Tracking your targets with Google.

Dr.Shruti Bhat, Star formulator and Ace leader within pharmaceutical R&D. Shruti is a specialist with hiTech formulations and quality-by-design.

Shruti brings to you some of her personal experiences and highlights from her reading on topics of personal branding and career development...

In your job search, outside of LinkedIn, I believe Google can be your best friend online!

Google has many tools that can make it easy to find and target the jobs and information you need to run ahead of the pack at the companies you want to pursue.

Used wisely, some of these tools can help you find job postings, company news, contact information and many other valuable pieces of information that can help you set yourself above the crowd.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Do an X-Ray! Google allows you to use it’s search engine not only to search the entire internet, but also to do a search on a specific site alone. This is usually referred to as an “X-Ray” search. In your search string in the Google search box, you can simply specify the site you want to search, using a format like:
site:www.linkedin.com

You can then add whatever additional search terms you may want to add. For example, say you don’t have many connections on LinkedIn yourself, so you don’t get many results when you do a search within LinkedIn’s own search tool. Perhaps you are looking for a company contact in your job search… like an Engineering Manager at Seagate Corp. in the Minneapolis area. You could enter:

site:www.linkedin.com “Greater Minneapolis” “Engineering Manager” Seagate

Among many directory pages and others, you will also find the public profiles on LinkedIn of anyone that has “Engineering Manager” and “Seagate” in their profile that’s registered in the “Greater Minneapolis-St Paul” area. With more sophisticated parameters you can eliminate the non-profile results, however, this can get you started.

You can also do an X-Ray search of specific companies you may be interested in pursuing, to find information on their sites that you are seeking… more on that next.

Set up Alerts! Google Alerts are an excellent way to be made aware of new information that gets posted, as it occurs. Perhaps you are a Programmer that specializes in Java development and one of your target companies is United Health Group (UHG) in the Minneapolis area. You can set up Alerts to notify you of any news that gets published about UHG, and Alerts to let you know as soon as a relevant new position is posted on their site.

For news, you can simply set up an Alert searching “United Health”, and anything posted anywhere with that string will trigger a notification to you.

For jobs, you can set up an Alert using an X-Ray search of their site’s career pages. As an example, if you are looking for Java related position that they post on their own site for Minnesota locations you can set up an Alert string like:

site:careers.unitedhealthgroup.com minnesota java

Most companies post positions on their own site before they are posted on any external job boards, and many times they don’t post a position on external job boards at all. The notification you will get of the new posting will make you aware of it before most everyone else!

You can set up as many Alerts as you’d like, for as many companies as you’d like, and with as many variations of search words as you’d like… be creative! You can also choose whether to have them emailed to you (as they happen, or once per day), or have them sent to Google Reader…

Consolidate your information!

Google Reader is an excellent way to keep track of all this information, and more. Google Reader allows you to keep track of new postings on sites you’re interested in following… like this blog! (Click on the “Subscribe to…” “Posts” icon in the right column of this page) It’s also a great place to direct all of your Google Alerts so that you can read and follow up on them all from one central place. Google Reader receives and posts information as soon as it’s found by Google and keeps you up to date without filling up your email box.

Efficiently finding information from your target company sites, setting up automatic notifications, and reading all the relevant updates easily in one place makes Google an extremely powerful online resource for your job search that most job seekers don’t use. Be ahead of them all by taking advantage of the power available to you!

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10
Do you have questions for the author?

http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/08/tracking-your-targets-with-google.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CareerRocketeer+%28Career+Rocketeer+%7C+The+Career+Search+and+Personal+Branding+Blog+%29

Do You Use LinkedIn to Follow Potential Employers?

Most jobseekers think of LinkedIn as a tool to network with individuals. While LinkedIn is certainly useful for this purpose, it can also provide invaluable information about companies you want to target during your job search.

LinkedIn now allows you to follow all the activity related to a particular company. You can do this by searching for the company on the site and clicking “Follow Company”. This step adds the company’s activity to your news stream on LinkedIn in the same way that adding a connection adds their individual activity. This is an absolutely invaluable tool for keeping track of events at a company you’re targeting.

This information can give you a sense for whether the company is hiring at all and it allows you to see the backgrounds of the candidates who are landing jobs there. It can be frustrating to see who’s beating you out for particular positions but having that information is also priceless for knowing how to position yourself as a stronger candidate going forward. One more bonus: you can tell when someone was hired for a position even if the company doesn’t directly contact or notify you.

