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Is your resume perfect? How to Audit your resume?

Mar 3rd, 2009
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Curriculum Vitae (CV) or is a candidate’s first opportunity to give a message to a prospective employer about what you are. Hence it is important to make sure that job applicants understand this and ensure that the message is conveyed. You must Audit your for the three critical areas always before applying for a job. In this post we will be talking about three audit areas for you to verify whether your gives you that added advantage over others which is required in the workplace these days.

Audit 1: Apples or Oranges – does your resume differentiates you?
When you are making your resume you have to make sure your resume stands out from the rest. Your resume should be of the type that is attractive to the eyes and ensures that the person evaluating it will want to read what is inside. Steroeotypes are out – creativity is in.

Audit 2: Are you hitting the dot or you are in circles?
There are two types of shooters – good shooters and bad shooters. Good are those who fire less bullets but hit the dot in middle. Bad one’s are those who waste the bullets in the circles around the dot. Have you written a resume which is too long and not to the point or concise. If yes it will be irrelevant to the person who will be evaluating. Note that your employer’s time is critical and you must realize that they have limited time to evaluate each resume. If your resume is showing your value in short and concise manner (short time for your employer) you  have made yourself shortlisted for an interview.

Audit 3: Is your resume general or is custom made for the job?
Do you have one resume that fits all? If yes you may be in trouble. A ‘one size fits all’ or ‘Readymade’ resume is not the best way to create the right impression on your employer. You have to make sure your resume is listing related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for. So keep different versions of their CV for different job opening purposes and ensure that your resume is appropriate for the job you are applying. Some even argue that employers know that you have spruced up the resume – but they like the effort you have taken to tailor.

So next time you are applying for a job ask yourself these three “Resume Audit Questions”. For more tips and secrets to for your career success at work, click on links below of related articles. Careercola.com has only one objective – “to ensure that you manage your career successfully”.

Resume Writing Tips, Tips to write professional resume, Resume format, Sample Resume, Resume template, Resume Builder

Feb 23rd, 2009
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Many articles are written on Writing Tips or how to write professional . Many candidates have questions regarding formats, sample , template, builder and taking professional help to write . Career Cola has compiled some do’s and don’ts of how to make a .

Do’s and don’ts of professional resume writing

Keep it to the point: Keep it brief, concise and relevant. Do not turn your resume into a tedious list of key responsibility areas. Many people even use their company jargon in writing a resume – avoid that. Instead tell the prospective employer how you made a difference to your last job. You can provide specific examples of how the company you work for gained from your performance. You can also highlight any goals which you achieved ahead of time, or any special cost-cutting measures spearheaded by your department.

Your resume should answer the questions like – What special expertise did you bring to your current job? Highlight of any special praise, certificates of achievement presented to you or your department. What were the problems or challenges that you or the organisation faced? and what did you do to overcome the problems?

Not too short, Not too long: We recommend the complete length of your CV should not be more than 2 pages. Do not use long sentences and old-fashioned language. Instead use Bullet Points and modern formal language. Be specific and direct. Explain in a few crisp sentences what you do now, and what you aim to do in your new job.

Do not overuse personal pronouns: It is your CV and hence will be about you. But try to avoid using I, me, my in the CV too often and preferablly be avoided.

Relate your skills and abilities to your job history: Your resume should record your career progression. In the process you must link the skills to jobs done. Also highlight the skills that you now have and will be usefull to the job you are applying for.

Professional resume layout:
Here is the recommended resume layout:

  • Profile summary: Start with a profile section (detailing the scope of your experience, skill sets, key responsibility areas) in summary
  • Employment History in reverse chronological order (emphasizing achievements in the recent 5-10 years)
  • Education again in reverse chronological order (this might be moved to the top for fresh graduates)
  • Other topics such as professional affiliations, community activities, technical expertise, and languages spoken
  • Personal details should be at the end. However hobbies & other personal interests should only be included if they relate to the positions you’re interested in.

What to keep in mid while writing resume

Keywords: With most of the companies, recruiters and job portals companies using technology to store resumes, it has become important for a job seeker to include relevant industry keywords to be found in an applicant search. Do not make a separate section for keywords but you must use them throughout the resume. A good way to determine keywords is to search the leading job portals and read job descriptions for positions that interest you. Form here you can note the industry buzzwords and incorporate them into your resume.

