Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself ?

TRAPS:  Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER:  Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

So, before you answer this or any question it's imperative that you try to uncover your interviewer's greatest need, want, problem or goal.

To do so, make you take these two steps:

1.      Do all the homework you can before the interview to uncover this person's wants and needs (not the generalized needs of the industry or company)

2.      As early as you can in the interview, ask for a more complete description of what the position entails.  You might say: “I have a number of accomplishments I'd like to tell you about, but I want to make the best use of our time together and talk directly to your needs. To help me do, that, could you tell me more about the most important priorities of this position?  All I know is what I (heard from the recruiter, read in the classified ad, etc.)”

 Then, ALWAYS follow-up with a second and possibly, third question, to draw out his needs even more. Surprisingly, it's usually this second or      third question that unearths what the interviewer is most looking for.

You might ask simply, "And in addition to that?..." or, "Is there anything else you see as essential to success in this position?:

This process will not feel easy or natural at first, because it is easier simply to answer questions, but only if you uncover the employer's wants and needs will your answers make the most sense. Practice asking these key questions before giving your answers, the process will feel more natural and you will be light years ahead of the other job candidates you're competing with.

After uncovering what the employer is looking for, describe why the needs of this job bear striking parallels to tasks you've succeeded at before. Be sure to illustrate with specific examples of your responsibilities and especially your achievements, all of which are geared to present yourself as a perfect match for the needs he has just described.

                       What are your  strengths?

TRAPS:  This question seems like a softball lob, but be prepared. You don't want to come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble.

BEST ANSWER:  You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this.

Prior to any interview, you should have a list mentally prepared of your greatest strengths. You should also have, a specific example or two, which illustrates each strength, an example chosen from your most recent and most impressive achievements.

You should, have this list of your greatest strengths and corresponding examples from your achievements so well committed to memory that you can recite them cold after being shaken awake at 2:30AM.

Then, once you uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs, you can choose those achievements from your list that best match up.

As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

2.  Intelligence...management "savvy".

3.  Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.

4.  Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player who meshes well with interviewer's team.

5.  Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.

6.  Good communication skills.

7.  Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.

9. Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.

10. Confident...healthy...a leader

Interview Questions

         

            Where do you see yourself five years from now?

TRAPS:  One reason interviewers ask this question is to see if you’re settling for this position, using it merely as a stopover until something better comes along.  Or they could be trying to gauge your level of ambition.

If you’re too specific, i.e., naming the promotions you someday hope to win, you’ll sound presumptuous.  If you’re too vague, you’ll seem rudderless.

BEST ANSWER:   Reassure your interviewer that you’re looking to make a long-term commitment…that this position entails exactly what you’re looking to do and what you do extremely well.  As for your future, you believe that if you perform each job at hand with excellence, future opportunities will take care of themselves.

Example:  “I am definitely interested in making a long-term commitment to my next position.  Judging by what you’ve told me about this position, it’s exactly what I’m looking for and what I am very well qualified to do.  In terms of my future career path, I’m confident that if I do my work with excellence, opportunities will inevitable open up for me.  It’s always been that way in my career, and I’m confident I’ll have similar opportunities here.”

             Describe your ideal company, location and job.

TRAPS:  This is often asked by an experienced interviewer who thinks you may be overqualified, but knows better than to show his hand by posing his objection directly.  So he’ll use this question instead, which often gets a candidate to reveal that, indeed, he or she is looking for something other than the position at hand.

BEST ANSWER:  The only right answer is to describe what this company is offering, being sure to make your answer believable with specific reasons, stated with sincerity, why each quality represented by this opportunity is attractive to you.

Remember that if you’re coming from a company that’s the leader in its field or from a glamorous or much admired company, industry, city or position, your interviewer and his company may well have an “Avis” complex.  That is, they may feel a bit defensive about being “second best” to the place you’re coming from, worried that you may consider them bush league.

This anxiety could well be there even though you’ve done nothing to inspire it. You must go out of your way to assuage such anxiety, even if it’s not expressed, by putting their virtues high on the list of exactly what you’re looking for, providing credible reason for wanting these qualities.

If you do not express genuine enthusiasm for the firm, its culture, location, industry, etc., you may fail to answer this “Avis” complex objection and, as a result, leave the interviewer suspecting that a hot shot like you, coming from a Fortune 500 company in New York, just wouldn’t be happy at an unknown manufacturer based in Topeka, Kansas.

            Why do you want to work at our company?

TRAPS:  This question tests whether you’ve done any homework about the firm.  If you haven’t, you lose.  If you have, you win big.

BEST ANSWER:   This question is your opportunity to hit the ball out of the park, thanks to the in-depth research you should do before any interview.

Best sources for researching your target company:  annual reports, the corporate newsletter, contacts you know at the company or its suppliers, advertisements, articles about the company in the trade press.

What are your  weaknesses?

TRAPS:  Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.

PASSABLE ANSWER:  Disguise a strength as a weakness.

Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard.  I like to work with a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”

Drawback:  This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is transparent to any experienced interviewer.

BEST ANSWER:  (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.

Example:  “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position, I believe I' d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well?  Everything in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that I see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit): Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not essential.

Example:  Let's say you're applying for a teaching position. “If given a choice, I like to spend as much time as possible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling paperwork back at the office.  Of course, I long ago learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and I do it conscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer were a sales manager, this should be music to his ears.

                 Tell me about something you did  that you now feel a little ashamed of.

