It is time to replace the negative thinking with the positive one
Yes, it is time to replace the stale thoughts with a fresh one
With thoughts that embrace vitality and vigour about projects you undertake
With thoughts that define your solidity with the kind of choices you make
However, it’s only if you are aware of the toil it takes of farmer to make food
That you realize the value of applying your pulsating heart to something good
Let’s replace the sulking sigh of not being able to perform for no reason
With a fresh outlook towards life that is full of vision
Let’s replace the spiritless secluded mindset that is symbolic of schism
With the realization that team-work based attitude is full of optimism
Let’s replace the charity foundation’s symbol from C.R.Y. – Child Relief and You
With an agreeable acronym L.A.U.G.H. – Listen And Understand Great Hearts
Understand the tiger inside you that is ready to unleash its fierce raw power
That just needs to replace pessimism with optimism, thereafter praises will shower
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Mussouri - Gun Hill Point
We began the tough ten-mile trip to this steep summit
We opted for the longest route with our legs trying to prove it
As we were climbing, it was getting colder and colder, chillier and chillier
However, it was also getting glorious, glittering and gaudier
Our legs hobbled at the tenth mile, seemed to be screaming as if to prove a point
At last those two legs limped us to the summit of Gun Hill Point
Now, we could clearly see the ropeway trolley over our head
And the mild wind making us appear the Dehradoon town to be moving instead
So many tiny villages visible looked like floating because of this wind
So many people trying to capture this breathtaking scene suddenly came in a bind
As the soft cotton blanket of clouds smothered the entire scene ahead of us
The sky resembled a bath tub full of froth and fermented foam ahead of us
Then suddenly I saw some cars way down appearing like matches in a box
Upon enlarging the image they looked like a sly fox
Upon enlarging further they looked like a burning bear
Such vivid are my memories that it shakes me with certain fear!
This entire magical moment was best captured in my handycam
Hope I could have brought the scene alive in this world of traffic jam
The trip to this serene place thus became an escapade awash with memories
That I hereby decide to recite to my friends several such splendid stories...
We opted for the longest route with our legs trying to prove it
As we were climbing, it was getting colder and colder, chillier and chillier
However, it was also getting glorious, glittering and gaudier
Our legs hobbled at the tenth mile, seemed to be screaming as if to prove a point
At last those two legs limped us to the summit of Gun Hill Point
Now, we could clearly see the ropeway trolley over our head
And the mild wind making us appear the Dehradoon town to be moving instead
So many tiny villages visible looked like floating because of this wind
So many people trying to capture this breathtaking scene suddenly came in a bind
As the soft cotton blanket of clouds smothered the entire scene ahead of us
The sky resembled a bath tub full of froth and fermented foam ahead of us
Then suddenly I saw some cars way down appearing like matches in a box
Upon enlarging the image they looked like a sly fox
Upon enlarging further they looked like a burning bear
Such vivid are my memories that it shakes me with certain fear!
This entire magical moment was best captured in my handycam
Hope I could have brought the scene alive in this world of traffic jam
The trip to this serene place thus became an escapade awash with memories
That I hereby decide to recite to my friends several such splendid stories...
Interview Cracking Tips
Interview Mastery Tips – A Summary
1. Include a brief cover letter.
2. Resume Format.
3. Customize your resume according to the job opening.
4. Resume summary.
5. Acquire in-depth knowledge of your skills before appearing for the interview.
6. Proofreading.
7. Avoid using the pronoun "I".
8. Include a clear objective statement.
9. Showcase volunteer work.
10. Reasons for job change(s).
11. Stay organized.
12. Interview follow-up.
13. How to keep your interviewer interested with your responses during your interview?
14. Weakness related questions.
15. Salary Questions.
16. Avoid being desperate.
17. All the best with your interview!
1. First step that would put you a cut above the rest - A great cover letter
Include a brief cover letter showcasing your enthusiasm, skills and fitness to the culture of the organization that you are being called for an interview. Keep it concise.
A great cover letter is also tailored to the employer's needs. If the ad you read states that the employer is looking for someone with 5 years of experience, then you need to include something in your cover letter that reflects you have 5+ years experience. If you do not have that much experience, show the employer how much you have learned in the past and how quickly you learned it. Also, point to other professional skills and certifications that you possess which satisfy or complement this requirement.
Once you have completed your cover letter draft, proofread it, spell check it, grammar check it and then do it all again. Have someone you know look it over, too.
