A Generic Cover Letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am interested in exploring the possibility of seeking employment with your organization. Please find my resume enclosed, it will furnish you with the details relevant to my experience, skills and education.

Regards,

Few HR Questions

1. Tell me about yourself:The most often asked question in interviews. You need to have a short statement prepared in your mind. Be careful that it does not sound rehearsed. Limit it to work-related items unless instructed otherwise. Talk about things you have done and jobs you have held that relate to the position you are interviewing  for. Start with the item farthest back and work up to the present. 

2. Why did you leave your last job?Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking bad. Keep smiling and talk about leaving for a positive reason such as an opportunity, a chance to do something special or other forward-looking reasons. 

3. What experience do you have in this field?Speak about specifics that relate to the position you are applying for. If you do not have specific experience, get as close as you can. 

4. Do you consider yourself successful?You should always answer yes and briefly explain why. A good explanation is that you have set goals, and you have met some and are on track to achieve the others. 

5. What do co-workers say about you?Be prepared with a quote or two from co-workers. Either a specific statement or a paraphrase will work. Jill Clark, a co-worker at Smith Company, always said I was the hardest workers she had ever known. It is as powerful as Jill having said it at the interview herself. 

6. What do you know about this organization?This question is one reason to do some research on the organization before the interview. Find out where they have been and where they are going. What are the current issues and who are the major players? 

7. What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?Try to include improvement activities that relate to the job. A wide variety  of activities can be mentioned as positive self-improvement. Have some good  ones handy to mention. 

8. Are you applying for other jobs?Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction. 

9. Why do you want to work for this organization?This may take some thought and certainly, should be based on the research you have done on the organization. Sincerity is extremely important here and will easily be sensed. Relate it to your long-term career goals. 

10. Do you know anyone who works for us?Be aware of the policy on relatives working for the organization. This can affect your answer even though they asked about friends not relatives. Be careful to mention a friend only if they are well thought of. 

 

 

 

 

 

11. What kind of salary do you need?A loaded question. A nasty little game that you will probably lose if you answer first. So, do not answer it. Instead, say something like, That’s a tough question. Can you tell me the range for this position? In most cases, the interviewer, taken off guard, will tell you. If not, say that it can depend on the details of the job. Then give a wide range. 

12. Are you a team player?You are, of course, a team player. Be sure to have examples ready. Specifics that show you often perform for the good of the team rather than for yourself are good evidence of your team attitude. Do not brag, just say it in a matter-of-fact tone. This is a key point. 

13. How long would you expect to work for us if hired?Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I’d like it to be a long time. Or As long as we both feel I’m doing a good job. 

14. Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?This is serious. Do not make light of it or in any way seem like you like to fire people. At the same time, you will do it when it is the right thing to  do. When it comes to the organization versus the individual who has created a harmful situation, you will protect the organization. Remember firing is not the same as layoff or reduction in force. 

15. What is your philosophy towards work?The interviewer is not looking for a long or flowery dissertation here. Do you have strong feelings that the job gets done? Yes. That’s the type of answer that works best here. Short and positive, showing a benefit to the organization. 

16. If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?Answer yes if you would. But since you need to work, this is the type of work you prefer. Do not say yes if you do not mean it. 

17. Have you ever been asked to leave a position?If you have not, say no. If you have, be honest, brief and avoid saying negative things about the people or organization involved. 

18. Explain how you would be an asset to this organizationYou should be anxious for this question. It gives you a chance to highlight your best points as they relate to the position being discussed. Give a little advance thought to this relationship. 

19. Why should we hire you?Point out how your assets meet what the organization needs. Do not mention any other candidates to make a comparison. 

20. Tell me about a suggestion you have madeHave a good one ready. Be sure and use a suggestion that was accepted and was then considered successful. One related to the type of work applied for is a real plus. 

21. What irritates you about co-workers?This is a trap question. Think real hard but fail to come up with anything that irritates you. A short statement that you seem to get along with folks is great. 

