Suit up for success : What To Wear During An Interview!

Perfect resume, answered all questions even the tricky ones. Yet not able to land the dream job. Were you dressed perfectly?

Reality check time.

"First Impression is the last impression"

How many of you have seen "How i met your mother" and the legendary Barney Stinson? The first Impression he gives is how he is dressed.

Yes taking him as an example you all can flourish in your interviews.The first impression you make on a potential employer is the most important one. The first judgment an interviewer makes is going to be based on how you look and what you are wearing.  

It is important to look professional and well-groomed. 

Interview Appearance Tips

Within the first five seconds of meeting someone, you are generally evaluated on your appearance. It is important that your appearance match the culture of the company.

General Tips

• Dress conservatively
• Clothes should be wrinkle-free and clean
• All tags should be removed from clothing
• Make sure your clothes are lint-free
• Shirt cuffs should extend ½ inch below the jacket sleeve
• Minimum Jewelerry
• Wear a dress watch, not a plastic band watch
• Always have fresh breath, but do not keep gum or mints in your mouth
• Avoid having smoker’s breath or smoker’s clothing
• Do not wear perfume or cologne
• Wear deodorant
• No backpacks into the interview

Men

• Wear a navy or dark gray suit for the first interview
• The jacket should match the pants
• Wear a pressed and starched white or ivory long-sleeved shirt; 100 percent cotton is recommended
• The tie should be conservative; avoid a distracting eye-catching tie
• Always wear a belt if the pant has belt loops; a black leather belt is recommended
• Wear black shoes (wing tips) that do not have scuff marks or a worn heel
• Wear black calf length socks
• Always button your jacket; it’s o.k. to unbutton when you sit down
• Shave before the interview

                                

Women

• Wear a navy or other dark colored skirted suit for the first interview.Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only

What colors to wear

• Black
• Dark Grey
• Navy Blue
• Brown

Stick to the basic classic colors and avoid pinstripes.

Most Important

Follow these and land your dream Job

Regards
MBA Diaries Team

Read interview tips at http://managementkingdom.blogspot.in/2013/08/best-interview-tips-for-tricky.html

Best Interview Tips for TRICKY QUESTIONS. What to say and what not to say

Do you wonder that despite a good resume why you haven't landed a good job?

Most likely the problem lies with you and not with your resume. It's not always that your resume gets you the dream job. It also depends how well you manage the interview part, especially the 'tough and tricky' questions.

Without much more flair i'm gonna give some tips that are asked in interview and how to crack them

Q - Tell us about yourself.

This is really more of a request than a question. But these few words can put you on the spot in a way no question can.

• Don't into a lengthy history or wander off in different directions. 
• Your response should be focused and purposeful. 
• Consider your response to this question as a commercial that sells your autobiography. 
• Provide an answer that includes basic personal and professional information

Time Limit - 60 Seconds

Q - Where do you see yourself five years from now?

This open-ended question is one of the most difficult and stressful ones job seekers face. Employers ostensibly ask this question because they are looking for people who know what they want to do and who are focused on specific professional goals.

"In five years I hope to be working with an employer in an increasingly responsible position, that enables me to utilize my talents and work closely with my colleagues in solving important problems. I see myself taking on new and exciting challenges in an enjoyable environment and hopefully this will be with your company."
Do not indicate that you hope to start your own business, change careers, or go back to school. Such responses indicate a lack of long-term interest since you do not plan to be around for long.

Q - We all have weaknesses. What are some of your major weaknesses?

This is not the time to confess all your problems nor to confidently say you have no weaknesses. The best way to handle this question is to mention personal weaknesses that are outside the job or a professional weakness that you have already improved upon.

The key to answering negative questions is to give them a positive spin. For this particular question your best bet is to admit to a weakness that isn't catastrophic,

• I don’t have as much management experience as I’d like – I believe that I have strong leadership potential, but I really want the opportunity to grow these skills.
• "I have a real weakness for chocolate that tends to go right to my waist! I'm watching my calories carefully these days!

Q - What type of decisions do you have difficulty making?

Show that you are generally decisive but mention that there are situations that give you time to pause or you are learning how to better make decisions. For example,

"I sometimes have difficulty choosing between two equally good ideas"

Q - What is your biggest failure?

Focus on something outside your work or something that happened on the job that you later fixed. Do not admit to any personal quality that might hamper job performance, such as procrastination, laziness or lack of concentration. Choose something that will not reflect badly on your ability to perform in the given position, such as one that took place early in your career.

Q - We're considering two other candidates for this position. Why should we hire you rather than someone else?

Do not be distracted by the mention of two other candidates, you don't know anything about them and they could be fictitious. Focus on what strengths you bring to the table.

These should be consistent with the four things most employers are looking for in candidates during the job interview: 

• competence, 
• professionalism, 
• enthusiasm, 
• and likability. 

Q - What would you do if one of our competitors offered you a position?

The interviewer is trying to determine whether the candidate is truly interested in the industry and company, or whether he or she has chosen the company randomly. Contrast your perceptions of the company with its competitors, and talk about the company's products or services that you've encountered. In the long run, which players do you believe are most viable and why? This is also a good place to ask the interviewer for his or her opinion.

