College Workbook - 2010

Gramphone Knowledge Transfer for Young Professionals – A Campus to Corporate Transition

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1 | P a g e Confidential information property of Gramphone, Bangalore, India. All rights reserved

Welcome the

beginning of change!… and you can work wonders

… and you will definitely improve … and you will be an inspiration for others


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ACING THE INTERVIEW: INTERVIEW SKILLS

HOW TO USE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION TO IMPRESS

Nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communications, especially when interviewing for employment. Your nonverbal communication will be evaluated as carefully as your interview answers.

If your nonverbal communication skills aren't up to par, it won't matter how well you answer the questions.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION DURING THE INTERVIEW

Make eye contact with the interviewer for a few seconds at a time. Smile and nod (at appropriate times) when the interviewer is talking, but, don't overdo it. Don't laugh

unless the interviewer does first. Be polite and keep an even tone to your speech. Don't be too loud or too quiet. Don't slouch. Do relax and lean forward a little towards the interviewer so you appear interested and engaged. Don't lean back. You will look too casual and relaxed. Keep your feet on the floor and your back against the lower back of the chair. Pay attention, be attentive and interested. Listen. Don't interrupt. Stay calm. Even if you had a bad experience at a previous position or were fired, keep your emotions to

yourself and do not show anger or frown. Not sure what to do with your hands? Hold a pen and your notepad or rest an arm on the chair or on

your lap, so you look comfortable. Don't let your arms fly around the room when you're making a point.

Your verbal communication is important too. Remember your manners and thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. Don't use slang. Speak clearly and definitely.

INTERVIEW BLUNDERS



How Not to Interview

What shouldn't you do when interviewing? Here is a selection of blunders, mistakes and errors a candidate for employment can make. Spend time preparing to interview so these don't happen to you!

Don't Prepare Dress Inappropriately Poor Communication Skills Too Much Communication Talk Too Much Don't Talk Enough Fuzzy Facts Give the Wrong Answer Badmouthing Past Employers Forget to Follow up Don't Take it to Heart

TOP 10 QUALITIES EMPLOYERS SEEK

Communication skills (verbal and written) Honesty/integrity Teamwork skills (works well with others) Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) Motivation/initiative Strong work ethic Analytical skills Flexibility/adaptability Computer skills Organizational skills

WHAT SKILLS ARE JUDGED IN A GROUP DISCUSSION?

• How good you are at communication with others. • How you behave and interact with group. • How open minded are you. • Your listening skill. • How you put forward your views. • Your leadership and decision making skills. • Your analysis skill and subject knowledge. • Problem solving and critical thinking skill. • Your attitude and confidence.

DO’S AND DON’TS OF GROUP DISCUSSION

Keep eye contact while speaking Initiate the GD Allow others to speak Speak clearly



Make sure to bring the discussion on track Positive attitude Speak sensibly Listen carefully to others No need to go into much detail

TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS DURING A GROUP DISCUSSION, ONE SHOULD KEEP IN

MIND THE FOLLOWING BASIC MANTRAS:

• Be Yourself• Take time to organize your thoughts• Always look at your group members while you are speaking.• Seek clarifications • Mind your body language• Never try to show your dominance• Don’t lose your cool • Show your leadership skills• Give valuable insights during the discussion

HOW TO PREPARE A GOOD RESUME

• Don't overcrowd your resume; allow for plenty of white space.

• Keep your resume to three pages max whenever possible.

• Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the most.

• Use a font that is easy to read. Times New Roman / Arial works well.

• Do not justify the lines of type on your resume.

• Do not overuse capitalization, italics, underlines, or other emphasizing features.

• Make sure your name, address, and a phone number appear on your resume and all correspondence, preferably at the top of the page.

• Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.

• Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoided

• Print on one side of the paper only.

• Avoid Mistakes, Spelling Mistakes.