References: Referees are people in responsible positions who refer you for the job and sometimes are the key to get a job. Always keep at least two good referees lined up but do not list them in the resume unless you are asked for them. You can write “reference available on request” in your resume.

Review your resume: Get your resume reviewed wither by some professionals or by your friends. And based on the feedback evaluate and make changes. Poor grammar and misspelled words may cause a potential employer to question your attention to detail and the quality of your work. Ensure that there are no Grammar & spelling mistakes. A thourough review will ensure that your resume is free from any errors.

Where is recession? – Indian companies increasing salaries at highest rate in Asia – Hewitt survey

Feb 20th, 2009
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As per a of 480 Indian companies over December 2008 and January 2009 conducted by HR consultancy firm Hewitt – despite the economic slowdown, a majority of Indian companies are still hiring employees. Here are some interesting revelations of this

  • Average hike in India in 2009 will be 8.2% (the highest in the Asia Pacific region hoever first time in six years that India is likely to see single-digit increases)
  • Projected salary hike is lower than the increase of 13.3% seen in 2008
  • The hike higher than China (8%) USA (3.2%) and Japan (2.3%)
  • Sectors expected to see the highest raises are FMCG, durables and telecom.
  • Healthcare is sector that is doing well globally and in India. In 2008, hospitals had awarded the lowest salary increases but have been placed among the top five sectors for 2009.

With inflation well below 5.5%, an average increase of 8.2% can be considered as a good raise.

To read more about this on Hewitt website – click here

  • Employees at the junior manager, professional and supervisor levels are expected to receive the highest increases.
  • About 16% of companies in India are considering retrenchments
  • More than 60% are still hiring
  • Nine out of every 10 companies still giving promotions
  • Only 0.83% of companies are resorting to salary cuts

Now compare this to USA – 55% of companies in the US, 30.6% in China, 32% in Australia, 20% in Thailand and 17% in Japan are considering laying off their employees to cut costs in the face of

How Indian companies are facing recession

  • In India, most companies face the downturn by drastically cutting down on luxuries and discretionary expenses such as non-billable travel and entertainment, with greater focus on prudence and productivity with the intent is to avoid .
  • They are redeploying human resources and making largescale realignments to the organization

Three tips to build effective relationship with your recruitment agency

Feb 4th, 2009
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Why some people manage to get a job really quickly when they are using a ? And at the same time some people interact for months and it takes ages for them to get what they want. Obviously there are secrets of dealing with a head hunter employment agency. The secrets of getting agencies to work for you and deliver qucik results in your job search are unravelled here.

Here are three tips for getting the best out of a recruitment agency:

Treat as employer
Treat Recruiter as employer means you should underastand that recruiters work for their clients (unless you are paying them – which is not the case). So treat the first interaction with a recruitment agent as your first round interview. After all you have to impress the recruiter so that they recommend you to prospective employer. Also a great impression on a recruitment consultant will help you in getting marked as a “good” candidate and you may be called more often than others for any future requirements.

Build long term relationship with your recruiter
You have to look at this interaction in long term perspective. So try to build rapport with your recruiter. Give them answers to all questions they are asking. Also ask as many questions you have about the prospective position. Give them all the information on thetype of job that you want. Keep interacting with the consultant on a regular interval.

Do not hide any career related issue with your recruiter
Do not hide any career related issue with your recruiter. remember although they work for clients – it is their interest also to get you placed as they get fee only after you are placed and joined. So never hide any facts from your recruiter as it will help them in proposing you for just the right position.

So next time you are out searching for jobs – keep these tips in mind. They are really effective if followed.

Group Discussion topics for Campus recruitment

Jan 6th, 2009
by admin.
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are one of the key tools to evaluate candidates during and also in some of the entrance exams. We have compiled a list of key topics

I. BUSINESS RELATED GD TOPICS

  1. The future of IT industry
  2. Why outsourcing works?
  3. With the increasing use of IT in daily life, machines are controlling man.
  4. IT helps social integration
  5. Increasing use of computers is de-humanizing society.
  6. Computer Viruses are good
  7. International trade barriers work.
  8. Affirmative action draws people to work they never considered before.
  9. Bribery is good for Business
  10. Minimum Wage – Why should we have a minimum wage or why not?
  11. Recycling – Sort out how to make money with recycling.