TRAPS:  There are some questions your interviewer has no business asking, and this is one.  But while you may feel like answering, “none of your business,” naturally you can’t.  Some interviewers ask this question on the chance you admit to something, but if not, at least they’ll see how you think on your feet.

Some unprepared candidates, flustered by this question, unburden themselves of guilt from their personal life or career, perhaps expressing regrets regarding a parent, spouse, child, etc.  All such answers can be disastrous.

BEST ANSWER:  As with faults and weaknesses, never confess a regret.  But don’t seem as if you’re stonewalling either.

Best strategy:  Say you harbor no regrets, then add a principle or habit you practice regularly for healthy human relations.

Example:  Pause for reflection, as if the question never occurred to you.  Then say, “You know, I really can’t think of anything.”  (Pause again, then add): “I would add that as a general management principle, I’ve found that the best way to avoid regrets is to avoid causing them in the first place.  I practice one habit that helps me a great deal in this regard.  At the end of each day, I mentally review the day’s events and conversations to take a second look at the people and developments I’m involved with and do a double check of what they’re likely to be feeling.  Sometimes I’ll see things that do need more follow-up, whether a pat on the back, or maybe a five minute chat in someone’s office to make sure we’re clear on things…whatever.”

“I also like to make each person feel like a member of an elite team, like the Boston Celtics or LA Lakers in their prime.  I’ve found that if you let each team member know you expect excellence in their performance…if you work hard to set an example yourself…and if you let people know you appreciate and respect their feelings, you wind up with a highly motivated group, a team that’s having fun at work because they’re striving for excellence rather than brooding over slights or regrets.”

What good books have you read lately?

TRAPS:  As in all matters of your interview, never fake familiarity you don’t have.  Yet you don’t want to seem like a dullard who hasn’t read a book since Tom Sawyer.

BEST ANSWER:  Unless you’re up for a position in academia or as book critic for The New York Times, you’re not expected to be a literary lion.  But it wouldn’t hurt to have read a handful of the most recent and influential books in your profession and on management.

Consider it part of the work of your job search to read up on a few of these leading books.  But make sure they are quality books that reflect favorably upon you, nothing that could even remotely be considered superficial.  Finally, add a recently published bestselling work of fiction by a world-class author and you’ll pass this question with flying colors.

             Tell me about a situation when your work was criticized.

TRAPS:  This is a tough question because it’s a more clever and subtle way to get you to admit to a weakness.  You can’t dodge it by pretending you’ve never been criticized.  Everybody has been.  Yet it can be quite damaging to start admitting potential faults and failures that you’d just as soon leave buried.

This question is also intended to probe how well you accept criticism and direction.

BEST ANSWERS:  Begin by emphasizing the extremely positive feedback you’ve gotten throughout your career and (if it’s true) that your performance reviews have been uniformly excellent.

Of course, no one is perfect and you always welcome suggestions on how to improve your performance.  Then, give an example of a not-too-damaging learning experience from early in your career and relate the ways this lesson has since helped you.  This demonstrates that you learned from the experience and the lesson is now one of the strongest breastplates in your suit of armor.

           What are your outside interests?

TRAPS:  You want to be a well-rounded, not a drone.  But your potential employer would be even more turned off if he suspects that your heavy extracurricular load will interfere with your commitment to your work duties.

BEST ANSWERS:  Try to gauge how this company’s culture would look upon your favorite outside activities and be guided accordingly.

You can also use this question to shatter any stereotypes that could limit your chances.  If you’re over 50, for example, describe your activities that demonstrate physical stamina. 

If you’re young, mention an activity that connotes wisdom and institutional trust, such as serving on the board of a popular charity.

But above all, remember that your employer is hiring your for what you can do for him, not your family, yourself or outside organizations, no matter how admirable those activities may be.

           Would you lie for the company?

TRAPS:  This another question that pits two values against one another, in this case loyalty against integrity.

BEST ANSWER:  Try to avoid choosing between two values, giving a positive statement which covers all bases instead.

Example:  “I would never do anything to hurt the company..”

If aggressively pressed to choose between two competing values, always choose personal integrity.  It is the most prized of all values.

Can you work under pressure?

TRAPS:  An easy question, but you want to make your answer believable.

BEST ANSWER:  Absolutely…(then prove it with a vivid example or two of a goal or project accomplished under severe pressure.)

         What makes you angry?

TRAPS:  You don’t want to come across either as a hothead or a wimp.

BEST ANSWER:    Give an answer that’s suited to both your personality and the management style of the firm.  Here, the homework you’ve done about the company and its style can help in your choice of words.

          Who has inspired you in your life and why?

TRAPS:  The two traps here are unprepared  and irrelevance.  If you grope for an answer, it seems you’ve never been inspired.  If you ramble about your high school basketball coach, you’ve wasted an opportunity to present qualities of great value to the company.

BEST ANSWER:  Have a few heroes in mind, from your mental “Board of Directors” – Leaders in your industry, from history or anyone else who has been your mentor.

Be prepared to give examples of how their words, actions or teachings have helped inspire your achievements.  As always, prepare an answer which highlights qualities that would be highly valuable in the position you are seeking.

          What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?

TRAPS:  Giving an unprepared or irrelevant answer.

BEST ANSWER:  Be prepared with a good example, explaining why the decision was difficult…the process you followed in reaching it…the courageous or effective way you carried it out…and the beneficial results.

          How do you feel about working nights and weekends?

TRAPS:  Blurt out “no way, Jose” and you can kiss the job offer goodbye.  But what if you have a family and want to work a reasonably normal schedule?  Is there a way to get both the job and the schedule you want?

