Campus Recruitment – Resume Preparation – Contents of a Good Resume

Contents of a Good Resume

Contents of A Good Resume

•  Personal Details: The most important detail is your name, mentioned in bold. Your contact information including email IDs and telephone numbers should be clearly written.
• Summary: Writing an objective is a thing of the past. Instead, summarize your experience and skill set in one or two effective sentences. This would immediately grab the hiring manager’s attention. E.g. Five years of experience in software quality assurance.
• Past Work Experience: Include the details of your previous employment and briefly mention the significant projects that you were involved in. Mention the organization name and also the duration of your work. The order should be starting from recent to past.
• Educational Qualifications/ Training:
  Mention the formal qualifications, certifications and training that is relevant to the position being applied to.
• Core Competencies: Mention your skill set or core competencies. This section would enable a hiring manager to decide whether you are suited for the job or not.
• Professional Achievements: Write a few sentences about your noteworthy professional achievements. Try to include testimonials in support of the same, along with the resume.
  Example: getting funding for your college project which was recognized as a viable and a good project by the funding company/ Winning a technical white paper competition etc.
• Co-curricular Activities: This section does not mean you write about your hobbies. Write about your activities in areas other than academics or professional life, which have contributed to your overall development. Example: membership and participation in cultural groups/ sports/ social service etc.
• Personal Interests (Optional): Some personal interests like writing articles, poetry, reading foreign languages that add to your competencies can be mentioned.
• References: You may mention a maximum of three references who could either be your academic faculty or your previous employers. Friends , neighbors or family cannot be used for reference. Indicate that references are available on request. In case your hiring manager needs more information, send the name, contact number and email ID as a separate attachment. Writing a resume requires your patience and time. Devote a good amount of time in resume development, thereby increasing your chances of being chosen for a job interview.

Campus Recruitment – Resume Preparation – Tips to build an effective Resume

Tips to build an effective Resume

Your resume is the most important document that the employer would refer to. Hence, it is very important to keep your resume professional and up to date. Include your professional details, academic details total work experience, skills, tools and programming languages known. Do not lie about your skills and experience. Resume should be written honestly and carefully. Do not prepare a very long resume. A short but to the point resume should be prepared. Do not copy the resume from other sources. Write it on your own although you may take reference from sample resumes.

Tips to build an effective resume

• Choose a good resume format.
  Pick up a font that is easy to read. Fonts such as Verdana, Times New Roman and Arial in sizes 10-12 are conducive for reading.
• Use the right keywords in your resume.
• Use effective titles.
  Example:
  Bad title: Software development.
  Good title: Developing Java API.
•  Divide your resume into sub sections.
  Example: One section for details about your work experience, the second section about your academic qualifications, the third about your skill set, the fourth about your personal profile etc.
• The most important points should be placed at the beginning of your resume. This should be uniformly followed in the individual sections as well. The most recent work experience will come first.
• Your contact details including your address telephone number and email ID should be clearly mentioned in the resume.
• Use bullet points and short sentences in your resume. Do not make the resume boring by giving in depth explanation or being repetitive.
• Avoid writing negative sentences.
• Write a few sentences about your professional goals.
• Use your testimonial references for any skill that you would like to highlight.
  Example: winning a technical white paper competition at the national level (testimonials included).
• Do not include your age, unless it is specifically asked for.
• Do not create a standard resume for all the jobs to be applied to. Restructure your resume depending on the job for which you are applying.
• Do a spelling and a grammar check before you send your resume.
• Update your resume on a periodic basis.
• Mention dates in order.
• Do not forget the basics, like your name.
• Mention the employers for whom you have worked.
• Mention the companies for whom you have interned (done your projects).
• Do not use heavy vocabulary or too much of jargon(technical words).
•  Get your resume reviewed by a professional.