2. Resume Format
Combination resume format: Here, you have the option of emphasizing your skills and abilities, who you worked for, or your educational background. This is a good style to use if you like to have the flexibility to put your information in a format that suits your background, your tastes and your style.
Typically, most people who use this format detail their skills and achievements first, and then list their employment history and education in reverse chronological order.
3. Customize your resume according to the job opening.
If the job requires you to be proficient on leadership skills, then there is no point showcasing your achievements that underscore your talent to work just as a worker. You need to elaborate your leadership experience for that job. A typical leader distinguishes himself from a manager or a worker by showing vision, defining the objective, creating a healthy work-environment. He typically does not focus on planning, executing, directing, or any such daily tasks required from a managerial. Hence, if you have been an effective leader in your previous firm, and if you are being interviewed for a leadership role, then you need to customize your resume accordingly. Also, analyse your strengths and weaknesses, and list those in two columns in an Excel file. In another column, categorize each strength in such a way that you are able to assign it as one of leadership traits, managerial traits or worker/professional traits. At the same time, if the interviewer asks you a question that is beyond your capability, then try to mould the interview according to your skills, background and strengths.
4. Resume summary
This will enable your prospective employer to understand your strengths and skills in less than 30 seconds. If he is satisfied with your summary, then he may choose not to look at the detail of your resume, thus saving his valuable time. For e.g., write in bullet points:
· Data/Business Analyst
· Proven leader
· Team oriented
· Excellent communication skills
· Tools: SAS, SQL, Excel, Fraud Analysis (Base SAS certified)
· Fast learner
5. Acquiring in-depth knowledge of your skills before appearing for the interview: After your interview gets over, the last thing you want to hear from your recruiter is that you do not possess the breadth of knowledge or skills that are required for this job.
6. Proofreading: Proofread three to four times for grammar, spelling errors, accuracy of facts stated, and consistency. Be especially consistent in typing every accomplishment and every activity in the past tense. Do not switch from past to present tense.
7. Do not use the pronoun "I": Instead, use actionable keywords like: Accomplished, Performed, Created, Guided, Mentored, Coached, Designed, etc.
8. Have a clear objective statement in your resume.
9. Showcase any volunteer work that you might have done: For e.g., organizing a company-wide event, participation in a guitar contest, creating a website, teaching students in spare time, etc.
10. Include the reasons for job change(s), if any: Do not tell a lie in your resume, rather give honest reasons for your previous job change(s). This will help you avoid uncomfortable questions during your interview process.
11. Stay organized all the way through: Keep a list of all the interview questions so that it will help you review those and thus prepare for interviews with other companies. Also, it’s a good habit to maintain a diary of the companies that you interviewed with, the interview date, brief job description, contact info of HR, hiring manager, mode of interview (Video Conferencing vs. Telephone), location of job, the documents that they asked from you (e.g., Criminal Background Check, Proof of your certificates or awards), the references that they ask for, etc.
12. Interview follow-up tips: Ask for business card and/or email of the person who interviewed you, and thank him for taking the time and putting efforts to interview you, and in a couple of sentences, tell him clearly how you will be a good fit to the organization and to his team in general. Express your enthusiasm. Avoid showing desperation – Do not call the recruiter or the HR to ask your interview feedback, instead, let them come to you with a progress update on your interview.
13. How to keep your interviewer interested with your responses during your interview?
Typical Job Interview
Let's imagine a scenario. The interviewer begins by saying, “Tell me about yourself.” The applicant provides an excellent response with a brief overview of his background and skills. After the response, the applicant becomes silent/mute and waits for the next question. The interviewer asks the next question which is followed by a nice response from the applicant and then more silence. This one-way interrogation continues for half an hour. The last 5 minutes of the interview are generally reserved for applicant questions. The interviewer begins this phase by asking, “Do you have any questions?" The candidate says, “No, I have no questions at this time.”
The Interrogation Problem
The problem with the typical interview I just described is the candidate thought he was going on an interrogation and did not ask questions throughout the interview. He also did not have any questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview. Not asking questions communicates that you are not interested in the position, and that you did not even care enough to prepare questions in advance.
Facilitating a Conversation
Well, the answer is simple. You ask a question after you provide a response. While you won't ask a question after every response, it is important to ask questions after several of your responses, especially at the beginning of the interview. Doing this at the beginning sets the pace of the interview.