ACTION VERBS TO USE IN YOUR RESUME

Action Words

Use action words to describe your experience and accomplishments. Here are some actions words to use:

achieved acquired adapted addressed administered

drafted edited eliminated enforced established

originated oversaw performed planned prevented



analyzed anticipated assembled assisted audited budgeted calculated centralized changed collaborated composed condensed conducted constructed contracted converted coordinated created cultivated demonstrated designed developed devised discovered doubled

evaluated expanded explained forecasted formed founded generated guided hired implemented improved informed insured interpreted interviewed launched maintained managed marketed minimized motivated negotiated obtained operated organized

produced programmed promoted provided publicized published recruited reorganized reported researched resolved reviewed selected separated set up simplified solved surveyed staffed supervise taught tested trained used

SAMPLE RESUME

TOM CRUISE

789 White house Road, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560 009, IndiaEmail: [email protected]

Phone: 91-80-45679987

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OBJECTIVE:

To secure a job in the IT industry where I can utilize my knowledge for the organization’s growth

KEY COMPETENCIES

Good team player Diplomatic Methodical

EDUCATION



B.Tech. Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai (2001-2005)

PROJECT WORK (B. Tech)

Built a computer that could work on solar energy.

TRAINEESHIP EXPERIENCE

Research Assistant, TIFR, Mumbai (Aug – Dec 2004): Helped the professors to research and collate information on various computer related topics. Project Trainee, ABC Networks, Bangalore: (Jan 2005-present): Work as a project trainee for this start-up company. Implemented new projects and participated

in them. Tested the new software.

COMPUTER SKILLS

Software: SQL Server, Apache, CVS Languages: C/C++, STL, Python, JavaScript/C# Platforms: Linux, FreeBSD, Windows 98, NT 4.0, 2000.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

Best B.Tech thesis – 2004. Dept of Computer Science. IISC Bangalore Silver Medalist at the International Mathematical Olympiad at school. Ranked 10th in IIT Joint Entrance Examination – 2000.

TRAININGS / CERTIFICATIONS

A six month course in C, C++ and Java from the National Computing Agency A certification in multi-media and animation from Animation Toonz Communication skills workshops conducted by the British Agency in Bangalore

PERSONAL DETAILS

Father’s name : Marc Cruise Nationality : Indian Religion : Christianity Date of Birth : July 4th 1984 Hobbies : Reading Novels, Listening to music & Playing chess Languages Spoken : English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, French

REFERENCES

Will be furnished on request

20 POWERFUL TIPS FOR ADVANCING YOUR CAREER



You don't want to stay in your current position forever... you want to move up! Here are 20 ways to boost your chances of getting that nice promotion:

1. Do more than is expected of you.

2. Take initiative and do what needs to be done, before being asked.

3. Learn the skills you'll need to advance.

4. Be loyal to your boss, your team, and your company.

5. Be patient and don't expect to be promoted without demonstrating your abilities over time.

6. View the big picture and understand your company's mission. Find ways to help them accomplish it.

7. Save money for your company by identifying ways to boost revenues, reduce expenses,

8. Offer solutions to the problems you must take to your boss.

9. Show respect to everyone -- superiors, peers, subordinates, and especially customers.

10. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." If you don't know something, say so;

11. Take responsibility for your actions.

12. Never gossip. Gossip can hurt the careers of two people: the person being talked about, and the person doing the talking.

13. Never say "That's not my job."

14. Share the credit.

15. Ask for help when you need it.

16. Keep your dislike to yourself.

17. Don't hold grudges. Life isn't always fair.

18. Be humble. When you're right, don't gloat about it. Never say "I told you so!"

19. Make others feel important. Compliment others; emphasize their strengths and contributions,

20. Join associations and professional organizations related to your career.

QUESTIONS ASKED BY EMPLOYERS

1.What are your long range and short range goals and objectives, when and why did you establish these goals and how are you preparing yourself to achieve them?