BEST ANSWER:  First, if you’re a confirmed workaholic, this question is a softball lob.  Whack it out of the park on the first swing by saying this kind of schedule is just your style.  Add that your family understands it.  Indeed, they’re happy for you, as they know you get your greatest satisfaction from your work.

If however, you prefer a more balanced lifestyle, answer this question with another:  “What’s the norm for your best people here?”

If the hours still sound unrealistic for you, ask, “Do you have any top people who perform exceptionally for you, but who also have families and like to get home in time to see them at night?”  Chances are this company does, and this associates you with this other “top-performers-who-leave-not-later-than-six” group.

          May I contact your present employer for a reference?

TRAPS:  If you’re trying to keep your job search private, this is the last thing you want.  But if you don’t cooperate, won’t you seem as if you’re trying to hide something?

BEST ANSWER:  Express your concern that you’d like to keep your job search private, but that in time, it will be perfectly okay.

Example:  “My present employer is not aware of my job search and, for obvious reasons; I’d prefer to keep it that way.  I’d be most appreciative if we kept our discussion confidential right now.  Of course, when we both agree the time is right, then by all means you should contact them.  I’m very proud of my record there.

What was the toughest challenge you’ve ever faced?

TRAPS:  Being unprepared or citing an example from so early in your life that it doesn’t score many points for you at this stage of your career.

BEST ANSWER:  This is an easy question if you’re prepared. Have a recent example ready that demonstrates either:

1.      A quality most important to the job at hand; or

2.      A quality that is always in demand, such as leadership, initiative, managerial skill, persuasiveness, courage, persistence, intelligence, etc.

           What are your goals?

TRAPS:  Not having any…or having only vague generalities, not highly specific goals.

BEST ANSWER:  Many executives in a position to hire you are strong believers in goal-setting. (It’s one of the reason they’ve achieved so much).  They like to hire in kind.

If you’re vague about your career and personal goals, it could be a big turnoff to may people you will encounter in your job search.

Be ready to discuss your goals for each major area of your life:  career, personal development and learning, family, physical (health), community service and (if your interviewer is clearly a religious person) you could briefly and generally allude to your spiritual goals (showing you are a well-rounded individual with your values in the right order).

              The Salary Question” – How much money do you want?

TRAPS:  May also be phrases as, “What salary are you worth?”…or, “How much are you making now?”  This is your most important negotiation. Handle it wrong and you can blow the job offer or go to work at far less than you might have gotten.

BEST ANSWER:  For maximum salary negotiating power, remember these five guidelines:

1.      Never bring up salary.  Let the interviewer do it first.  Good salespeople sell their products thoroughly before talking price.  So should you.  Make the interviewer want you first, and your bargaining position will be much stronger.

2.      If your interviewer raises the salary question too early, before you’ve had a chance to create desire for your qualifications, postpone the question, saying something like, “Money is important to me, but is not my main concern.  Opportunity and growth are far more important.  What I’d rather do, if you don’t

mind, is explore if I’m right for the position, and then talk about money. Would that be okay?”

           If you won $10 million lottery, would you still work?

TRAPS:  Your totally honest response might be, “Hell, no, are you serious?”  That might be so, but any answer which shows you as fleeing work if given the chance could make you seem lazy.  On the other hand, if you answer, “Oh, I’d want to keep doing exactly what I am doing, only doing it for your firm,” you could easily inspire your interviewer to silently mutter to himself, “Yeah, sure.  Gimme a break.”

BEST ANSWER:  This type of question is aimed at getting at your bedrock attitude about work and how you feel about what you do.  Your best answer will focus on your positive feelings.

Example:  “After I floated down from cloud nine, I think I would still hold my basic belief that achievement and purposeful work are essential to a happy, productive life.  After all, if money alone bought happiness, then all rich people would be all happy, and that’s not true.

“I love the work I do, and I think I’d always want to be involved in my career in some fashion.  Winning the lottery would make it more fun because it would mean having more flexibility, more options...who knows?”

“Of course, since I can’t count on winning, I’d just as soon create my own destiny by sticking with what’s worked for me, meaning good old reliable hard work and a desire to achieve.  I think those qualities have built many more fortunes that all the lotteries put together.”

          Tell me something negative you’ve heard about our company…

TRAPS:  This is a common fishing expedition to see what the industry grapevine may be saying about the company.  But it’s also a trap because as an outsider, you never want to be the bearer of unflattering news or gossip about the firm.  It can only hurt your chances and sidetrack the interviewer from getting sold on you.

BEST ANSWER:  Just remember the rule – never be negative – and you’ll handle this one just fine.

Interview Concepts

What is an interview? 

An interview is a face-to-face meeting, especially for the purpose of obtaining a statement for assessing the qualities of a candidate. It further, indicates a physical

meeting of people with two possible objectives: 

1. To obtain a statement or opinion – as is done when film stars are interviewed to get their views on any particular role, or when the prime minister is interviewed to get statement on the result of his discussion with another political leader. 

2. To assess a person for selection – such as interviews for jobs, admission to educational institutions, etc. 

Preparing for an interview 

1. One of the most fundamental factors that contributes to the success of an interview is the time and quality of preparation made by you. 

2. The degree of preparedness for an interview helps reduce the uncertainty and anxiety prior to the interview. 

3. The amount of effort you wish to put into preparation is directly proportional to the importance of the interview. 

Study about the organization 

It is important to know the background of the institute you apply to. You must read its brochure and visit its website. It is important for the following reasons. 