Things to avoid when writing your resume

• Lying about past work experience or qualification.
• Committing spelling and grammatical errors.
• Making the resume colorful in appearance.
•  Including too much of information.
• Not using the right keywords. .
• Writing an objective that does not match the job.
• Writing old or outdated details.
• Sending a handwritten or poorly photocopies resume
• Writing long sentences and paragraphs.
• Writing about your own goals more than your abilities to match the job expectation.
• Using T in the sentences.
•  Writing information that would make an employer feel that you discriminate (Mentioning your age/ marital status/ number of kids/gender etc).
• Writing about hobbies/ Unless your hobby would contribute to your candidature, do not include it).
•  Writing incomplete information.
•  Writing negative things (Like failure in delivering a project).
• Writing please (“Please give me an opportunity to work for you.”)

Campus Recruitment – HR Interview – Reasons for failure in Interviews

REASONS FOR FAILURE IN INTERVIEWS

First Impressions – an interview may fail at the very first minutes:
A person draws the impression about another in the first 30 seconds of the meeting.
It takes an interviewer less than 10 minutes to decide whether the candidate is hired or not. The rest of the time is spent in ensuring whether that judgment was right. It is hence, very important to make a good first impression.

For example, let’s look at the very first bad impressions people usually make:

• Being late: Rushing in at the last minute or arriving late to the interview.
• Appearance: A sloppy outfit, uncombed hair, excess make up etc. are signals that you don’t care much about the interview.
• Speaking rudely or loudly with the people at the reception and your peers.
• Not greeting the interviewer or introducing yourself.
•  Not maintaining basic etiquette like walking into the room without knocking or sitting before being asked to.
•  Taking calls on your cell phone, frequently checking your phone etc.
• Looking at your watch or getting distracted.
•  Yawning or indicating that you are tired.
• Not asking questions and giving monosyllabic answers.
•  Being overconfident and talking mighty high about you.
• Talking ill about your faculty.

The employer will arrive immediately at a conclusion that this candidate is not prepared or serious about the job-they may even perceive that he/she will create problems if hired. No excuses will be tolerated. In those 10 minutes, remember to project a positive impact in the mind of the interviewer.

Other reasons for interview failures:

•  Basic questions: faltering when asking basic questions like “when can you start?”
• Not knowing about the job or being uncertain about the roles and responsibilities.
• Not being able to articulate yourself well. Being unable to explain your skills.
• Not knowing what the company does.
• Giving vague or incomplete answers. Example, If the question to you is “What is your best skill”, do not say “Skills are very important. They have to be learnt well.
• Nowadays, there are many institutes for learning skills” (No connection to the question).
• Not getting a copy or resume or other testimonials.
• Not remembering the reference’s name or designation when asked for.
•  Being over friendly or getting personal.
• Job shopping or attending the interview when you are not serious about it.
• Being extremely humble. This expresses your lack of self-confidence and absence of self-dignity. E.g. bowing your head for every answer, hunching your back, folding your hands etc.

All of these things are major red flags to the Interviewer – any time a red flag is thrown, you might fail in the interview. If a question is asked, think before you answer. Not preparing for any of the above points can result in an interview failure.
Remember, an interview is a life changing process. If you ace it, you are in for opportunities to have a remarkable career. If you go unprepared, you may regret. So prepare well and give in your best shot!

Campus Recruitment – HR Interview – Mock Interview with Body Language

Right Way:

On entering the interview room,
Student: Good morning (smiling). I am Krishna. Pleased to meet you. (Shake hands with everyone in the interview panel. If a lady is present, wait for her to extend her hand first).
Wait for the interviewer to offer a seat. Sit only when you are asked to and say a polite “Thanks” for the same.

Observation:

•  Student is in time to the interview.
•  Greeting the interviewer in a good way.
• Giving a firm hand shake to the interviewer.
•  From the movement you walk in to the interview room be real.

Wrong Way:

• On entering the interview room,
• Student: Hi! Good morning. How’re you?

