DJ's Career Tools

BUILD A WINNING TEAM

Well it is not so easy , it mainly depends on the Manager who is leading the team. ‘Lee Iacocca’ says ‘the speed of the Boss is the speed of the team!’ Let us look at some tips that help in building a winning team..

Size: The size of the team should be manageable.

Common Vision and objective: There is no “I” in the “team”.Team requires a common objective and a winning vision. Clarity about goals to establish targets

Learning : A team that learns well is a team that succeeds

Identity: A special identity, special slogan and Concept that will make them stand out and feel special.

Communication : “Good leadership starts with good communication”. Ensure active communication among the team members, reduce the paper work and construct a friendly prompt & crisp feed back.

Support: Demonstrate complete faith and trust, cultivate inter dependence. Let the team be creative and encourage the innovation.

A. highlight the Good work
B. point out what needs improving
C. suggest how to improve

Control: A mistake should be treated as a source of learning rather than a reason for punishment. Control the activity but not the person. Praise in Public and reprimand in private.

Finally a Chinese proverb on team Management :

“Tell me I will forget, Show me I will remember and involve me I will Do it”

RESPECT THE SKILL

An American was travelling in Afghanistan, when his Cadillac Car stalled. He did every thing, but it didn’t start. Finally, a mechanic came from the hills, riding a donkey. He opened the bonnet and hit the Cylinder head six times. He asked the American to start it and it did. The American asked, “How much?” The mechanic said, “$100”. The American gasped and asked him to itemize the charge. The mechanic said, “10 Cents for hitting six times and $99.90 for knowing where to hit”.

Moral: Respect the skilled people.

Source: Management Thoughts (Think Inc)

GET RIGHT JOB FOR YOU!!

Here are some tips to help you to get your right job:

1.RIGHT PERSON FOR RIGHT JOB

Many plus points in you, young, dynamic, interested in learning, little responsibilities and more importantly you have “TIME”. Hence start searching for a Right job now. Do not rely merely on your qualification and academic performance. It requires your patience, effort, planning & dedication.

2. RIGHT HOME WORK FOR RIGHT JOB

Do home work on companies and Organizations that can offer a right job for you. Prepare detailed notes by assessing the needs of the employer and then determine how you can fill those needs. Use the internet, read the News paper, make calls and inquiries to get this information. Fluency in English (written and oral), Keyboard typing, MS Office, Browsing and emailing are basic skills for all jobs with prominent employers. Cultivate some of the IT skills to enhance your flexibility for a wider variety of jobs.

3. RIGHT RESUME FOR RIGHT JOB

So you’ve started searching for jobs and have discovered an opening that matches your qualifications and career goals. Now you have to create a Right Resume for that job. Remember if the Job search is a Marketing Campaign, the Resume is like ‘Print Advertisement’. Often it is the first impression you will make on a prospective buyer i.e. the Employer. Ideal is you should have tailor made resume for each job instead of one common resume for all the Jobs. This is called “Job specific Resume”. A job specific resume can be prepared by studying
-The job Posting/Job Title/Key Skills etc., these key words can be incorporated in your Resume.
-Company’s website. To get info on Goals, Values, Mission Statement, Organizational Culture etc. This can help you to describe who are you, what are you, the way you can enhance their business with your merits. Take your own time, do your research, in writing a great job-specific resume.

4. RIGHT DRESS (RIGHT ATTIRE) FOR RIGHT JOB:

Dress neatly and appropriately for the job interview. Every job demands formal attire that fits well. Your attire should be professional. Ex. classy 2-piece, charcoal gray business suit, plain white dress shirt, and classic business tie.

5. RIGHT BODY LANGUAGE FOR RIGHT JOB
First impressions are usually made within the first 3 seconds of meeting someone. That's why the right attire and body language is so crucial for your job interview. If you start the interview on a good note, you are already half way through. Have a good handshake, make good eye contact, and smile when appropriate. Be confident but not arrogant!

6. RIGHT QUESTIONS FOR RIGHT JOB
Do not attend an interview with the prepared answers, instead have prepared questions. (Read the posting in this Blog:” for those crucial minutes of your interview for more info) Find out what your interviewer wants, how the interviewer views the position. Get her/him express as much as possible, while you take notes. Get your interviewer to reveal what a “good fit” means to him or her. Your objective is to find out whether this organization is a good fit for YOU or not.

7. RIGHT REFERENCES FOR RIGHT JOB

Selecting right references is another important task, these references should be fully informed about your accomplishments and your job needs in order to do the needful.

8. DO’s & DON’Ts FOR RIGHT JOB

A. Don’t compromise and don’t give up. Compromise puts you at an immediate disadvantage from the start and you don’t have to give anything up, including your self-confidence, in order to get right job.
B. Don’t be emotional, be neutral. Learn to clear your mind of assumptions, fears, and expectations so you can maintain a calm and open-mind at all times. When emotions enter... Failure follows.
C. Don’t be needy. You do not need this job. You need water, food, and air. Neediness is the number-one advantage killer.

