IMS GHAZIABAD University Courses Campus

Let’s

Redefine Preparation Editors Dr. Sapna Rakesh Ms. Priyanka Sadhna Ms. Raunak Bhardwaj Ms. Sapna Kumar Ms. Anuradha Bhardwaj

LET’S REDEFINE PREPARATION

LET’S REDEFINE PREPARATION

Editors

Dr. Sapna Rakesh Ms. Priyanka Sadhna Ms. Raunak Bhardwaj Ms. Sapna Kumar Ms. Anuradha Bhardwaj

BLOOMSBURY INDIA Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd Second Floor, LSC Building No. 4, DDA Complex, Pocket C – 6 & 7, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110070 BLOOMSBURY, BLOOMSBURY PRIME and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in 2018 Copyright © IMS Ghaziabad, University Courses Campus, 2018 IMS Ghaziabad has asserted its right under the Indian Copyright Act to be identified as the Editor of this work All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers This book is solely the responsibility of the author and the publisher has had no role in the creation of the content and does not have responsibility for anything defamatory or libellous or objectionable Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes ISBN: 978-93-90252-33-6 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Typeset by Fortune Graphics To find out more about our authors and books, visit www.bloomsbury.com and sign up for our newsletters

To all the aspirants who want to prepare effectively for job interviews. May you all enjoy while researching, preparing, and appearing for recruitment processes and grab the upcoming opportunities by your wit, relentless efforts, and dedication.

Contents Acknowledgements Editors’ Note

ix xi

SECTION ONE: WRITING FOR EMPLOYMENT

1

1. 2.

Career Portfolio Resume, Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter

2 12

SECTION TWO: WRITTEN ABILITY TEST

23

3. 4.

24 33

Definition and Purpose of WAT Effective Writing Skills

SECTION THREE: IMAGE MANAGEMENT

45

5. 6.

The Importance of ‘Managing Image’ Corporate Attire and Etiquette

46 55

SECTION FOUR: GROUP DISCUSSION

65

7. 8.

66 75

Definition, Purpose, and Types of GD Skills Evaluated in a Group Discussion

SECTION FIVE: JOB INTERVIEW

85

9. Meaning, Objective and Types of Job Interviews 10. Competencies Gauged in Personal Interviews

86 99

SECTION SIX: WORKPLACE ETIQUETTE

113

11. Managers’ Expectations 12. Ten Behaviors to Follow

114 126

APPENDICES

137

Appendix I: List of WAT Topics Appendix II: List of GD Topics Appendix III: List of Common PI Questions

137 138 139

About the Editors

140

Acknowledgements Three years ago, we all thought of writing ‘Lets Redefine Preparation’ to offer the most suitable steps to the job aspirants for getting through the placement rounds. We all knew that it will take much hard work, immense time, and efforts to settle into research and prepare the subject matter, with peculiar emphasis on corporate expectations. We are grateful to many people out there, who believed that this book can act as a catalyst for job seekers and prepare them by understanding the four Ws namely why, what, when, where, and one important H-How? The book is a team effort of authors, reviewers, editorial panelists, designers, and production specialists. We would also like to thank HR managers, corporate leaders, job seekers, faculty and students who read the drafts of the book and provided valuable feedforward. This book would not be possible without the support and guidance of our mentor CA (Dr.) Rakesh Chharia, Treasurer, IMS Ghaziabad, University Courses Campus. We thank him for his great ideas and thinking out of the box. Our colleagues who offered down to earth reality checks and provided all of us with great insights and suggestions also deserve special shout-outs. We must thank our students Jhalak Mittal and Animesh Ojha, for developing creatives by using their vivid imagination. The team of Bloomsbury was indispensable to the writing of this book, as they gave the initial ideas which later took the shape of chapters with clarity and analytical rigor. They offered worthy assistance for honing minute details by reading every draft of each chapter. Deep thanks to Ms. Komal Kapoor for generously reading our drafts and offering thoughts for further improvement. Indebted to all the people who have given us the opportunities and guidance over the course of our book progress and have encouraged us to believe in this project and nail the core ideas behind the book.