• Student came late to the interview.
•  Greeting the interviewer in an informal way.
• Giving a bone crushing hand shake.
•  Student sat down on the chair without asking/giving permission.

When the interviewer offers you a seat at the start of the job interview, sit upright but not too stiffly in your chair. This indicates that you are comfortable and feeling confident. Hunching down in your chair gives the impression of nervousness and low self-esteem. A sloppy posture indicates a careless attitude and a lack of energy. Sitting on the edge of your chair can come across as being nervous and tense.

1. Tell us about yourself

Good Answer: I am pursuing B.Tech in computer science. The three best attributes that describe me are passionate, professional and perseverant. I have a great liking for my subject and my approach is logical rather than theoretical. I try to analyze various situations where my subjects can be applied. This is a testimonial to the fact that I have won several awards in technical quiz competitions. I am a professional when it comes to work. I have led the project team at my college. I was able to steer my team in the right direction. Our project won many accolades from the faculty. My friends appreciate my leadership abilities. I was the class representative for three consecutive years.

Body Language Observation:

• Student is maintaining active and enthusiastic face expression.
• Good dressing sense.
• Looking very confident.
•  Prepare well for the interview. And answer with the relevant details for the questions asked by interviewer.

Bad Answer: My name is Krishna. I am 22 years of age. I have studied B.Tech from MVIT. Hm, I completed inter in the year 2008 with 75%. I passed SSC in 2006 with 88%. I am a native of Amalapuram. My father is a retired bank employee. My mother is a teacher. Um, My brothers are pursuing B.tech in Hyderabad. I love sports. Ah, I won the best batsman award at college. I am a great team player and a good person. (Irrelevant details).

Body Language Observation:

• Facial expressions are not good.
• Avoid using verbal tics like hm, um, ah etc while answering.
• Bad dressing sense and arms are folded.
• Explaining the answer with irrelevant details.

2. Why should we hire you?

Good Answer: Although I am a fresher, I have a thirst for knowledge. I am always trying to learn something new. I would like to utilize my skills and experiences for greater good. I strive to accomplish and open to learning from my mistakes. I want to apply my competencies at my workplace and I am eager to learn work as well as to benefit my organization. I firmly believe in hard work and I know that my tomorrow depends on today. I am excited about this opportunity.

Body Language Observation:

• Use hand gestures if necessary while answering.
• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer.
• Sit properly in the chair.
•  Be professional during interview.
•  Show confidence, honest, your ability to work in your answers.

Bad Answer: I really need this job. I think I am best at everything I do. I am a really hard worker, smart, intelligent, and I am a good fit for your company. I can do wonders for your company. I am simply excellent at everything (Over optimism).

Body Language Observation:

• Do not lean backward in the chair. It leaves an impression that you are overly relaxed.
• Avoid shaking or tapping your legs.
• Avoid touching your face, head, nose etc.
• Do not be casual during interview.
• Do not maintain crossed body posture.

3. What are your strengths?

Good Answer: My greatest strength is to analyze the problem at hand logically and solve it rationally. This enables me to solve the flexibility

Body language Observation:

• Maintain a gentle eye contact. It conveys honesty, confidence
  and interest.
• If there are more than one interviewer, maintain eye contact with all the members in the panel while answering.
• Pay attention when the interviewer is asking questions.
• Rest your hands on your knees until you need to make a gesture.

Bad Answer: Great leadership, team participation, good knowledge, flexibility etc. (you are boasting about yourself), problem in a very less amount of time.

Body language Observation:

• Do not stare at interviewer by largely and constantly opening your eyes.
• Do not lean too forward on the table, i • Do not fold your hands. It leaves a bad impression.
• Do not tell lies with interviewer. They will identify it easily.
• Maintain neat and professional hair style, neatly trimmed nails and beard.