Q - Why should We hire you?

Don't repeat your resume or employment history. Offer one or two examples to explain why you're talking to this particular company. This question often remains unasked, but it's always in the back of the recruiter's mind. Even if this question isn't asked, you should find an opportunity to use your prepared response sometime during the interview, perhaps in your closing remarks.

IMPORTANT TIPS

• Don't blame others
• Sell yourself
• Be positive
• Stay calm
• Do your homework well

B- Schools - The place to be for Entrepreneurs

When we think about the top successful entrepreneurs the words like MARK ZUCKERBERG, STEVE JOBS, RICHARD BRANSON, BILL GATES etc comes to my mind.

But surprisingly none of them had an MBA degree, most like them were college or school drop outs. They were the creators, innovators who challenged the management mainstream with their revolutionary ideas and gave us a better world to live in. It’s no coincidence, as their stories of world-changing innovation and industry transformation follow a similar trend: one or two college drop-outs work around the clock on an idea that most people dismiss early on as trivial or unremarkable. This is usually followed by a breakthrough and massive, global success.

I very rarely read cases where MBA's who made it as a successful entrepreneur. Even non mba entrepreneurs the MBA graduates are stereotyped as business stoppers rather than growers because of their text bookish knowledge and limited thinking

Why most MBA's (Even Me) are reluctant to become entrepreneurs?

A student who has chosen MBA as his career destination is bounded by various things. Going to business school requires sacrifices: there’s the opportunity cost of getting less actual work experience while you’re in school and the potentially significant debt of school itself. And then there’s the perception that MBA students at B schools are risk-averse people looking for the next big brand to add to their resume – a safe, well-paid job.

My views differs(I hope to implement them too)

1. You can always Learn from role models via case studies, frameworks, and colleagues.

Cases like that of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Branson always tell us the stories and give us a chance to fell how it feels to be in their shoes. Case studies might help us learn how others have succeeded and help us build confidence in your problem-solving abilities.

2. Benefit from the collision of different disciplines and culture.

Like i have mentioned in my previous blog that MBA contains a mix of diverse people with various backgrounds. A doctor, an air-hostess, a bio engineer, a IT professional and list goes on.

Breakthrough innovation often happens at the intersection of industries. The bio technology revolution that has fundamentally changed the world over the last few decades is a good example.

Outside thinking, perhaps from a related industry, brought into a new context can have a similar impact. A standard approach in one industry might affect real, positive change in another. Areas like self-driving cars, where software meets auto technology, are very exciting examples. Earning an MBA provides a number of opportunities to apply new ideas or approaches from different areas to solve problems and drive innovation.

3. Resources and network

You can’t overstate the positive impact of having access to global experts on pretty much every major discipline, all within one campus. Having these types of resources on hand is incredibly valuable. My university had got almost all disciplines imaginable, for some it may not be that good, for me i think its a great hub for ideas, networks and innovations

Also, the network and brand of a good business school gives you easier access to acquiring some of the most important ingredients for any new company, including capital and talent.

4. Space to be creative

Taking a break, having perspective, and giving yourself time to think is critical. To come up with big ideas, you need to step away from the day to day. The academic environment provides the opportunity to think big about solving big problems.

5. A safe place to fail

Failure is an important part of every entrepreneur’s journey. Being in B school provides an ideal environment to test ideas – and fail with less-harsh consequences. Over time, this type of learning helps entrepreneurs hone their decision-making capabilities and build confidence.
B Plans competitions give a perfect platform to bring forward your own ideas.

Don’t disregard the possibility by thinking business school isn’t a place for innovation. On the contrary, business school is the just the place to be exposed to inspiring people, powerful ideas, and creative thinking in an environment that encourages experimentation and new ideas. Essentially, it’s a proving ground for up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

MY fellow MBA professionals - YOU CAN DO THIS

TRICKY INTERVIEW QUESTIONS- WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS

This is the number one most hated question asked in interviews. What they are asking is not for you to tell them something that is actually strength in their eyes, like “I work too hard”. What they want from you is a perceived development area that is minor in terms of its ability affect the job you have to do, but big enough that improving it will make a large difference to your effectiveness as an employee and overall person.

This is a great example of what is known as a negative question. Negative questions are a favorite among interviewers, because they're effective for uncovering problems or weaknesses. The key to answering negative questions is to give them a positive spin. For this particular question your best bet is to admit to a weakness that isn't catastrophic, inconsistent, or currently disruptive to your chosen professional field, and to emphasize how you've overcome or minimized the problem. Whatever you do, don't answer this question with a copout like "I can't think of any," or even worse, "I don't really have any major weaknesses." This kind of a response is likely to eliminate you from contention.

