Bringing smiles on your face?

	

	USEFUL INFORMATIONS FOR JOB HUNTERS
	Version 1.2

	Prepared by,
	NEST Career guidance Team

	 Feb 2005

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

This Career guidance documentation is the property of NEST. All ideas and information contained within these documents are the property rights of NEST. Few of the details are collected from web freeware. We are providing some sample resumes with this document, no one have rights to use the projects attached in the sample resumes.

                                               
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.General faq	3
1.1How is the IT field?	3
1.2Do we need to study any mainframe/ testing/ .NET, etc?	3
1.3Some of the easy ways to get call from the mnc's	3
1.4How do we prepare resume?	4
1.5How do we apply?	4
6.How do we subscribe to receive yahoo group mails?	5
1.7Where do we get company model question papers?	5
1.8What are the books we have to prepare before we go for test/ interview?	5
1.9Where do we get the details about companies and details?	5
1.10Am I suitable for IT field?	5
1.11Employee reference for MNC's	6
2.Company test patterns	6
2.1How to prepare for Infosys?	6
2.2How to prepare for TCS?	6
3.Useful websites	7
3.1Company question paper sites	7
3.2Technical document sites	7
3.3Puzzle sites	8
4.NEST CAREER GUIDANCE TEAM	8
4.1About us	8
4.2About "nestjobs" yahoo group	9
4.3Guidance/ Financial support/ Personal Help	10
4.4Team Members	10
4.5Contact us	11
5.INTERVIEW TIPS	11
6.Common interview questions	11
5.2Job Interviewing Do's and Don'ts	16
6.SAMPLE RESUME	18
6.1Sample resume - Fresher	18
6.2 Sample resume - Experience	21
7.DO FIGHT WITH JOB HUNTING	25
1.Motivating words	27
2.At any cost don't let your hope down, we are here to support you	30

1.General faq
1.1How is the IT field?
""Market is good or bad, we should get a good job"", we are in need of a good job which should be pertinent to our qualification. Always fresher should keep this mentality. Market is really very good. We need not worry about market status. Keep on trying till you get a good job. Do fight with your job hunting. Surely you will win.
1.2Do we need to study any mainframe/ testing/ .NET, etc?
For fresher, absolutely no need for computer courses. More practice in Quantitative analysis , C , C++ is more than sufficient to clear the software test papers also the recruiters do not expect professional experience from the fresh graduates. A good guidance is hundred times better than a computer course.
If you are graduated before 2004 and if you feel that you don't have sufficient knowledge in any of the software languages, try to join some computer courses like testing/ mainframe/ .NET, meanwhile u can try similar projects at your lab or home so that you can include it as a work experience even though you are not employed anywhere. This is a tip given by the expertise because in many of the interviews, the candidate will not be asked about the work experience rather he will be asked technically.
1.3Some of the easy ways to get call from the mnc's
There are some Yahoo Groups which provide fresher job vacancies and also about the latest trends and scope for the fresher in IT Field. Here are some of the groups which provide fresher information.
nestjobs (nestjobs-subscribe@yahoogroups.com), chetana 
If possible please create a new id so that u can get just about job information and also use the same id when you participate in job forums which are conducted online nowadays. 
One more point, Every Wednesday, follow "Economic Times or Times of India"(Bangalore openings) and "The Hindu"(Chennai openings) without fail.  There you can find more opportunities. Try to get past one year Economic Times and Hindu papers from library. Collect all the jobs related ids. (Including experience also.)
Apply to all the ids. You will be regularly getting interview calls from companies.
1.4How do we prepare resume?
Freshers: Companies like Infosys, TCS and Wipro expects your percentage from 10th onwards, so it is better include all your curriculum (10th, 12th, all Degree) percentage in your resume. Resumes should be scanable it should be simple and easy to get information within a single look. It should not contain unwanted information.   
Experience: You resume should have the following details, apart from the basic details.
1.Company name
2.Project name
3.Project duration
4.Client
5.Team size
6.Role
7.Project description
8.Activities (We have to mention our project activities)
9.Platform
You can get sample resume formats from  of this document.
1.5How do we apply?
If you get any openings specific to your skill set, follow as indicted in the advertisement.

