CVs,

Group Discussions and

Personal Interviews
PREPARING FOR JOB

Writing CVs
 Writing CVS
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae.

• Known by several names:

Resume, personal profile, bio-data, personal data
sheet, qualification sheet and summary.

• CV is a written statement of one’s personal history,

biographical details, educational qualifications, work
experience, achievements, and other strong points.

• The CV or resume is a self introduction to promote

oneself. The secret of writing a good resume is in its
ability to project oneself as the most suitable candidate
for a particular job. So it should be written in terms of
the job requirements.
Consideration

• what qualification or experience or

achievement one should highlight.

• A resume is usually attached to an

application letter. It is therefore
read only after the application letter
but it should be prepared first.
 Relationship between Resume and
Application Letter.

They perform two separate functions.

• Resume communicates
all relevant and important
biographical information
about an applicant. It
presents information in a
numbered sequence. It • An application letter
also makes use of tables to interprets the information.
highlight details of
educational qualifications,
work experience and so
on.
  
To Begin with Work Experience

• If one has strong work experience, one can begin the

resume. Then one can bring the educational qualifications.
• In work experience include your total experience, part time
as well as full time.
• Never write ‘no experience’.
• For a fresher, one can include some experience by
organizing functions, running clubs, associations, societies,
or managing events, undertaking visits to industries and so
on.
• Graduates at technological or technological institutes
undertake summer projects or industrial training. All such
exposures form a fresh graduate’s experience. Here one
should emphasize what qualifies one best for the job one is
applying for.
 Should Educational Qualification and
Experience Follow Chronological Order?
• Educational Qualifications • Work Experience
The highest It is important to choose
qualification is the from one’s total
most important experience that which
qualification. best meets the job
requirements.
• It should be therefore,
emphasized by placing • Normally one can begin
it first. Then one can from the present position
and then highlight other
go downwards upto
senior positions.
the school level
• Indicate nature of
qualification.
experience gained from
each position.
The Resume by a Fresh Graduate

• The new college

Heading graduate’s resume is
generally short.
Summary • It includes one’s career
objective, education,
Objectives work experience and
Education school/ college activities.
• One’s education details
Work Experience are placed first, a place
of prominence.
Awards and Honours
• Give each information
Activities under bold and clear
headings to emphasize
References the desired point.
Heading

The heading should include

name, address, e-mail address
and telephone number.
Summary

• The recent practice is to place a

summary of all one’s major
achievements and specializations below
the title.
• The reader here can find most relevant
and important information about the
applicant.
• It acts as a strong ‘preface’ or
‘foreword’.
Objectives

• Mention a particular position that

suits the educational qualifications
and experience.
• State clearly one’s objective in
practical terms. The employer
wants to know one’s practical
objective, not one’s ambition.
Education

• Begin with ones most recent degree. Include

short term trainings done, or special certificate
programmes attended in addition to course
work.
• Mention specifically those courses or skills
which are important for the kind of position/
work/ job one is applying for.
• One can indicate one’s overall grade in
different courses if they are high.
Work Experience
• Mention in reverse chronological order one’s job experience as a
trainee or in any other form. Give the details as follows;
 Job title, the company’s name, place and duration of work .

• Briefly describe one’s role, responsibility and what you have

done for each job. Describe specially those responsibilities which
gave practical experience related to the career one wants to
pursue (one’s career goal).

• Remember that description of responsibilities become forceful

by using action words like designed, prepared, developed,
coordinated, supervised and directed.

• Remember also that the employer is not interested in reading

just a record of one’s responsibilities, instead wants to know
how one performed in different positions.
Awards and Honours

• Mention all scholarships received,

prizes and awards won.
• Can list school awards also to
show that one has been
throughout a meritorious student.
• Also include the professional
prizes.
Activities

• Mention one’s participation in

college activities.
• Highlight one’s role or position as
president, secretary and
coordinator etc.
• Write about one’s hobbies if any as
playing guitar, or tennis/ cricket/ or
any other game.
References

• Mention two names of those persons

who know that they are your referee.

• Give their full names, with business

address and telephone numbers.

• Or just mention- Available on request.

 Some Guidelines for Preparing a
Good CV.

• A good CV provides basic information to

the recruiter in a systematic form.
• It enables the employers to evaluate one’s
qualifications in a few minutes and shortlist
or reject.
• A good CV, therefore, means so much for
one’s career opportunity.
• It can open the interview door for the
applicant.
DOs

• Indicate a specific job objective or

summary of qualification.
• Highlight accomplishments.
• Emphasize any information related to
one’s job objective.
• Give details of professional activities
supportive of one’s career objective.
 DON’Ts

• Do not use an uncommon CV format

• Do not mention the salary you expect
• Do not leave any gap in experience
• Do not give reasons for changing the earlier
jobs
• Do not use coloured paper
• Do not send a handwritten resume
• Do not mention personal details unless it is
relevant to job consideration.
• Do not be too brief or too lengthy.
 Drafting an Application Letter

