Monday, November 28, 2011

How should you negotiate with your interviewer?

You may be very excited because you got a call for an interview for the company that you were vying for. If it is a large corporate organization, you must know that the interviewer is well aware that you want the job, and therefore you should not come across as seeming too desperate for the job, as the interviewer may offer you a salary package you may not be able to refuse and be stuck with.

It is important that you seem confident and know what you want and you know what you are worth. There are a number of vacancies for fresh graduates and if you do not get the salary and profile you are looking for career development at the large corporate, do not be afraid. A small organization can bring you as much learning as well.

A few things that you should keep in mind when at an interview and negotiating with your interviewer are as follows: Highlight your strengths. Make sure that you let the interviewer know why you are perfect for the job. Study the profile and make him understand how you fit the profile best and why you deserve the salary you are asking for.

If you have an impressive resume, you can be sure that the interviewer will try to bargain, but do not give in, wait for a few days if you are made the offer. This will let them know that you are considering other offers and may stop coercing you to lower your asking price.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

How to Be a True Professional

If you want to make it big in the corporate world, or simply live a life of dignity and respect, you have to learn how to inculcate some professionalism into your style of working. Professionals are not just experts at what they do, they are people who know how to respect people around them. So, read on to learn how a few simple things can add to your professionalism quotient.

Be Prompt: With the advent of the internet, you have the advantage of being prompt and get things done quickly. With smart phones offering email features, you should be able to reply to emails the moment you get them. However, if you think you need more time to frame a reply, simply send in a one line mail saying that you will get back to them shortly. Acknowledge the receipt and do not forget to respond when you have the answer.

Follow Processes: They say the institution is bigger than the individual and you must respect that. Processes at an organization are set up for quality control and you need to abide by that so that people working with you are constantly in the loop of what is happening even if you are not around.


Stick To Your Word: If you have made a commitment, stick to it. Simply make sure the resources you have at your disposal before you make a promise. It is better to under promise and over deliver than the other way around.

Respect Time: Tardiness is one attribute that can make your career slip. A true professional will respect his own time and other people’s time as well.

 

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Some are born leaders, others can develop it along the way!

There is a popular saying that some people are just born leaders. However, there is nothing further from the truth, as one can easily develop leadership skills by simply being conscious about where you want your career to take you. The tips below will help you in how to develop leadership skills that you can use to build a great team.

1) Attitude: To be a good leader you need to have a positive attitude. You need to perceive the people working under you as your team mates and not your subordinates. When you do so, they will learn to respect you and will listen to what you have to say. This may not happen overnight, you will have to spend some time in winning the trust of your team.

2) Read: You can learn from the experience of some great management gurus. There are a large number of books on leadership by the world’s most dynamic CEOs. Take a leaf from their books and you could learn about their lives, their leadership skills and their success. Emulate that and you have a winning team at your disposal.

3) Learn to listen: As a leader, you may have a lot of responsibility thrust upon you, and you have to learn to deal with it. Learn to listen to your team and their suggestions, they may bring to for an idea that you were blindsided by. So, listen and only let the best ideas make your team and your leadership skills shine.

 

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Why is finding a good job a number game?

With the large number of jobs for freshers in Delhi, you can be sure that looking for a good job is nothing but a numbers game. With so many people vying for the same job out there, what are your chances of getting the job that you so badly want? It’s very miniscule. Since the odds do not favour you or anyone else for that matter, you could get an edge by creating an impressive resume that will make the recruiters stand up and take note of your approach.

A video resume from Koozba can indeed help you work around the numbers game. When a video resume competes with a paper CV, the number suggests that the video resume will win. However, the video resume needs to be crafted with sophistication and needs to highlight the points that you want the recruiters to see most.

You can really beat the number if you play the game right. And to do so, you have to spend some amount of time and energy in preparing a good video resume. You can take inspiration from a few video resumes that are doing rounds on the net or on Koozba as well so that you can structure it well. Once you have a good looking video resume that shows the recruiters what you are capable of, you can be rest assured that you will get a call soon.

Monday, October 24, 2011

A video resume can help you create a brand for yourself

What is a brand? A brand is a promise that a company makes to its consumers. How do they do this though, they do it over a multiple years and by providing impeccable quality. How can you as a candidate who believes in themselves do this through a simple video resume. How can you create a brand for yourself in just a few minutes? Well, let us tell you how.

1) Innovation: Most brands are preferred because they are innovative and they are offering something others have not managed to provide. A video resume is a new format and is extremely innovative, so the first step of identifying a new medium will bring you brownie points in building a brand for yourself.

2) Contents: The contents of your video resume are more if not equally important. Since you do not have a few years to build a reputation for yourself, you have to fill your CV with ideas that can help you sell yourself tactfully to the audience in question. For this there are a few things you need to understand.

*The industry / company you are applying to
*Your skill sets, accomplishments
*Your strengths and your ability to showcase them in an interesting manner

*Recommendations: Use this platform to have your teachers, ex employees, team mates say something about your positive attributes.

Once you have an interesting video resume with you from Koozba you can be sure that you will have a special identity attached to yourself and employer’s will see you how you want them to.



 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Be seen...Get selected!

If you haven’t had much luck with your applications so far, there is something that you may be doing wrong, or something you may not be doing at all. Today, there are so many platforms to get in touch with prospective employers online, and if you have not been exploiting them, it is only your loss.

Social networking websites, professional networking websites and other portals allow you to learn what jobs are there in the market. They give you an opportunity to highlight your skills, let people know that you are looking for a job and allow the right job opportunities to come your way. Just think about it, if the company you wish to work with does not know you exist, how you are going to get a job with them.

So, the first rule of the game is, let them know that you are looking for a job and you have the requisite skills to fit the profile that they may be offering. However, there is a subtle art attached to the process and you cannot blatantly approach them through these mediums. Participating in discussions, publishing papers and making sure that your CV is updated at all times is important.

Another interesting way in which you capture their attention is by hosting a video CV online through Koozba so that you can showcase a variety of skills through one single video resume format. It is easy to do and will hardly take you any time and will help you create a special identity for yourself.



Monday, October 10, 2011

Five tips for better phone interviews

You may be intimidated by the thought of a personal interview, but what you do not know is that a phone interview can be equally intimidating if you are not prepared.  There are a list of do’s and don’ts that you must follow if you want to make a good impression on the phone. Over and above learning the right phone etiquette, you have to be better prepared as compared to a personal interview. Since you cannot make an impression with the way you dress and how you look, you will have to ensure that you leave a lasting impression on the phone.

Five ways in which you can master the art of phone interviews and succeed in scoring the job you want are listed below:
 

Connection: It is important that the phone line you are using to have your interview is not one that keeps breaking up. You need to ensure that the number you list on your resume for a phone interview is one that can be trusted and not fail you. Also ensure it is a clear line and there are no disturbances. Also make sure that are no external disturbances. Close your room door and ensure no traffic noise seeps in through the cracks as well.

Practice: It is important that you have a fair idea of the questions that may be asked during the job interview.  Try and practice before you take the call.

Never interrupt: Do not interrupt while the interviewer is asking you a question or saying something. Wait till they are finished and then ask your question.

Do not eat or drink: Try and have some water before you start your interview, so you do not need to take a sip while it is going on. Do not talk much on anything while your interview is in progress

Smile: Have a pleasant disposition. They say when you smile; the caller can hear it in your voice.