If you are applying for multiple companies, without advertisements or for positions not specific to your skill sets,
1.Prepare a generalized cover letter, ascii format resume(plain text format resume) and Word format resume
2.Paste your covering letter followed by the plaintext resume in the compose box of  your mail
3.Attach your word format resume.
4.Subject should be like, "Resume for Software Engineer (C, C++, JAVA and VC++)"
5.Type your id in "TO' field and bulk of ids in "BCC" field, do apply.
6.How do we subscribe to receive yahoo group mails?
It is a very simple process. Just send an empty mail to the particular yahoo group subscription mail id. For example, if you want to receive "nestjobs" mails.  Send an empty mail to .
1.7Where do we get company model question papers?
If you get a call letter for written test, from any companies then go to the following sites...
http://www.chetana-jobs.com
http://www.vyomworld.com/placementpapers
http://www.go4campus.com/mepz.asp
http://www.geocities.com/careeraid2003/company.html
http://vvasan.hypermart.net/
http://freshersworld.com/questions/questions.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nestjobs/files/

Collect the previous question papers and prepare well. Never miss to go to that site before you go for Interview/Test. There may be a chance to get the same question papers.
1.8What are the books we have to prepare before we go for test/ interview?
Aptitude:
Arithmetic Reasoning - R.S.Agarwal
Barron's GRE Guide.
Shakuntala Devi, George summer puzzle books

Technical Books:
For freshers, C and C++ is enough to get a job.
Let us C, C++, Exploring C - YASHAVANT P. KANETKAR
Turbo C++ - Robert lafore (A very good guide to get basic idea about C++ and OOPS)
Complete Reference - C, C++
1.9Where do we get the details about companies and details?
http://bangaloreit.com/src/companySearch.asp (Bangalore companies) 
http://www.stpc.soft.net/perform_mnc.htm (Chennai companies)
http://www.dqindia.com/content/dq_top20/dqtopcomps.asp?dqlist=top200 (top 200 IT companies)
1.10Am I suitable for IT field?
Anyone who has completed a graduation from an affiliated university is suitable for IT field. IT field does not expect any specialization from your graduation but it expect good problem solving, logical thinking and good communication skills. This can be achieved along with your curriculum subjects by spending an hour per day. R.S. Agarwal is good subject oriented book for preparing aptitude. Any MBA entrance book is suitable to prepare logical reasoning etc. In fact anyone who is not technically strong but having logical thinking skills is very much suitable for this field. It does not mean that technical people are not suitable.
1.11Employee reference for MNC's
If anyone need reference to attend written test or interview or forwarding resume kindly contact any of our career guidance team members. Our career guidance team maintains the spool of reference and provides you when the need arises.

2.Company test patterns
2.1How to prepare for Infosys?
There is nothing to worry about the Infosys written test. It is easy if you keep your mind cool. There will be 10 questions in aptitude test, each of different marks & without multiple choices. Duration is 1 hr & you have to get at least 7-8 correct to get short-listed. You had to put down the procedure also in the paper. These puzzles are similar to the one in Shakuntala & George Summers. Attempt all questions, as there is no negative marking. No problem if we guess also. Mostly there will be questions on time & distance, probability, puzzles (George Summers), watch questions (related to time), escalator problem, completion of series & profit-loss questions. 
Verbal is very easy. There will be 45 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 30 min. Attempt all questions. Mostly there will be completion of sentences (20 Q), correction of sentences (10Q) reading comprehension (5Q), synonyms & antonyms (10Q).
               Short listing is mainly based on aptitude not on verbal. Concentrate more on aptitude. We can do very silly mistakes there. So be cool.
                Regarding interview, firstly it's not a technical interview. It is purely HR. It will be around 20-30 min. They will even ask 2-3 puzzles. They are easy. If we don't answer any of them also there is no problem. You should be confident whether it is right or wrong. If you are through the written test then you will be almost through the interview. They almost select everyone in the interview. So concentrate more on the written test.
2.2How to prepare for TCS?

3.Useful websites
3.1Company question paper sites
http://www.chetana-jobs.com
http://www.vyomworld.com/placementpapers
http://www.go4campus.com/mepz.asp
http://www.geocities.com/careeraid2003/company.html
http://vvasan.hypermart.net/
http://freshersworld.com/questions/questions.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nestjobs/files/