The Follow Company feature on LinkedIn also allows you to see how many other people are following that company. If thousands of people are keeping an eye on things, chances are good that you have a lot of competition for open positions there. Additionally, LinkedIn includes very useful information such as the average tenure of employees at the company, the male/female ratio of the staff, and the median age of employees. Larger companies sometimes even indicate which specific universities a high percentage of their staff attended.

The new Follow Company feature on LinkedIn is a great research tool for job seekers trying to find a creative way in to organizations that they otherwise may not have an open door to.

Excerpted from article by Jessica Holbrook Hernandez http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/07/do-you-use-linkedin-to-follow-potential.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CareerRocketeer+%28Career+Rocketeer+%7C+The+Career+Search+and+Personal+Branding+Blog+%29

Dr Shruti Bhat at http://thehappenblog.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/do-you-use-linkedin-to-follow-potential-employers/

Did You Wind Up in a Default Career?

As a career coach and former High Tech manager, I’ve noticed that most people wind up in careers that are completely out of line with their college degrees or interests. When you ask people how they “chose” their careers, many of them answer with something very much like a track through the jungle. They didn’t know where they were going but moving forward was the direction they took. When I ask many college students what career they were headed towards I get two categories of answers:

I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.
Something in my major (read: I don’t know).

In other words, most of us end up in “default careers”. Meaning we had no intention of that career but due to various circumstances, that’s where we ended up – by default.

I recently wrote about the national statistic I heard on TV this spring that 60% of all workers are dissatisfied with their job. I think this is due, in a large part, to the fact that we give very little effort or thought to the career we would do best in. Collectively we simply don’t know how to identify a career we would love so we go with the time honored tradition of “finding something”. The “finding something” career strategy usually involves bouncing around applying for jobs until some lucky company hires us. Little wonder we’re not so happy at work.

Why am I bringing this up? I am talking about this because 60% of all workers being unhappy in their job make this problem a moral imperative. This has to change. There are too many unhappy people out there working right now and there is some prevention that can take place and a remedy for those in this unhappy group.

There is a reason for how we got this way and there is something we can do about it. I think the genesis of this has to do with how we go about finding our careers to begin with. We put more planning into a 2 week vacation than a lifelong career. The factors that go into the complex soup of job satisfaction are largely ignored. It’s easier to figure out how we want to spend our free time (what little there is of it) than how we spend of our work time (which is most of our life). Figuring out what can constitute a rewarding and nourishing career is not rocket science but it does require some effort. You will not wake up one day and simply know, by magic, what will best suit you.

What needs to be done to prevent default careers in the first place?
At whatever point people are starting to ask the questions about their career, is the time to begin the work of self discovery toward a great career. Self discovery is more than a career assessment test, although it can be thought provoking and add to self discovery. Self discovery should become an ongoing, lifelong pursuit. Self discovery is being in a process of experimentation, exploration and research with the goal of unearthing something that will truly resonate within you. It’s as simple as trying something new a few times to see if you like it well enough to keep doing it. Most everything in existence can be turned into a career and with that much opportunity you need to start as early as possible in your life to understand what will ring your chimes.

How do you pursue self-discovery?
You are essentially finding out what your values are, where your natural inclinations lie, where you build skills easiest and what draws you in to “want” to keep doing it. The best and easiest place to start is by making a list of all the things (not necessarily jobs) that interest you or did interest you earlier in your life. It’s not unlike planning for that 2 week vacation. You think through the things that sound interesting or fun, research them and put it on your itinerary to do. Systematically pursue each item on the list, trying each thing long enough to get beyond the roughness of trying something new. Eventually you will discover what kind of interest that item holds for you. If it doesn’t interest you, move on. But before you do, think through what aspects of it you liked and didn’t like. That learning is key to the direction you take on the following discoveries. While you are in that process, you will discover other related items I call “threads”.

Let those threads go on the list and as you do that you will notice a natural expansion of new things to try. This experimentation can be trying different jobs, pastimes or education. I have seen examples of people who have made a great career and income out of building sand castles – the wisdom here is to not discount anything.