• An application letter is a planned piece of

writing to gain attention and interest and ask
for action.
• It shows one’s communication skills to the
employer.
• It functions as an interview request by
impressing the employer with one’s abilities
and education.
• Remember that we are here selling our merits
which the employer needs.
• It needs to be written very carefully.
 An Application Letter should be
Planned as;

• First Paragraph
– Identify your objective/ goal exactly

• Second Paragraph
– Give sufficient evidence of your ability/
qualifications for the position

• Third Paragraph
– Ask for an Interview Opportunity
 First Paragraph

Identify your objective/ goal exactly

• Mention specifically the position/job you
are applying for and how you came to
know about it.
• Mention what kind of position you are
capable of.
• Also state the reasons for your interest
to work with that particular employer.
 Second Paragraph

Give sufficient evidence of your ability/

qualifications for the position
• Explain why you are qualified for the position/job. Do
not repeat what you have written in the resume.
• Mention briefly your education or work experience
and indicate the particular points relevant.
• Mention the important courses and special projects
that enhance your suitability for the job.
• Give here your extra curricular activities that show
your qualities or abilities to organize and coordinate.
• Show how your project work/ industrial visits/ work
experience is related to the position you seek.
 Third Paragraph

Ask for an Interview Opportunity

• Suggest that you would like to come for

an interview at the employer’s
convenience.
• Here the purpose is to make the
employer to meet you.
Remember these Important
Principles of Writing—

• Coherence
• Address the letter
• Concreteness to a specific
• Simplicity person, if
• Emphasis possible, and sign
• Originality your letter
prominently.
• Sincerity
• Empathy
• Convention
 Some “Don’ts” when Writing the
Application Letter.
• Don’t use your present employer’s stationery.
• Don’t beg or ask for a favour.
• Don’t be unduly humble.
• Don’t write so many ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, etc.
• Don’t sound casual.
• Don’t boast about yourself.
• Don’t criticize your present employer.
• Don’t repeat resume information.
• Don’t use vague or general terms.
• Don’t say you are qualified for the job, instead give
evidence.
• Don’t use hackneyed and worn out expressions.
• Don’t copy a letter written by some other applicants.
On the positive side, show confidence
and that should be reflected in your
application letter.
INTERVIEWS
 What is an Interview?

• An Interview can be defined as an

oral tool to test a candidate’s traits
for employment or admission in an
institution.
• It calls for one’s skills of oral and
non-verbal communication to
support the performance before a
panel of experts.
 Types of interviews
• Panel Interview:
• Telephonic Interview:
• Lunch/ Dinner Interview:
• Preliminary Interview:
• Sequential Interview:
• Skill-Based Interview:
• Academic Interview:
• Personality Interview:
• Job Interviews.
 Types of interview and Required
Communication Skills.

• Panel Interview: Be extra careful of your body language and eye

contact as each member on the panel is observing you. Give the
impression of speaking to all members through your eye
movement.

• Telephonic Interview: Consider it as a face-to-face interview.

Use proper modulation to reflect the way you feel. Keep your voice
clear, steady and audible.

• Lunch/ Dinner Interview: Conducted in an informal

environment. Be careful about your body language and manners.

• Preliminary Interview: Conducted as a screening test. It is an

essential stage to be cleared for moving to final interview.
 Types of interview and Required
Communication Skills.

• Sequential Interview: You have to report to several people one

by one. Be very careful in your behaviour, speech and manners as
each one is your prospective boss.
• Skill-Based Interview: It requires you to demonstrate your
skills.
• Academic Interview: Conducted in Q-A (Questions and Answers)
environment. Demonstrate your skills of attentive listening, eye
contact and clarity of ideas and depth of knowledge.
• Personality Interview: It evaluates you as an individual based
on your response to certain situations set before you. Here, how
you answer is important than what you answer. Make use of all
communication skills to demonstrate oneself as an “all round
personality”.
• Job Interviews…..
 JOB INTERVIEW
What does a Job Interview Assess?
•  Interviewers usually assess the following
attributes—
• Clarity:
• Depth:
• Personality:
• Self-awareness:
• General awareness:
• Application of concepts to real-life
problems:
• Communication Skills:
• Clarity: On previous academic subjects, career
objective, why a career in your concerned area, life’s
goals, national or global issues, environment and so
on.

• Depth: Depth of knowledge and understanding on

different subjects and issues. Clarity and depth
together indicate your academic excellence.

• Personality: Your self awareness. Have you

reflected on your reactions and analyzed them?

• Self-awareness: Sense of personal strengths what

you value most?
• General awareness: The level of general awareness
on current issues of national and international
concerns.
• Application of concepts to real-life problems:
Your power of initiative and problem solving ability is
judged by asking questions related to real-life
situations.
• Communication Skills: The power of communication
is supposed to be assessed at all interviews. Your
ability to express clearly, correctly and concisely is
evaluated with your skill of listening and
comprehension. Your verbal, non-verbal and body
language exhibit your personality as an individual.
 FOCUS OF JOB INTERVIEWS

• Effective selection interview

focuses on two issues:

 Technical Competence

 Motivation
Technical Competence

• Your Technical competence is

assessed by examining your
academic background and job
profile. The questions you are
asked are related to your
specialization, essentially,
application based questions
Motivation

• All employers wish to evaluate

your level of interest in doing a job
and how strongly you feel within
yourself to move towards the
fulfillment of your goal.
 Strategies for Success at Interviews
• The success of any interview depends on how
well you have prepared yourself for the
interview. One should know what
organizations usually look for—

• Specific personality traits: prove that you are

motivated, mature, ambitious and
trustworthy.