II. SPORTS RELATED GD TOPICS

  1. What is wrong with our sports?

III. SOCIAL GD TOPICS

  1. Should euthanasia be legalized?
  2. Capital punishment should be abolished.
  3. Cloning of human beings should be allowed.
  4. Is pocket money enough for the youth of today?
  5. Love cannot be confined to Valentine’s Day.
  6. A women’s place is at home.
  7. Parents don’t understand children.
  8. Are we raising a society of burnt out children?
  9. Should we have job reservation in the private sector?
  10. Beauty pageants are a waste of time and should be banned.
  11. Is women empowerment a myth?
  12. Film awards are a farce and should be stopped.
  13. Brain drain vs brain in the drain.
  14. The media should be more socially responsible.
  15. The pros and cons of having a credit card.
  16. Why drinking and driving is dangerous to yourself and others.
  17. Passive smoking is equally harmful.
  18. Sustainable urban living without the use of excessive natural resources must be our future.
  19. Online dating chats have nothing to do with a search for a soul mate.
  20. Most people support embryonic stem cell research.
  21. Life imprisonment is a good alternative to capital punishment.
  22. What is wrong with child labor?
  23. Why Hippocratic Oath
  24. Film actors buy cheap publicity from controversies?

IV. POLITICS RELATED GD TOPICS

  1. Politics is the root cause of all problems in our country
  2. Politics of criminals vs criminalization of politics.
  3. For true democracy to happen, it must first happen within all political parties.
  4. Women’s reservation in Politics
  5. How we can handle terrorism?
  6. Do we need stronger laws to curtail terrorism?
  7. The new face of terrorism
  8. Conspiracy is a very common form of political behavior.
  9. The pros and cons of a female President.

V. CAMPUS RELATED GD TOPICS

  1. Should use of mobile phones be banned on campus?
  2. Should college students wear uniforms?
  3. Should politics be allowed on campus?
  4. We should shift to Open Book Policy for examinations.
  5. Our education system should be revamped.
  6. Need for a more practical education?
  7. Education in the wired world?
  8. Why we need better technology for education?
  9. Should colleges distribute condoms?
  10. School Violence – What are the real causes of violence and bullying in Schools?

VI. ETHICS RELATED GD TOPICS

  1. Is honesty the best policy for our citizen
  2. Profit is a bad word in business.
  3. Ethics and business do not co-exist.
  4. Advertising is all glitter and no truth.

VII. ABSTRACT GD TOPICS

  1. The Sun always rises in the East.
  2. The color of the cat is not a matter of concern as long as it catches mice.
  3. Green is better than red.
  4. Life is like a box of chocolates.
  5. What a man thinks is what he is.
  6. How do you know what you know unless you see what you know.
  7. Direct mail is a special form of junk mail.
  8. The Nostradamus Code are correct
  9. Breast Implants

VIII. INTERNATIONAL GD TOPICS

  1. The U.N. is mainly based on diplomacy and enhancing relationships.
  2. Iraq – What are the best exit strategies?

Do you have more topics to add? Share them here by writing in comments.

How to publish your resume (profile) online on internet

Dec 3rd, 2008
by admin.
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With the advent of Web 2.0 technology and SaaS (Software as a Service) applications it has become easy to keep your documents in the Cloud (keeping documents online as it is called by techies). There is no reason why you keep sending your updated to prospective employers through email. Keeping your ‘ or profile’ online is an easy, effective and smart option these days. here are some of the ways to have your profile online:

Google Docs: You can upload your document to Google Docs (docs.google.com) and publish it online for everyone to see. Now share the link with everyone you wanted to share through email. This link will remain same even if you have changed the document.

Google Sites: You can easily create (without any technical knowledge – yes even the 4th graders in schools these days can do) a site with your personl profile on Google sites (sites.google.com). Site obviously give you more options as you can have multiple pages, and attach multiple documents. These are ideal to create your detailed profile where you can share your project experience. Google Sites (like Google docs) can be published and shared with everyone. So again just share the link once and people can keep track of you.

