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Resume & Covering Letter Preparation

A Resume is a well formatted 1-2 page document summarizing your experiences and skills relevant to the job you are applying for. A Covering Letter summarizes your skills and work experience, and specifies why they are a good fit for the role and the organization you are applying to.

Tips for Resume Writing

  • List academic experience and professional experience in reverse chronological order (starting with the most recent one). Mention name of institute / job, year of graduation etc.
  • Always start with an action verb – “Designed”, “Conceptualized” etc. and maintain consistency in the usage i.e. always use verbs. Visit http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html
  • Use bullet points to elaborate on a specific section
  • Specify numbers for your accomplishments and results. Mentioning the “strength of team led”, “budget handled” etc provides a metric to the employer to grade you.
  • ​Resume should simple as well as with proper formatting. This makes it easier to read and it will definitely catch the employer’s attention, who, will go through it in 20-30 seconds.

    • What not to do on a Resume

  • Don’t misrepresent information about your education, work experience and abilities.
  • Don’t use various fonts and colours. There should be consistency and simplicity in the resume.
  • Don’t make any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Always proof read both hard and soft copy of your resume.
  • Don’t share a lot of personal information like marital status, religion, etc.
  • ​Don’t use the same resume content and format for each job profile you apply. Customize your resume as per the job profile you are applying for.

    • Tips for a Covering Letter

  • Personalize your cover letter: Do not write “Whomsoever it may concern”. Do some research to find the right contact person and address the letter to him / her
  • Mention the specific position you have applied for.
  • Do not repeat everything you have already mentioned in the resume. Elaborate on your skills and how you would use them to add value to the company.
  • Do some research on the company and clearly explain how the company is the right fit for you and similarly how you are the right fit for the company.
  • End the cover letter by explaining how your work in the company is aligned with your long term goals.

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    Interview Preparation

    Research the Job

  • Talk to some of its employees – look at employee profiles at professional networking site LinkedIn to get a sense of the people working in the organization.
  • Read the job description thoroughly. Understand the skills needed for the position.
  • Understand the day-to-day work that you will have to do in the company and be very clear on the kind of role you are applying for.
  • ​Research the background of the executives who will be conducting your interview

    • Research the Organization

  • Read the company’s annual report.
  • Read any news item that has appeared in newspapers and magazines.
  • Understand what business the company is in.
  • Size of organization, number of employees.
  • How long have they been operating?
  • Do they have any affiliated organizations or belong to an umbrella group?
  • General information about their services/products/ aims, etc.
  • Major competitors or other organizations operating in the same field
  • ​How do you see the organization developing over the next year/three years?

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    Behavioral Interview Questions

    The interviewer asks these questions to understand how you think and behave in specific scenarios. This helps the interviewer understand your thinking process and what the results were of the activity in which you were involved.

    http://jobsearch.about.com/od/behavorialinterviews/a/behavioral-interview-questions.htm

    http://www.jobinterviewtools.com/blog/job-interview/behavioral-interviewing/ 

    Tips on Looking Presentable

  • Look presentable and well groomed for the interview (hair combed, nails cut, clean shaven, deodorize, fresh breath, polished shoes). This shows that you take the interview and the interviewer seriously.
  • Formal clothes for men – Suit, Tie, Shirt and Trousers.
  • Formal clothes for women – Shirt, Trousers or traditional Indian clothes work as well.
  • Avoid dressing in gaudy clothes or shoes which attract unnecessary attention.

    • Other Tips

  • Visit to the venue for the interview
  • Reach the interview venue well before scheduled time (makes you feel comfortable & relaxed).
  • Get all your documents in place:

    •    • 3-4 copies of resume
       • Copy of RC
       • Class 10th / 12th /  College grade-sheets
       • Other official certificates which you might have to produce

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    This website is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of Dept. of Home, Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

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