The Lure Of English In India

Jai Hind! Jai Bharath! India is a formidable country-multi cultural, multi dimensional and multilingual. If I remember my history right, the Indian rulers fought among themselves and the absence of unity brought its several foreign invaders and thus we were under the British rule for several years.

The British are out but their legacy has had a strong imprint on our soil and the English language is here to stay! It has been made the official language.

Politicians in India are trying to play the regional card and divide the country into regions by their local languages. Ironically English is the unifying force for the masses and more importantly it is Bread and Butter for millions. Hence it is the language encouraged in elite circles, schools, colleges and is definitely the mainstay for Higher Education.

Coming to the lighter side of things I would like to quote a few instances how English wrongly communicated can land you in very embarrassing situations.

As a little girl when I visited an ailing old lady, she said “I feel a lot better after the doctor asked me to take tablets for my romantic heart” (she meant rheumatic heart!)

While in college, I called on my friend and after a long wait she emerged from the room saying,

“Sorry I made you wait, I had to milk my baby.”(Of course she meant she was nursing her baby.)

One of my English students gave me the recipe to make tea, “The luggage needed to make tea is tea leaves, sugar, water and milk. Steer the tea before serving.”

This anecdote really takes the cake: Queen Elizabeth was taking a walk around her garden with one of the Indian ministers. They halted in front of a pond with two swans.

The minister decided to compliment the Queen, “I admire your bathakhs” (Bathakh is Hindi for swan).The Queen blushed.

Wrong Communication can land you in very embarrassing situations. If you do not want to get into similar situations…learn the language well.

A Few Important Interview Questions With Possible Answers

The interviewer’s task is not to confuse or trap you, but to get the best out of you.There are Several methods of interviewing and a wide range of questions-- some related to your profession and some general topics. Normally the  interview skills begins with education based questions and about your hobbies.

1. Tell me something about yourself ?

Start with the present and tell how you are suitable for the job.

I am a post graduate in Economics from Delhi University. I have majored in -(Tell the subject(s) you have majored in). I have been an active volunteer for a center for underprivileged kids since my college days. I play football quite regularly and since trekking is my hobby I have traveled many mountainous and hilly regions of southern India. Reading is another hobby and Thomas Hardy is my favorite author. (make sure that you know something about your favorite author’s books and do not lie if you don’t read!)

2. Which is your favorite newspaper?

The Times of India- is my favorite newspaper. I read other local newspapers like ,for some interesting political articles and other entertainment news.

3. What do you know about our company, organization or institution?

Try and find out something about the company that you are applying to. Visit the website and collect certain amount of information about the company that you are applying for.

You can start by saying—“I know about your company form your website.I was particularly interested in…/impressed by….” Also, explain how you think you will fit in.

4. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I see myself in the senior managerial level of ___________.I am sure that I will be able to be a team lead within the next 12 months since I have been able to do that in the previous company I was working in. I hope to expand our foreign markets in the next two years.(Make your goals sound realistic)

5. Are you ready to for relocation?

Although I prefer to be in my own city, it would not be a problem if I am posted for a short period of three to five years as I believe that traveling and living out of our comfort zone gives good experience and exposure to different languages and culture.

6. After your Engineering you have not worked nearly for two- three years. Can you explain the gap?

Well, I was managing my father’s printing business by taking care of the day to day printing orders, delivering, dispatching and also did the marketing to get orders from clients and improved the profits by 30% in the first two months of joining my father’s business. Later on, I felt I should work in a company for exposure and experience and I applied to various companies and was waiting for a call from a reputed company.

7. You have changed your jobs so frequently with four jobs in six years. You don’t seem to stick to a job for long.?

I joined as a trainee in my first job and was waiting for a permanent recruitment after three months of training as I was promised, but when it got delayed I joined another soft ware company. I became the team lead after six months there. I was advised by my own boss to take on more challenging roles for which I moved on to the next company. My friend who had started his own firm needed my support for a year so I joined him and am currently working with him.