3.2Technical document sites
http://www.codeguru.com(c, c++, vc++ AND .NET)
http://www.onesmartclick.com/programming/programming.html (All)
 (All)
http://www.acetheinterview.com/qanda/ (All)
http://www.techinterviews.com/ (All)
http://www.fredosaurus.com/notes-cpp/index.html (C++)
http://www.parashift.com/c++-faq-lite/ (C++)
http://cslibrary.stanford.edu/ (All)
http://williamstallings.com/Extras/OS-Notes/notes.html (OS)
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~solomon/cs537/notes.html (OS)
http://www.winprog.org/tutorial/ (Windows)
http://ciips.ee.uwa.edu.au/~morris/Year2/PLDS210/ds_ToC.html (Data Structure)
http://hebb.cis.uoguelph.ca/~dave/343/Lectures/testing.html (Testing)
http://pweb.netcom.com/~tjensen/ptr/pointers.htm (Pointers)
http://www.intelinfo.com/Critchie (very good site)
http://www.cs.umd.edu/~mount/420/ (Java)
http://www.nist.gov/dads/ (All)
http://www.intelinfo.com/free_java_training.html (Java)
http://www.math.umd.edu/~lify/hotlink.html (All)
http://www.holub.com/goodies/rules.html (All)
http://www.apl.jhu.edu/~hall/java/ (Java, good one)
http://www.ibiblio.org/winsock/winsock-1.1/winsock.html (Win socket)
http://www.hk8.org/old%5Fweb/ (good one)
http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/Dave/C/CE.html(C and UNIX)
http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/~jphb/cbook/html/(C)
http://devcentral.iticentral.com/ (All)
http://www.informit.com/ (All)
http://www.thefreecountry.com/ (All, Very good one)
http://www.tcfb.com/freetechbooks/ (All)
http://www.ibiblio.org/javafaq/javafaq.html (Java)
http://www.afu.com/javafaq.html (Java)
http://www.apl.jhu.edu/~hall/java/FAQs-and-Tutorials.html (Java)
http://www.comeaucomputing.com/techtalk/(C and C++)
http://www.memorymanagement.org (excellent)
3.3Puzzle sites
http://puzzle.dse.nl/index_us.html
http://www.chlond.demon.co.uk/academic/puzzles.html
http://thinks.com/webguide/mathpuzzles.htm
http://www.eduplace.com/math/brain/
http://www.brainbashers.com/
http://barryispuzzled.com/
http://www.braingle.com/

4.NEST CAREER GUIDANCE TEAM
4.1About us
NEST - Is it a just a shelter for Crows, Sparrows or Cuckoos?? On which tree was this Nest built? Who is watering it now? Is it Old enough? Is it Strong enough? Here, below you will find the answers to all this, and more... YES, Nest is the answer to many problems that face destitute and the unfortunates all over this country.

Live and Let Live and Equality of rights - Nest believes in these policies and has struggled in this mission from the year 2000- the millennium year. 

Formerly started and known as AGRUTHI, this voluntary organization was the vision of a few people whose main aim was to support the Hapless. Activities involved visits to orphanages/ donating books and clothes to the needy children. But it all slowed down, mainly due to preoccupation of the promoter members. There was again an effort to do something to revive AGRUTHI in 2003 which was futile due to personal and financial constraints of members. The enthusiasm and the motive were there, but the time for take off had not yet come. 2004 finally saw the blooming of this small group... with a group of few socially inclined youngsters pooling in all their resources to star off again. And NEST had taken off - National Education and Social Welfare Trust. (Registration number: 339/04)
 
It was the dream of these young minds who wanted to sprout new seedlings of faith and hope for the hopeless and hapless souls in their motherland. One has time and enjoys the first rain of monsoon, first rays of sunshine in the morning, first ride in a new car, etc., but did we stop to think of millions who have not felt shoes on their feet? Who have no friends to heed to them, who have no job, which can feed them?  Their daily struggle never gives them the time or the mood to enjoy the small and beautiful things in life. These are the thoughts that led to the formation of NEST - those involved feel its their duty to help our fellowmen in whatever way they can while at the same time, aiming for perfection individually too.

NEST was registered as a NGO and voluntary organization on 29-APR-2004. Today NEST is the fastest growing Voluntary & Social Organization in India. 

NEST Career Guidance Team - We have many social oriented projects, career guidance is one of our small contribution to job hunters. We know the pain of job hunters with out proper guidance. We started our career guidance activities from 2000 onwards. We formed a dedicated team for career guidance, those who struggled lot to get an entry in to IT filed and got so much of job hunting experience. We don't want one more person suffering to get a job with out proper guidance, which is the main reason behind to build career guidance team.

4.2About "nestjobs" yahoo group
Students who studied from village background are having less guidance, exposure or contact to get a good job. Even though there are plenty of opportunities today, sometime they may have to fight for two years to get a job with out proper guidance. We have created a yahoo group to group all the Guidance/ Jobs openings/ Employee reference/ Interview tips/ Etc.
  
If you want to get benefited from the above mentioned activities or if you wish to receive job opening mails to your mail box at the very latest, if you want guidance to get it prepared for written tests, if you want to build your interview attending skills, programming skills and to build yourself competitive to the current IT field, Send a mail to 

If you wish to post job related messages, if you want to share your interview experience, motivational and success stories, if you want to provide guidance and help to yahoo group members send a mail to 

4.3Guidance/ Financial support/ Personal Help
If you want any personal career guidance, please contact

Sankar - p.sankaranarayanan@tcs.com - Chennai - 9841315180 (call after 9.00 P.M)
Viji - vijayalakshmi.sankar@tcs.com - Chennai - 9840702038 (call after 9.00 P.M)
Gowri - gowri_manohari2000@yahoo.com - Chennai - 9841728440 (call after 9.00 P.M)
Ezhilnambi - ezhilnambi@yahoo.com

Kanikumaran -  - Bangalore - 9448606830 - (call after 9.00 P.M)
Siva Kumar - Siva.Kumar@mphasis.com - Bangalore - 080-36934044 (call after 9.00 P.M)

Note: Please don't send any resume to us.