What do you do if you are already in a Default career that you don’t like?
No matter your age, changing careers to something you love will be one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. The discovery process is the same. Our culture really does nothing to promote the idea of self discovery, particularly as it relates to a career. In general, most of us have no clue about how to go about selecting a career much less a job. We see very few examples or discussion around us, so we have almost no one to use as a role model for this kind of behavior. We are also collectively impatient with ourselves and others thinking we should automatically know what we want to do when we grow up. That assumption is the farthest thing from the truth. There is nothing automatic about finding the career of your dreams. Making self discovery an ongoing behavior will ensure your personal and professional success. Doesn’t that make it worthwhile?

http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2010/07/did-you-wind-up-in-default-career.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CareerRocketeer+%28Career+Rocketeer+%7C+The+Career+Search+and+Personal+Branding+Blog+%29

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

http://www.drshrutibhat.com/
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

Do you have questions for the author?

Drug Makers Shed 35,000 Jobs- The New York Times.

Friday, July 2, 2010

The nation’s drug makers have eliminated nearly 35,000 positions in the first half of this year, second only to government in cutting jobs.

Government and non-profit sectors announced 98,776 job cuts this year to date, compared with 34,987 by pharmaceutical companies, and 26,181 by the retail industry, according to a new report by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement consulting firm.

The firm noted in a release that the pace of retrenchment has slowed compared to last year, when drug companies cut 51,000 jobs; retail 85,000; and government 102,000. And the report said more employers are confident looking ahead.

Still, the industry faces the prospect of more job losses to support the bottom line as patents expire on prominent drugs within the next year.

Complete report at http://www.challengergray.com/press/PressRelease.aspx?PressUid=141
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/01/drug-makers-shed-35000-jobs/


Myth, fabrication and tomfoolery: The stuff of life and law for laid off work force.
By Howard Levitt, Financial Post.

It seems the more dismissal law becomes part of everyday experience, the more misapprehensions exist between employees and employers. Here are a few of the more common ones:

A fired employee is entitled to one month's severance for each year of service. Wrong. An employee is "entitled" to no more than employment standards minimum severance, just a few weeks pay for most workers. A fired employee cannot sue for more unless, despite his best efforts, he remains unemployed beyond that time.

However many years worked, however assiduous that work and however "unjust" the dismissal, employers can get off virtually scot-free if a fired employee is re-employed comparably or the court finds they could have been. But even if an employee remains interminably unemployed, there is no judicial formula.

Length of service is only one of many factors used to determine severance, including age, status, remuneration and re-employability. Many employees get more than one month for each year; even more get less.

An employee cannot be discriminated against. Wrong again. You can hire or fire employees based on their looks, their approach to life, their personality, their height or even whether they wear lipstick.

What you cannot do is discriminate against them based on one of a few factors delineated in the human rights Code, which are race, gender, sexual orientation, colour or national origin. Everything else is open season. It is hardly a secret, and it is a statistical fact, that good looking employees, as well as those with British accents, earn more than the rest of us.

Those who work hard are entitled to promotions or salary increases relative to weaker workers. An employer has the right to be wrong-or capricious. They can withhold salary increases from the meritorious and reward them to their relatives or the laggards.

A strong performer of unimpeachable character and conduct cannot be fired. There need be no cause at all to fire an employee. There is also no appeal mechanism and a court lacks the power to reinstate employees. If an employer improperly evaluates an employee or believes a false allegation, that employee has no recourse when dismissed, other than appropriate severance.

For that matter, if the employer fires an employee by drawing her name out of a hat, as long as she is paid proper severance, she has no other recourse. Even more infuriating, severance entitlement is no greater than that of a mediocre performer.

A worker who is told to work out severance instead of receiving the money, can refuse. If a worker does refuse, he is treated as having resigned. One of the most underutilized weapons in an employer's arsenal is working notice. That is, if an employee is told he is to be terminated six months from that date, it is legally equivalent to dismissing him on the spot and paying six months severance.

Employers tend to be uncomfortable with this option, but not half as much the fired employee is, after all he or she is working away the severance. Often it leads to a reduced offer of severance. But even if that is not the case, the employer is getting value for its severance dollar.

Working out a severance does not work for everyone, especially employees with access to confidential information or considerable customer contact.

A properly drafted non-competition covenant can keep a dismissed employee out of his industry for a year. Only very rarely is this the case. Few non-competition covenants of any length are enforceable because of a series of recent cases.

Such contracts only bind fiduciary employees with significant ability to damage the employer who would be approached by customers and employees even if they did not approach them. And even those employees likely could not be restricted from their industry for more than six months. With respect to the other 98% of employees, non-competition covenants are unenforceable.