4. What are your weakness?

Good Answer: When I was a student, I had the habit of putting off things till the last minute. But I have learnt it the hard way and I now try to complete the task in time without delaying it. (Do not pursue this answer further as it adds on to negativity).

Body Language Observation:

•  Do not bring or switch-off the mobile phone prior to entering into the interview room.
•  Be honest and genuine in answering the questions and do not lie in answering.

Bad Answer: Iam extremely dedicated to work. I sacrifice my personal life for work. I am also emotional about everything. I get very attached to the people with whom I work. (Too many negative points).

Body Language Observation:

• Bringing mobile phone in to interview room causes disturbance and leaves negative impression.
• Avoid fidgeting as it signifies impatience or nervousness.
• Do not wear jewelry during interview. Otherwise hide it.
•  Do not play with pen in your fingers/ any object during interview.

5. Where do you see yourself in next 5 years ?

Good Answer: I want to learn as much as possible in this company and perform the role offered to the best of my ability. I would like to take new challenges over the time and work across varied roles that would expose me to different opportunities to learn new things. Overj the time, I would like to be technically competitive so that 1 can follow the path of a technical architect.

Body Language Observation:

•  Stay focused towards the interviewer.
•  Do not forget to maintain smile on your face throughout the interview.
• But do not over smile or laugh unnecessarily.
•  Sit straight, and feet firmly on the floor.
• Imitate your interviewer’s positive body language to quickly build a rapport.

Bad Answer: My dream is to become a team manager in five years’ time and to get Employee stock options and a great CTC. I would like to be where you are sitting now and visit the same campus to hire freshers. (Would make the employer feel insecure).

Body Language Observation:

•  Avoid gazing at windows or objects or some other side etc in the interview room. It indicates a distracting mind set.
• Appropriate eye contact shows confidence in what you are saying and who you are.
• Crossing your arms can be interpreted as you are defensive.
• Avoid childish body language during the interview.

6. If I were to ask your professors to describe you , what would they say?

Good Answer: I have submitted white papers at a recent technical conference. These are my testimonials that prove that the paper was well received by the faculty. These are the certificates that I have won in technical quizzes. So, 1 would confidently say that professors evaluate me as very creative student.

Body Language Observation:

• Enthusiastic facial expressions, little bit smile and good eye contact and using hand gestures etc, plays.a major role in interview j success.
• Do not get tensed during interview. Be cool why answering the I questions. It is one of the important factor that leaves a good
  impression.
• How you position your head also sends a message. Tilting your head very slightly to one side comes across as friendly and open. Keeping your head straight comes across as self-assured and authoritative.

Bad Answer: My professor says I am the best in the class. He is of the opinion that I am a very hard working person and that I am generally good at everything (You are not justifying here).

Body Language Observation:

• Avoid interrupt or argue with the interviewer in any way.
• Be polite and answer properly.
• Do not maintain aggressive or angry facial expression.
• Some times interviewer asks unusual questions to test your mental ability, patience etc. Do not get tensed or angry and don’t loose your patience.

7. What is your most notable accomplishment?

Good Answer: My white paper being accepted at the national level technical seminar was a moment of glory for me. I was recognized not only by the faculty of my college, but also by professors from different colleges. This also raised my level of confidence for further participation.

Body Language Observation:

• Smile and nod your head at appropriate times but don’t overdo it.
•  Be honest in every aspect of your Interview.
•  Get involved completely in the interview.
• Sitting position reflects your confidence levels. So sit properly in the chair.
• Do not drag the chair or roll in the chair as it causes disturbance in the interview room.

Bad Answer: Having consistently scored 75% throughout my academics.

Body Language Observation:

• Crossing your legs indicates an excessive pride on one self.
• Hence avoid interlocking your legs, hands, fingers.
• Do not shift a side in the chair. And do not lean back on to the chair.
• Do not exhibit uninterested or dull facial expressions.
• Do not look the floor or ceiling while answering or thinking during interview.
•  Do not go to Interview without Breakfast/Lunch. Otherwise your face looks so dull/pale. Choose a good breakfast.

