. 1. What do you consider the basic principles of success in a professional life?

Sehrish Irum: The first step on the staircase to success is ‘Definiteness of Purpose’.
Develop a definite plan for its achievement, a chief aim in life. It must be backed by an
active faith and persistent action towards its achievement. Develop the habit to learn from
defeat and keep the mind open for guidance. Self-discipline and time management are
also vital for a professionals to be successful.

Q. 2. Tell us briefly about your education and professional life?

Sehrish Irum: I have more than 5 years of Experience in HR. I am an enthusiastic,

highly motivated and versatile professional with strong communication, problem solving
skills, complimented by a positive “can-do” attitude.

Q. 3. What makes your company attractive and unique for the job seekers?

Sehrish Irum: Job seekers form views of organization through a variety of cues. Job
candidates no longer examine just practical considerations (e.g., work hours, benefits),
but also, whether the job can potentially complement their personal and social identities.
We have extensive training programs coupled with the job rotation system. We are
engaged in a range of product, service and project businesses across which are highly
dynamic in nature. Every new day has new dimensions and calls for versatility.

Q. 4. What do you look for in a candidate during a hiring interview session? Name
four key things?

Sehrish Irum: HR Manager has the responsibility to assess the individual abilities, his or
her aggressiveness and other specific work requirements. By observation and questions
we evaluate how the candidate works in the team environment, how the candidate leads
and how the person might fit in the co-workers. Hard skills as well as soft skills are also
important.

Q. 5. What are your thoughts on hiring fresh candidates in a company?

Sehrish Irum: By taking fresh graduates and inexperienced workers, the company will
have to invest time and resources into training the person. The advantage is that the
candidate, once trained, will have the company’s culture and way of doing business sewn
to his self. In other words, the person won’t be contaminated by other companies’
cultures and skills (which may be detrimental to performance on the job).
We can mold and train fresh graduates to the company’s liking. Fresh candidates bring
new and innovative ideas and they have the passion to get success in life.

Q.6. What is the scope of Human Resource Management in Pakistan? What are the
challenges faced by Human Resource Management in Pakistan?
Sehrish Irum: The scope of Human Resource Management in Pakistan is bright as it is
important in economic development and organizational effectiveness. Human Resource
Management is concerned with enhanced productivity fully utilizing the combined talent
and skills of the entire workforce of an organization.

I consider that HRM in Pakistan can be divided into three segments.

Personnel – This pertains to recruitment, training, man-power planning, posting,

performance appraisal, sustaining employee morale, transfers, promotion, disbursement
of wages, retirement benefits etc.

Welfare – This relates to providing proper work conditions, leave, medical facilities,
canteen, rest rooms, workmen safety, social security, transport, etc.

Industrial relations – This is a highly responsible and sensitive area and includes
interacting with the unions, addressing grievances, disciplinary proceedings, dispute
settlement, compliance with statutory requirements etc.

HRM in Pakistan must address some of the pertinent questions with regard to human
resources from a global perspective. Employees must be trained in multiculturalism and
the ability to interact with foreign associates.

HRM must accept responsibility for creating revised methods of management systems as
many of the fundamentals on which management policies were earlier based are now
proving to be out-dated. Foreign competition and international trade in Pakistan have
compelled HRM to train and reorient the employees to become more global-minded.

Q.7. how would you rate the success and importance of online recruitment firms
such as ROZEE.PK? How has ROZEE.PK helped your firm regarding recruitment
i.e. Have you tried any recruitment tools provided by ROZEE.PK e.g. Job Fairs/Job
Postings/CV Search?

Sehrish Irum: ROZEE.PK presence here is deep-rooted. It is touching the heart and life
of everyone in Pakistan. When we give an ad in the newspaper that we need some people
for our company. At this point we hardly get 5-10 calls whereas on
online recruitment agency websites like ROZEE.PK we can have as many people with
CVs as many we want. We will be able to see the full CV, biography and everything of
the job seeker. The tools provided by ROZEE.PK are really helpful in searching an
appropriate candidate from any country. It saves both time and money.

Q. 8. What is your strategy on work-life balance and how do you achieve this
balance yourself?

Sehrish Irum: Every role brings different obligations. Sometimes balancing work,
family and lifestyle commitments are difficult and sometimes the different demands can
be overwhelming and incompatible. Cultivate positive attitude, inculcate coping skills
and pursue creative hobbies and interests to maintain the right balance between the work
and life.

Q. 9. Do you believe that Pakistani universities are creating an effective talent pool
and what is your company’s strategy to attract the best talent in Pakistan?