Contracts limited to restricting former employees from soliciting customers or other employees, if limited to 12 months or less and restricted to the narrow geographical area in which they worked, are much more likely to be enforceable for those.


Read more:
http://www.financialpost.com/careers/Severance+entitlement/3218553/story.html#ixzz0seFz4Im2

20 Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers

Even in a down market, job seekers and employees are not powerless or without recourse. In fact, they have more control over their career circumstances than they might.

You Want, Even When No One's Hiring" (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, getthejobbook.com), has developed 20 specific strategies and tactics that consistently generate powerful results for job seekers, even when it seems like no one is hiring.

1. Network, network, network. Continually increase your level of networking and keep expanding your contact database. There is no substitute for connecting with people one-on-one.
2. Seek help. Get career support from a professional. A qualified career coach can better prepare you to land your next position.
3. Read career books and attend career seminars. Being informed about business will keep you "fresh" as a candidate, and helps you consistently improve your career management and job-search skills.
4. Leverage technology. Utilize Web sites and online services to connect with your industry and to build greater visibility. Create a career Web site and reach out through social networking sites such as Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter.
5. Differentiate yourself. Position yourself as an expert by writing articles, giving presentations, or teaching a class. Get involved in professional organizations and assume leadership roles there.
6. Use your time off wisely. Pursue professional development by participating in classes, seminars, certifications and industry conferences.
7. Pursue a temporary, part-time, or contract position. Volunteer, provide pro bono work, take on a consulting contract, or complete an internship or apprenticeship. All these options provide excellent "bridge job" opportunities.
8. Act with speed and urgency. Demonstrate that you're more serious and more determined than the competition. Show up earlier. Arrive more prepared. Move quickly and efficiently. Make an impression by being more responsive and assertive than other candidates.
9. Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, and get plenty of rest. You'll need to be healthy and vital to maintain the pace of an active job search campaign.
10. Be flexible and adaptable. Consider shifting industries and/or being geographically mobile to open-up more career possibilities, even if you would not choose these options under normal circumstances.
11. Improve and enhance all the documents in your career portfolio. Craft a unified package that consistently conveys a highly professional image of yourself. This will include a Resume, a one-page Professional Biography, a collection of powerful Accomplishment Stories, a series of compelling Cover Letters, a page of Professional References, a list of Target Companies, and a 15-second commercial (Positioning Statement).
12. Identify industries that will emerge stronger when the market improves. Research emerging opportunities and niches that will offer career growth, and position yourself to take advantage of these trends.
13. Practice interviewing and negotiation skills. Solicit the help of a partner to role-play with you, and switch roles as needed with the questions and answers. Practice with an audio-recording device, and listen to yourself as you continually improve your performance.
14. Be patient, but persistent. Be persistent, but don't be a pest, as you follow up consistently on every opportunity. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, keep moving forward as you explore every appropriate opening you can find.
15. Focus on tangible results and practical solutions. The primary question in the employer's mind will be, "What can you do for me -- now?" This means that you should quickly identify the employer's most pressing needs and challenges -- and then explain exactly how your relevant accomplishments will allow you to successfully address those issues in the short term.
16. Work from a budget. Instead of going into a panic or worrying that you'll lose everything you've worked for, conduct a detailed analysis of your financial situation and develop a family budget. You may discover that you're in a better financial position than you had thought.
17. Be kind to yourself. There is no longer the same stigma there used to be about being unemployed, as almost every family in America has been touched by layoffs and downsizings. Forgive yourself, forgive your ex-employer, and forgive the world. Move on toward a better career future.
18. Pay extra attention to your personal image. First impressions count. Make a deliberate, consistent effort to present yourself in the best light. Now is the ideal time to take stock of your appearance, and make whatever changes you feel could improve your image -- and your job search results.
19. Watch your attitude. Maintain a positive attitude. Never state anything negative or act desperate. Spend some time each day focusing-in and recalibrating your internal attitude.
20. Be philosophical. Try to find the life lessons and new perspectives in this transition. Commit to yourself that, somehow, you will make this a rewarding and productive experience.

Conducting a successful job search campaign takes energy, discipline, and career support. Despite the pressures many face in today's employment market, job seekers must stay focused on their goals and search smart.

Excerpted from article published at http://www.powerhomebiz.com/News/062010/job-seeker.htm

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10
Do you have questions for the author?