1. Selectors cannot comprehend why and how a person can say he is keen to join an institute about which he knows little or nothing. 

2. From the interviewer’s point of view the good applicant is one who has done some homework about the organization. 

What you must know is: 

1. A brief history of the organization. 

2. It’s main features 

3. Location 

4. Any important issue of the organization that has been newsworthy. 

5. Key people in the organization. 

Refresh yourself on your subjects of graduation/post graduation. 

1. It is but natural that interviewers would quiz you on your field of specialization. 

2. You may like to go back to the principle text books and refresh your knowledge definitions, formulas, concepts and other related issues. 

3. An interviewer judges your ability to perform on future tasks on the basis of your past performance. 

Tips for the interview 

Entering the room 

1. Prior to the entering the door, adjust your attire so that it falls well. 

2. Before entering enquire by saying, “May I come in sir/madam”. 

3. If the door was closed before you entered, make sure you shut the door behind you softly. 

4. Face the panel and confidently say ‘Good day sir/madam’. 

5. If the members of the interview board want to shake hands, then offer a firm grip first maintaining eye contact and a smile. 

6. Seek permission to sit down. If the interviewers are standing, wait for them to sit down first before sitting. 

7. An alert interviewee would diffuse the tense situation with light-hearted humour and immediately set rapport with the interviewers. (But don’t tell him a joke!). 

Lead the interview 

A good interviewee would be quick to settle and begin to lead the interviewers. 

Enthusiasm 

1. The interviewer normally pays more attention if you display an enthusiasm in whatever you say. 

2. This enthusiasm come across in the energetic way you put forward your ideas. 

3. You should maintain a cheerful disposition throughout the interview, i.e. a pleasant countenance hold s the interviewers interest. 

Be brief 

1. Brevity is the hallmark of a good communicator. 

2. It is recommended that you volunteer information, but this must be done in lucid and to-the-point manner. 

3. An over-talkative or verbose person is instantly disliked and misjudged.

Don't Bluff 

1. If you not know the answer to a question, it is better to acknowledge it, rather than trying to bluff your through it. 

2. The interviewer will respect your honesty. 

3. In our experience, interviewers immediately take a stance of grilling a candidate if they suspect him or her of lying. 

Humor 

1. A little humor or wit thrown in the discussion occasionally enables the interviewers to look at the pleasant side of your personality,. If it does not come naturally do not contrive it. 

2. By injecting humor in the situation doesn’t mean that you should keep telling jokes. It means to make a passing comment that, perhaps, makes the interviewer

smile. 

Interviewer fatigue 

1. Mostly interviews are conducted the whole day leading to fatigued minds. 

2. A little humor as a starter will ease the fatigued minds. However, if you do not have the knack of humor, it is better not to get into it. 

3. You must be proactive in offering information about yourself as the interviewers will be willing –listeners. 

Be well-mannered 

1. The way you conduct yourself reflects your upbringing and your culture. 

2. It is good to project an air of humility. 

3. Over confidence is often misinterpreted by interviewees as arrogance. 

4. Polite statements are recommended.

Be poised 

1. Your posture during the interview adds or diminishes your personality. 

2. You should keep all certificates, testimonials and other relevant documents neatly on the table, preferably in a single file. 

3. Mannerisms such as playing with your tie, theatrical gesticulations, shaking legs or sitting with arms slung over back of adjoining chair must be avoided. 

4. It is vital to be conscious of your posture and gesticulations as they tell a lot about our personality. 

Ask question if necessary 

1. Many interviewees believe that an interview is a one-way street, the hapless ‘victim’ struggling to be selected and the ‘all power’ being in whose hands lies

the destiny of the interviewee. It is a myth. 

2. You may ask a question/clarify information if necessary. It is quite in order and much appreciated by interviewers. 

Eye contact 

1. You must maintain eye contact with the panel, right through the interview. This shows your self-confidence and honesty. 

2. Many interviewees while answering, tend to look away. This conveys you are concealing your own anxiety, fear and lack of confidence. 

3. Maintaining an eye contact is a difficult process. As the circumstances in an interview are different, the value of eye contact is tremendous in making a personal impact. 

Listen carefully 

1. It is imperative for you to listen carefully to the question being asked. 

2. If a question is not clear, it would be quite in order for you to seek clarification on the same. 

3. Seeking a clarification is far better than giving an irrelevant answer. 

4. It is very annoying for interviewers when an interviewee misinterprets the questions, and answers by saying something which is irrelevant. 

Be natural 

1. Many interviewees adopt a stance which is not their natural self. 

2. It is amusing for interviewers when a candidate launches into an accent which he or she cannot sustain consistently through the interview or adopt mannerisms that are inconsistent with his/her personality. 

3. Interviewers appreciate a natural person rather than an actor. 

4. It is best for you to talk in natural manner because then you appear genuine. 

Guard against 

A candidate must guard against the following.Poor physical projectionBeing over aggressiveLack of lifeLack of knowledgeExtreme opinionsBluffingLack of courtesy and mannersDishonestyLack of eye contactNon-punctualSuperficial answersCasual approach

Tip's for Better Resume

1. USE ATTRACTIVE FORMATTINGFive minutes. That's all you have to grab the reader's attention and market yourself effectively. You can achieve this with attractive formatting.

