Changing careers is never easy. Half the world thinks you've lost your mind, headhunters say you'll never work again and your mother-in-law steps up the old, "I told you so" routine. But for many burned-out, bored or multitalented folks who are sitting on skills they're not getting a chance to use, changing fields is the only way to keep from losing their marbles. Regardless of your career change strategy, never make these 10 mistakes 1. Don't look for a job in another field without some intense introspection. Nothing is worse than leaping before you look. Make sure you're not escaping to a field that fits you just as poorly as your last. Check out these self-assessment articles. Get thorough information about the fields you're considering by networking, reading and doing online research. Having informational interviews with alumni from your college, colleagues, friends or family is a fun way to get the scoop on different fields. 2. Don't look for "hot" fields unless they're a good fit for you. You wouldn't try to squeeze into your skinny cousin's suit, so why try a field because it works for him? People who are trying to help you will come along and do the equivalent of whispering "plastics" in your ear. Instead of jumping at their suggestions, take time to consider your options. Decide what you really want to do. When you enter a field just because it's hot, burnout isn't far behind. 3. Don't go into a field because your friend is doing well in it. Get thorough information about the fields you're considering by networking, reading and doing online research. Having informational interviews with alumni from your college, colleagues, friends or family is a fun way to get the scoop on different fields. 4. Don't stick to possibilities you already know about. Stretch your perception of what might work for you. Read some job profiles and explore career fields you learn about from self-assessment exercises. 5. Don't let money be the deciding factor. There's not enough money in the world to make you happy if your job doesn't suit you. Workplace dissatisfaction and stress is the number-one health problem for working adults. This is particularly true for career changers, who often earn less until they get their sea legs in a different field. 6. Don't keep your dissatisfaction to yourself or try to make the switch alone. This is the time to talk to people (probably not your boss just yet). Friends, family and colleagues need to know what's going on so they can help you tap into those 90-plus percent of jobs that aren't advertised until somebody has them all sewn up. 7. Don't go back to school to get retreaded unless you've done some test drives in the new field. You're never too old for an internship, a volunteer experience or trying your hand at a contract assignment in a new field. There are lots of ways to get experience that won't cost you anything except your time. A new degree may or may not make the world sit up and take notice. Be very sure where you want to go before you put yourself through the pain and debt of another degree program. 8. Be careful when using placement agencies or search firms. Do some research to be sure to find a good match. Ask those who work in the field you're trying to get into or other successful career changers for suggestions. Try to find a firm that knows how to be creative when placing career changers -- not one that solely focuses on moving people up the ladder in the same field. 9. Don't go to a career counsellor or a career transitions agency expecting they can tell you which field to enter. Career advisors are facilitators, and they'll follow your lead. They can help ferret out your long-buried dreams and talents, but you'll have to do the research and the decision making by yourself. Anyone who promises to tell you what to do is dangerous. 10. Don't expect to switch overnight. A thorough career change usually will take a minimum of six months to pull off, and the time frequently stretches to a year or more. Changing fields is one of the most invigorating things you can do. It's like experiencing youth all over again, except with the wisdom of whatever age you are now. Courtesy:MonsterIndia |
Saturday, May 14
The 10 Worst Mistakes Career Changers Make
Monday, January 4
HelpDesk Executives Required
Outbound TeleSales Executives Required
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BPO Jobs in Hyderabad, India.
Monday, July 27
Top Interview Questions And How To Answer Them
A lot of questions will overlap in the answers so try not to repeat yourself too much. They already have your resume so they know a lot of the answers already. Interviews often are just to try an understand your personality. They also want to check what you said on your resume is true and you know what you are talking about.
What can you tell us about yourself?
The standard ice breaking question but don't spoil it by talking about things they really don't want to hear. No one wants to know which football team you support or what your hobbies are. This question is just about business.
What they want to hear is about your current job and responsibilities. What your job title is and how long you have been doing it. You don't need to go into detail but keep to a broad overview of what you are currently employed to do.
You can wrap up with a little personal information if you wish.
Why do you want to work for the new company?
Try to prepare answers that are positive towards the new company and why you would be excited to work for them. They want to hear reasons why the company's business is interests you and not why you would benefit from the company. It's close to your home, the pay is good and they have a free canteen, are not good answers to tell them.
Why do you wish to leave your current job?