22. What is your greatest strength?Numerous answers are good, just stay positive. A few good examples: Your ability to prioritize, Your problem-solving skills, Your ability to work under pressure, Your ability to focus on projects, Your professional expertise, Your leadership skills,  Your positive attitude 

 

23. Tell me about your dream job.Stay away from a specific job. You cannot win. If you say the job you are contending for is it, you strain credibility. If you say another job is it, you plant the suspicion that you will be dissatisfied with this position if hired. The best is to stay genetic and say something like: A job where I love the work, like the people, can contribute and can’t wait to get to work. 

24. Why do you think you would do well at this job?Give several reasons and include skills, experience and interest. 

25. What are you looking for in a job?See answer # 23 

26. What kind of person would you refuse to work with? Do not be trivial. It would take disloyalty to the organization, violence or lawbreaking to get you to object. Minor objections will label you as a whiner. 

27. What is more important to you: the money or the work?Money is always important, but the work is the most important. There is no better answer. 

28. What would your previous supervisor say your strongest point is?There are numerous good possibilities:Loyalty, Energy, Positive attitude, Leadership, Team player, Expertise, Initiative, Patience, Hard work, Creativity, Problem solver 

29. Tell me about a problem you had with a supervisorBiggest trap of all. This is a test to see if you will speak ill of your boss. If you fall for it and tell about a problem with a former boss, you may well below the interview right there. Stay positive and develop a poor memory about any trouble with a supervisor. 

30. What has disappointed you about a job?Don’t get trivial or negative. Safe areas are few but can include:Not enough of a challenge. You were laid off in a reduction Company did not win a contract, which would have given you more responsibility. 

31. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.You may say that you thrive under certain types of pressure. Give an example that relates to the type of position applied for. 

32. Do your skills match this job or another job more closely?Probably this one. Do not give fuel to the suspicion that you may want another job more than this one. 

33. What motivates you to do your best on the job?This is a personal trait that only you can say, but good examples are: Challenge,  Achievement,  Recognition 

34. Are you willing to work overtime? Nights? Weekends?This is up to you. Be totally honest. 

35. How would you know you were successful on this job?Several ways are good measures:You set high standards for yourself and meet them. Your outcomes are a success.Your boss tell you that you are successful 

 

 

 

36. Would you be willing to relocate if required?You should be clear on this with your family prior to the interview if you think there is a chance it may come up. Do not say yes just to get the job if the real answer is no. This can create a lot of problems later on in your career. Be honest at this point and save yourself future grief. 

37. Are you willing to put the interests of the organization ahead of your own?This is a straight loyalty and dedication question. Do not worry about the deep ethical and philosophical implications. Just say yes. 

38. Describe your management style.Try to avoid labels. Some of the more common labels, like progressive, salesman or consensus, can have several meanings or descriptions depending on which management expert you listen to. The situational style is safe, because it says you will manage according to the situation, instead of one size fits all. 

39. What have you learned from mistakes on the job?Here you have to come up with something or you strain credibility. Make it small, well intentioned mistake with a positive lesson learned. An example would be working too far ahead of colleagues on a project and thus throwing coordination off. 

40. Do you have any blind spots?Trick question. If you know about blind spots, they are no longer blind spots. Do not reveal any personal areas of concern here. Let them do their own discovery on your bad points. Do not hand it to them. 

41. If you were hiring a person for this job, what would you look for?Be careful to mention traits that are needed and that you have. 

42. Do you think you are overqualified for this position?Regardless of your qualifications, state that you are very well qualified for the position. 

43. How do you propose to compensate for your lack of experience?First, if you have experience that the interviewer does not know about, bring that up: Then, point out (if true) that you are a hard working quick learner. 

44. What qualities do you look for in a boss?Be generic and positive. Safe qualities are knowledgeable, a sense of humor, fair, loyal to subordinates and holder of high standards. All bosses think they have these traits. 

45. Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute between others.Pick a specific incident. Concentrate on your problem solving technique and not the dispute you settled. 

46. What position do you prefer on a team working on a project?Be honest. If you are comfortable in different roles, point that out. 