The key is to have a good balance of white space and text. Your résumé should not look empty, nor should it overwhelm the reader with text. Keep margins of at least 1" on all sides (some companies may still keep your résumé "on file" i.e. in three-ring binders). Make the résumé readable by using a minimum of a 10-point font for text and 11-point for headings. Use, at most, three levels of formatting (normal text, bold, and italics) or else it will distract the reader. Remember, although you want to get the reader's attention, do so with communicative titles and descriptions rather than with fancy fonts and graphics.

A badly formatted résumé will look sloppy. If you submit such a document, you might as well forget about the interview.

2. COVER THE BASICSThe key point here is to not complicate matters for the reader. They should be able to obtain all pertinent information about you without moving from their chair (yes, it sounds ludicrous, but that's how it needs to be). So, make sure that your résumé contains the following information.

Contact Information like name, address, phone/fax numbers, and email address. Objective. A single statement should sum up your goals.

Education. If you've graduated recently and want to highlight it, place education before the experience and skills section and list your coursework. List GPAs only if they are good. Education should always be listed in reverse chronological order. Assuming that you have an undergraduate degree, do not list your high school education since it is irrelevant.

Work Experience. Again, this must be listed in reverse chronological order, and must include the company title, location, timeframe of work there, responsibilities and projects. More on this later.

Publications, Patents, and Awards. List these or anything else that is relevant to your job function in this section. If you have many publications and patents, consider listing them on a separate page and attach it to your résumé.

Computer Skills. This section can include hardware, software, programming language, and operating system experience. It's not necessary to include everything, but do make sure you list a few critical items which can be caught by résumé tracking software.

Other Skills and Activities. This section can be used to show that you are a well-rounded individual. It can include membership in industry-related societies. Keep it short, general, and avoid controversial hobbies or pastimes.

If you have many years of experience, you can also provide a summary of your skills before the "Experience" and "Education" sections.

I've seen many résumés where people forgot to list their phone numbers, had glaring holes in their work experience and schooling, or did not mention their objective. Such deficiencies raise questions in the mind of the reader, and make his or her life more difficult by asking them to find information. Do you really want to do that, especially when there are hundreds of people applying for the same job?

3. BE CONCISE AND COMMUNICATE RELEVANT INFORMATIONIn the high-tech world, it is likely that managers who appreciate brevity will evaluate your résumé. So, keep the length in check. Follow the general rule of the thumb, one page for every eight years of experience. Also, don't repeat information.

However, do not err on the side of extreme conciseness. The goal is to communicate your experience and separate yourself from the competition. Consider the following examples of information that is too concise, appropriate, and too detailed.

"Designed a K6 motherboard for a sub-$1000 PC"—Too concise. Does not convey details of critical components, nor does it discuss applications.

"Designed a motherboard using the K6 processor, 430TX chipset and associated peripherals. Target applications were sub-$1000 PCs. To lower cost, graphics acceleration was integrated on-board."—Appropriate. Discusses critical components, architecture, and applications.

"Designed a motherboard using the K6 processor, 430TX chipset, Ultra-I/O controller, SDRAM, 512 KB of cache memory, clock generator, PCI and ISA slots, and a graphics accelerator with 4MB of memory on board. The system was targeted at sub-$1000 PCs being manufactured by various large computer makers in the US, Europe, and Asia."—Too long. Details that can be discussed in the interview are presented here. The statement about computer makers is irrelevant.

4. USE ACTION AND POWER WORDSIt is important that you use action words that convey activity. In the previous examples, the sentence could just as easily have begun with "Worked on a motherboard..." However, beginning the sentence with "Designed a motherboard..." eliminates ambiguity and conveys action.

A conscious effort must be made to use action and power words in your résumé. The types of words you can use depend on the job function. If you are applying for a management position, then use words like "Managed, supervised, led," etc. If you are applying for an engineering position, then incorporate words such as "Designed, developed, debugged," etc. A list of action words can be available through online thesauruses, reference books on résumé writing, and even paper manufacturing companies. Remember, it is also important to communicate teamwork and leadership qualities, especially if you are applying for a managerial position.

I've noticed that many Indians do not use action and power words when writing résumés. This is probably a cultural trait, since we're taught to understate our achievements and write in passive tense. Eliminate this habit when writing résumés.

5. BE FAMILIAR WITH THE INFORMATIONAn interviewer does not want to hear "Well, I worked on that project a long time ago and so I cannot answer your question." This is unacceptable and you have just shot yourself in the foot. If you are not familiar with the material, it conveys that either you did not do the work, or that you forget easily and cannot leverage off past experience, or that you have prepared poorly for the interview. Bottom line, either exclude such information from your résumé, or familiarize yourself with it.

6. BE CONSISTENTIt's fine to be creative, but consistency plays a far more important role. It conveys a logical and organized thought process and leaves a positive impression in the

engineering-centric high-tech world. Here's an example of consistency: When providing a summary of your accomplishments, begin each line item with an action word, as shown below by the underlined text.

Created and executed strategy to triple product line revenues in two years. Defined and developed four product families encompassing over 30 devices to

meet revenue goals.

Wrote all product data sheets and collateral for these 30 products.

Another example is to consistently stay in third person rather than shifting between first and third person in the document. Please refrain from using "I" in your résumé.

A general rule of the thumb is that each section of the résumé should have subsections that look very similar. For example, if your "Work Experience" section contains a paragraph on responsibilities, followed by subsections on major projects and accomplishments, it should be the same for every employer.

Different sections should resemble each other in terms of formatting, to ensure that information can be located easily.