Never start to criticize your current or former employer even though you'd like to and they deserve it. Make sure you give the impression that you are looking for more exciting work, greater responsibilities and advancing your career. Any moaning about your current boss, even though he's an idiot, will not help your chances.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Since you are reading this one of your strengths is obviously dedication and planning. Think of a few positive traits you have and list them. Everyone has weaknesses and the trick is to not mention those. Better to pick one of your strengths and claim it as a weakness. For example, your dedication and willingness to help others in the team means you have to work extra hours to get your own work done on time.
Be sure not to lay on the self sacrifice too much or you will just sound insincere.
These are some of the top interview questions and having well prepared answers will make you seem more confident and employable.
Wednesday, July 22
Know your skills and abilities
Going out into the job market can be a frightening prospect, especially if you are trying to branch out in a different direction than the type of work you are used to doing. It can seem as though employers are only interested in those individuals who have experience with certain techniques or who have performed similar types of work previously; with a bit of research, however, you will quickly find that there are a number of opportunities available to you so long as you are able to present the skills necessary to do the job.
Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short when trying to list or describe the skills that they possess. If you can't be confident in your skill set and understand the skills that are transferable into new markets, then you'll have a much harder time convincing a potential employer that you're the right person for the job they're offering. This is where being able to identify your own skills and interests can help you to bridge the gap and show that you are more than qualified for the positions that you seek.
Identifying Your Developed Skills
The first thing that you need to do is start thinking about the different jobs that you've had in the past and the various skills that you've developed over the years. Even fairly menial jobs can pass on a variety of skills, including those skills which are highly sought after in the corporate world such as time and project management and even customer relations. The skills that you have were developed with time and hard work, so don't be quick to discount them. List the various skills that you've developed through work and other activities, making notes of any areas that you are particularly strong in. Managing a household or home business requires skills. If this is you, identify what skills you possess.
Finding Your Natural Talents and Abilities
Some things just come easier to certain people, and being able to identify your natural talents can help you to get ahead when trying to get the job of your dreams. Examine exactly what talents and natural abilities you have, and how long you've known that they just come easily to you; many employers are interested in having people with talent and who can do the work that they offer them without struggling to get it completed. Don't worry that it will sound like you're bragging to mention these talents and abilities… that's what interviews and applications are for, to enable employers to evaluate potential employees and determine which ones will be the best for the job. Having natural talent in certain areas and showing documented proof will help to qualify you as being one of the best.
Following Your Interests
When you begin looking for a job, make sure that you try and find potential employers who fall within some of your areas of interest even if you've never had employment in that area before. Often times employers will ask job candidates during an interview exactly why it is that they want to work for the company they've applied at; being able to say that you're genuinely interested in the work that they do and having enough knowledge about the field to back that statement up will help to show them that you'll likely be a diligent worker and that you won't become bored with the work and go off seeking another job. If you have developed skills or possess natural talents which support that area of interest, that's even more of a mark in your favor since you will not only be interested in the work but will also have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to do it. These are qualities that employers are always looking for, and they can help you to land the job even when you thought that you wouldn't be qualified enough.
Monday, July 20
Job Stress, Beat It!
There are many critical aspects associated with job satisfaction. That you enjoy doing it is the most important of them all. Sometimes, people are in jobs that they enjoy doing and yet they feel stressed out. The reasons could be plenty such as over-work, office politics, not getting enough recognition or rewards, or any other personal reason. This can lead to job stress that not just affects your performance but also your health. You no longer feel satisfied by your work, you feel de-motivated and you even start questioning if you are in the right job at all. These are all symptoms of job stress and as soon as you identify the problem, you must look at ways to rectify it. If it lingers on for long, it can do some irreparable damage to your career.
Stress cannot be completely done away with. It is part and parcel of the workplace culture. Stress can be both negative and positive. Positive stress is when you are working against time to meet a particular deadline and when you achieve it, you receive due recognition and acknowledgement. Negative stress could be when you put in your extra to accomplish a task and yet nobody acknowledges your effort. This can lead to mental stress. Now, you can’t do much about the external factors causing stress to you but you can alter your perspective and attitude to manages stress in a manner that it is least damaging to you.
If your job bogs you down or you are going through a particularly bad phase at workplace, think about the good times. Remember the times when your professional achievement was applauded and appreciated. Try to remember the reasons that led to that success. How did you approach your work then and what did you different? Thinking about good times will give you a ray of hope and you will realize that all is not lost. Also, you will regain confidence in your own capabilities. If you achieved it then, you can surely achieve it now too.