Sehrish Irum: Academia need to develop a strong liaison with the current industrial
demands. There is a gap of communication, training, teaching methodologies and
guidance from universities towards the challenging business environment. Our company
strategy to attract the best talent is equal employment opportunity, nondiscriminatory
policies and above all work recognition and career development and growth.

Q. 10. A large number of trained educated professionals leave Pakistan every year
looking for better job opportunities abroad. In your opinion, what role can the
multinational companies play in attracting the talented youth to stay in Pakistan
and work for them?

Sehrish Irum: Multinational companies are enthusiastic for gaining competitive

advantage over their business rivals. No doubt they are managing the talent in vigilant
and effective ways.

Multinational companies are implementing integrated Talent management processes.

Talent management is of core to the vitality of the business to meet and exceed current as
well as future business strategies and goals. Framework of talent management proactively
anticipates and meets business talent demand which is necessary to successfully execute
the business strategy. It insights into the business strategy, then accordingly develops as
well as retains prior talent and attracting new talent to cope with the strategic needs in
order to get best utilization out of tools and processes to deliver talent management
solutions.

Q. 11. Name the most common mistakes in a job interview which prove fatal for a
candidate?

Sehrish Irum: Answering what is not asked, lack of confidence and not showing why
they are the best choice are most common issues.

Q. 12. What is the most important thing you need to have in order to succeed in a
competitive job climate?

Sehrish Irum: Variety of career skills and dealing with crisis at work are most important
in order to succeed in a competitive job climate.

Q. 13. Any good advice you want to give for the job seekers who want to enter and
prosper in the professional field?
Sehrish Irum: Be passionate about what you do, because if you do not do that, you will
never be able to bring out the best in yourself. And keep in mind that there is no place for
second best. During the entire job hunting process, the most significant and tricky stage is
the interview. Candidates feel anxious and nervous before and during the interview
process and cannot rest unless they have heard back from the company. For some this
phone call brings a sense of achievement with the news that they have been selected for
the job, but many receive no calls at all conveying that they have failed to land the job.
There might be many reasons why a candidate fails to get the job, most of which are
related to the interview process. Many candidates are under the impression that they did
well in the interview and are devastated when they are rejected. The fact is that most of
the candidates have no idea that during the interview session they might have committed
some grave mistakes which cost them the job. These mistakes are so common that most
of the candidates repeat them over and over again without realizing the damage they are
doing to their career. If you think you are one of those candidates, there is no need to
panic as we have identified some of the most common mistakes made by candidates
during an interview so that you can avoid them in the future.

Most Common Interview Mistakes:

A lot of people make some serious mistakes during the interview which end up turning a
job opportunity into a disaster. In order to avoid making these mistakes we first need to
identify these mistakes. Some of the most common mistakes by a candidate during an
interview are:

Being Late

A lot of candidates fail to appear for the interview on time and think that they can get
away with a lame excuse. Nothing throws the interviewer off like coming late to an
interview and then failing to apologize. If you are filing to arrive at the job interview on
time, it gives the interviewer an impression that you are not taking the job opportunity
seriously and hence is not someone they were looking for. So to make a good impression
during the interview you should be there on time. If you fail to do that apologize for the
delay and reassure the interviewer that this is not a habitual practice.

Dressing Inappropriately

Dressing right is the most important part of an interview. Assuming that a casual dress
might do for your interview is a big mistake. If you have any doubts you can do a little
research regarding the company culture and find out what kind of dressing is expected.
Nevertheless it is better to be overdressed rather than being underdressed. Also, try to
keep the accessories to a minimum so that you look professional.

Being Unprepared

Some candidates show up for an interview without even the slightest preparation and as a
result fail to answer any tough questions asked by the interviewer. Not researching about
the company you are applying to can also be fatal for the interview. Make sure that when
you are appearing for an interview you know what kind of work entails the job that you
have applied for and you have a general idea of the company’s background.

Talking Too Much Or Too Little

Talking too much or saying next to nothing is also a mistake we have seen during an
interview. You should answer a question completely and then let the interviewer proceed
to his next one. Blabbering uselessly and interrupting the interviewer creates a bad
impression. Similarly, answering the questions in monosyllables and nor elaborating on
anything also leaves the interviewer dissatisfied, thus minimizing your chances of getting
a job. It is also important to ask important and well thought questions related to the job.
Asking silly questions or not asking any questions at all is not the right approach also.

Badmouthing Your Employer

Nothing raises the red flags more than badmouthing your former employer in front of the
interviewer as it points towards a lack of professional maturity and failure to take
responsibility. Trying to justify your reasons for leaving the previous employer by
criticizing him is a bad idea and should be avoided at all costs. Even if your boss actually
was a horrible person, there is no need to share that with the interviewer. Keep your
reasons for leaving the last job and your views about your previous boss professional.

