This blog is in response to questions like:
- I am fresher and I have applied at so many places but I am not getting any calls?
- I have been away from industry now I want to enter but not getting any calls?
- I used to work as senior person but after layoff I am no longer getting similar positions?
This is typical questions asked to me at our career counselling site. I will try to answer this question in this blog.
Interview/Recruiting is a process for getting people recruited for specific skills in the company. Lets understand the interview process to understand the how it works.
The Process
Company gets a project which requires specific skills. Project Manager tries to find people with those skills inside the company first. After he is unable to the suitable person from inside company he decides to get the people from outside. He raises resource requisition to HR. In this requition he typically mentions skill required like .Net, C#, Frameworks like openMVC, Nunit, NHibernate, Transaction management ADO.net, tools like studio ...
This is typical copy of the project technical requirments as mentioned by sdome of his team members or as per RFP response. Idea is to get people who have maximum skill matching with skills required and who can be productive from the day one. The HR forwards it as it to the recruitment agency.
Recruitment agency does not understand most of the things written there and start the searching in job portal using those keyworks. Most of the portals allow the keyword search at their site. The search is not very intelligent. The search will be made with exactly same words. If you are searching for .Net you may miss words like DotNet, C#, Vb.NEt, CSharp, etc. though may mean the same things.
The Preparations
So first step is to include in your resume words with all associated meanings so that your resume does not get filtered in this automatic search. More words it matches with in your more chances are that your resume wil be in the shortlisting. So your resume should have words like .Net, NUnit, NHibernate...
So if you are a fresher or away from industry for long then you need to survey industry and look at current available job descriptions. You must find out what is being demanded acrosss industry now. Learn and master it with tutorials, handon pratice. Includes it as project work in your resume, include it most popular "keyword" so you resume gets horlisted. more keyword your resume it matches with more it is short listed. Also include common and de-facto standard tools like Microsoft Studio... .
Idea is to indicate that you have not worked on it but in case they do not get people with exact matching skill which is usually the case; you are next best option. You have already learnt tricks of the trade at your time and could become productive from day one given proper guidance.
If you are already in job and wants to change into other field, you resume should again include words other fields common keywords and terminology. For that you may need to tweak your CV with changing the project description which highlights how you have used the other field technology. Or show how could use the other technology to give a prespective that using the current experience how you have extra advantage. Also learn and master new technology and include experimental projects which shows your awareness of new technology.
Again, Idea is to indicate that you have not worked on it but in case they do not get people with exact matching skill which is usually the case; you are next best option. You have already learnt tricks of the trade at your time and could become productive from day one given proper guidance. In fact you could indicate you also have more skills and you already have experience of other valuable things which would add advantage to project and is better than other person.
In case you are already working as Senior person you need to objectively look at Job Descriptions and figure out what you what to do. Change Resume to reflect how you are suitable for that job. Postion and Job Designation are immaterial because every company has its own hierarchy and job designation.
Banking industry has starting point as Vice Presient, after 3 years people become Director or Asscoiate Director.So it is job description not job designation that matters.
Second Step:
Once you are short listed, next step is you get call from Consultants. You need to be very frank with Consultant about what you want, salary range, etc.
Only after you are convinced about the compnay and job do you move to next step of Interviewing.
Get information about what is being asked becuase consultant are also broker between you and company, it is in their advantage to get you selected so taht they can earn thier money of commission.
Fresher need to be more humble as they interact with Consultsant. They also need to develop a relation with Consultants becuase consultants have information which companies are hiring freshers, and which are willing to take in freshers.
Third Step is Interview itself.
Be prepared to know what you have written in your resume. Basckup it up with knowledge. Go into depths and prepare. Try to handon to understand more subtle things. Also know more and advance things. Because in interview people may ask anything which you may think is irrelevant but indicates your mastery and awareness.
More on this in another post.
Nice.
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