Anyone who is financially suffering to get a job, personally feeling very difficult to get a job and need extensive guidance including financial support until you get a job, please contact

Ezhilnambi - ezhilnambi@yahoo.com, 
Sankar - p.sankaranarayanan@tcs.com 

4.4Team Members
Our team is functioning in two different places (Chennai and Bangalore) and providing their guidance to the job hunters at the extent. If you want to know more about NEST or nestjobs yahoo group or NEST Career guidance, please shoot a mail to one of our team member.

Chennai:

S. Balamurugan  

P. Sankaranarayanan
p.sankaranarayanan@tcs.com

S. Vijayalakshmi

S. Elayarani
elayasoujp@yahoo.com

R. Gowri
gowri_manohari2000@yahoo.com

N. Ezhilnambi
ezhilnambi@yahoo.com

Bangalore:

A. Sivakumar
Siva.Kumar@mphasis.com

D. Kani Kumaran
Kanikumaran_D@infosys.com

4.5Contact us
If you want to know more about us, please send a mail to above IDs or visit us to the following address

"NEST" House,
4/114, Ponniamman Kovil Street,
Karambakkam,
Porur,
Chennai - 600 116.
Ph.No: +91 - 44 - 24760120

5.INTERVIEW TIPS
6.Common interview 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. I f 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 used. 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 is 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 were 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 organization?
You 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 made?
Have 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 supervisor?
Biggest 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 and 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 tells 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. 

5.2Job Interviewing Do's and Don'ts
Here are the keys to successful job interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.

•Do take a practice run to the location where you are having the interview -- or be sure you know exactly where it is and how long it takes to get there.

•Do your research and know the type of job interview you will be encountering. (See types of job interviews.) And do prepare and practice for the interview, but don't memorize or over-rehearse your answers. (See our some of the best collections of interview questions.)

•Do dress the part for the job, the company and the industry. And do err on the side of conservatism. If you're not sure, you should consider reading our article, when Job-Hunting: Dress for Success.

•Do plan to arrive about 10 minutes early. Late arrival for a job interview is never excusable. If you are running late, do phone the company.

•Do greet the receptionist or assistant with courtesy and respect. This is where you make your first impression.

•Don't chew gum during the interview.

•If presented with a job application, do fill it out neatly, completely, and accurately.

•Do bring extra resumes to the interview. (Even better, if you have a job skills portfolio, do bring that with you to the interview.)

•Don't rely on your application or resume to do the selling for you. No matter how qualified you are for the position, you will need to sell yourself to the interviewer.

•Do greet the interviewer(s) by title (Ms., Mr., and Dr.) and last name if you are sure of the pronunciation. (If you're not sure, do ask the receptionist about the pronunciation before going into the interview.

•Do shake hands firmly. Don't have a limp or clammy handshake!

•Do wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. And do remember body language and posture: sit upright and look alert and interested at all times. Don't fidget or slouch.

•Don't tell jokes during the interview.

•Do make good eye contact with your interviewer(s).

•Do show enthusiasm in the position and the company.

•Don't smoke, even if the interviewer does and offers you a cigarette. And don't smoke beforehand so that you smell like smoke. And do brush your teeth, use mouthwash, or have a breath mint before the interview.

•Do avoid using poor language, slang, and pause words (such as "like," "uh" and "um").

•Don't be soft-spoken. A forceful voice projects confidence.

•Do have a high confidence and energy level, but don't be overly aggressive.

•Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment.

•Do avoid controversial topics.

•Don't say anything negative about former colleagues, supervisors, or employers.

•Do make sure that your good points come across to the interviewer in a factual, sincere manner.

•Don't ever lie. Answer questions truthfully, frankly and succinctly. And don't over-answer questions.

•Do stress your achievements. And don't offer any negative information about yourself.

•Don't answer questions with a simple "yes" or "no." Explain whenever possible. Describe those things about yourself that showcase your talents, skills, and determination. Give examples.

•Do show off the research you have done on the company and industry when responding to questions. (See our Guide to Researching Companies.)

•Don't bring up or discuss personal issues or family problems.

•Do remember that the interview is also an important time for you to evaluate the interviewer and the company she represents.

•Don't respond to an unexpected question with an extended pause or by saying something like, "boy, that's a good question." And do repeat the question out loud or ask for the question to be repeated to give you a little more time to think about an answer. Also, a short pause before responding is okay.