8. What are your hobbies?

Good Answer: Learning new languages, reading good books, traveling and learning about new people, places and culture, writing articles, listening to soothing music, solving crossword puzzles/ Sudoku, gardening etc.

Body Language Observation:

• Maintain good dressing sense.
•  Maintain good hair style.
•  Avoid unnecessary makeup.
• Try to be as much as professional in appearance and character.
• Habituate to nod your head while listening and speaking.

Bad Answer: My hobbies are Facebooking, connecting with friends on whatsapp, listening to songs, riding bikes, visiting game parlors, video games, watching TV, action movies etc.

Body Language Observation:

• Do not get over groomed.
• Avoid tattoos or mehendi designs.
• Do not leave the hair unordered or wet.
• Do not point out with fingers to interviewer during the interview.
• Do not wear more unusual jewelry like big ear rings, necklace etc.
• Don’t be arrogant.

9. How can you handle stress ?

Good Answer: I have come across stressful situation once in my course of study. We had to submit our project before the given deadline and we were lagging far behind because of some lines of code not being right. As I was leading my team, I researched on different ways in which the code could be written and I used open source references. Had I not maintained my composure, the project would have been a disaster. Maintaining calm and peace gave me a new direction and helped me to think of different ways by which the problem could be solved.

Body Language Observation:

• Demonstrate curiosity and enthusiasm while your interviewer is speaking. Making direct eye contact and leaning slightly forward are two of the best cues.
• Always be frank in answering for Interview Questions.
•  Do not speak too fast. Speaking in a clear and controlled voice conveys confidence.

Bad Answer: I have been awake for many nights at a go to complete studying for my exams as I would always study at the last minute. Yet you can see how well I have fared in academics. I can handle stress very easily (Shows your carelessness more than your ability to handle stresses).

Body Language Observation:

• Avoid wearing high heels.
• Do not bring your hand bag or college bag etc into interview room.
• Always be frank in answering for Interview Questions.
• Do not over makeup, like using more cosmetics, wearing big and more number of bangles, shabby dresses etc.

10. Do you have any questions ?

Good Answer:

•  Can you please tell me about the kind of training we would be given to a fresher before we are allocated to our projects?
•  What aspirations do you have for my role in the company?
• What qualities does someone need for this role ?

Body Language Observation:

• When you are asked this Question, simply don’t say,’/ don’t have any Questions’. Come prepared with a few good questions about the position and your responsibilities. Also, youx:an highlight your ability to analyze and think quickly on your feet by posing questions about key issues that emerge during the interview.
• Say ‘Thank You’ gracefully at the end of the interview for interviewing.

Bad Answer:

•  Do I have to work long hours?
•  What is the leave policy of the company?
•  What are the services offered by the company?
• Are you married?

Body Language Observation:

• Looking constantly downwards/ upwards makes you appear insincere or submissive.
• Avoid short/ irrelevant/ answers for interview questions.

Campus Recruitment – HR Interview – Answering Interview Questions

Answering Interview Questions

Answering Some of the Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself?

This is the first question in many of the interviews. The purpose of this question is to know how well the candidate expresses himself. Many a time, over enthusiastic candidates tells a long story about their education, family background, personal achievements etc. rather than just limiting themselves to their professional abilities/ accomplishments. Be brief and concise and restrict your answer to work related abilities and objectives and significant academic achievements. Do not give answers pertaining to your family unless asked for.

• What are your strengths?

This question assesses your suitability for a given role. Answer this question in a way that your traits are matched to the roles and responsibilities being offered to you. Every individual is bom with some inner strength. One has to be aware of one’s strengths and use them effectively in professional situations, to their benefit. Write down your top three strong attributes and map them to the position being offered. Avoid generic answers like “I am a strong team player” or “I am hard working”. Instead demonstrate your strengths by exemplifying E.g. “I was leading my college team and one of the team members fell sick, just when the project was at a critical stage. I put in extra efforts and made up for the work that was lagging behind”

• What is your weakness?