Knowing “Interview Styles” an essential criteria of career management:

Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and specialist in hiTech formulation development and quality-by-design, brings to you some of her personal experiences and highlights from her reading on topics of personal branding and career development...

During course of my writing my book on “ Experiences of a job seeker in a depressed economy”, I have interviewed scores of professionals, grad students, senior executives in transition, who volunteered feelers about their experiences, most importantly impressions about their interviewers.

Summarizing my findings, presents, five well- identified interview styles so that next time you are escorted into the interview room you can identify them quickly and react in a way that helps you stand out in a good way-

Style 1. The Careful - This style is found in people who are new to interviewing, are below your level or will be reporting into the role you for which you are interviewing. They show their careful quality by asking really simple questions. Almost apologetic.

Here is an opportunity- To lead the interview and to create raving fans within the interview team. Because “the careful” want to do a good job. But they also are nervous about asking tough questions to their future boss.

So ask them of yourself . One successful technique might be “You might be wondering how I like to lead a team. What I am like to work for”. And then it would give you a feeling like” you were interviewing yourself”. Asking questions that lead to the real concerns that could be answered with ease. And you become more confident as the interview progressed. Feels good?

Style 2. The Brash – Brash is often associated with “young”. And sometimes that is true. Sometimes it is also just someone who feels that being on the interview team gives them the ability to be especially confident. These can be a bit tricky.

Few of my volunteers for the my book interview stated “The last time I interviewed, I was introduced to a person who would be my direct report in the role. He happened to be young. Just a few years out of school. Very smart I could tell. He hit me with question after question. Biting. Almost smirky smile.

I marveled how he could do this to a potential future boss. No fear of ramifications? My strategy with him was to respond with strength and detail. As best I could without playing the “future boss” card. Because I wasn’t yet. And I think that this person wants to see strength in return. A tip I gave myself, oil your conflict resolution strategies, this employee could have the potential to be difficult also to his colleagues ! and thank your stars if there aren’t any complaints waiting for you to tackle them. However, train yourself not to be biased or prejudiced.

Style 3. The Unprepared – Sometimes people get busy the day before or the day of an interview. They may have just been added to the interview team. Or maybe they are just unprepared. They walk in late, can’t find your resume, need time to clean their desk. And finally after a few minutes look up and say “OK, let’s hear about you”.

To their defense, most companies are really bad about preparing their teams (circulating resumes, sharing a job description, and identifying specific hiring objectives). But interviewing is one of the most important roles you can are asked to play. The right new hire is crucial. So the good ones prepare on their own. Interviewing with this group is an opportunity. For you to lead the charge by asking great questions, sharing situations in which you had a big impact and leaving the interviewer feeling like they did a pretty good job. Despite their lack of preparation.

Style 4. The Talker – Some interviewers just like to hear themselves talk. And some really want you to understand the complexities of their product line, industry, department, etc. But it can be a challenge to communicate your unique value when the interviewer seems to be honing their own. I’ve fallen into this trap before as an interviewer when the position is new to our company or when it is early in the interview process. Sometimes those first few interviews are an opportunity for the hiring manager to sound out a few new responsibilities for the position. But a few minutes can last longer if the candidate seems happy to just sit there and listen.

A mutually beneficial process here might be, is to engage the interviewer. To interrupt the flow after a few minutes and ask a question that shows you are listening. But that also allows you to share something about yourself. Something that shows you appreciate the complexity the interviewer is trying to get across. Very few people do this. They are afraid of interrupting.

Style 5. The Heroic - A cousin of the talker, the heroic spends the first 15 minutes introducing you to the strengths of their company and their department. Oh, and they like their own work pretty well too. They will tend to set the bar extremely high for new employees. Both in terms of your dedication and your weekly hours (i.e. “everyone here works 50+ hours because we believe in the cause”).

Now your job is to determine if you believe in it. Because if 50+ is really 60+, you need to decide whether that really fits into your life’s plan.

This style is designed to weed people out. People who aren’t dedicated. People who will complain at the first sign of overtime. While it is hard to get past the bravado, usually a few good questions can help you determine whether this is a place you’d like to work (a great, hard working, close-knit team) or a sweat shop.

Research, research, research well about the company, people, culture, financial strength, HR processes WELL before accepting the offer.