Let's see how your questions change the entire interview dynamic by going back to being that fly-on-the-wall in the interview scenario described earlier.
The interviewer begins by saying, “Tell me about yourself.” The applicant provides an excellent response with a 60-second overview of his talents related directly to the position. After the response, the applicant asks one of the following questions:
- “What part of my background would you like to discuss first? What exactly did you find in my resume that makes you believe that I would be a good fit to your firm?”
- “What do you feel are the key skills to being successful in this position?”
- “What made you feel excited about this company when you had joined? For how long have you been working here? And in what capacity?”
The interviewer then asks the next question, followed by a nice response from the applicant. After the response, the candidate asks the interviewer one of the following short questions:
- “Am I clear? Did I give you enough detail?”
This conversational interview continues is much better than the interrogation. During the last 5 minutes of the interview, the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions?” The candidate responds, “First, it’s been a pleasure to have got this opportunity to appear for job interview for such a reputed company. I am feeling quite excited about this role; and I am already looking forward to performing to the best of my abilities. Having said that, I do have a couple of questions for you.” The candidate takes out his/her list and asks their first question. Sample questions that the candidate can ask the interviewer are:
· Please describe me about your role in the firm and what excites you in this job
· What is your vision for your department over the next two to three years?
· How do you typically make decisions?
· For complete list of sample questions, logon to: http://www.collegegrad.com/questions/
14. What do you do when you are asked about one weakness of yours?
Conventional advice recommends that you respond to the "weakness" question by stating a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive. For example: "I'm a workaholic, and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to the best of my abilities." Interviewers see right through this technique, and it's never effective.
What Interviewers Want To Hear
When interviewers ask this question, they want to see how you handle this question.
Response Strategy
Your response strategy to the "weakness" question is as follows:
- First, highlight your strengths for this position
- Second, highlight an area that you are working to improve upon
- Third, describe what you are doing to improve
- Fourth, describe how this new skill improves your value to the company
- Finally, ask a question.
Prepare Your Response By:
1. Identifying the new skills you just learned or plan to learn
2. Describing how this new skill relates to the job
3. Hiding any weaknesses, rather focusing on your strengths and your gameplan.
15. Salary Questions
Try to know the Salary Range Before They Ask You
Before the interview or phone screen, research the salary range for your occupation on websites like. Salary.com. You can find out what companies are paying for your occupation in your industry and location.
Your Strategy for Handling “The Salary Question”:
1. Tell them what you are currently drawing as cost to the company. However, don't give them a salary number, instead, keep yourself open/negotiable in that respect.
2. State your interest in the job role.
3. Express your openness to discuss salary later at the end of the interview process.
Here is an example of how this strategy might sound when the interviewer asks, “What are your salary requirements?”
You smile and confidently say:
“I am currently drawing a salary of 10 lacs per month. However, I am willing to know from you the salary scale (range) that you might have established for this role. I am very interested in this opportunity with your company, and I would like to discuss salary after we've mutually concluded that I would be a strong fit for your company.”
Next time they ask the same question (if they do so):
Your strategy should be the same and you can say the following:
“When deciding on a position, I consider the following factors: quality of the company and the job role, quality of the people I'd be working with; growth potential for the next five years in the job (including self-training, acquiring new skills, mentoring opportunities, leadership opportunities, etc.), job location, the amount of travel required, fitment with culture in your company; and finally salary.”
Also, don’t feel hesitant to sell yourself by the means of convincing the interviewer about any past certifications/awards that you might have collected. This would show your competence and put you a cut above the rest of your peers. This might eventually help you draw a higher salary.
16. Avoid being desperate: Never show your uneasiness to your recruiter/hiring manager. Always exercise prudence and show patience while you are waiting for the result of your interview.
17. All the best with your interview! Wishing you all the best in your endeavour to succeed!
1. Include a brief cover letter.
2. Resume Format.
3. Customize your resume according to the job opening.
4. Resume summary.
5. Acquire in-depth knowledge of your skills before appearing for the interview.
6. Proofreading.
7. Avoid using the pronoun "I".
8. Include a clear objective statement.
9. Showcase volunteer work.
10. Reasons for job change(s).
11. Stay organized.
12. Interview follow-up.
13. How to keep your interviewer interested with your responses during your interview?
14. Weakness related questions.
15. Salary Questions.
16. Avoid being desperate.
17. All the best with your interview!
1. First step that would put you a cut above the rest - A great cover letter
Include a brief cover letter showcasing your enthusiasm, skills and fitness to the culture of the organization that you are being called for an interview. Keep it concise.