• Competence and realistic job expectations-

prove that you know about the job or industry
you aspire to join.
 What you need to know before
attending an Interview?

• Know yourself

• Know the Company.

• Know your job profile:

Know yourself How to know yourself?

• Identify your skills- concentrate on

Ask yourself- Who what you can do well.
am I? What are my
achievements so • Determine what you value- things
far? What are my those are important to you and
skills and influence your behaviour.
strengths? What do
I plan to do five • Be clear what motivates you- what
years hence? you are looking for- status,
security, power, expertise,
Be clear about your creativity etc.
goals and
• Describe your personality- your
consistent about
achievements and behaviour and mental
future career plans. characteristics.
Be realistic about • Find out how you think- logically
yourself.
or intuitively.
Know the Company

• Collect information about the

company you are applying for.
• Reach the company before time
and have some idea about the
culture and norms of the company
details.
Know your job profile:

• You should have the best career goal in mind.

• You should not allow your job profile to be
weakened by accepting a job in a company
that does not suit your personal job profile.
• You should not be carried away by the salary
or designation of the job.
• Consider in terms of job profile your
professional job and ambition.
 What to do when you do not know
the Answer:

• Own it. Say “Sorry I do not know it.”

• Educated guess. Try to use intelligent guess and say

“I guess / or I think or perhaps it could mean…..”

• Think and then answer…

• Use the sixth sense- Communicate your positive state

of mind by eye contact, facial contact, facial
expression, tone and volume and speech. Present
yourself as an intelligent person who is suitable for
the job.
PARTICIPATING IN
GROUP DISCUSSION
 What is a Group Discussion?

• The group discussion is a

personality test to screen
candidates, often after the written
test.
 What does a GD evaluate?

• It evaluates your ability to interact

in a group on a given topic. The
GD evaluators focus on group
dynamics rather than the content
of your views.
Technique

• The group usually consists of 8 to

10 candidates. No one is
nominated as leader, coordinator
or chairman to conduct the
discussion. Normally, 20 to 30
minutes are given as time to
complete the discussion.
Emerging Leadership

• A group discussion starts without a

leader and a leader emerges gradually
during the course of discussion. No
one is chosen as leader. But a
candidate with his/her ability and
initiative gradually begins to direct the
course of discussion and is recognized
by the candidates.
 Norms to be observed:

• Language

• Dresss

• Body Language
Language

• Formal

• Simple, correct spoken English

• Not colloquial English

• Not literary English

Dress

• Formal

• Men in business suits

• Ladies in sarees/ formal salwar

kameez
Body Language

• Posture
– Formal (straight back, hands together in the
front/ on the edge of the table)
– Must reflect enthusiasm
• Gestures and body movements
– Shouldn’t be threatening or restricting other
members.
– Avoid excessive use of hands
– Be natural
• Eye Contact
– Establish eye contact with as many as you can while
speaking.
 POINTS TO REMEMBER

• Don’t attempt to be a leader by

trying to sum up or conclude when
the group has not clearly reached
any conclusion.

• Remember that GD is to assess

your ability to interact in a group
effectively.
 Some Guidelines for GD
Discussion
participants
Techniques-

• How to join the discussion

GD is not a debate in
which you either • To support what some other
oppose or support participant has said.
the topic. There are
no clear cut positions
or stands to be • To oppose what one has said.
taken. GD is a
continuous
discussion. • To make a point very strongly

• To bring a discussion back to

the point
Guidelines

• How to join the discussion

I would like to raise the subject of……….

What I think is………….
I think it is important to consider the
question of ………
If I could say a word about…………
May I make a point about…………
Guidelines

• To support what some other

participant has said.

Remember that you should support the

views of the person, not the person.
I would like to support Mr.ABC’s point of
view about……..
That is just what I also think.
I agree fully with what Mr.ABC has just
said.
Guidelines

• To oppose what one has said.

You are opposed to the idea and not the

person who holds it. Use polite
expressions instead of curt expressions.
Please allow me to differ……..
I would like to differ………..
I think differently on this issue that………
I do not agree, in my opinion…….
Guidelines

• To make a point very strongly

I am convinced that……..
You can’t deny that……..
Anybody can see that………...
It is quite clear to me that…………
Guidelines

• To bring a discussion back to

the point

That’s very interesting, but I think it

is not indeed to the point.
Perhaps we could go back to the
point.
I am afraid we are drifting from the
subject.
Your analytical ability and your
critical arguments and your
verbal and non-verbal skills of
communication give you
competitive edge over others.
Listening

• Know that in GD, listening too is a

participative act.
• Listen to assimilate and analyze.
Do not interrupt.
• Instead try to join in the discussion
tactfully.
_____________________________
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