7. DON'T LIEYou will be caught. Enough said.

8. BE BUZZWORD COMPLIANTSince screening is routinely performed by software, you must use buzzwords on your résumé. Don't enumerate everything in your repertoire, but do list basic skills that are necessary for the job, or are currently in demand. Obviously, include these abilities only if you possess them.

9. PERFORM SPELLING AND GRAMMAR CHECKSMost good interviewers do not accept more than three minor mistakes in a résumé, since it indicates your inability to perform high-quality work. Hence, after you have completed your résumé, check for spelling and grammar errors. All word processing packages include tools to do the same, so that's going to be your first level check. Additionally, have someone proof read the document to catch errors missed by the software.

Some common errors that I have see on résumés are: random double spaces between words, two periods at the end of a sentence, misspelling your University or company name, missing prepositions in a sentence, and a lack of commas in a long sentence.

10. CUSTOMIZE YOUR RÉSUMÉOne résumé does not fit all. It's okay to customize the résumé based on the job requirements. Customization sells your skills more effectively and results in more job interviews for you.

When applying for the job, don't forget the cover letter. The purpose of this document is to augment your résumé's critical sections (i.e. those that are applicable to the target job). The maximum length of a cover letter is one-half of a page, ideally separated into three paragraphs. The first tells the reader how you heard of the job, the second discusses your relevant skills, and the third tells the reader why you are a great fit. It goes without saying that a cover letter must be concise.

Since email is now very popular, a short cover letter can be written in the text of the email. However, email does raise the question of how to submit your résumé. In this case, the fundamental rules always apply: follow the company directions, and if they don't specify, ask. If you get no response, use the default, which is a text email with a Word attachment.

If you feel the need to work with a résumé professional, there are many online providers of résumé writing and reviewing services. Select one that has experience in your field of work, and understands your requirements well. But remember, only you are responsible for the contents, look, and feel of your résumé, and you should treat it with the utmost importance. This article has provided you with some basic tips on how to write better résumés, and for those of you who need more information, "additional information is available upon request."

The Three R's of Resume

1. Research the company.Read whatever literature the company has placed in the career library. For additional information, try the Internet or, even more directly, call the company. Ask for any literature it may have, find out how the company is structured, and ask what qualities the company generally looks for in its employees. Ask if there are openings in your area, and find out the name of the department head and give him or her a call. Explain that you are trying to decide whether to apply to their company, and ask for their recommendation for next steps. Thank that person for the information, and ask to whom your resume should be directed.

  2. Research the position.

The more you know about the position, the better able you will be to sell yourself and to target the resume to that position. If possible, interview someone who does that same job. In addition to finding out the duties, ask if there is on-the-job training, whether they value education over experience (or vice versa), and what kind of turnover the department experiences. Ask what they like about the position and the company; more important, ask what they don't like about it.

  3. Research yourself.

Your goal is not just to get a job. Your goal is to get a job that you will enjoy. After you find out all you can about the company and the position, ask yourself

honestly whether this is what you really want to do and where you really want to be. The odds are overwhelming that you will not hold this position for more than two or three years, so it's not a lifetime commitment; however, this first job will be the base of your lifetime career. You must start successfully so that future recommendations will always be positive. Furthermore, three years is a long time to spend doing something you don't like, working in a position that isn't challenging, or living somewhere you don't want to live.

DOs

Dress appropriately for the industry; err on the side of being conservative to show you take the interview seriously. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be impeccable. 

Know the exact time and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there, park, find a rest room to freshen up, etc. 

Arrive early; 10 minutes prior to the interview start time. 

Treat other people you encounter with courtesy and respect. Their opinions of you might be solicited during hiring decisions. 

Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly expression when you are greeted by your interviewer. 

Listen to be sure you understand your interviewer's name and the correct pronunciation. 

Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name, address your interviewer by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name, until invited to do otherwise. 

Maintain good eye contact during the interview. 

Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching. 

Respond to questions and back up your statements about yourself with specific examples whenever possible. 

Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question. 

Be thorough in your responses, while being concise in your wording. 

Be honest and be yourself. Dishonesty gets discovered and is grounds for withdrawing job offers and for firing. You want a good match between yourself and your employer. If you get hired by acting like someone other than yourself,

you and your employer will both be unhappy. 

Treat the interview seriously and as though you are truly interested in the employer and the opportunity presented. 

Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to work with. 

Have intelligent questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having done your research about the employer in advance, ask questions which you did not find answered in your research. 

Evaluate the interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way street. Conduct yourself cordially and respectfully, while thinking critically about the way you are treated and the values and priorities of the organization. 

Do expect to be treated appropriately. If you believe you were treated inappropriately or asked questions that were inappropriate or made you uncomfortable, discuss this with a Career Services advisor or the director. 

Make sure you understand the employer's next step in the hiring process; know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take next, if any. 

When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact. Depart gracefully. 

After the interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details. 

Write a thank-you letter to your interviewer promptly. 

DON'Ts

Don't make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. 

Don't make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others). 

Don't falsify application materials or answers to interview questions. 

Don't treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the organization. 

Don't give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of its geographic location. 

Don't give the impression you are only interested in salary; don't ask about salary and benefits issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer. 

Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment. 

Don't make the interviewer guess what type of work you are interested in; it is not the interviewer's job to act as a career advisor to you. 

Don't be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them in every interview, but being unprepared looks foolish. 

A job search can be hard work and involve frustrations; don't exhibit frustrations or a negative attitude in an interview. 

