Session on “” “ Resume/CV & Interview Preparation ” Session on “” “ Resume/CV & Interview Preparation ” Sunshine Group of Institutions Department of MBA

What is CV or Resume? It is a documentary record of your education, qualifications and employment history Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

CV vs. Resume Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

A resume is a concise document typically not longer than one or two pages as the intended the reader will not dwell on your document for very long. The goal of a resume is to make an individual stand out from the competition. A resume is an effective summary of who you are and gives you a chance to highlight your strengths Resume is like a trailer of a movie Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Resumes  A brief representation of your credentials, experience, and education.  Allows the prospective employer to learn about your qualifications in the shortest time possible.  Convince the employer that you have the necessary qualifications for the job and that you should be interviewed. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

What is CV  A CV (Curriculum Vitae, which means course of life in Latin) is an in-depth document that can be laid out over two or more pages and it contains a high level of detail about your achievements, a great deal more than just a career biography. The CV covers your education as well as any other accomplishments like publications, awards, honors etc. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

What is CV  A resume is typically a 1-2 page, reverse chronological, introduction and summary of your experience and skills as they relate to a specific career or position you are seeking. In your resume, you are probably making changes per application to highlight and emphasize what a job is looking for.  A CV, on the other hand, can be much longer. It is a detailed overview of your accomplishments, particularly those related to academia. CVs are mostly used when you are seeking an academic, scientific or medical position (also can be used when applying for grants/fellowships). It is more detailed than a resume Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Resume Sections  Contact Details  Career Objectives/Career Summary  Work Experience  Educational Qualification  Awards (if you have any)  Projects  Extracurricular activities,  Personal Information  References/Declaration (Optional) Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Career Summary (Optional)  This is your chance to bring forward your relevant strengths and skills in front of the recruiter. Everything in your Resume/CV should actually support your Career Summary.  You should write your Career Summary around your Skills, Attitude, Knowledge and Experience.  It should be a short words paragraph while some give it a liberty to be covered in 4-5 bulleted points Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Career Summary (Optional)  Eg. 1 –Ranked 2nd in University –Good communication and interpersonal skills. –Well versed with People Soft –Experience of working on Live projects  Eg. 2 –1 year experience as Sales executive with HDFC Bank –Good analytical and communication skills. –Experienced in handling national and international exhibitions & organizing events. –Good experience of Search Engine Optimization. –Well versed with SPSS software Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Objective Statement (optional)  One or two short sentences to tell the kind of work you are seeking.  Don’t be afraid to use “entry-level” position if you are new to the work force. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Education Section  Show that you are capable of learning.  Start with your most recent school/program and work back.  Include graduation date for each education experience as well as the degree or certificate awarded.  Include related course work (example: Diploma, IT courses, etc). Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Work Experience Section  If you have never worked a day in your life, skip this section.  If you do have some work experience – full-time, part-time, casual, civic, volunteer, or charitable – put it on your resume.  Begin with the most recent employer.  In one line, give the dates you worked the job, your job title, name of the company, and the company’s city/state address.  Bullet the dates for each work experience.  List your regular job duties and responsibilities. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Other Sections  Skills/Training –Do not highlight skills that you no longer want to use.  Awards and achievements  Leadership experience  Include volunteer experiences if they relate to the type of position you are seeking.  Extracurricular activities, if appropriate. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

References Section  Find people you know well and who are willing to be a positive reference for you.  Obtain permission from each person before listing them.  Do not use relatives, personal friends, or other students.  Do use – former teachers/professors, work supervisors, professional colleagues, contacts from volunteer work.  Include contact information – name, title, phone, and/or address.

Resume “DO’s”  Emphasize your assets.  Be truthful – don’t exaggerate.  Keep it brief – not too wordy.  Make it clear.  Make customized one for different organizations Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Most Common Resume Mistakes  Too long or too short –One page is preferred but two pages are ok –It should be long enough to tell the main points  Disorganized  Poorly typed or reproduced  Poor description of experience –List your duties.  Irrelevant personal information  Incomplete references  Misdirected  Spelling and/or grammar errors  Not uniform – bullets, capitals, italics, boldface, underlines, etc. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

No 'CV' or 'Resume' at the top Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Use formal fonts Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Do not use 'I', My, 'He', She' Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Avoid spelling mistakes and grammatical errors Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Highlight your unique skills Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Contact details Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Use a formal address Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

References Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Resumes  Your resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview.  A resume is an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less. Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Interview Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Interviews  Interview = A meeting with an objective  Employer’s objective is to find the best person for the job –Employer: reviews candidate’s experience and abilities Can you do the job? (skills, ability, qualifications) Will you do the job? (interest, attitude & motivation) How will you fit into the organisation? (personality)  You: impress employer and assess position on offer What does this position offer me? How does it fit with my career plans?  Congratulations - you have passed the first hurdle  You must prove that you are the most suitable candidate for this position

Preparation is the key to success –Review own skills, experiences and qualities Check CV Anticipate questions and identify relevant examples Prepare key selling points –Research organisation Websites, reports, articles, company literature, etc Contacts with knowledge of organisation or sector Relevant articles in the press Personal visit or telephone call –Research job and occupational area Job description – or similar Current issues –Prepare your questions –Practice

Watch the Body Language  First impressions very powerful  Allow time to relax  Dress appropriately  Entrance, introductions & handshake  Smile and make eye contact  Be aware of own movements  Watch body language of interviewer Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Typical Questions  About you –Tell me about yourself - Bring me up to date with your CV? –Why did you choose that particular degree programme? –What experience have you had that is relevant to this post? –What would you consider your major achievements to date? Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Typical Questions  About the job –What interests you about this job? –What do you know about this organisation? –What other options are you considering? –How do you see your career developing – 5 years? –If you were Head of Department, what would be your priorities?  General knowledge –What do you think of the Government’s policy on college fees? –What’s your opinion Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Other Type of Questions  “What if” Questions –No experience - how are you likely to respond to a situation  Probing Questions –How exactly did you deal with the situation? –How did you know it worked? –How did you feel about the outcome? –Could you have handled it differently? Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Competency-based Interviews  Company identifies key skills required for job  Teamwork: Describe a team project you worked on. What problems arise? How did you deal with them?  Communication Skills: Describe situation when you had to persuade others to support your view. Give an example of any reports you’ve written which illustrate your writing skills  Interpersonal skills: What kinds of people do you find it difficult to work with? How do you handle those situations?  Taking Responsibility: Describe a time when you took responsibility to achieve a challenging goal  Problem-solving: Tell about a time when you had several tasks to manage at one time with conflicting deadlines.

Responding to Competency Q  Q Give me an example of a problem you encountered. How did you approach it. What was the outcome?  STAR response –S: Describe the situation –T: Explain the task/problem that arose –A: What action did you take? –R: What was the result or outcome? –What did you learn from this experience? Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Matching Skills to Requirements Employer needs Communication Team work Leadership Initiative IT Commercial awareness Your evidence Presentation to class Example from Co- curriculars Class rep, Committee Fundraising for charity Designed website Business pages Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Your Answers  Listen carefully, seek clarification  Illustrate answers with real examples and evidence  Be positive  Keep answers specific  Take time to respond  Be alert to interviewer’s body language  Speak clearly, smile and show enthusiasm  Know what you want to say, and find the opportunity Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

What creates a bad impression  Poor personal appearance  Negative attitude – using excuses  Lack of interest and enthusiasm  Lack of preparation  Poor knowledge of role  Failure to give concrete examples of skills  Over emphasis on money/rewards  Lack of career plan Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Telephone Interviews  Prepare as thoroughly as for ‘real’ interview  Select comfortable, private, quiet place  Have copy of CV and company information  Have pen and paper at hand  Prepare for usual interview questions  Practice on phone –Record answers –Try standing –Smile and use gestures  Be yourself Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Other Types Of Interviews  Group –6-8 candidates –Group observed while discussing topic –Be aware of group interaction  Panel –2-5 interviewers, or as many as 13!! –Try to identify different roles –Respond to interviewer, include others through eye contact –May involve presentation Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Interview Marking Sheet ParticularsMark-max 100 Communication SkillsMax 30 Problem SolvingMax 20 Team FitMax 20 Relevant ExperienceMax 20 Project ManagementMax 10 Total MarksMax 100 Prof.Alpesh MBA SUNSHINE Group of Institutions

Thank You Alpesh Gajera Assistant Professor Sunshine Group of Institutions (MBA, MCA, MAM) Contact E mail -