JobHunt

Attending Job Fair

2006-02-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some tips on how to attend a job fair

Dress formally - You are not going to watch a show or expo. Give due importance to what you are going to do.
Switch off your mobile phones. The ringing sound can irritate your employer. He may think that you are casual about the job.
Arrive early
Wear comfortable shoes. Lines are pretty long often. So be prepared to wait.
Bring sufficient amount of resumes. Twenty to 30 will do the job
Take a portfolio/briefcase to hold resumes and corporate literature
Be sure about your strengths and weakness.
Be prepared with some common interview questions.
Communicate with others when you are waiting.
There will be many applicants approaching employers at the same time you areso don't be overwhelmed
Keep a positive attitude and concentrate on the benefits of the experience
Indulge your curiosity - talk to companies you normally wouldn't be interested in

Do you prefer team work or individual?

2005-07-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

Be careful when answering this type of questions. Make a balance between two. If you say, team work, it should not imply that you can not work alone and vice versa. You may answer like, "I love to work in small groups, but working alone could also be benificial in some situations". You have to make sure that you can cite examples of your group achivement and inivudual achivement. Also say that you are able to adjust with the working conditions, as the comapny demands.

Where do you see yourself professionally, in 3-5 years?

2005-07-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is a question targeted to test your plans of the future and professional attitude. Do not say that you are interested in some particular position, like "I want become a Senior Manager". It is good enough to say that you want to be an employee, who is contributing to the development of your company. Talk frankly about some course you want to do or some areas you want to improve on.

Sell yourself!

2005-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

Most of the time an interview starts with a question, “Tell me something about you?”, and you are expecting this question every time you walk in for an interview. But to your surprise they may not ask that question to you. I have faced such a situation. Anyway don’t lose your presence of mind. This is very important. The interviewer may want to surprise you with such a situation. Start answering this question by telling your name, family background, your education, etc. Be sure to make your conversation interesting. Try to end your description of yourself with something which you want the interviewer to ask you.

Yet another thing they may ask you is about your strength and weakness (Now a days, they call this the areas you need improvement). Be sure about what you are going to say. You should be able to substantiate your points with some situations or experiences that you have faced. Remember that while saying about your weakness, there will always be something which causes negative points. But don’t be afraid, every other guy you are meeting will have something or other. Don’t say that “I am perfect and need no correction”. This means that you are not having a look at yourself with a critique point of view.

Next is something which can change everything around – RESUME. Yes, it is one of the most important documents, which you are going to provide your interviewer. It should provide everything which needs to be highlighted. There are several web sites providing information about preparing a good resume. But I want to make a point clear – it should contain something, seeing which, your interviewer should ask you what you wanted to be asked. Try to highlight your contributions or some works of excellence. Remember, your resume can make or break your way to the company you are applying to.