Create a blog: Blogs are not only for celebrities or expert publishers. You can also create your professional blog (professional profile) using free blogging tools like WordPress (www.wordpress.com) or Blogger (www.blogger.com). Ideal choice would be WordPress as it allows you to create pages. A blog will be an appropriate choice to show your understaing and work to prospective employers on an ongoing basis. Most suitable for technical professionals, artists, consultants etc.

Create a video resume: Have a camcorder or webcam? Well dress up and create a professional video resume of about five minutes and host it online. You can host it for free on Youtube (www.yourtube.com) or Screencast (www.screencast.com). You can directly share the link with employers or embed the video into your blog.

So you can go ahead and create a profile online. Be an early adopter and create a diffrentiation for yourself by going onlife first. We would love to hear your comments with links to your online resumes here on this post.

How to keep your job during an economic recession

Oct 31st, 2008
by admin.
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While we are seeing the worst recession of recent times with slow economic growth. A slower growth means some companies my consider downsizing. The recession in USA is closely linked to recession in other economies as the links now are very tight. Considering the global nature of problem – we may see job cuts not only in USA but across the world. To ensure that you keep your job if times get tougher we recommend following steps which will improve your chances of being kept on.

Make yourself irreplaceable: Be very clear about what you responsibilities are, and make sure you are meeting them.

Pick up additional responsibilities / Go beyond: Make sure your supervisors and colleagues are aware of your capabilities. Continue to build your skills. Look for opportunities at your company and elsewhere. Look for ways to go beyond what you’ve been told to do. Volunteer for additional tasks (bu be careful do not ask for more than you can handle. Create an impression of task master who gets the job done well.

Don’t seem paranoid or anxious: Keep working at your current output level, and try to focus on getting the job done. Even as businesses trim around the edges, some departments are at lesser layoff risk, and there won’t necessarily be cuts across the board. Workers that contribute directly to revenue may be safer. For example, a telemarketer selling product usually stays around.

Find related jobs within organization / Improve your skill set: If your role is likely to go – find related jobs within organization. For example new project development has stopped – try moving to support of old projects. If your your skills obsolete? Take extra
classes to brush up the latest skills. If career improvement seminars are offered at work, attend them. You want to show your employer that you are still viable in the workplace, and that you have the necessary training to continue doing a good job.

Come up and suggest ways to cut costs: If you see areas of waste at your company immediately recommend ways to improve efficiency and cut costs. Do not ask for huge investments in your projects so keep the suggestions to low investment options.

Suggest ways to increase revenue: If you can see a potential new revenue stream that requires a low (preferably zero) investment, recommend it. Companies appreciate an employee who is innovative and consider them more valuable. Idea here is to strech resources rater than to consume resources.

Increase your visibility: In any recession – the first people fired are those with
a negative impression. The next to go are those that are unnoticed and therefore can be released. So the writing on wall is to get noticed in a positive way. How? Here are some tips – Make sure you reach on time to work and preferably work extra hours. You limit your vacation period. Make extra contribution to work, and ensure that it is noticed by management. Without being too bold, make sure that your boss is aware of what you are contributing to the bottom line of the company.

Have a positive attitude: This is no time to complain constantly. You need to be constructive enough to make the workplace better. Do not complain excessively or gossip informally. If you have a reputation as a complainer or morale-killer, may be you can lose your job. Employers in bad times try to get rid of people who pull the team backwards.

Despite all these suggestions no one can guarantee you that you will be retaining your job in . You can try but no matter how hard you try sometimes there may be a chance of bad news for you. So it is good to be prepared (in case?). Update your , get hooked to few recruiters. Network with your old bosses, coworkers, and business
contacts. You will get better results if you are prepared ahead of time. “Dig your well before you are thirsty”.

How to negotiate your salary: First Step

Oct 31st, 2008
by admin.
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How do you successfully negotiate the and package that you want?

Some people seems to have mastered the art . They seems to get the salary scales that they exactly want. What do they different while negotiating their salary? How did they achieved the points they wanted?

Do you know that there are several techniques that need to be mastered to get paid the salary that you deserve? Good people are hard to find and employers are often prepared to go above what they were originally going to pay for the right talent.

The first and foremost step of Salary Negotiation is understanding that when you are offered a job, the success of the negotiation depends on how much you yourself valued your experience.