When you are asked questions about your weakness, try to give a positive answer. Mention skills matter less to the job, skills that you have improved on. Do not discuss personality and character flaws, instead discuss how you can improve or have improved in a certain aspect. For e.g. you may say that as a student I used to postpone things and I leamt the hard way that things have to be completed in a given time, delays are to be avoided so that issues don’t add up”. Do not give answers like “I am too hardworking” or “I go out of my way always” that would give an impression to the interviewer that you assume too many things about yourself. Talk a little and move over to more positive topics.

• Why should I hire you?

This question assesses your motivation and confidence whilst hiring for a job. To answer this question, read the job description first and mention your skills that are relevant to the job. Generic answers like “I am great at problem solving” or “I am a great team member” are to be avoided.
Explain how the company can benefit from your skills. Show the interviewers the advantages your organization could get from hiring you. Match your personality traits to the job at hand. Use your past examples to demonstrate the advantages of your skills. Do talk about your goals and how the job that is being offered to you brings you closer to the goal. This would show that because your goals will be met, through the job, you would give your very best to the job at hand. This would not only benefit you but also benefit the organization.

• Why do you want to work for us? or Why are you interested in this position?

This question is to assess what a candidate knows about the company and the job being offered. Take time and research the company thoroughly. Tell the interviewer why the company looks appealing to you. Talk about its achievements and milestones. Let them know that you are enthusiastic to work for their organization. While you may emphasize why you are suited to work for the organization, let them also know how the position offered to you would be justified by your eagerness to contribute to the organization.

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

The employer who recruits you wants to know how, long you will continue in the organization. When an organization recruits a new employee, it invests sufficient resources for the purpose. The objective is not to let the resources go waste by means of early attrition. This question also seeks to know your career goals. If your career goals are in line with the organizational expectations, then you are judged as the right candidate for the job. This question is particularly important to people who are in the habit of job hopping every now and then.

• How do you handle stress and pressure?

This is a behavioral interview question. Exemplify the past experiences in which you have handled stressful situations. Do keep in mind that you give examples of professional situations only. The ability to work under pressure may also be tested by means of stress interview which involved rapid fire questions thrown at the candidate. The candidate should not falter, but try and answer such questions with as much composure as possible.

• Would you lie for the company?

This question is to judge if the employee can be loyal at the cost of his honesty. You may answer this question stating that: “it is very important for me to be loyal to my company. However, if my lying harms any person or any organization, I would never do it. Character is more important than anything else”

• What kind of person would you refuse to work with?

This again is a behavioral attitude question. The employer is judging your ability or willingness to adjust with people of different personalities. Do not mention that you will “refuse to work with certain people”. Instead give a positive answer like “Even if the person is tough to get along, I will make sure that I adjust and work along with him/her”.

• What kind of salary do you need?

Many candidates get excited by this question thinking that they have passed the interview and so this question has been asked to them. This is not exactly true. An employer wants to know if you want to work only for money. Hence, answers like “Oh, I expect Rs <some amount>” will not be appropriate. Instead you may say “Since this is going to be my first job, my priority is to learn the work and the culture of the company. Since your company is very well known, I have no doubt that I will be compensated on par with the leading companies”. This kind of answer would satisfy the interviewer.

• Do you have any questions?

Interview is a mutual discussion. You can wait until the employer has finished asking all his questions. You may then ask questions regarding the role and responsibilities being offered to you. Thus you can ascertain whether the job at hand is desirable and whether you are appropriately suited for the job. However, bear in mind that you do not ask inappropriate questions that have trivial or no significance to the interview. Do not ask questions from which you expect negative answers only. This may make the interviewer feel that you are not interested in the job being offered. Let us start first with what not to be asked during an interview.