A great cover letter is also tailored to the employer's needs. If the ad you read states that the employer is looking for someone with 5 years of experience, then you need to include something in your cover letter that reflects you have 5+ years experience. If you do not have that much experience, show the employer how much you have learned in the past and how quickly you learned it. Also, point to other professional skills and certifications that you possess which satisfy or complement this requirement.
Once you have completed your cover letter draft, proofread it, spell check it, grammar check it and then do it all again. Have someone you know look it over, too.
2. Resume Format
Combination resume format: Here, you have the option of emphasizing your skills and abilities, who you worked for, or your educational background. This is a good style to use if you like to have the flexibility to put your information in a format that suits your background, your tastes and your style.
Typically, most people who use this format detail their skills and achievements first, and then list their employment history and education in reverse chronological order.
3. Customize your resume according to the job opening.
If the job requires you to be proficient on leadership skills, then there is no point showcasing your achievements that underscore your talent to work just as a worker. You need to elaborate your leadership experience for that job. A typical leader distinguishes himself from a manager or a worker by showing vision, defining the objective, creating a healthy work-environment. He typically does not focus on planning, executing, directing, or any such daily tasks required from a managerial. Hence, if you have been an effective leader in your previous firm, and if you are being interviewed for a leadership role, then you need to customize your resume accordingly. Also, analyse your strengths and weaknesses, and list those in two columns in an Excel file. In another column, categorize each strength in such a way that you are able to assign it as one of leadership traits, managerial traits or worker/professional traits. At the same time, if the interviewer asks you a question that is beyond your capability, then try to mould the interview according to your skills, background and strengths.
4. Resume summary
This will enable your prospective employer to understand your strengths and skills in less than 30 seconds. If he is satisfied with your summary, then he may choose not to look at the detail of your resume, thus saving his valuable time. For e.g., write in bullet points:
· Data/Business Analyst
· Proven leader
· Team oriented
· Excellent communication skills
· Tools: SAS, SQL, Excel, Fraud Analysis (Base SAS certified)
· Fast learner
5. Acquiring in-depth knowledge of your skills before appearing for the interview: After your interview gets over, the last thing you want to hear from your recruiter is that you do not possess the breadth of knowledge or skills that are required for this job.
6. Proofreading: Proofread three to four times for grammar, spelling errors, accuracy of facts stated, and consistency. Be especially consistent in typing every accomplishment and every activity in the past tense. Do not switch from past to present tense.
7. Do not use the pronoun "I": Instead, use actionable keywords like: Accomplished, Performed, Created, Guided, Mentored, Coached, Designed, etc.
8. Have a clear objective statement in your resume.
9. Showcase any volunteer work that you might have done: For e.g., organizing a company-wide event, participation in a guitar contest, creating a website, teaching students in spare time, etc.
10. Include the reasons for job change(s), if any: Do not tell a lie in your resume, rather give honest reasons for your previous job change(s). This will help you avoid uncomfortable questions during your interview process.
11. Stay organized all the way through: Keep a list of all the interview questions so that it will help you review those and thus prepare for interviews with other companies. Also, it’s a good habit to maintain a diary of the companies that you interviewed with, the interview date, brief job description, contact info of HR, hiring manager, mode of interview (Video Conferencing vs. Telephone), location of job, the documents that they asked from you (e.g., Criminal Background Check, Proof of your certificates or awards), the references that they ask for, etc.
12. Interview follow-up tips: Ask for business card and/or email of the person who interviewed you, and thank him for taking the time and putting efforts to interview you, and in a couple of sentences, tell him clearly how you will be a good fit to the organization and to his team in general. Express your enthusiasm. Avoid showing desperation – Do not call the recruiter or the HR to ask your interview feedback, instead, let them come to you with a progress update on your interview.
13. How to keep your interviewer interested with your responses during your interview?
Typical Job Interview
Let's imagine a scenario. The interviewer begins by saying, “Tell me about yourself.” The applicant provides an excellent response with a brief overview of his background and skills. After the response, the applicant becomes silent/mute and waits for the next question. The interviewer asks the next question which is followed by a nice response from the applicant and then more silence. This one-way interrogation continues for half an hour. The last 5 minutes of the interview are generally reserved for applicant questions. The interviewer begins this phase by asking, “Do you have any questions?" The candidate says, “No, I have no questions at this time.”