47. Describe your work ethic.Emphasize benefits to the organization. Things like, determination to get the job done and work hard but enjoy your work are good. 

48. What has been your biggest professional disappointment?Be sure that you refer to something that was beyond your control. Show acceptance and no negative feelings. 

49. Tell me about the most fun you have had on the job.Talk about having fun by accomplishing something for the organization. 

 

 

50. Do you have any questions for me?Always have some questions prepared. Questions prepared where you will be an asset to the organization are good. How soon will I be able to be productive? and What type of projects will I be able to assist on? are examples. 

Etiquette

Etiquette

Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table

Hone your interview etiquette……………. Churn the right mix of deportment, attitude and dressingskills for a great job talk !

Never make the big mistake of treating an interview lightly. It’s not an impromptu thing where you depend on your improvisation skills. An interview requires careful thought and planning before you take it. Keeping in mind some basic attitudes and presentation techniques will help you sail through it with panache.

So if you thought that going for an interview just meant pulling your best suit out of the wardrobe and updating your resume, please think again. You are forgetting the other essentials: body language, basic etiquette and attitude.

Remember that you are actually selling an entire package and the packaging, in this case, is as relevant as the product inside. Ultimately you are presenting yourself as a valuable professional to a new job environment. And you can’t do that without minding the basic interview etiquette to get you ahead of the rest of the pack.

An interview is the sum total of many parts. It’s not just what you say but how you say it that matters equally. So it’s good to brush up on more than just your training skills when you do go in for an interview.

ATTIRE

How you dress for an interview is perhaps as relevant as the way you lay out your resume. Says Nina Kochar of Upgrade Management Services, an organisation which coaches’ executives in the basic rules of corporate etiquette: “A person who is sloppy in appearance shows a sloppy personality, so you have to be decently dressed.” Of course, decently dressed does not necessarily mean being dressed to the gills. In most cases, this would mean you would wear long sleeved shirts and a pair of formal trousers. In fact, Nina Kochar does not recommend suits, especially for younger people. “A lot of young people do not have the money to invest in suits, consequently, they wear ill-fitting or borrowed suits and that looks even worse. A tie, shirt and pant should do the trick for most junior level positions.”

Most HR experts would also tell you to mind the accessories like ties, belts and shoes. To be sure, badly matched shoes and ties can have a jarring effect on an interviewer. Similarly, please avoid heavy jewellery or personal accessories as they would look incongruous on you.

ENTRANCE AND INTRODUCTION

Even though most of us are primed for the basic grilling that we would face during the interview, we seldom pay attention to the way we enter an interview room or how we introduce ourselves. Says Subhashish Mitra, deputy manager, Essar Cellphones: “A lot of people do not think it important to knock properly while entering the interview room. They assume that as an interview is taking place, the panel will be expecting them. To my mind this is a very major faux pas which really jars.”

In fact, the best way to enter an interview is to knock, ask for permission to enter and then wait for a while before you actually sit down. Few interviewees know this but the interview panel needs a little quiet time to discuss the previous candidate before they get around to the next one. So your silence till you actually get seated would be very valuable. Try and keep a bag with you for all your papers and certificates; make sure this bag is an unobtrusive as possible.

ATTITUDE AND RESPONSE

This is a grey area for most interview candidates. While dressing up and resume writing are skills you can Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table handle with a little practice, cultivating the right attitude as an interviewee requires a lot of patience and reading between the lines. The usual complaint of most interviewers is that few interviewees are able to stri perhaps the best thing you can do for getting your answer right. Most interviewers like to give a lead to the candidate in the way they ask the question, so it’s entirely up to you to note facial expressions and the tone of the words.

Do you show your certificates immediately to the interview panel?

Not till you are asked actually. You might already have sent in your resume, so you shouldn’t try and offload all your achievements and skills onto the panel till a turn in the interview leads to such a situation.

Try and take cues form the tonal variations, facial expressions and thrust of questions from the interview panel. That in itself will give you a clue as to where this interview is heading.

TEN THINGS THAT AN INTERVIEWER LOOKS IN YOU!