CONTROL YOUR “PRE INTERVIEW ANXIETY"

Just the thought of an interview can increase your heart beat / can bring cold hands and nervous. When you enter the office and face the employer you may have yet another outbreak of stress—confused thinking and blank memory --all of which can result in losing the opportunity. Pre interview anxiety is like a wild fire, will spread quickly and consume you, if you don't block it before it reaches you. So what can you do to rid yourself of this ? How can you appear calm, cool, and collected, and at your best?

3 Simple Anxiety reducing tips .

1. Arrive at least 15-30 minutes ahead of your appointment. Spend five of those minutes for deep breathing with your eyes closed.

2. Check your appearance in the Rest room, smile into the mirror and say (silently or loudly- if you're alone) “I am Confident The employer sees me as the ideal candidate for this job”.

3. Enter the company's lobby or waiting room and take a moment to observe your surroundings, get familiarized to the atmosphere, sit quietly and review your notes.

Then move into the interview as a confident and balanced individual like “a professional well suited to fill the job opening”.

(What you do BEFORE the interview will have a powerful impact on how well you perform DURING the interview)

*****************“KEEP COOL TO BE SUCCESSFUL”************************

FOR THOSE CRUCIAL MINUTES OF YOUR INTERVIEW

Remember that first impression is the Best impression

For preparing an interview the ideal solution is ‘expect the questions and prepare for the same instead of going through lot of data, which not only creates confusion but also consumes lot of your precious time. Here are few commonly asked questions given below which will help you to prepare for your interview well

1. Tell me about yourself ?
2.Why are you looking to change the Job or Why are you here today?
3.What is your most important accomplishment in your Career? Or What are your major achievements?
4.What do you know about us?
5.Why should we hire you ?
6.Will you fit in ?
7.What makes you different from Other Candidates? Or What are your Positive aspects?
8.Will you get along with our time to time requirements?
9.What can you do for us?

Here are few tips to make your interview successful.

Know about the Company.
Understand their Products and Services.
Understand their major Competitors
Do your Home work on all the above.

“The interview begins the moment job seekers arrive, so applicants need to project enthusiasm and confidence from the start. The opening minutes of the conversation often set the tone for the rest of the discussion, making it wise to prepare especially well for the first few interview questions."

Prepare your answers with your Success Stories, should be “KISS”(keep it simple and sharp)

********ALL THE BEST**************

5 USUAL MISTAKES OF THE JOB SEARCH

It's easy to make a mistake in the high-stress situation of looking for a job. With little care however, the most common mistakes of the job search can be prevented. Here are the 5 usual mistakes that many job seekers make.

1.Not going directly to the employers
Target the companies or organizations you want to work for, study their websites, and contact them directly about your interest.

2.Falling into the "tell me about yourself" trap.

If the first question an interviewer asks is "Tell me about yourself," don't do it. What the interviewer is really asking is "Why are you here and what do you want?" That's the question you should answer.

3.Talking too much during an interview.

When you find yourself talking, talking, talking, take a deep breath. The more you talk, the less your interviewer is likely to listen. Give every answer a beginning, middle, and end, and then stop talking.

4.Discussing money too early in the interview process.

When asked for your salary expectations, say, "Well, it really depends on the specific scope and responsibilities of the position, Perhaps we could discuss this later on in the process when I have more information."

5.Improper information to your references

Give them specific examples of your accomplishments and strengths so that they are well prepared.

All the Best !!

TIME SENSE

No doubt Time is precious and it is common and equal commodity for all of us. Yet, a lot of it wasted and very few people have enough of it.

How to control your time:

1.GET UP BIT EARLIER
This is not an easy one in our culture that already lacks
enough sleep. Yet, that extra 15-30 minutes a day will
help you think more clearly, put your ideas on paper,
and generally plan your day better.

2.DON’T LET OTHERS WASTE YOUR TIME
You can be firm with people that your time is valuable.
A good strategy is to say that you're dealing only with
priority issues today If you say it in a friendly voice and respectfully,
most people will understand and not waste time on trivial issues.

3. THINK TWICE ABOUT MULTI TASKING .
Multitasking sounds good in theory but can be ineffective
in practice. When people juggle several tasks, some may
not be done well or even completed. Before you commit
yourself to multitasking, ask yourself if it is necessary.
You may find that finishing individual or related tasks before
starting new ones puts less pressure on your time.

4. SPEND LESS TIME ON UN IMPORTANT CALLS
If you keep a timer by your phone, you may be surprised how
much time is wasted on unimportant calls. Set limits, by
starting such conversations with "I can only speak for five
minutes, so let's cover the main issues and solutions".

5.DELEGATE AND OUT SOURCE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
You can't do everything yourself. Nor should you.
Delegating is one of the most effective ways to free up
your time for things you excel at. Don't be all things to
all people. Train others to be leaders and then set high
expectations. In your personal life, consider outsourcing
tasks that are not worth what you make per hour.

HAVE A NICE TIME