2.What specific goals, other than those related to your occupation, have you established for yourself? 3.What do you see yourself doing five years from now? 4.What do you expect to be earning in five years? 5.What do you really want to do in life? 6.What are the most important rewards you expect in your business career? 7.Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing? 8.Which is more important to you, the money or type of job?

9.What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses? 10. How would you describe yourself? 11. How do you think a friend or professor who knows you would describe you? 12. What motivates you to put forth your greatest efforts? 13. How has your college experience prepared you for a business career? 14. Why should I hire you? 15. What qualifications do you have that make you think that you will be successful in business? 16. How do you determine or evaluate success? 17. What do you think it takes to be successful in a company like ours? 18. In what ways do you think you can make a contribution to our company? 19. What qualities should a successful manager possess? 20. Describe the relationship that should exist between a supervisor and those reporting to him or her. 21. What two to three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why? 22. Describe your most rewarding college experience. 23. If you were hiring a graduate for this position, what qualities would you look for? 24. Why did you select your college or university? 25. What led you to choose your field of major study? 26. What college subjects did you like best? Why? Least? Why? 27. If you could do so, how would you plan your academic study differently? Why? 28. What changes would you make in your college or university? Why? 29. Do you have plans for continued study? An advanced degree? 30. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement? 31. What have you learned from participation in extra-curricular activities? 32. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable? 33. How do you work under pressure? 34. In what part-time or summer jobs have you been most interested in? Why? 35. How would you describe the ideal job for you following graduation? 36. Why did you decide to seek a position with this company? 37. What do you know about our company? 38. What two or three things are most important to you in a job? 39. Are you seeking employment in a company of a certain size? Why? 40. What criteria are you using to evaluate the company for which you hope to work? 41. Are you willing to travel? 42. Do you have a geographical preference? Why? 43. Will you relocate? Does relocation bother you? 44. Are you willing to spend at least six months as a trainee? 45. Why do you think you might like to live in the community in which our company is located? 46. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it? 47. What have you learned from your mistakes? 48. What were your major courses of study in school? Why did you choose those courses? 49. What was the most important thing you learned in school? 50. Why did you decide to go to this University? 51. Do you plan to finish your college degree while you are working?



52. Did school meet your expectations? How did you pay for your college education? 53. To what extent do your grades reflect how much you learned? 54. What was the toughest problem you had to solve? How did you solve it? 55. Why do you want to work for this company? 56. This job means you will have to relocate; what problems do you foresee, if any? 57. This job has a lot of travel; how will you handle that? 58. How do you think your education will help you on this job?

59. What would you do if you were fired in two years? 60. If you went to work for us today, what job would you like to hold in three years? 61. How long do you plan on staying with us? 62. What kinds of additional education, formal or informal, do you think you need to meet your career

goals? 63. What do you know about our company? 64. Why did you choose our company? 65. What are your career goals? 66. Where do you expect to be in your career within five years? 67. What are your educational goals? 68. What future training do you plan in connection with your career goals? 69. What are your lifetime goals? 70. What do you know about the position you are interviewing for? 71. What skills, experience, and training do you have that makes you qualified for this job? 72. What management style do you prefer? 73. How are your people-management skills? Can you give me one or two examples? 74. How well do you communicate in writing and orally? Give me some examples. 75. Can you meet deadlines? If so, give me an example. 76. Give me an example of a decision you made that benefited your company. 77. What motivates you? 78. How do you best motivate others? 79. What clubs do you belong to? 80. What volunteer work do you do or have you done in the past? 81. What awards or honors have you received? 82. What are your hobbies? 83. What do you do in your spare time? 84. What are your salary requirements? 85. Have you ever done consulting work? If so, why and for whom? 86. Have you written any articles for a professional journal, magazine, or newspaper? 87. What civic organizations do you belong to? 88. What professional associations do you belong to? 89. What major strength do you feel you have that would make you a great (Manager, Sales

Representative, Accountant, Analyst, etc)? 90. Describe a situation where your work or an idea was criticized. 91. Have you done the best work you are capable of doing? 92. What problems do you have getting along with others? 93. I'm not sure you're suitable for the job, what do you think? 94. Tell me about something you are not proud of. 95. What aspects of your job do you consider most crucial? 96. What is your energy level like? Describe a typical day. 97. Why do you want to work here? 98. What kind of experience do you have for this job? 99. Are you willing to go where the company sends you?