•Do always conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the job you are discussing. Never close the door on an opportunity until you are sure about it.

•Don't answer cell phone calls during the interview, and do turn off (or set to silent ring) your cell phone and/or pager.

•Do show what you can do for the company rather than what the company can do for you.

•Don't inquire about salary, vacations, bonuses, retirement, or other benefits until after you've received an offer. Be prepared for a question about your salary requirements, but do try and delay salary talk until you have an offer. (You might consider visiting our salary tutorial for more tips and strategies.)

•Do ask intelligent questions about the job, company, or industry. Don't ever not ask any questions -- it shows a lack of interest.

•Do close the interview by telling the interviewer(s) that you want the job and asking about the next step in the process. (Some experts even say you should close the interview by asking for the job.)

•Do try and get business cards from each person you interviewed with -- or at least the correct spelling of their first and last names. And don't make assumptions about simple names -- was it Jon or John -- get the spelling.

•Do immediately take down notes after the interview concludes so you don't forget crucial details.

6.SAMPLE RESUME
6.1Sample resume - Fresher
Hi, 
      I have completed my MSC (CS, S/W) at Madurai Kamaraj University with 83.89% and looking for a challenging job in IT field. I have clear Knowledge about C, C++, VC++ and OOPS. I have attached my CV for your kind perusal. Please do the necessary. 
				                              Regards, 
				                            S.Vijayalakshmi

S.VIJAYALAKSHMI 
C/o, Mrs Bharathi. 
Arjun Illam, 
4/116, Kambar street, 
Karambakkam, 
Porur, 
Chennai - 116. 
Phone  :  9841315180 
Mail id:  

OBJECTIVE : 
  To work in a challenging and creative environment and effectively contribute towards the goals of the organization. 

AREAS OF INTEREST : 
Data Structures 
Networking Concepts
OOPS 

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION : 
2001-2003 	M. Sc., Computer Science with 83.9%,
	                Department of Computer Science, 
	                Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai 

1998-2001       	B. Sc., Computer Science with 73.9%, 
                		Department of Computer Science, 
	                N.S.College of Arts & Science, Theni 

1998        		Higher Secondary Course with 77%, 
	                N.S.G.Higher Secondary School, Theni 

1996            	S. S. L. C., with 85%, 
	                N.S.G.Higher Secondary School, Theni 

TECHNICAL SKILLS: 
Languages         : C, C++ 
GUI Tools         : VC++ 6.0, VB 6.0 
Web Tools         : HTML, ASP, VB Script 
Databases          : Oracle8.0, MS-Access, dbase
Operating system   : Windows 9x, SCO UNIX, MS-DOS 6.2

PROJECTS: 

1) TELNET CLIENT CONSOLE APPLICATION 
   Language	          :  VC++ 6.0 
   Server Platform   	          :  Linux or UNIX 
   Client Platform   	          :  Windows 
   Team Size                        :  Single 
   Duration                           :  4 months 
   Client                               :  HCL Peripherals 
   Description       	           : 
	Enables to login in to a Remote server having UNIX platforms. Also handles User authentication, File Management, Remote command Processing, Node Management and Chatting.

2) IMAGE PROCESSING 
   Language       	   :  VB 6.0 
   Platform          	   :  Windows 
   Team Size         	   :  Single 
   Duration          	   :  2 months 
   Description       : 
  	Compress and decompress the image by traversing through kolam, Produces grey scale, mirror, negative, invert images and also effect of torchlight on the image.

3) MAIL SERVER AND FILE TRANSFER 
   Language	          :  C 
   Platform        	          :  UNIX 
   Protocol        	          :  UDP 
   Team Size         	          :  Single 
   Duration          	          :  1.5 months 
   Description       : 
	Adds new users, Maintains user information and handles mail transfer. Transfers file in case of requests from users. 

PERSONAL SKILLS: 

* Excellent problem solving skills and a self starter 
* Takes initiative and works independently or as part of a group. 
* Well organized and easily meets deadlines. 

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: 
Essay Writing, Quiz, Poem Writing, Public speaking, Story Writing and Dramatics. 

PERSONAL PROFILE: 
  Name of Father 	    : Mr. L.Sankaranarayanan 
  Date of Birth    	    : May 7, 1981 
  Languages known      : English, Tamil, and Telugu 
  Marital Status     	    : Unmarried 
  Hobbies            	    : Playing chess, listening to Music, Verse writing & Puzzle Solving.  

6.2 Sample resume - Experience
Hi,
	I am a software Engineer with around 2 years of experience and looking for a suitable job change. Please do the necessary.

Regards,
Bharathi N. 