Rather than feeling grateful that you have been offered a job, your belief in yourself, your abilities, your intrinsic value, your market value and your potential will enable you to change your mindset. In fact you need to feel that the company with whom you are negotiating should be grateful that I wanted to work for them.

A belief in your value will go a long way in increasing your salary levels. You may leave a few offers initially – but in long run your salary level will go more than your peers who think otherwise.

So next time you are in job market and negotiating salary – do not sell yourself undervalued. Ask for what you believe in – and see the magic.

How to Write an Effective Resume Cover Letter?

Oct 6th, 2008
by admin.
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You are looking for a job or want to change a job? You may be sending the to various employers. One of the basic question asked many times by job seekers is

Do I need to send a cover letter? Is there someone who reads it?

Well – yes. There still are recruiters who read the cover letters. And why not be more conservative when applying for job. Work in a traditional manner and send a resume with cover letter.

What I should include in cover letter? How a is drafted?

A cover letter has five parts: Your address, Address of Employer, Subject & Reference, Body, and End. Here we will briefly discuss on each of these parts of a resume cover letter.

The resume cover letter begins with your address, telephone number and email at the top. Your contact information upfront is very of import and will be quick reference to employer to contact you.

The cover letter should have a clear mention of Subject and Reference. This saves the time and the person who is reading it will like it if the letter is with clear subject and reference. Subject can be like “Exploring the career opportunities with company_name in position_name” and reference should be the source from where you have come to know about the position.

Next you need to write the address of the individual whom you are addressing. Write a name only if you know whom you are applying. Use neutral words unless you are sure (like use Ms. Instead of Mrs). If the name of individual is not known address to the position – like “HR Manager”.

The body starts with salutation. If you are not sure who will be reading this make sure you use “Sir or Madam”. If know it is better to write a personalized letter salutation like “Dear Ms. Thomas”

The body can be divided into three parts – first paragraph shows your inclination to work for the company you are applying for. The second para should state briefly your qualifications for the position and why they shoud meet you over an interview. This is your opportunity to impress, write best about yourself, and give the reader the information they need to be convinced about your candidature for the said position. The third para should devote on your intention to apply for said position and an action message for the reader.

The letter should end with greetings followed by your name and signature at the bottom. The greetings should be personal as far as possible. Make sure you sign all letter personally.

What points I should keep in mind while formatting my letter?

Us a font which is not very big or very small. Preferably same in resume and cover letter. Use a conservative business font like Times New Roman, Ariel or Verdana. The text should be justified to make letter look even. Print the cover letter on a white paper in black ink.

A cover letter will show your personality to the employer. Make sure you use this tool in the best way.

How to keep your job during financial crisis?

Sep 26th, 2008
by admin.
1 comment
Employees can gain a leading edge in an uncertain job market by following some guidelines. Considering the recent economic crisis the time has come for employees to develop their job hunting skills and review their career plans. The crisis in the market and credit crunch will eventually hit the job market. As more number of employees will start looking for jobs (the resulting influx of so many people made jobless by the banking crisis) it will become moredifficult for jobseekers to secure the right employement. 
The markets which are immediately affected (by job cuts) are investment banking, financial services, and information technology (which depends majorly on banking). In such situation understanding the key requirements to get and keep a job is key will only ensure you an edge over others.
Existing employees have to position themselves positively in market. They have to learn how to play the cards and become indispensible even in the middle of a credit crunch. Making yourself indispensible will ensure that your are not given pink slip in the next round of job cuts.
Employees need to take some time and think on their career path to ensure that they understand:
(a) what is needed to survive in the current market and 
(b) what is my plan of survival. 
Even if the market outlook is bad employees can still make themselves ahead in the race so that they get a clear edge over others. They need to brand themseves to stand out in a competitive market to guarantee career success. This will require not only doing the work but also keeping people who matter informed about your contribution.
If you feel that your job is not secure you may need to relook at following:
(a) What are my alternative employers?
(b) Same industry or a similar industry?
(c) Can I relocate?
(d) Can I take a cut in my compensation?
(e) Shall I use this time to home my skills and go back to school?
(f) What I can offer a potential employer?
In the coming day we will write more on the subject of how to keep your job secure during the financial crisis. 
All said and done – just remember “tough times never last tough people do”.
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