The Interrogation Problem
The problem with the typical interview I just described is the candidate thought he was going on an interrogation and did not ask questions throughout the interview. He also did not have any questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview. Not asking questions communicates that you are not interested in the position, and that you did not even care enough to prepare questions in advance.
Facilitating a Conversation
Well, the answer is simple. You ask a question after you provide a response. While you won't ask a question after every response, it is important to ask questions after several of your responses, especially at the beginning of the interview. Doing this at the beginning sets the pace of the interview.
Let's see how your questions change the entire interview dynamic by going back to being that fly-on-the-wall in the interview scenario described earlier.
The interviewer begins by saying, “Tell me about yourself.” The applicant provides an excellent response with a 60-second overview of his talents related directly to the position. After the response, the applicant asks one of the following questions:
- “What part of my background would you like to discuss first? What exactly did you find in my resume that makes you believe that I would be a good fit to your firm?”
- “What do you feel are the key skills to being successful in this position?”
- “What made you feel excited about this company when you had joined? For how long have you been working here? And in what capacity?”
The interviewer then asks the next question, followed by a nice response from the applicant. After the response, the candidate asks the interviewer one of the following short questions:
- “Am I clear? Did I give you enough detail?”
This conversational interview continues is much better than the interrogation. During the last 5 minutes of the interview, the interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions?” The candidate responds, “First, it’s been a pleasure to have got this opportunity to appear for job interview for such a reputed company. I am feeling quite excited about this role; and I am already looking forward to performing to the best of my abilities. Having said that, I do have a couple of questions for you.” The candidate takes out his/her list and asks their first question. Sample questions that the candidate can ask the interviewer are:
· Please describe me about your role in the firm and what excites you in this job
· What is your vision for your department over the next two to three years?
· How do you typically make decisions?
· For complete list of sample questions, logon to: http://www.collegegrad.com/questions/
14. What do you do when you are asked about one weakness of yours?
Conventional advice recommends that you respond to the "weakness" question by stating a weakness that is really a positive or translating a weakness into a positive. For example: "I'm a workaholic, and I spend lots of hours at work ensuring I do my job to the best of my abilities." Interviewers see right through this technique, and it's never effective.
What Interviewers Want To Hear
When interviewers ask this question, they want to see how you handle this question.
Response Strategy
Your response strategy to the "weakness" question is as follows:
- First, highlight your strengths for this position
- Second, highlight an area that you are working to improve upon
- Third, describe what you are doing to improve
- Fourth, describe how this new skill improves your value to the company
- Finally, ask a question.
Prepare Your Response By:
1. Identifying the new skills you just learned or plan to learn
2. Describing how this new skill relates to the job
3. Hiding any weaknesses, rather focusing on your strengths and your gameplan.
15. Salary Questions
Try to know the Salary Range Before They Ask You
Before the interview or phone screen, research the salary range for your occupation on websites like. Salary.com. You can find out what companies are paying for your occupation in your industry and location.
Your Strategy for Handling “The Salary Question”:
1. Tell them what you are currently drawing as cost to the company. However, don't give them a salary number, instead, keep yourself open/negotiable in that respect.
2. State your interest in the job role.
3. Express your openness to discuss salary later at the end of the interview process.
Here is an example of how this strategy might sound when the interviewer asks, “What are your salary requirements?”
You smile and confidently say:
“I am currently drawing a salary of 10 lacs per month. However, I am willing to know from you the salary scale (range) that you might have established for this role. I am very interested in this opportunity with your company, and I would like to discuss salary after we've mutually concluded that I would be a strong fit for your company.”
Next time they ask the same question (if they do so):
Your strategy should be the same and you can say the following:
“When deciding on a position, I consider the following factors: quality of the company and the job role, quality of the people I'd be working with; growth potential for the next five years in the job (including self-training, acquiring new skills, mentoring opportunities, leadership opportunities, etc.), job location, the amount of travel required, fitment with culture in your company; and finally salary.”
Also, don’t feel hesitant to sell yourself by the means of convincing the interviewer about any past certifications/awards that you might have collected. This would show your competence and put you a cut above the rest of your peers. This might eventually help you draw a higher salary.
16. Avoid being desperate: Never show your uneasiness to your recruiter/hiring manager. Always exercise prudence and show patience while you are waiting for the result of your interview.
17. All the best with your interview! Wishing you all the best in your endeavour to succeed!
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