Lying

You should never lie during an interview or provide false information on your resume. If
you are qualified and skilled enough for the position you have applied for, you will get
the job. If however you feel like you are not qualified for the job then you should not
apply in the first place, no matter how desperately you want the job. Lying in the
interview certainly diminishes your chances of getting the job. Be open about your
weaknesses and strong points. When you state you weaknesses make sure that you also
point out what steps you have taken to address the particular weakness and how far have
you succeeded in the effort.

Lacking Enthusiasm

Appearing disinterested and bored during the interview is one of the most fatal mistakes
that can ruin your chances of getting selected for the job. Show the employer that you
care about the job and are excited at the prospect of joining the company. If the
interviewer senses that you are not interested in the job, he will not call you for a second
interview.

Asking About Benefits Too Soon

Bringing in the salary questions too soon and repeatedly raises the red flags as the
interviewer senses that you are not very interested in the job as much as the benefits and
the money involved in it. You should wait for the interviewer to bring up the salary
negotiations as he will definitely ask you about the expected salary range before the
interview session comes to an end.

Concluding Thoughts

The entire job hunting process from writing your resume to showing up at the interview
and the follow up after that requires a lot of effort and skill. In order to get the job you
have to make sure that during all these steps you have put up your best performance.
Make sure that you do not make any of the mistakes mentioned above and you will most
definitely succeed in the interview process.

reating the perfect CV is the first step towards getting a good job. Your CV is the first
thing that reaches the employer and it is vital in making the right impression on the
prospective employer. Many people do not understand the importance of the CV and end
up making casual mistakes on the resume which makes a poor impression on the
employer and often he throws the CV into the waste basket rather than taking a second
look.

There are many common mistakes which make a resume bad and ruin the first impression
of the candidate. Some of these common mistakes are:

Lack of Focus:

Having a focus is very important element in any kind of resume. It is a commonly known
fact that the employer scans an average resume for not more than 20 seconds, so it is
important that a resume shows the main objective and the goal of the candidate at first
glance. You need to highlight what you want from your professional career and what
things are you good at. Most of the employers are looking for a match between the
applicant’s capabilities and the specific job’s requirements for which they are going to
hire the person. A vague resume that lacks all kinds of focus regarding the job
requirements is not competitive and often fails to catch the employer’s eye.

A Duty Driven Resume:

When you create a resume that focuses on your duties and responsibilities at the last few
jobs, you are not making a good impression on the employer. A good resumes or CV
should consist of the accomplishments that you made at certain position in a company
and it should sell the qualifications of the jobseeker putting him in the spotlight as the
best candidate for a specific position. You should be careful not to use any phrases such
as “duties included,” since this kind of language is used to give the job description rather
than listing the accomplishments in the resume.

Neglecting To Mention Important Skills:

It is very important to make sure that you mention the important skills on a prominent
place in the resume. The definition of important skills is also relevant to every job
position and you need to know which skills are important for the current job opening. For
instance, computer skills are very important in today’s world and age and hence no
matter which job you are applying for, it is important that you mention all the skills that
you have acquired. Similarly you should also mention the language and international
personal skills that you possess as they are important in the type of job you are seeking.
Make sure that you list these important skills in your Profile section, rather than adding a
separate portion at the end of your CV.

Too Much Text:

It is very important that you use bulleted styles to create your resume as it will be easy to
read and can catch the attention of the reader within a few seconds. However you have to
remember to use the bullets very consistently in order to make sure that the overall
format of the CV remains the same. You should use the same bullet style in the entire
resume and make sure that you use it as often as you can to make your resume clear and
concise.

Lack of Keywords:

The online job search process nowadays revolves around the keywords and the placement
and usage of the keywords plays an important role in getting your resume all the way.
More and more employers rely on keywords to find the best suited job candidates as they
want to interview the person who is best suited for the job. When you write your resume,
make sure that you include all the relevant keywords that the employer can use to search
for a candidates. There are many examples on the internet on how to find the best suited
keywords for your profession.

Listing Your References on the Resume:

Make sure that all the references are never listed directly on your resume. You should
make the list on a separate sheet, and submit the references only when specifically asked
to do so by the employer.

Using Untraditional Fonts:

Make sure that you stick to the normal and traditional fonts especially when you are
applying online since the fonts can get mixed up and give errors when the employer
opens your resume on his computer. If you use a different font and it gives an error on the
employer’s computer, the CV will be immediately rejected as the employer is not going
to spend time in trying to figure out what is wrong with the CV.