8. What are your goals in life?

My goal is to work in the UK for a few years since I feel exposure to the work atmosphere in Europe will help me go a long way. I would like to return after 10 years to put my experience to good use. (You can talk about your further studies, your special areas of interest in your work or any activities that you are fond of and would like to master.)

9. How consistent are you towards anything that you do?

I was quite consistent in my studies, because when I was given a project to complete in two months I completed before time and even won the best project award. But I think work experience will help me a great deal in achieving consistency as it will be a team work and requires more patience and maturity to handle pressure and stress.

10. What are your strengths?

I am a very strong, positive minded, goal oriented person. I try to achieve the best in my work. I set quite a high standard for myself to achieve distinction in anything that I do.

11. Can you work under a person who is younger than you?

I wouldn’t mind working under a person who is few years younger than me. I believe than one should always be willing to learn from anybody---whatever position or age.

12. Are you good at handling work pressure and deadlines?

I was used to multitasking in my previous job where I handled quality control and customer service for the electrical appliances division. I was handling at least five major electrical appliances and was responsible even for the customer complaints. I have sometimes handled as many as twenty customers a day with ease. In fact it has become a sort of routine for me to meet the deadlines.

13. Why are you leaving the present job?

I feel saturated in my present job. I am looking for challenging tasks which can take up my career graph and give me an identity for my skills and knowledge that I possess rather than just meeting deadlines and doing the same perfunctory job.

14. What is important in a job to you –‘salary or designation’?

I think they go hand in hand. A salary without job satisfaction may not really provide a meaningful growth in career. So I cannot give importance to one and ignore the other. Both are equally important.

15. The government decides to ban auto rickshaws forever- What would be your opinion?

It may not be a feasible idea to ban all autos at once. But a slow and steady phase out will be more justified because the government should be in a position to provide an alternate transport system to distant and interior areas of the city. They should also think of the job opportunities for those rickshaw drivers who may eventually become jobless as a result.

16. Will there be no corruption if educated people take active part in politics?

There can be no guarantee that corruption will be weeded out if educated people enter politics. Unless we believe that all educated people are honest once elected into a position of power, we cannot make such a conclusion. In fact an educated politician might find ingenious ways of corruption!

17. How will you serve the society in spite of your busy work schedule?

I may not be able to make time for it. However, I can contribute by keeping my surroundings clean, and not expect the corporation to clean it .I will try to conserve water and implement rain water harvesting.

18. May I contact your present employer for a reference?

Absolutely, I can give both the phone number and the e-mail ID and they can be contacted on phone after 5.30 in the evening.

19. What will you do if your subordinate always gives excuses for the mistakes committed in his/her work?

I may accept the excuses once or twice, later a warning will be given to minimize mistakes and if it still continues I will choose the last option of firing only if there is no way at all to improve the situation. I certainly will not jump into a hasty conclusion as I believe that people can do well with proper guidance and motivation.

20. Whom will you blame if your team is not performing well?

I think I will take the blame on myself because if the team is not performing well under my guidance I might have failed somewhere to come up to the expectation. I will introspect first before I can come to a conclusion.

So above questions are the most frequent asked questions related to Interview preparation. If you want  corporate resume preparation, you can follow us.

Why Resume Is So Important When Applying For Job?

WHAT IS RESUME?

A resume introduces you to the people who will eventually hire you. Most of the times your resume is the first point of contact or communication with your future employers.

For students looking at higher education or extra courses at various universities, your resume will determine whether you should be admitted into the course or not.

Your resume should have your name, contact information, your career history, your years of education, your capabilities and what you are prepared to commit to your future employers or educational institutions.

WHY IS A RESUME IMPORTANT?

Preparing your resume is the first step in the job-search process. Your resume will help you get into a position that you dream of a position better than what you are in now.

Since a resume is in the form of written communication (either on paper or e-mail), your first aim should be to get noticed for your abilities. If you prepare a well written résumé, the chances are that you will get called for an interview where you can present yourself and speak in detail about yourself.

A  well prepared resume from a less experienced candidate can be chosen over a poorly prepared resume of a more experienced candidate.