100. What would you like to be doing five years from now? 101. What are your biggest accomplishments? 102. How do you organize and plan for major projects? 103. What is your greatest strength? 104. What are your outstanding qualities? 105. What interests you most about this job? 106. What can you do for us that someone else can't do?

107. Describe a difficult problem you have had to deal with. 108. What would your references say about you? 109. Can we check your references? 110. What was the last book you read (or movie you saw)? How did it affect you? 111. How do you handle tension? 112. How long have you been looking for a position? 113. Have you ever been fired? 114. How does this job compare with others you have applied for? 115. How do you take direction? 116. Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten. 117. What kinds of things do you worry about? 118. What is the most difficult situation you have faced? 119. What are some of the things that bother you? 120. What have you done that shows initiative? 121. How interested are you in sports? 122. Do you prefer working with others or alone? 123. Explain your role as a group/team leader. 124. How would you define a conducive work atmosphere? 125. Define cooperation. 126. What difficulties do you have tolerating people with different backgrounds and interests from yours? 127. In hindsight, what have you done that was a little harebrained? 128. What would you do when you have a decision to make and no procedure exists? 129. What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you? 130. Tell me about the problems you have had living within your means. 131. What area of your skills/professional development do you want to improve at this time? 132. Are you willing to take calculated risks when necessary? 133. See this pen I am holding, sell it to me. 134. What is the worst thing you have heard about our company? 135. How do you handle rejection? 136. Tell me about a time when you put your foot in your mouth. 137. What interests you least about this job? 138. What do you feel is a satisfactory attendance record? 139. What are some of the things you find difficult to do? Why do you feel that way? 140. What kind of people do you like to work with? 141. What kind of people do you find it difficult to work with? 142. How have you successfully worked with this difficult type of person? 143. How would you evaluate me as an interviewer? 144. We have tried to hire people from your major before, and they never seem to work out. What makes

you different? 145. Do you like routine tasks/regular hours? 146. What have you done that shows initiative and willingness to work? 147. What do you think determines progress in a good company? 148. Do you think grades should be considered by first employers?



149. Why do you think you would like this type of work? 150. What would your ideal career position be? 151. Do you consider yourself a leader, and if so, give me some examples of your leadership abilities? 152. Do you consider yourself a better manager or a better implementer? 153. What are your most significant achievements? 154. Have you had any international experience? Do you speak or write in any foreign language? 155. What can you offer us?

156. Have you ever fired employees, and if so, how did you handle terminations? 157. What do you feel is the most difficult responsibility that a manager/executive must perform? 158. What is your definition of success and according to this definition, how successful have you been in

your career? 159. What are your long and short range plans? 160. What were your favorite courses in school? Who were your favorite professors and why? 161. Did you prepare your own resume? 162. How long have you been engaged in your job search? 163. Have you had any specific offers? 164. Why haven't you found a position before now? 165. What do you know about this company, and where did you find this information? 166. How do you spend your time when you are not working? 167. If you could begin your career over again, what would you do differently? 168. How much do you think this position is worth? 169. What is the hardest job you have ever performed? 170. Do you object to taking psychological tests? 171. What contributions do you think that you could make to this company? 172. You seem overqualified for this position, what do you think?


College Workbook - 2010

Documents

dont slouch

dont interrupt

communication talk

dont use slang

impressnonverbal communication

interview skills

poor communication skills

interview blunders