Bharathi N 
#844,35th Main, 11th Cross, 
J.P.Nagar, I Phase, 
Bangalore-78. 
India. 
E-mail:  
Phone: 98440-61400

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY: 
* Strong in Object Oriented Concepts, Design and Programming. 
* Two plus years of experience in IT industry. 
* Solid experience in OOPS (C++)
* Clear knowledge about Data structures.
* The entire professional career is being made out of continuous achievements. 
* The client appreciation was received on various project works.

EDUCATIONAL DETAILS: 
Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science Engineering. 
Vijayanagar Engineering College, Bellary. 
Gulbarga University, India. 
Passed out in August 2000. 
Percentage of marks: 74.2%. 

ACADEMIC RECORDS: 
B.E. - 2000 - 74.2% 
P.U.C. - 1996 - 71.9% 
S.S.L.C. - 1994 - 72.2% 

EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY: 
* Working as Software Engineer in MACMILLAN INDIA LTD, Bangalore. (www.macmillan.com)
(From Sep'2000 to till date) 

TECHNICAL SKILLS: 
* C 
* C++ 
* Java 
* HTML 
* Pl/Sql 
* Oracle 8.0 
* Visual C++ 6.0 
* Strong in OOPS Concepts 
* Windows NT, Windows 9X and Windows 2000 

PROJECT SUMMARY: 

PROJECT #1 
PROJECT NAME: Agni
DURATION: Apr 2002 - Till date
CLIENT: Macmillan, India 
TEAM SIZE: 2 
ROLE: Team member 

DESCRIPTION: 
* This is a conversion tool for GML (Generalized Markup Language).
* Translates GML to Latex. 
* Basic entities are replaced with the corresponding latex code. 
* Accents are replaced accordingly. 
* GML tags are replaced with the corresponding latex code. 
* Creates error log file containing all the missed tags, entities and accents.

ACTIVITIES: 
* Requirements gathering from the client. 
* Involved in analysis modeling using Standard notations. 
* Identification of classes, attributes and methods for major components under development 
* Development of UI Components and Database designing. 
* Task allocation, monitoring and review of the tasks done by the team members (leading a team of 3) 
* Complete quality awareness coordinator for the project by ensuring the internal/external reviews and final inspections 

PLATFORM: 
* C++ 
* Visual C++ 
* Windows 2000

PROJECT #2 
PROJECT NAME: TeX Automation 
DURATION: Oct 2001 - Mar 2002
CLIENT: Macmillan, India 
TEAM SIZE: 2 
ROLE: Team Member 

DESCRIPTION: 
* This tool is generalized one which can convert any type of file to the required format. 
* Reads the contents of a file. 
* Front matter structuring, mathematical formatting, Sections restructuring, Tables alignment and cross references generation are the main modules of this project. 
* Cleaning module removes all the unnecessary tags. 
* All the unwanted input style files to be deleted. 

ACTIVITIES: 
* Requirement analysis, Data collection and System study. 
* Analysis of TeX File format. 
* Low level and High level Designing. 
* Coding and Testing. 
* Test case preparation and Documentation of Application workflow. 

PLATFORM: 
* C
* C++ 
* Windows NT 

PROJECT #3 
PROJECT NAME: Computer Adaptive Test 
DURATION: Apr 2001 - Sep 2001 
CLIENT: Macmillan, India 
TEAM SIZE: 3 
ROLE: Team Member 

DESCRIPTION: 
* The GUI was designed with MFC. 
* The difficulty of each question changes according to answer given by the Candidate. 
* The questions start with the lowest difficulty level and keeps increasing if the user keeps giving 
right answers. 
* The difficulty level starts decreasing once the user gives wrong answers. 

ACTIVITIES: 
* Involved in Designing Use Case Diagrams, Class Diagrams and Sequence Diagrams 
* Coding and Testing. 
* Analysis of future modification. 

PLATFORM: 
* C++ 
* Visual C++ 
* Oracle
* Windows 2000 

PROJECT #4 
PROJECT NAME: QC Check Tool for AIP LaTeX
DURATION: Sep 2000 - Mar 2001 
CLIENT: Macmillan, India 
TEAM SIZE: 2 
ROLE: Team Member 

DESCRIPTION: 
* Reads the contents of LaTex file. 
* Parses the contents. 
* Validates the syntax and the order in which the text should appear. 
* Creates and writes the errors to an error log. 
* Corrects some of the syntax errors in the file and makes a log of that as well.

ACTIVITIES: 
* Testing case preparation. Unit testing and Module testing. 
* Entire functionality testing. 
* Debugging the code. 
* Analysis of future modification and Data collection 

PLATFORM: 
* C
* C++ 
* Windows NT

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: 
Active Member of IEEE from 1995 onwards. 

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: 
Poem Writing, Story Writing, Dramatics, Chess, Tennis. 