Keep negative thoughts at an arm’s length. Always remember that negativity begets negativity. If you think that you are not capable of doing something or reaching somewhere, you probably will never achieve that. Instead, think positive and remain positive. Even if a particular assignment at work did not go the way you wanted it to, it does not mean that you are bad at your job. Use positive language; remain in company of positive people. A stressed out person is quite vulnerable and there are elements at the workplace that are ready to take advantage of that. So, stay away from colleagues who do loose talk, are negative or involve in back-biting. They will only add to your stress levels. If there are high targets to achieve, break them down in smaller, more achievable targets in a time-bound manner. This way, you will be able to achieve more in a less stressed manner.
Also, take out time for yourself. While working in a job, it is quite likely that you will lose focus of your individuality or your personal life. Take short breaks after a few days. Even in a day’s time, take small breaks at least twice to relax your mind. Go out for lunch or coffee or just take time out. Don’t just keep sitting on your desk in front of your computer. When you are taking your little break, don’t even entertain a phone call. Just relax your mind and return to work feeling refreshed and more productive.
Monotony is a primary reason of stress. If you keep doing the same work day in and day out, your job will definitely get monotonous and lead to stress. Try to avoid this situation. Identify new work for yourself and ask your boss if you can do it or pro-actively ask your reporting manager to give you new work. If you are able to break the monotony of work, fatigue will not set in so soon. You can even look at learning something new and upgrading your skills. Also, it will make you eligible for new responsibilities at the workplace. Following these simple tips, you can beat the job stress and be more satisfied with your regular job.
Saturday, July 18
Planning A Career Change?
Sometimes a career change is an unavoidable phase in life. In some cases, people may shift to a new career by their own choice. But sometimes, when this change has been initiated by a change of business in a company, the experience can be traumatic for the employee. In such cases, it is best to look at the positive side of things. A change in career is a great opportunity to venture into a new field and discover new opportunities for advancement.
Finding A Career Guide
When you are planning a career change, depending on a good career guide can make all the difference between getting a job you are okay with and getting a job you love. A reliable career guide is one that will provide you comprehensive information on all kinds of careers available to you and what jobs would suit you so that you will be able to make a wise decision when it is time to make a choice.
There are lots of good sources - both offline and online - that offer reliable information on changing careers. While certain career guidance reports may be personalized, others may contain general information related to changing careers.
The internet is a great storehouse of career guides and career interest tests. These online tests assess the answers you provide and then determine the most suitable career change option for you. It would be a good idea to take a career interest test to understand what job would fit your talents, skills, personality and education.
After taking the career interest test and understanding the best career options, it is time to get in-depth information about your chosen career field. Try to determine what courses or training sessions you need to attend to excel in the chosen field.
Preparing For A New Career
Here are some things to remember while preparing for a career change:
- Most people harbor talents and interests that are quite different from their chosen career path. While planning a new career, make sure that it provides ample room for developing your innate talents.
- A good financial system is an essential aspect of planning a change in career. Often, a poor financial situation can hinder your decision to switch to a new career. If you are mindful of your spending habits, if you have adequate savings and if you are not too anxious about how badly your finances will be affected by a career change, you will be more confident about making that change.
- Once you have chosen a career, keep updating your skills and adding new skills so that you remain a cut above the competition. When you get an opportunity to specialize in that career, go for it.
Try adopting these tips to help you be better prepared to face a future with a new career. Use career guides and career interest tests not only to aid you in finding the best career change option, but also to help you emerge successful in your new job.
Wednesday, July 15
Effective Job Search
Tuesday, July 14
Preparing For Various Interview Types
If you've been on multiple job interviews then you know that you might encounter a different environment depending on the company you interview with. This is pretty common because every company has its own culture. And more importantly, each company - and even department - instills its own interviewing strategy.
Sometimes you know what type of interview you're going to walk into and sometimes you don't. So to be prepared for anything, let's take a brief look at varying interview types.
The Screening Interview
Structured Interview
Stress Interview
This type of interview style is rarer than others because it is a bit unorthodox. During this interview, the interviewer will try to intentionally upset you to see how you might react under pressure. You might be asked questions designed to make you feel uncomfortable. Or the interviewer may interrupt you while you're speaking.
Group Interview
The group interview is pretty much just what you think it is. It is a number of representatives from the company opting to interview you at the same time. Often times, each member of the group is designated a style of questions to ask (ex. stress). However, other times, the interviewers may be allowed to start a sort of "free for all" as long as they don't step on the toes of other interviewers.
