5 of the Smartest Things Ever Said About Job Interviews.....!

In this post I have put together a collection of 5 of the smartest quotes by acclaimed authors regarding Job Interviews. And I am pretty certain that, as you read them, you will understand the rationale behind them. 

Let's try and understand what Todd Bermont meant when he quoted - 

• "So many people out there have no idea what they want to do for a living, but they think that by going on job interviews they'll magically figure it out. If you are not sure, that message comes out loud and clear in the interview." 

How true this rings out for most of us! Look, job interviews are definitely not the place to find out whether you fit into a particular career. You will need to assess yourself much before you even apply for a particular job advertisement. So, for those of you who are in the habit of doing just this, my sincere advice, get serious about what you want to do with your life. Don't let life pass you by without doing anything worthwhile. You are unique, you have something unique to contribute to society, so buckle-up and take job interviews seriously. Find out your true potential in my book and I am certain you will know what you ought to do the next time around!

• "Finding a job that is a good fit is as much about you selecting the right company as it is about them selecting the right candidate."

The above is a quote by Miles Anthony Smith. And what is he trying to say? Simply this, that you will need to match your skill sets and all of your other attributes to a particular job. There has to be synergy. It is a two way process. Your talents, qualifications, experience, whatever, must be in sync with the job at hand. On the other hand, the job description and job responsibilities again should be what you are looking for in a job. If they don't match, it is better that you skip that particular job rather than apply for it and then decide to resign within a few months. Which, believe me, won't do you any good in the long haul!

This is what Jarod Kintz has to say about before going in to be interviewed - 

• "Before job interviews, I think: What colour tie best represents me as a person this company would be interested in?"

Wow! In about twenty words he has summed up the importance of 'dress code'. This is one area I believe that is some what overlooked by many of us. We forget the crucial aspect of understanding the culture of the company we are applying to and don't pay too much attention to what we should wear to the interview. Remember, your personality comes through with what you wear but more importantly, you will need to choose your wardrobe according to the situation and not base it on what you are comfortable with. 

Dan Zevin echoes the same sentiment while on the subject of interviews and dress code. Here's what he has to say - 

• "Never wear a backward baseball cap to an interview unless applying for the job of umpire."

The sum and substance of the above quote is simply amplifying the fact that you will need to dress for the occasion. And this can be achieved only after you have done a thorough research of the company you are applying to. Researching the company not only helps you to understand what the company is all about but also gives you an insight into the culture being followed by its employees. How you turn out for the interview speaks volumes about your attitude, so the next time you are called in to be interviewed, remember, your outward presentation must match the culture of the company. 

And the mother of all quotes - "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." Echoed by the famed Chinese philosopher, Confucius, really sums up very precisely the exercise of getting you know yourself and then going on a job hunting spree. To understand this famous quote, you will need to read between the lines. Ask yourself this question, how can I land a job which I love? The answer to this question would definitely be, when, you as a person, are consciously aware about yourself in terms of your strengths and weaknesses. It is only when you know what you are really good at, those things that you just love to do and enjoy the process, that you will love your job. So, becoming consciously aware about yourself is the key to landing a job that you will love to do.  

Hope you enjoy reading the above quotes and their deeper meaning in terms of succeeding in job interviews!

Till next time...!

      

Job Interviews Are Peanuts...just believe in yourself! - ready for purchase..!

Finally I have done it...! 

My latest eBook on cracking job interviews is out on Amazon and ready for purchase. I must admit that the whole process did take me some months to complete but I am glad that I could follow the prescribed guidelines of Amazon and get it through their stringent review procedures. So you can go ahead and get your copy now.

It is a very basic, simple, straight forward book that I hope connects with you on a one on one level. There is nothing fancy or deep psychological stuff buried in the pages, unlike some of the other books on the same subject. All I have done is given you a upfront communique of what you should expect and how you should go about during an interview. The moment you start reading the book, you will realise that you embark on a journey, a journey that will take you through the following areas of the interview process - 

• Getting to understand interviews.
• Understanding yourself better.
• How do you apply for a job?
• Handling the phone.
• The nuances of the group discussion.
• What you should do before the personal interview.
• What you will need to do during the personal interview.
• Understand why certain questions are asked and how you should answer.
• What you should do after the interview is over.

It is a total package. It is a tool that will help you overcome the interview 'jitters', help you to prepare with the right amount of focus and dedication and eventually come out successful in any job interview!

You can sample and order your copy by clicking here.

It is my sincere wish that this book answers your questions and takes care of your apprehensions regarding job interviews and helps you prepare in the right direction.

Do let me have your views and suggestions. Also please free to leave a comment and I assure you, I'll get back to you.