PERSONAL DETAILS: 
Father's Name : N.Umamaheswara Reddy 
Date of Birth : 25-05-1979. 
Sex: Female. 
Marital Status: Single. 
Nationality: Indian. 
Permanent Address: Venkateswara Nilayam, 
Near B.N.Temple, Gandhi Nagar, 
Bellary-583103 
Karnataka 
India. 
E-Mail: 

7.DO FIGHT WITH JOB HUNTING
Hi all,
 
  With God's grace I am in Covansys now. I got Covansys Peoplesoft's IDC (India Devt Centre) in Bglr. My test was on Dec 17th and Feb 4th was my interview (at that time I was in HCL). then after one week they informed me that due to some pblms we stopped all the recruitment and well let u soon. From that time I was waiting and finally when I got their call. My life after I passed MCA in March 2003 as follows....
 
The lists of companies are
 
1. Wipro Technologies (After my BSC) - cleared the test, Group discussion failed
2. Optibiz Technologies (on April 2003): Cleared in test, Cleared in Interview, Rejected the offer [2 lacs have to pay]
3. Newjen software Technologies (July 03) - failed in Test.
4. ABN Amro bank: Cleared the test, Failed in the interview
5. SRM Softwares: cleared in test, interview, Rejected the offer [salary only 3000/- for 18 months]
6. Cams: Cleared in Test, Technical interview, HR interview, Worked for 13 days and quit [BPO jobs]
7. E-Serve International - Cleared in test, Cleared in Tech-interview, Failed in HR interview  [BPO jobs]
8. TCS - failed in the test.
9. Carritor (IT solutions) - failed in the test.
10. Hexaware - cleared the test, Group discussion failed 
11. Syntel (Cochin): failed in the test
12. TVS INFOTECH: rejected the offer because of no salary and a probation of 6 months or more
13. Covansys (Dec03 - Aug04): Cleared the test on DEC 17th, Tech+HR interview on 4th of Feb, Got offer letter on 25th of Aug 04   === Presently Working
14. Laserword: Cleared the test, failed in the technical interview.
15. Syntel (chennai): failed in the test
16. HCL BPO: Cleared test, cleared GD (3 parts), Cleared Interview         === Joined JAN 19th (Resigned when I got the Covansys Offer)
17. Satyam: Cleared Test, failed in the GD
18. Infosys: Failed in the test
19. CTS: Failed in the test
20. Wipro Technologies: Cleared test, failed in the technical interview
21. Barry-Whelmer: Failed in the test.
22. CTS (June 03): Cleared test, failed in the HR interview
23. Wipro Technologies (July 04): Failed in the test.

I think many of us will be wondering is there any person who wrote this much exams to get through and I have learned lot of things in this one and a half Year (Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July, Aug) job hunting experience in Chennai and 2 days in Bangalore.
 
* In the above list, for all I applied Directly through Web, no Employee reference
 
Actually the thing is Your Attitude only can help you to get a job and help you to achieve anything in the world.(Attitude towards life, people, job... etc)
 
Be a +ve thinker, Have confident on yourself. Try try... again try...
 
My Personal Records:
1.Sent more than 21000 Soft copies of my Resume through Internet
2.Used more than 270 Hard copies of my Resume

1.Motivating words
Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in your self, for if you don't believe in your self, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go out and live it.
 
The law of averages tells us you must achieve more, if you are trying more. More, more and more. The more self-confidence you have the less you will be affected by temporary setbacks (never final, always temporary) and short-term disappointments. The more self-confidence you have the likely it is that you will live a life full of achievement, riches, satisfaction and pure bliss.
 
MY FRIEND, YOU ARE EXTRAORDINARY!! The odds are greater than 50 crore to 1 against their ever being anyone with the unique combination of talents, skills, and abilities that you possess. You are unique, never forget my friend. The unbelievable achievements that you are capable of, no one knows, not even your self. 
 
Exploit your strengths and starve your weaknesses. Yes, of course there is more to it than this but not much more. "WE ARE WHAT WE THINK ABOUT!" YOU MUST! You must make up your mind to look at you honestly and make future decisions based on your uniqueness. NOW! TODAY! THIS VERY MOMENT is time to realize how extraordinary you are.
 
Albert Einstein used his brain.
Napoleon used his power.
Thomas Edison used his brain.
 
Thatz why they reached that position. Use your brain my friend. You can reach a unbelievable position. You can.
 
The psychologist Abraham Maslow says the story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short. The great majority of people tend to compare themselves unfavorably with others. They dwell on there own weaknesses and limitations and they usually end up with far less then they are really capable of. Instead of taking control of their life and enjoying high levels of self-esteem, self-respect and personal pride, the average person just gets by from day to day. GOD put you here on this glorious earth to do more than "just get by." If self-confidence and the self-esteem that goes with it is so desirable, why is it so few people have enough self-confidence to live the lives that are possible for them?
 