A good resume means more chances to get better jobs and positions. A poor resume may mean months of rejection and unemployment.

WHAT IS A GOOD RESUME?

A good resume should display all relevant information about you that your employers are interested in knowing about.

A good resume should be carefully composed, edited and not contain any spelling mistakes.

A good resume should display and highlight all your strengths and qualities that make you suitable for the job you are applying for.

A good resume is nothing but information about you delivered in an attractive and efficient manner.

WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD A RESUME CONTAIN?

• Your Name in Full
• Address-where you will be available
• Phone numbers-land line as well as mobile number
• E-Mail id
• Your educational qualifications-when and where you went to school
• Responsibilities you have assumed
• What you have accomplished
• How you have contributed
• Your abilities, skills and strengths
• Special training/courses attended
• Certificates and licenses you have earned.

WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

A cover letter is a letter sent along with your résumé. It is as important as your resume because this is your first one-sided interaction with your prospective employer. Your  cover letter states who you are and why you are contacting the addressee.

Job Interview - How To Handle A Telephonic Interview

A lot of employers these days use telephone interviews to identify and recruit candidates for their company. Employers use the telephone interview as a pre-screening method. Employers would like to narrow down the number of applicants who will be invited for in-person interviews. This saves them time, money for preparation and travel expenses for the candidate. For most applicants, this would be the first round of interview. It is therefore essential that you follow the correct Interview Preparation Coaching or telephone etiquettes to get through this round. It is obvious that in the telephone interview, your communication skills will be thoroughly tested.

For active job hunters, always expect a call from one of the recruiters. The call could be at an unexpected time or at an appointed time. In any case, be prepared at all times if it is the first time for you, practice with a friend or family member and take feedback.

Some tips to help you:

Be Prepared:

• Read your resume well. Remember all the points you have put down there. The dates for your education as well as employment history are important. This way, even if you get an unexpected call, you will be able to remember all the details the interviewer is questioning you about.
• Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. This is one question most interviewers ask either directly or indirectly.
• Keep a list of your projects and achievements, along with the dates.
• If your phone interview is at an appointed time, you must keep your résumé, notes to answer technical questions, certificates and other documents handy, so that you do not take a lot of time to answer questions.
• Keep a pen and note-pad handy to take down numbers and other notes.

Body Language:

• Posture is important. Stand or sit upright just as you would in a face-to-face interview. This increases your confidence.
• Your voice and tone change according to your posture. The person at the other end of the phone can always make out if you are in a slouched position or lying down and answering the call, even though they can’t see you!
• Smile. A smile can be heard.
• Be casual and relaxed. If you are nervous, you will stammer a lot and not get your thought process right.

Be a good listener:

• Make listening sounds like “hmm..”,”yeah”,”OK”,”right” etc. to make the other person aware that you are listening and attentive.
• Never interrupt the other person. Instead, you can wait till the interviewer finishes speaking
• Clarify a point that you have not understood. Instead of saying “Please repeat,’ or “Sorry, I didn't get you,” be more specific. You can say,” Are you asking about my recent project or the one I did in college?” or “I am sorry I couldn't hear the last part of your question…did you ask if I have traveled abroad?”Communicate your intentions to the caller. Remember the caller does not know what you are actually doing.
• Explain your behavior to the caller. “I am sorry, I am driving. I can’t hear you. Can I call you back in ten minutes after I park my vehicle?” “I am at work. I can’t speak from my office. Can I call you later?” “Your voice is breaking up. I can’t hear you well. I will go to another place and try again. Can I call you in two minutes?
• If the phone gets cuts off suddenly, call back and identify yourself again. The recruiter may not remember you. You can say,”Hi, this is Mukund. You were talking to me when the phone got cut. Can we continue with the interview or do you want me to call you another time?
• If you want the caller to hold on, you must explain why and for how much time. “Can you hold on for a minute while I find the document you were referring to?”,” Sorry, my pen is not writing. Can you hold on for a moment? I am finding another pen. Yes. I have got a pencil now. Please give me the number.”