Happy job hunting! May you get what you so richly deserve... 

Job Interviews Are Peanuts...just believe in yourself! - 2

In my last post, I had given you a gist or an excerpt of the content from my eBook. The idea behind it was to make you aware of the present day job scenario and what you are up against in terms of landing the job of your dreams.

Yes, the competition is stiff, more than what it used to be some years back. Yes, there are more B-school and technical graduates being churned out by various institutes. This is a universal fact and there is little you can do to change this. But, does this phenomenon mean that your chances of getting the job that you always dreamt of, seem remote? Absolutely not. 

On the contrary, the mushrooming of numerous B-schools and tech institutes is a positive sign. It goes to prove that, there is ample scope for those graduating from these institutes to be absorbed in meaningful ways, there are jobs around that can take in these graduates. Look the people, both government or private enterprise, are not fools. These people will not invest huge sums of capital in setting up high class, state-of-art infrastructure to cater to the demand of those seeking industry related higher education. Now again, why would there be a demand for this education? It is simply because there is scope of getting jobs in the relevant fields of specialisation. 

Aside from those graduating from business school or technical institutes, what what happens to you, if you are just a simple college graduate? Well, let me tell you, things couldn't be better for you. 

The reason I say this is pretty simple. You are not bound by the restrictions of specialisation. You have more scope, you have a bigger field to choose from, there are more avenues to explore as compared to those from business or technical backgrounds. 

But the defining factor, and it doesn't matter whether you are a business school graduate, a technical graduate or a simple college graduate, is choosing the right career path. This is imperative. You've got to make the correct decision and I dare say, this is easier said than done! I've seen many bright young people lose their way and make a mess of their lives and this happens primarily because they did not make the time to choose the right career.

Now the obvious question that would come to your mind is - how do I make the right career choice? Let me counter that with this - what would draw you to a particular career path or more specifically, what do you look for in a job? Do you have what it takes to even apply for a particular job opening? Understanding this is vital.

Even before applying for a job, you will need to really get to know yourself. When you begin to have a deeper understanding of yourself, you will become more confident about your abilities and how these can translate into better out-put on your part but more importantly, knowing yourself better will give you the much needed direction as to the career path you should take or pursue. What this actually translates into is avoiding the many pitfalls and frustrations that you will confront by getting into a career without much thought. And being stuck in a dead-end job, stagnating. You certainly don't want this, do you?

My eBook looks at this aspect in detail and tells you how you should go about getting a better understanding of yourself. I have said this earlier and I can't help but re-emphasise the importance of this exercise that you should carry out. Take time out to look at the real you with a magnifying glass, you will not lose anything but have a lot to gain!

Till the next post, all the best. 









    

Job Interviews Are Peanuts....just believe in yourself! - 1

Wow, it's been almost a year since I've posted....! And frankly I tell you, it doesn't feel good to disconnect for such a long period of time. But the good news is that, I am over that and back to giving you simple, basic tips to succeed at job interviews.

Let me be very up front with you. If you recall my last post where I had mentioned that my eBook - 'Job Interviews Are Peanuts...!, was to be on Amazon during December of 2014, but by some quirk of circumstances I couldn't get it out as promised. And I am terribly sorry for messing up. But nevertheless, over the past couple of months, I've put my heart and mind to it and completed the manuscript according to Amazon standards. I am still working on the details of the cover and that should be over shortly. 

In the mean time, I want you to sample a little bit about the book - 

For starters you should know that the job market has undergone drastic changes from what it was, say, about ten years back. From the initial interview to the final selection process, the dynamics have changed tremendously. The competition is fierce. Gone are the days when jobs in the corporate sector were not that over populated with job-seekers. But nowadays with thousands of management graduates, engineering graduates as well as college graduates being churned out by various institutes, all clamouring for a decent job, the going is pretty tough. It is now an employer’s market. They now have a large pool of talented candidates to choose from and they will go for the very best. So for you to be able to compete on an even field in this ever increasing milieu of job-seekers, you will need to understand and develop certain qualities that will help you stand apart from the crowd. This book aims to do just that. The whole purpose of this book is to give you that tool, that advantage so that you will have an edge over the next job applicant. I have gone into detail about the process of group discussion and personal interview, so that you are aware of what is expected of you during these two phases of the interview process. I have also devoted a complete chapter to understanding some of the questions that are commonly asked in interviews and given you their probable answers. It is my sincere wish that these will be helpful to you in your preparation for any interview. 

The above should give you some understanding about what is happening in the job market and what you can expect from my book.

Hope you enjoy reading the small excerpt. More coming up in my next post.

Do let me know your comments and views on the above excerpt.

Till then, all the best!