From time to time, (rarely) we have seen people with naturally high levels of self-confidence. These people have gone on to achieve extraordinary things. In studying the lives of these super-achievers we have found that "some" of them started out with high levels of self-confidence, which they learned from there parents, quite fortunately, in early childhood. But, most of them started out like most of us with down deep feelings of inferiority and inadequacy. Because of criticism and lack of love and other mistakes parents made in early childhood, we grow up with little self-esteem and feel less than others. 
 
The starting point in developing a high level of self-confidence and in reality becoming an EXCELLENT human being is to think through and to decide upon your valves. For example, what is really, really important to you? How do you define values? Having defined a clear set of values, not vague, not unsure, but clear, concise, values will cause you to develop the convictions and enthusiasm necessary for self-confidence. Your starting point toward higher self-confidence and personal greatness is to clarify your values for yourself. Ask yourself what you truly believe in! (?) What do you stand for? What will you not stand for? What would you pay for? Work for? or even DIE FOR????
 
Make your own list and remember, unshakeable self-confidence comes from unshakeable commitment to your values. When deep down inside yourself you know you will never violate your highest principles you experience a deep sense of "personal power" and confidence that empowers you to deal with life openly and honestly and with complete self-confidence in almost every human situation.
 
Did you know that Edison failed over 9000 (that's thousand) times before perfecting the light bulb! How many of us would have thrown in the "proverbial" towel at 20 failures, 150 failures or at the 8000th failure. After Edison had invented and produced the light-bulb a reporter asked him how it felt to fail over 9000 times. Edison replied, "I was glad I found 9000 ways not to invent the light bulb! From this point forward Edison went on to receive 1,093 patents, more than any other person in U.S. history. 
 
Read as many books, and magazines that are positive inspirational and motivational as you possibly can. Study the lives of the people who have a positive message to share with all of us, and especially in the given field you have chosen to be great at.
 
Nothing in life that is worthy is ever too hard to achieve, if you have the courage to try it and you have the faith to believe. Faith is a force that is greater than knowledge or power or skill.
 
"The secret of success in life is for u to be ready for your opportunity when it comes." 
"Success comes in cans, not cannot." 
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure." 
"Self-trust is the first secret of success." 
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." 
"We can succeed at almost anything for which we have unlimited enthusiasm."
 
Dear friend, you should get Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them. You should get Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. You should hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.
 
Emotional decisions come from the heart, thinking ones from the brain. You should not take any emotional decisions. This is the age we all take only emotional decisions. Ask your brain always, it will tell you, what is correct and wrong.
 
To have a positive day keep the following in mind:
1. Every problem has a solution. 
2. Failures always lead to learning something you can use later. 
3. Many times you must take a step back before u take two steps forward. 
4. After a crisis is always an opportunity. 
5. You control your thoughts and feelings. 
6. You make the choices that determine your fate.
 
Michael Jordan wordings. (He is famous US basket ball player.)
 
1. I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I have been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
 
2. I can accept failure, but I can't accept not trying. 
 
3. I have always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come. I don't do things half-heartedly. Because I know if I do, then I can expect half-hearted results. 
 
4. If you are trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I have had them; everybody has had them.

5. Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. 

2.At any cost don't let your hope down, we are here to support you
Always keep in mind that 'what do you want right now?'  'What is lacking behind YOU to get that?'  'What has to be done to get as early as possible?' 
To overcome all the above mentioned questions, always there is only one thing with you...That is 'Continuous hard work without loosing rays of hope'....You should not lose your hope even you didn't get job after a month or two months or even a year(Just for sake I am telling this)...But no one will do that...You should not stop initiation (whatever you have to do to get job) or approach towards getting job from your side  ...You just have to keep on trying to achieve whatever you want?...I am sure you will do that because you are in that situation and also I can support you to the extend I can...See if you think you can always you can...Isn't it?...
	Don't loose your hope and always have positive attitude in your mind...Think always about getting job and do something related to that (which can add value to get a job. we will also help you what you need to do. Nothing should be there in your mind apart from getting job.

For example,
If you walking along the road suppose you are seeing an advertisement during that time even that is not related to yours but you should be able to notice or something has to be triggered on your mind regarding your job...Because opportunities can come in any way, you should  aware and should not miss that one...It won't come again...To really understand this I can tell you N number of examples even from my friends circle and from my own experience also...You don't attend courses by paying 30 to 50 thousand.....This is I am telling you from my own experience...Because even I didn't know how to type in computer keyboard also I didn't attend for any courses when I got selected into TCS...You don't have to worry about technical knowledge for a fresher....The company which hires you will give you lots of training in software. Just you have to prepare to clear the written test and interview to get into the company.