1. Family Background

2. Education

3. Experience

4. Stability

5. Initiative

6. General Ability

7. Interpersonal Skills

8. Confidence

9. Aptitude

10. Pleasant Looks

How one wished that an interview were a simple meeting of minds and hearts. Just one casual meeting where an employee’s future gets sealed. Unfortunately, it’s not something as pre-ordained as you would like it to be; it’s a pre-meditated exercise which fetches you dividends only if your homework is done right.

Dress Code – How to DRESSING for Interview

Preparations
Let’s say you are going for an interview tomorrow. You have prepared yourself well for the occasion – anticipating the questions and getting ready the answers – but have you given a thought to what you will wear?

If you have not peeked into your wardrobe yet, it’s time to take a real hard look now. Your application’s fate depends not just on how well you answer the interview questions, but also on how well you project yourself physically. The first impression your interviewer makes about you is based on the way you look, and you know what they say about first impressions. According to Joe Hodowanes, J.M. Wanes and Associates career strategy advisor, “The way a person dresses is the single biggest non-verbal communication you make about yourself.” The right dressing is a measure of the seriousness that you place on the position, as a person normally spends time on his looks if he considers an event important enough.

“Although proper dressing by itself will not get you the job, a poor dress sense may exclude you from further consideration,” warns Gerry Ditching, managing partner of Filgifts.com. Besides, given two equally good applicants, the company may choose to hire the person who is dressed more professionally. Here are some tips to give you a headstart.

Men

Long-sleeved shirt and dark slacks. White is still the safest and the best color for shirts. The colour is also appropriate for our tropical weather. Also acceptable: pale shades such as beige, blue, and other pastels.

Tuck in the shirt and do not roll up the sleeves. Never wear a short-sleeved shirt to an interview or any business purpose. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt will destroy your executive image.  

Ties. Optional. But if you do wear one, choose a conservative pattern. Solids, small polka dots, diagonal stripes, small repeating shapes, subtle plaids and paisleys are all acceptable.

Belts. Belts should match your shoes. Those with smaller buckles with squared lines look more professional.

Socks. Black socks are the best, followed by blue or gray, depending on your attire. Never wear white socks! Check your sock length, too–no skin should show when you sit down or cross your legs. Shoes. Black or burgundy leather shoes with laces on them, because tassel loafers are very casual. Other suitable colors are brown, cordovan and navy.

Hair. Keep neat, short and preferably parted on the side. And shave off all those facial hair.

Jewellery. Wear no or little jewellery. The watch and wedding ring are the only acceptable pieces of jewellery to go with the male attire. Thin gold or leather-strapped watches look professional but not digital watches. Also, avoid political or religious insignias, necklaces or bracelets. Definitely no pierced body parts, and cover up your tattoos!

Accessories. As much as possible, use leather briefcases or folders to hold copies of your resume. Use narrow briefcases and avoid plastic folders and plastic ball pens as they are out of place.

WOMEN

Three-piece business suits, blouse and skirt or slacks, and cardigan twin-sets. Sleeveless shirts should be rejected. Short-sleeved blouses are okay when they are tailor-cut or have features such as a sports collar or double breast design to create a business-like look. Skirts can either be long provided it does not create a Cinderella or barn-dance look or short where it falls no shorter than two inches from the knee. Nothing too revealing, please!

Panty-hose or stockings. A must for professional grooming, but nothing with overly fussy patterns. Bring an extra pair, just in case the ones you are wearing run.

Shoes. Closed shoes or pumps with at least 1½-inch heels suggest a more professional look. Dark colors are best.

Hair. Hair longer than shoulder length should be worn up or pulled back. Don’t let it fall in front of your face and don’t keep trying to fix it during the interview. Avoid large hair ornaments and trendy hairstyles.

Make-up. Be subtle; natural is the key word. Light shades of lip coloring and nail polish are recommended.

Jewellery. Be conservative. Studs of gold, silver or pearls are best. Do away with gaudy fashion jewelers, and those that clank and make noise when one moves.

Accessories. Folders and bags should blend well with the total professional look. Women should match their purse with their shoe colour.