Multiple Interviews
If you have been moving up the corporate ladder, over the past few years then you may have noticed that you first started with structured interviews only. However, as you're moving higher up the chain, you may be participating in multiple interviews.Multiple interviews are usually a combination of several types of interviews you're already familiar with. For instance, you may first undergo a screening interview so they can determine whether you're qualified to move on to the next step. Then you may attend a group interview where multiple representatives will have an opportunity to determine your qualifications. Finally, you might go to an informal interview - possibly at a lunch - where you meet with one or more interviewers to talk casually about the job.
There are other interview types out there to consider, including targeted and situational. By knowing what's out there, you can more easily prepare for any interviewing scenario you find yourself in.
Thursday, November 13
Satyam Counts 200 down
The world economy at this moment seems to be very unstable and such an economic slow down is directing the companies to look after various measures of retrenchment. Is decreasing the head count the first option left to companies? Satyam, however says that this move is not a cost cutting measure and says that this is very normal during the period July - September every year followed by appraisals, where the bottom performers are absorbed into such action plans. Sources inside Satyam also say that once an employee has been identified as a bottom performer, management would try and look for alternatives like allowing time to improve & prove their mettle, relocating the employee to a diff project etc, by discussing with the employees. One of the employee who was recently shown the door says that he was shocked to note that he was being removed on the grounds of his performance whereas he was one of the best performers of few great projects that Satyam handled.
Reacting to the situation, management of Satyam tells us that they are continuously hiring and asks if they had such a requirement then why would they let the experienced professionals go? Is the continuous hiring drive a strategy to be in competition worldwide and cutting down the headcount a strategy to make the share prices float? We will have to wait and see what is the fact and how many more will be counted down.
Those who have been removed now have no other option but to move on & start their job search, all that we can say is be careful in choosing the offer and please do not compromise on the standards of the company and your long term goal for higher pay packages. All the best for your job search!
Monday, September 29
Resume your job search with a good 'resume'
Resume would be your first message to the recruiter about your interest in that particular job, so you should be serious about the way you present it, if you are really serious about the job. There are many formats of resumes seen in the job market, and recruiters come across all kinds of resumes, so what is that you can add in your resume which can make them feel that your resume is the best or at least different than that of others'. So, you should be very careful in preparing your resume if you know that many people are applying for the same job. I suggest, to prepare a resume that is simple yet informative. If your area of interest is a creative one such as film making, writing, web-designing, fashion designing, advertising, then you might wish to have your creative talent evolve out of your resume. Many of us, still do not understand the importance of dedicating time to prepare our own resumes, hence most of us try to edit our friends' resume with our information, which does not serve the complete purpose.
In the past, resumes were never longer than two pages, however the present day situation doesn't have any objections with longer resumes as long as it provides a concise, adequate, and accurate description of an applicant's employment history and skills. These days most of us use the search engines of the job portals to help us find the right job for us and hence it is OK to have a little longer resume to differentiate and distinguish our profile from many others who apply for similar jobs, but should never be too long. With the help of these job portals and other advanced search options, job seekers can easily make their resume visible to the employers. At the same time employers also get a huge pile of resumes for the same job, hence it is worth noting that we should ensure that our resumes are tailored for the specific job that we are applying for.
Finally, a resume should be accurate and up to date, so do not forget to update your resume on a timely manner whenever required. Ensure that you take some time to go through the resume in order to check the spelling & the grammar to avoid simple mistakes( also typing errors). Your resume reflects your interest in the job that you have applied for and hence you should first be interested in writing your own resume. So, what are you waiting for, take some time off and resume your job search with a wonderful 'resume'.
Friday, September 26
AT&T calls it a day & hence Satyam BPO
AT&T is an internet service provider in USA, most of whose customers have been greeted by the employees of Satyam BPO as "Thank you for calling AT&T..." which would no longer be the case. Satyam BPO managed to bag the project of providing the technical support for the ISP ( Internet Service Provider) known as Bellsouth, which was later acquired by AT&T. Among the employees who work for Satyam BPO, the ones who work for AT&T used to carry a charismatic pride, which is now set to fade.
Satyam BPO runs another similar project as that of AT&T, which is indeed a competitor of AT&T, which also is a ISP and spread across USA, Verizon. Satyam BPO has evolved with the plans of expanding Verizon as soon as it understood about the forthcoming loss of AT&T from its kitty. All the employees who were a part of the AT&T would eventually be moved to Verizon. Assuring the job security for the employees, Satyam BPO plans to move forward where as this act doesn't seem to ensure the job satisfaction of few employees. No matter what, there has a been a transition plan developed and as per the sources major chunk of AT&T has been moved to Verizon already and the remaining would be trained soon to greet the customers of Verizon as "Thank you for calling Verizon...".