Editors’ Note Knowledge and skills are the two sides of a coin. In the hiring process, candidates who are able to exhibit this combination are able to reach a higher level of impact. The most important part of the job-hunting process is to understand the correlation between the preparation and the final outcomes. Certainly, the first and foremost aspect is understanding ‘self ’ and find the right equilibrium point to move forward in the career chosen. Ultimately it’s our choices that we make that shapes our present and future. We all hear these terms quite often – interviews, jobs, and placements. A substantial number of students after completing their education are still searching for their career aspirations. The blunt truth is that, when it comes to career decisions, we get carried away by peer pressure. Before entering the workforce, the first and foremost thing is to understand our competencies and passion. Second, we should instill in us a belief in ourselves, backed by hard work and consistency. It’s good to ask ourselves “What are my career aspirations?”, “Which profile suits me?”, “Do I need to work in traditional or contemporary organizational structure?”, “How can I make myself employable?” Perhaps, there is a strong need for job aspirants to rise to their true potential. Today many of the colleges across different states of India are bringing metamorphic changes in the education system to minimize the skill set gap between academia and industry. However, let’s understand that the training for enhancing employability differs across industries and corporate, rather than ‘one size fits all’ approach. Now, one needs to fit in the job description offered by the companies by understanding the key requirements of each profile and organizational culture. This further brings the obvious question – how? We need to remove the impediments by focusing on various levels of recruitment processes, starting from writing for the job by making a resume or a CV, to the final personal interview. One can get rid of rejections by doing a thorough research of the industry, company, common recruitment steps, followed by developing a suitable set of competencies and etiquette. It is paradoxical that candidates prepare in the same manner for any company or profile, but now it’s not about you, it’s about your match with the company work environment and key responsibility areas ( KRAs). This book is for those who are just starting out to appear for interviews in private companies and even for those who have faced rejection because of poor preparation. Our intention is to offer practical solutions based on reality and provide answers to your unending list of questions relating to reasons for selection or rejection for the job interview.

xii

Let’s Redefine Preparation

Career Development Centre at IMS Ghaziabad, University Courses Campus wrote this book after gaining a decade of experience in training and counseling for adults. After working with thousands of males and females candidates, who wish to make a career in private organizations, we’ve realized that many people cannot afford to take expensive training programs and the follow-up modules. This book is the solution to help you redefine your preparation and suggest result-oriented solutions. HOW IT WORKS? This book uses well-researched publications and real-life practical experiences of the hiring managers and employers. The book is split into sections and within each section, there are chapters that explain crucial points to getting selected in the various rounds of the recruitment process. Each section of this book is read by focus groups including HR managers and corporate leaders to ensure that each chapter is absolutely significant and effective. The chapters are further simplified and designed with an amalgam of result-driven ways for clearing each round of the recruitment process. The first section explores the very first step, which is the creation of a resume to let you know the intricacies involved while drafting the same. The second section covers the written ability test, highlighting the approaches which you can use for effective writing. The third section addresses the concept of image management for making powerful impressions while meeting someone in a corporate setting for the first time. The fourth and fifth section provides all the details on types of group discussion and personal interview along with approaches for fitting into the job description and organizational culture. The sixth section illustrates the code of conduct at the workplace for establishing a credible and professional outlook of oneself by sticking to some imperative work habits in the initial years of one’s career. In this book, we will help you to leverage your potential to create stellar results leading to selection in the company that you’ve applied for. The steps laid down will provide you the direction to where you need to go for exemplary results. By following this book, you yourself and also the others around will be able to see a significant difference and improvement in your preparation. The book deliberately invites you to follow a structured process and prepares you for managing the squeeze. So please ask yourself- “What should I do to get selected in the desired company?”. Take the plunge and indulge yourself in this book for getting ahead and gaining a competitive advantage. Ultimately, the aim of the book is to enable you to land in your dream job, with suitable competencies. Let’s go! And let’s redefine preparation.

Section One

WRITING FOR EMPLOYMENT

“The closest to perfection a person ever comes, is when he fills his out job application form.” – Stanley J. Randall

CAREER PORTFOLIO After studying this chapter, you should be able to: • Understand the meaning and purpose of the career portfolio • Know about the various documents and their relevance • Learn the elements of professional portfolio for getting desired outcomes • Explain how technological advancements are changing the hiring process

1 How to build up a strong profile for making a positive impact?

James, an aspiring marketing manager, had always been a smart and diligent candidate any organization would love to have. Being in the final year, she was actively looking for a job in the industry of her choice. She tried it all, prepared an amazing resume, enrolled herself for campus placement, built her on the companies target list, submitted the job application on every job-hunting portal. She also emailed her resume while mentioning her skills, achievements, and interest. To further reflect the learnings extensively, she enlisted the minute details too encompassing all the academics and co-curricular activities done at school and college level. She was happy to see that her resume was now 4 pages in length having all the possible details, one can think of. Even after putting

Let’s Redefine Preparation is the first comprehensive book that explains all the recruitment processes of the organizations- and how to clear those rounds with the right set of competencies. A degree and diploma do not guarantee employability. This robustly effective book changes the way we think about recruitment processes, in order to get placed in the desired organizations. Packed with practical insights, you can identify and learn how you can leverage opportunities and prepare effectively to get selected by the recruiters and propel yourself to get the most out of every moment at the workplace. An essential read for all the job aspirants and new entrants at the workplace!

IMS GHAZIABAD University Courses Campus, NH-9, Adhyatmik Nagar, Ghaziabad, Pin – 201015, India. www.imsuc.ac.in ISBN 978-93-90252-33-6 90100

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