Art of presenting oneself

IIM - Ahmedabad

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Where do you need to present yourself
 Group discussion
 Interview

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Group discussion
 Sleep well previous night
 Visit wash room and freshen up before
entering the GD room
 Dress – Formal yet comfortable
 Posture – Knees together
 Sketch the layout of the GD table on pad as
soon as you enter and settle

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Group discussion
 Fill in the names of members as they
introduce, you can use this data to address
them by name (leadership quality)
 Start off with a quote
 If you are one of the first few to speak, you
get extra points for leadership skills
 Do not wait to be invited to join, take initiative
to participate
 Give reasons to support your stand

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Who gets the job?
 The person who gets the job may not be
necessarily the most qualified
 He or she may simply the one who knows
how to get a job

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Interviews
Resume
Going for interview
Attending interview
Follow up

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Resume
 Max one or two pages
 4 steps – Compiling info about yourself, choosing a
resume format, adding style, proofreading
 Name, Marital status, DOB, address, email, tel no.
 Objective statement
 Experience (Paid and volunteer)
 Education
 Hobbies, special skills, awards and honors,

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Basic information (Resume)
 Avoid nicknames
 Use your permanent residential address
 Use your permanent telephone number (If
you have an answering machine, record a
neutral greeting)---
 Choose an email address that sounds
professional

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Objective (Resume)
 An objective tells potential employers the sort
of work you are hoping to do.
 It should sound like what you can contribute
to the organization

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Education (Resume)
 Graduates without a lot of work experience
should list their educational information first
 Alumni can list it after the work experience---
 Your most recent educational information is
listed first

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Work experience (Resume)
 Briefly give the employer an overview of work that
has taught you skills, and your achievements
 Use action (active and not passive) words to describe
to describe your job duties
 Include your work experience in reverse
chronological order
 Title of the position, Name of the organization,
location of work, dates of employment,

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Key skills or competencies
 Leadership experience in volunteer
organizations
 Participation in sports

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References (Resume)
 Ask people if they are willing to serve as
references before you gave their names
 Do not include the references on your resume
unless asked for
 Never write “References will be furnished on
request” (It sounds insulting)

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Resume check up
 Get your resume reviewed by a career
counselor, or
 Run a spell check---
 Get a friend to do a grammar review and
proof read

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Design (Resume)
 Use white or off white paper
 Use 8.5 x 11 inch paper
 Use a font size of 10 to 14 points
 Use non decorative fonts
 Choose one font and stick to it
 Avoid italics, script and underlined words
 No hand written resumes
 Do not fold the resume, put in a large envelop if it is
to be couriered---
 Source - TOI 31/1/06 (Your ticket to your dream job
– the perfect CV)

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What the resume should not contain…
 Fancy words that may frustrate the employer
 The reasons why you left your last
employment
 Expected salary
 *****

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Cover letter
 Must
 Reference to ad
 Request for an interview
 Envelop- Application for…..
 Emailing the resume?*****

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Guidelines for interviewee
1. Prepare for the interview
2. Make an appropriate appearance
3. Show interest
4. Answer correctly and completely
5. Practice courtesy

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1 Prepare for the interview
 Anticipating questions you are likely to be
asked and forming answers to them
 Gathering additional information about the
employer
 Be prepared for the unexpected

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What interviewer seeks
 Ability to communicate – organizing thoughts
and speaking them out in logical sequence
 Self-confidence
 Willingness to accept responsibility
 Flexibility
 Ability to handle conflict
 Competitiveness

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What interviewer…..
 Goal achievement
 Level of initiative
 Possession of technical skills or ability to achieve
them
 Direction – 3 years
 Level of energy
 Interpersonal skills
 Leadership
 Knowledge of the company

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Interview preparation
Know yourself
2. Develop complete inventory of skills,
experience, and personal attributes
3. Past jobs, extra curricular involvements,
volunteer work, school projects
4. What could I have learned by doing this?
5. What skill did I develop?
6. What issue/circumstances have I learned to
deal with?

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Know yourself
1. Technical skills
2. Generic skills
 Analytical / problem solving
 Flexibility / versatility
 Interpersonal
 Oral / written communication
 Organizing / planning
 Time management
 Motivation
 Leadership
 Self starter / initiative
 Team player

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Know the occupation
Sources
 Job ad
 Request the employer (HRD)
 Career resource centre

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Know the organization
 Where is it located
 How big is it
 What are its products and whom does it serve
 How is the organization structured
 What is its history
 Have there been recent changes, new developments
 Sources – Internet, business publications, company
brochure kept at the reception
 Chairman’s statement of last AGM / Analysis of last 3
years of balance sheets

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While going for interview
 Never be late
 Review your resume and background
 Prepare a couple of questions to be asked to
the interviewer
 Dress neatly and conservatively

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Dress code at interview
 You must look smart
 Jacket, pant, tie, socks, shoes (No 3 piece suit)
 Wear a white or light colored shirt
 Avoid loud colors and flashy ties
 Hair recently cut and look neat
 Shave in the morning
 Have fresh breath, brush before leaving, don’t eat
before interview, don’t smoke right before interview

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……….
 Piercing rarely fit within company’s desired image
 For women a tailored classic suit, or a formal Sari
 Avoid very high heels (uncomfortable)
 Stay away from chunky jewelry and accessories,
they can be distracting
 Be modest with make up and perfumes
 Folder or briefcase (No plastic bag or sack)

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The interview
 Greet the interviewer
 Be frank and truthful in your answers and avoid being
negative
 Be enthusiastic about what you have done and what
you can do, think positive
 Project attentiveness
 Ask clarification if question is not understood
 Be careful not to criticize the former employers or the
professors, or anything for that matter

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……..
 Relate the past experience to the skills you
will need for the job in question
 Thank the interviewer at the close of the
interview

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Typical questions
 What are your future career plans?
 In what school activities have you
participated? Which did you enjoy most?
 In what type of position are you most
interested?
 What are the reasons for which you might like
to work for our company?
 What courses did you like the most? Least?

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……..
 What kind of boss do you prefer?
 What were the reasons of your choice in college major?
 What interests you about our products or services?
 What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
 Do you consider yourself a team player or do you enjoy working
alone?
 What would be the benefits to us of your joining our
organization?
 Before interview analyze the employer’s last three years
balance sheets and P/L statements. Comments on the ratios
and point out where improvement is needed. Say that you will
like to make difference in them.

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Questions asked by the employers
 Tell me about yourself
 What are your hobbies?
 Describe your ideal job
 Why should we hire you?
 What do you know about our products or
services?
 Where do you want to be in 5 years, 10
years?

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Experience
 What job related skills have you developed?
 Why did you quit your last job?
 Give an example where you provided a
solution to the employer.
 How do you think your former supervisor
would describe your work?
 Model answers…..

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Body language
Positive body language
 Responsive, Eager – Leaning forward, open
arms, nodding
 Listening – Head tilted, constant eye contact,
nodding and verbal acknowledgement
 Attentive - Smiling

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Negative body language
 Bored – Slumped posture, foot tapping,
doodling (scribble absent mindedly)
 Rejection – Arms folded, head down,
subconscious frowning
 Aggression – Leaning too far forward, finger
pointing, grinding teeth
 Lying – Touching face, hands over mouth,
eyes averted, shifting uncomfortably in your
seat

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After the interview….?
 Follow up *****

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