Most of the employees who are associated with AT&T are confused about their next move. Experts say that the market of BPO segment is a little low at the moment, however employees of Satyam BPO claim to have plenty of offers in hand which might help them regain the smile which is being taken away by AT&T. Employees are now thinking whether to say, 'Hi' to Verizon or 'Good Bye' to Satyam BPO.
Next is What???
Wednesday, September 17
Do you care for a clean back(ground)???
Organizations that pay due diligence to the hiring process are not only considering the education & experience verification but also the personal background verification. Many feel that these background checks cannot predict the efficiency of a particular candidate, but these reports are very useful in identifying negative traits, both large and small. Human resource professionals find the verification process to be very useful in retaining quality employees who would definetely add up to the reputation of the company. Few other companies use this background verifiation policy just to have their clients assured that the project is going into the right hands. There are few companies in the BPO industry who perform background checks only if it is mandated by the client whose business is being taken up. This is due to the cost involved in the process of getting the background verification checks done for all the employees. Many HR managers feel that irrespective of the cost factor and the client mandates, it is good to have a background verification policy in order to have the best work culture.
I have come across many cases in which an employee looses his/her job after being with the company for quite sometime because their background verification check gets a red code. Organizations feel it to be better late than never however the employee will get affected in many ways. It is true that the employees should furnish appropriate data(should always be authentic) while entering into an organization however it would be better if the organization gets the background of a candidate soon after he is successful in the interview instead of having a background verification check after certain time of the employment of the candidate which will ensure that everything is smooth since the beginning.
Employee background verification checks vary in degree of use depending on the job requirement and the organization. Background checks are not difficult to perform and widely used by organizations to make hiring decisions. It may prove to be a complicated process in some cases as there are so many different aspects to be considered.It is also mandated that employers take the consent of applicants prior to conducting background checks. Many organizations have understood the importance of these background verification checks.All employers now have a need for employment screening to ensure they are hiring and training the best candidate. A job seeker would drill down to get the background of a company verified through his own sources before applying for a position into the company, hence the reverse trend started as prospective candidates are now being screened before offering them the job. Time to have a clean back(ground) Huh!
Finding a job is also a job, Bob!!!
To start your job search you must first analyze yourself on what you want to be, and start preparing. Why should you prepare? You should prepare because employers are very selective and among the numerous applications they receive they will have to choose the most deserving candidate who can add to their company's productivity. The competition these days forces you to prepare so that you will gain that edge among other applicants to emerge as a winner, hence you have to prepare before applying to a job or rather before starting your job search.
How will you come to know which company is hiring, especially companies which fall under your interest? Not to worry about this, the speed with which news travels these days is unbelievable, you can look for jobs in almost every media, TV, radio, newspapers & internet, other than your college placement cell, consultants & job fairs. You can also find whether the company that you are looking to get into has an opening or not by networking, just get in touch with a person who is working with that company to find if there is any opening in the company.
Once you find an opening, the next important thing is to prepare or modify your resume according to the position that you are applying for. These days you may find many sample resumes through sources like books, magazines and internet. You may try to implement the rules described to prepare your resume, but remember you have to be true with what you present. Do not copy a resume or try to add things in your resume which might not suit your 'real' personality. Resume creates the very first impression when you apply for a particular job as it stands to be the only source of information for the employer to short list the applicants.So, be careful while you forward your resume.
The next step is to prepare for an interview, and for this you have to prepare well as we discussed before that companies are very selective. In order to grab the job, you will have to convince the interviewer that you are the best fit for the job. Be confident and maintain an eye contact with the interviewer while talking, do not let the smile move out of your face even if you do not have answers to the questions being asked. Companies which fall under the category which anticipates a high attrition rate look for individuals who can promise a stable contribution. So, if you are applying to these jobs, you will have to make the interviewer understand that you are here to stay - you can add a personal reason to support it. You must display maturity, right attitude, and a presentable appearance while you are being interviewed. Remember that you are offering your services to the company, so you should be in a presentable manner.
If you comply with what the company needs and if you convince them that you will definitely add to the company's productivity, the job is yours, and you will soon be a part of your dream company. Stay positive all the time and if you do not get hired, try to work on the areas which you think are the key for the loss. There lies another opportunity for all those individuals who are optimistic. All the very best to you.