Further reading …

20 habits of highly effective job seekers

http://www.drugsinthemaking.com/19/post/2010/06/first-post.html

Finding a culture fit for career success

http://pharmaceuticalcareerdevelopment.blogspot.com/2010/06/evaluating-cultural-fit-for-success.html

8 ways by which an interview can take a turn for the worse

http://www.drugsinthemaking.com/6/post/2010/05/8-ways-a-job-interview-can-take-a-turn-for-the-worse.html

http://timsstrategy.com/7-interview-styles-youll-face-as-the-candidate/

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10

Do you have questions for the author?

Ace the Interview Meet Objectives at Every Stage

Dr.Shruti Bhat, Leader Pharmaceutical R&D and Expert in hiTech formulation development for over 35 different therapeutic class of drugs moeities, brings to you some of her personal experiences as well as highlights from her reading on topics of personal branding and career development...

Informational Interviews:
Informational interviews are excellent tools for gathering intelligence: about a company or a particular role in terms of its purpose and scope, to assess the caliber of your competition, or to get a better feel for key personalities and company culture. Such interviews are initiated by YOU. They can occur in places you already work and want to advance further. You can outreach to people in organizations of interest to you. Informational interviews can occur in person, on the phone, by e-mail - and can be as short as 5 minutes or last over an hour. In any case, you need to listen far more than you speak in an informational interview scenario. This is an exercise in information gathering, not selling yourself. You don't know how best to sell your own talents until you know what their needs are. Don't jump ahead. The goal is to gather enough information so that you can follow up with your resume and cover letter, making a case for them to consider you for current and future positions of particular interest. Be specific, not general, in that second-phase outreach. Casting a wide net within a single organization actually dilutes your efforts.

Phone Screens:
Phone screening is a common interview technique. It saves both time and money while helping to narrow down the applicant pool for an open position. You need to prepare for a phone screen as much as you would for a formal interview. It starts when they call you to set up a mutually convenient time. Always be at the ready: have a professional tone of voice when answering calls; have a short and professional outgoing message on your voicemail (no music). If you don't recognize the number calling and are actively job searching, let the call go to voicemail to ensure you respond appropriately. Keep a listing handy of where you've applied and for what position so you can reference it quickly and with confidence. Know your calendar.

Once scheduled, do as much research as possible in addition to preparing yourself to answer questions. Look up the company website, understand their mission, and read the position description very carefully to note which items are strengths or weaknesses for you. Rehearse your answers to all common interview questions (widely available online). During the call, take advantage of the ability to have materials in front of you to reference at any point. The phone screen's objective is to clarify that you have the qualifications required (and desired) for the job, including work ethic and personality traits. Your goal is to convey that your skills are exactly what they are looking for, right now. If you are successful in doing so, they will talk to you about the next interview phase - either that day or within a few days of the screening call.

Formal, In-person Interviews:
This will be scheduled in advance. During the scheduling call, learn about dress code, what materials to bring with you, who you will be meeting with and their role, directions to their location, and how much time to expect to be there. Is your interview primarily with HR or will the hiring manager also be there? Will potential team members and co-workers be present? The more people you are scheduled to meet, the better your chances of success because they would not coordinate that many people if your qualifications were in question. Your goal is to be well-versed in the position details, to give concrete examples of previous successes that have prepared you for this role, and to come across as intelligent and likable. There are numerous sites online dedicated to helping you prepare for formal interviews; check them out! This includes not only how to best answer questions, but to sketch out your success stories in advance, and to ensure your presentation style is as free from flaws and distractions as possible.

Final Round:
This may be the second or third time you connect with HR, the hiring manager, and potential colleagues within the prospective organization. You may meet them individually, in small groups, or as a larger panel - be sure to ask in advance what to expect. It is possible, especially for entry-level positions, that your first formal interview will also constitute the final round. What you ultimately want to convey is that the position description is well understood, and that you have the necessary resources to succeed in the role. And if you do not have all the resources you think you will need, negotiate for them during the offer phase. Beyond that, make it very clear that you are ready, willing, and able to do the job - and that you are eager to get started.

With any type of interview, be sure to genuinely thank each person who took time out of their day to meet with you. A personal, hand written note is still an extra nice touch. To do so, collect the business cards of everyone you meet. Make it a habit.

You can do this! Good luck!

Disclaimer- The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Http://www.drshrutibhat.com
Expert at leading Pharmaceutical R&D.
Translates innovative concepts to PROFITS.
YouTube Channel : Http://www.youtube.com/user/ShrutiBhat10
Do you have questions for the author?