be around this person everyday and making things worse won't help.
• Know when to speak: Don't brag about your accomplishments, just wait for them to be noticed.  If you brag about your accomplishments, you may be seen as a showoff, and appear to be insincere and trying too hard.
• Do not Pretend: Don't pretend to know things you don't. Just be honest and say that you don't know.  If you pretend to know things you don't, you may think you are fooling people, and at first you may be, but sooner or later others will start to see right through it.

Above all, be patient and remember that things do take time. 

Should I join a startup?

As a student, I often dreamed about the days my internship will start so that I can get a chance to earn a good stipend and the things I would do with the money. I knew that the stipend would be limited but my wish list was endless.

When the internship interviews started, I was very excited. I appeared for various interviews and luckily got internship offers from two organizations. One was a very famous multi national bank and another was a startup (a small organization with only five employees that had just started up). The bank on one hand was offering a generous stipend while the startup had informed me I will get substantial learning but not any stipend.

I decided to talk to both the employers in detail about their expectations from me. The bank informed me that I would be required to do sales and it would majorly be out door. I didn’t have any problem with that as long as I get good learning experience. When I spoke to the startup, the CEO was very informative about the things I would be required to do. It was all about learning in almost every field possible. A little bit of marketing, a bit of HR, some of the administration and even a little R&D would be a part of my job. I was confused. On one hand was a brand name offering good money and on the other was a lesser known organization that had not even starting making considerable revenue yet.

I spoke to a few friends and family members. All of them suggested me to go with the much renowned bank. I had made my decision already. I just wanted to check what others think about it.

As you may have guessed, I picked the offer from the startup. The day I joined, I was given a detailed orientation by a colleague. They had set their expectations already and wanted me to perform. I had to work eight to nine hours every day. I was given a laptop and was expected to be very prompt on email. I had to take out time for my project report as well, that I did late nights and weekends. They made me work really hard, I was always busy. Moreover I did not get any money for putting my heart and soul into it. But what I got is priceless. I got the mentoring from senior people, I worked directly under geniuses and copied their working style. The energy, enthusiasm, clarity, vision and planning of those people was amazing.

My batch mates on the other hand had a fun time. Some of them went to their office twice a week, some even went home and stayed with their parents, some went on a vacation.

But when we met in the next semester class, I knew that I was the superior one. The one with more knowledge, more experience and a better chance of getting a good placement.

The Art of Denying an Offer

A friend of mine who was looking for a job, got joining offers from 4 good organizations. The ball was in his court now. He had to pick the one best suited to his aims and goals.

 

Also read Comparing two or more job offers

 

He came to me for the advise and I told him to accept the one his heart tells him to, but do not forget to inform the ones you are not joining. He seemed surprised and said "Why would I do that" the discussion ended and he decided to not pick up the calls from the companies he had decided not to join.

 

When he joined the organization he had decided to, he was assigned a project that was not relevant to his skills. No surprises, he could not perform. He was stuck. He had lost those organizations who had extended him an offer letter earlier. It was too embarrassing for him to call them back and check if the position was still open.

 

However, only if he had been courteous enough to inform them timely that he is not joining, things would have looked different. He could have gone to one of those organizations to check if they still had that position open. But now he was an unhappy, non performing employee who would probably not get a salary hike.

 

I have come across several such people in the past 8 years. I always say that only a brilliant person will have joining offers from multiple organizations. Turning an offer down is fine, but not informing them is not cool. It shows your attitude, attitude that you do not bother, that you do not care.

 

So if you at any point of time, have more than one offer in hand always remember to inform the one you are turning down. It is not easy to say no. You definitely need balls to do that. Write them an email or give them a call. The choice is yours. But inform them as soon as possible. The organizations do have deadlines and their projects could go on a toll if they do not have the resources at the right time. If you inform them well in advance, they will go ahead and hire someone else. They will thank you for that. Trust me on this, accepting the offer and not showing up is the worst thing you could do to an employer.

 

So, pick up that phone or better still send them an email.

 

All the best

Micro Management

Do you create Zombies at work?

I bet you do, if you are someone who adores Micro Managing the team. That's right, Zombies. Mindless automatons that can barely do anything except exactly what they are ordered to do, and even then, only when someone is strictly monitoring what they're doing and how they're doing it. What makes me curious is that if majority of people hate being micro managed why so many managers continue to follow it? Is it the lack of trust? Is it because it takes longer to train employees to do something than it is to do it yourself? I hate being micro managed. So why on earth would I do that to someone else? BANG!!! That's it. May be I don't even know that I am micro managing. Arghhhh!!!!

If I am doing it, I must face it.

Here are few symptoms of people who like to micro manage:

• Resist delegating;
• Immerse themselves in overseeing the projects of others;
• Start by correcting tiny details instead of looking at the big picture;
• Take back delegated work before it is finished if they find a mistake in it; and
• Discourage others from making decisions without consulting them.

Now that we know the symptoms of a micro manager, let’s see what the ways to avoid it are.

"Admit It"

Yes you read that right, the only way to avoid micro management is to admit it. There are people who don't even know what their management style is. Once you know, that you are micro managing, you can take steps towards changing it.