Don't go to extremes with your posture; don't slouch, and don't sit rigidly on the edge of your chair. 

Don't assume that a female interviewer is "Mrs." or "Miss." Address her as "Ms." unless told otherwise. Her marital status is irrelevant to the purpose of the interview. 

Don't chew gum or smell like smoke. 

Don't allow your cell phone to sound during the interview. (If it does, apologize quickly and ignore it.) Don't take a cell phone call. 

Don't take your parents, your pet (an assistance animal is not a pet in this circumstance), spouse, fiance, friends or enemies to an interview. If you are not grown up and independent enough to attend an interview alone, you're insufficiently grown up and independent for a job. (They can certainly visit your new city, at their own expense, but cannot attend your interview.)

Secret's of Successful Resume

Successful resumes have two key elements:

1. They include an employer-centered objective, which gives them direction. 2. They show evidence that you have the necessary background to do the job.

The Objective

Your objective is a short and realistic statement of interest, and it indicates the type of position you are seeking. It can be a list of functions you wish to perform, or can be a professional title such as "Structural Engineer" or "Software Development Intern" at XYZ Company. Often, the problem with objectives is that they are either too broad or too narrow. To avoid this pitfall, develop a targeted and balanced objective; e.g., "Pursuing a research and development position in chemical engineering." Include the job title and the name of the organization if you know them; e.g., "Seeking a position as an Electronic Systems Design Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation."

You should have a variety of objectives that you can use to tailor your resume. In fact, you'll probably have several different resumes because you'll want to emphasize your skills and experience differently depending on the type of position for which you're applying. Chances are that you have the skills to work in various environments and jobs-there may be multiple industries were you could pursue job opportunities. At some point in your career, you may decide to change fields altogether. The years of work experience you have in an unrelated field can definitely apply to another field.

Skills can easily transfer from one position to the next. For example, if you have worked in retail, your communication and organizational skills are applicable in any number of positions and industries. Highlighting and including transferable skills in your resume is a great way to market your value to a potential employer. 

The Body of Your Resume

Your resume should feature information that highlights your qualifications and supports your objective. Provide specific examples of your accomplishments, skills and results.

Organize your resume according to categories or headings that best reflect your level of experience and background. Here are some examples of resume headings:

Objective

Education

Related Course Work

Projects

Experience

Skills

Activities

Volunteer Work

Community Service

Employment Summary

Accomplishments

Summary of Qualifications

Leadership Activities

Affiliations

Awards/Honors

Related Experience

Other Employment

Military Experience

Publications

Presentations

Certification/Licensure

Note that the bold headings on the list are generally the standard choices if you are seeking internship, co-op, summer or entry-level career positions. Refer to the sample resumes on page 36 for specific examples on how to build content within various headings. 

Adding Muscle to Your Resume

It is a good idea to get your resume critiqued by a career services professional before you send it to employers. This service is available through nearly every campus career office. Here are some tips recommended by career counselors: 

Start sentences with "power verbs". 

Use present tense action words to describe current or in-progress experiences, and past tense action words to describe completed tasks. 

Include keywords and descriptive words. Keywords may include job titles, specific technical or non-technical skills, personal traits, academic degrees, occupational functions and so on. If specific words and skills are emphasized in the job description, be sure to include them on your resume. 

Quantify results whenever possible. Be specific in your descriptions. For example, if you helped process efficiency by 15%, state that. 

Tailor your resume by changing the order of your headings to emphasize or deemphasize different aspects of your education and experience. Position the most relevant information near the top of your resume. 

Limit your resume to one page. The most powerful and memorable advertisements are 30 seconds long. 

Create accomplishment statements versus a "laundry list" of tasks. Provide results whenever possible. 

Avoid resume killers-grammatical, punctuation and typographical errors, and excessive abbreviations.

Electronic Resume Strategies

Many organizations use electronic systems to store and access applicants' resumes. When you forward your resume via snail mail, fax, email or online application/resume template, it will most likely become a part of the organization's electronic resume bank.

At the heart of your electronic resume building strategy are keywords. These commonly used industry-specific terms will help catch the attention of resume screening software programs. To maximize your chances of being selected by the organization's "electronic eye," your resume needs a mix of keywords and skills that match various position requirements included in the employer's database. 

Scanner Tips

If you know that a prospective employer will use scanning technology on your hard-copy resume, use the following guidelines:

Choose a font that's easy to read and professional looking, such as Times New Roman or Arial. 

Keep your font size between 11 and 14 points, and don't compress spaces between letters. 

Use white, standard-sized 81/2ý x 11ý paper printed on one side only. 

Do not use italic text, script, underlined passages, tab indents or resume templates. 

Avoid graphics, shading and boxes. 

If your scan-able resume is longer than one page, place your name as the first readable item on each page. 

Make everything on the page left-justified. 

Use ALL CAPS to distinguish your name or section headers.

Tips for Electronic Resume Transmittals

Many organizations specify how they prefer to receive electronic resumes-you should follow those instructions. In other words, if a company requests that applicants paste a resume into an email cover letter, do so. The safest way to send your resume via email is to save it as a plain text document. Do not attach a word-processed version of your resume to an email message-you could unknowingly have a virus on your computer and pass it along to a potential employer. You can, however, save your resume as a PDF and attach it to an emailed cover letter. The PDF format doesn't support viruses. Also, virtually every employer can open a PDF file.