Lying on the CV:

Lying on the CV is obviously not a good idea, but still many people continue to lie on
their resumes all the time. Admittedly, only a few companies do their homework and
verify the candidates’ claims on their CVs, which is perhaps why most of the people keep
trying to lie on the resume. However it is not a good idea to provide false information on
the CV as you never know when the employer might check your credentials. If it is found
out that you have been lying on your CV, you lose all your chances of getting a job at the
company and you also earn a bad name. So avoid doing this at all costs.

A Never Ending CV:

Some people believe that the more they write the CV, the better impression they will
make on the employer. However, this entirely wrong as the employers need to see what
your qualifications and skills are, which can be easily mentioned within the span of a
single page. If it is impossible to contain your CV on a single page, you can go use
another one, but at no cost make your CV longer than 2 pages.

Q. 1. What do you consider the basic principles of success in a professional life?

Mr. Faisal Ali: The three principles of success in the professional life are:

• Dedication
• Commitment
• Belief in yourself.

Q. 2. Tell us briefly about your education and professional life?

Mr. Faisal Ali: I have done graduation from Punjab College and then got a masters
degree and PGD-HRM degree from the Punjab University. I started my professional
career from World Online and there onwards, I have worked with some of the leading
industries such as Pepsi, LINKdotNET, Wartsila Pakistan and I am currently working in
Kansai Paint Pakistan having more than 7 years of experience in HR. My area of
expertise are within HR i-e- Recruitment & Organization Development / Employee
Relationship.

Q. 3. What makes your company attractive and unique for the job seekers?

Mr. Faisal Ali: Our culture, career development and international career exposure
attracts the job seekers.

Q. 4. What do you look for in a candidate during a hiring interview session? Name
four key things?

Mr. Faisal Ali: The four main things that we look for in a candidate during the hiring
interview session are:

1. Attitude
 2. Commitment
3. Urge to learn
4. Ability to work under pressure

Q. 5. What are your thoughts on hiring fresh candidates in a company?

Mr. Faisal Ali: We do hire fresh graduates and train them to work with us in the long
run.

Q.6. What is the scope of Human Resource Management in Pakistan? What are the
challenges faced by Human Resource Management in Pakistan?

Mr. Faisal Ali: HR is the demand of the era and it’s important for every good
organization to have an HR department so that they can align the company vision and
mission accomplishment with the human capital in an effective manner. There are a lot of
challenges for the HR to achieve the optimum level within the organization, because
unfortunately in Pakistan, there are a lot of companies in which HR is just playing the
operational role as per the requirements of the management. HR should be open-ended
and for the success of the HR, it must become the most important section of every
organization.

Q.7. How would you rate the success and importance of online recruitment firms
such as ROZEE.PK? How has ROZEE.PK helped your firm regarding recruitment
i.e. Have you tried any recruitment tools provided by ROZEE.PK e.g. Job Fairs/Job
Postings/CV Search?

Mr. Faisal Ali: ROZEE.PK is a very good platform which gives new direction to
recruitment; it is very effective for the both the organization and job seekers as well. It’s
one basket and anybody can take the option of his/her own choice.

Q. 8. What is your strategy on work-life balance and how do you achieve this
balance yourself?

Mr. Faisal Ali: Work-life-balance is very important in professional life and I will say it’s
all about time management that how you utilize your time in an effective way which
always helps to manage your work-life-balance.

Q. 9. Do you believe that Pakistani universities are creating an effective talent pool
and what is your company’s strategy to attract the best talent in Pakistan?

Mr. Faisal Ali: There is a lot of competition in the market and there is also a factor of
effective talent pool of the universities and one should have an extra ordinary skills set to
show himself a different from others. We usually hired fresh graduates as MTO’s and
plan some activities to participates in Job Fair, in house campus recruitment etc.
Q. 10. A large number of trained educated professionals leave Pakistan every year
looking for better job opportunities abroad. In your opinion, what role can the
multinational companies play in attracting the talented youth to stay in Pakistan
and work for them?

Mr. Faisal Ali: They should be fitted in as per their capability level so that they can have
some attraction to stay within the same organization and country.

Q. 11. Name the most common mistakes in a job interview which prove fatal for a
candidate?

Mr. Faisal Ali: The attitude of candidate plays a vital role in his selection or rejection for
a particular job.

Q. 12. Any good advice you want to give for the job seekers who want to enter and
prosper in the professional field?

Mr. Faisal Ali: There are few things which always give success to anybody; these are
believe in yourself, have faith and with dedication and commitment success always
knocks at your door.