Here are some more tips:

Emphasize key items of your resume with asterisks (*) or capital letters instead of bold type, italics or bullets. These elements don't carry over to a text document. 

Use a series of dashes to separate headings. 

Keep lines at about 65 characters to avoid line wraps.

DownFall

Oversell ::: Trying too hard to impress; bragging; acting aggressively.

Undersell :: Failing to emphasize the fact that you have related skills; discussing experience using negative qualifiers (i.e. "I have a little experience...").

Body Language

It is easy to create a negative impression without even realizing that you are doing it. Are you staring at your feet, or talking to the interviewer's shoulder? Be aware of what your actions say about you.

Lack of Honesty

The slightest stretching of the truth may result in you being screened out.

Negative Attitude

The interview is not an opportunity for you to complain about your current supervisor or co-workers (or even about 'little' things, such as the weather).

Lack of Preparation

You have to know about the organization and the occupation. If you don't, it will appear as though you are not interested in the position.

Lack of Enthusiasm

If you are not excited about the work at the interview, the employer will not assume that your attitude will improve when hired.

Rejection

Keep in mind that rejection is a normal part of every job search. For every position, if 100 people apply, 99 will be rejected.If you are rejected, it does not mean that you are not a good applicant. It simply means that you were not the best applicant for that particular job at that particular time. Don't get discouraged. Rejection happens to everyone and is not a reflection of you. Consider each new application a new opportunity.

Failure Of Resume

1. Too long. Most new graduates should restrict their resumes to one page. If you have trouble condensing, get help from a technical or business writer or a career center professional.

  2. Typographical, grammatical or spelling errors. These errors suggest

carelessness, poor education and/or lack of intelligence. Have at least two people proofread your resume. Don't rely on a computer's spell-checkers or grammar-checkers.

  3. Hard to read. A poorly typed or copied resume looks unprofessional. Use a

computer. Use a plain typeface, no smaller than a 12-point font. Asterisks, bullets, underlining, boldface type and italics should be used only to make the document easier to read, not fancier. Again, ask a professional's opinion.

 

4. Too verbose (using too many words to say too little). Do not use complete sentences or paragraphs. Say as much as possible with as few words as possible. A, an and the can almost always be left out. Be careful in your use of jargon and avoid slang.

  5. Too sparse. Give more than the bare essentials, especially when describing

related work experience, skills, accomplishments, activities, interests and club memberships that will give employers desired information. Including membership in the Society of Women Engineers, for example, would be helpful to employers who wish to hire more women, yet cannot ask for that information.

  6. Irrelevant information. Customize each resume to each position you seek (when

possible). Of course, include all education and work experience, but emphasize only relevant experience, skills, accomplishments, activities and hobbies. Do not include marital status, age, sex, children, height, weight, health, church membership, etc.

  7. Obviously generic. Too many resumes scream, "I need a job—any job!" The

employer needs to feel that you are interested in that position with that company.

  8. Too snazzy. Of course, use good quality bond paper, but avoid exotic types,

colored paper, photographs, binders and graphics. More and more companies are scanning resumes into a database, so use white paper, black ink, plain type, and avoid symbols, underlining or italics.

  9. Boring. Make your resume as dynamic as possible. Begin every statement with an

action verb. Use active verbs, describing what you accomplished on the job. Don't write what someone else told you to do; write what you did. Take advantage of your rich vocabulary and avoid repeating words, especially the first word in a section.

  10.Too modest. The resume showcases your qualifications in competition with the

other applicants. Put your best foot forward without misrepresentation, falsification or arrogance.

Asses The Interviewer

Instead of being assessed by the interviewer, why not assess him instead? Is he worthy of conducting the interview?

 Is he competent enough to be given the role of being the one who decides the course of your life by determining your career?

 Let's start by figuring out what the interviewer is thinking. Let's turn his checklist on him:

IS HE PREPARED?

Interviewing is a responsible job. If  the  interviewer doesn't  even  bother to find out the  details of  the  position being offered, or the

background of the applicant, he is not suited to the task. An interviewer has to do his homework as well—he just cannot presume he

can run an easy-flowing meeting without knowing the basic details.

IS HE NERVOUS?

Look for the give-aways: shifting legs, tick in the eye, avoiding eye contact. Realise that probably he's nervous as well. Interviewing is

not an easy task. The  onus of  selection weighs heavy on the interviewer. He  has  been  given the  difficult  task of  finding a  suitable

candidate who fulfills all the criteria,  yet has  moderate salary expectations  and is also a reliable person. All  this to be  found out and

that too in the duration of a couple of meetings.

IS HE HONEST?

Find out if the interview is just a sham, and the MD's sister's son-in-law has already been promised the job. A just interviewer will

play it fair, will follow the rules and will be sincere with you. He/she won't come to the interview with preconceived and fixed ideas.

He/she will be ready to listen to you and give you, and other applicants, a fair hearing.

IS HE NASTY?

Tough questions are part of the interview repertoire, the likes of which have been listed by William A. Cohen in The Executive's Guide

to Finding a Superior Job.

A few examples:

"What are your three greatest strengths, in order?"

"Where do you want to be in five years?"

"What does the word success mean to you?"

"Why should we be interested in hiring you?"

But there are questions he/she ought not to be asking:

"Why did you go in for a divorce?"

"Why are your parents separated?"

KEEP A DISTANCE

There is really no need to get familiar or personal during the interview. Don't,  however, get too  involved or  preoccupied in

your attempt at analyzing/assessing the interviewer. For, you may then forget the real reason for the interview: getting the job