Always follow your weakness with what you need to do to fix it. Some suggested answers include:

• I’m not good at saying ‘no’ – I need to learn to delegate and rely on my team more.
• I get bogged down in the details – I need to learn to focus on broader objectives and see the bigger picture (not good if you are applying for a job where attention to detail is more important).
• I don’t have as much management experience as I’d like – I believe that I have strong leadership potential, but I really want the opportunity to grow these skills.
• I tend to spread myself too thin, taking on projects that aren't related to my job when asked – I need to learn to be more focused on my core objectives (another way of saying A).
• I occasionally over-think problems – I need to learn to be more decisive and proactive in dealing with issues.

This is not the time to confess all your problems nor to confidently say you have no weaknesses. The best way to handle this question is to mention personal weaknesses that are outside the job or a professional weakness that you have already improved upon.

FOR MORE INTERVIEW TIPS. KEEP READING OUR BLOG

The messy situations? Ignorance is NOT Bliss in management.

Find your work style, your projects, your mails and everything professional hard to manage? Feel like losing the ability to notice the sky-high piles on your desk or the hundreds of unread emails in your Inbox. Functionally speaking, your mess becomes invisible to you. Ignoring all this? Find small stuff too small to be noticed? Bad habit.

Powerful phenomena take place right before your eyes. But you don’t see them. What should be visible becomes invisible. Like the captain of Titanic steering in the icy North Atlantic, these are precarious waters for a leader to navigate.

Mess is like iceberg. We only see 25-30% of it. Consider it too small and avoid it.

Do you notice the way your team conducts meetings, jumping from one topic to the next, never closing any issue before opening a new one? Why make note of the constant interrupting each other, the vague decision-rights, or the combative tone of conversation?

Small things matter.

The Mess of Managing People

In management you are required to lead people/ to manage people.

People are a messy business. Indeed, people working with other people create piles of clutter every day.

• Difficult feedback that isn't shared. Mess 
• Resentments that aren't aired. Clutter. 
• Anxiety and confusion during various managerial transitions that go unacknowledged. More clutter. 

Few factors that go unnoticed by us

• “We have no idea what’s going on.” 
• “People expects you to deliver but gives no direction. 
• One member [may be you] took all the credit, no team spirit? 

Piles and piles of mess beginning to crop in your professional life. And you have just started with your professional life?

You'll Get More Success When You Can See the Mess.What can you do about this common problem? How can you start to see things that you simply don’t see?

Here are a few places to begin.

FIRST - Learn to identify the problems

You miss a lot of stuff when you’re not looking for it. But amazingly, the minute you start actually looking for it –boom! There it is, hidden in plain sight.

SECOND ask other people what they see.

There’s no law against asking for help. If you are not seeing the mess, others might identify the problem areas for you. You are a manager, you should be interactive enough even for help.

THIRD, and here’s the tough one, ask yourself what you’re pretending not to see.

The hard truth is that sometimes you don’t see the mess because you don’t want to see it. The implications are too painful. Or too uncomfortable. Best to look the other way.

Mess? Dude, i don't see any mess.

Sometimes as management professional you will find yourself in situations where you would follow the strategy of "Ignorance is bliss"

Although this mindset might save you some short-term pain, it’s a losing strategy.

Had titanic captain listened to the warning of icebergs and not sailed his ship at top speed the ship might have actually remained "Too big to Sink". Avoiding small problems may actually lead you to hit you own messy iceberg.

Connect the dots, find answers in problems, don't be myopic.
So, if you want to see what’s become invisible to you, ask yourself the question.

"What are you pretending not to see?"

CrEaTIviTy NeVeR sLeePs

If you want a good payable job be creative. If you want to be the entrepreneur be innovative...If you want to be different then be creative !!! If you want to show yourself to others be creative !!! If you want to..... If you want to .....Blahhhhh....BlaHHHH....BLahhhh....

We all have been hearing this from every individual whom we often consider as a motivational person, but seriously is it to simple to be creative ????

Yes, the answer is a big big YES !!! For me CrEaTiVItY is nothing but a feeling.It is as simple as the flow of air around you. Indeed it is an art, but more of it is you ....yes you yourself...No book, person or internet on this earth can make you a creative professional, it is only you, your original self. Just go deep inside yourself and feel the immense power of this ability that you have got. I can challenge, no drug no sedative has got the potential to give you the feeling of pleasure which your creative thoughts can give.

While Surfing the net I came across a definition of creativity , "The ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas". What do you think about this statement? I totally disagree with this relating to the present scenario. Creativity is not just ideas ......it is much much broader term.....one doesn't even require an idea to be creative....creativity flows in just as the blood flows from heart to the various parts of body.

Launch your creativity.A new thought wont kill you, but might make an incredible difference. Let us see how do you define your creativity here.....and remember Creativity never sleeps.

R.B

Thanks RB for your article.

MBA Diaries Team

Post more articles @ aumnamheyshivaye@gmail.com

Graduation memoirs of my fellow batchmate. Post yours too

26th July 2011 was the last day of my college. My graduation days were really special to me.

Everything was special about my college. From my faculties to my friends, from the canteen food to cricket ground. I had learned some or the other thing from each of them. Faculties had immense impact on me. My friends were the best; I believe they are the fixed assets! What to say about them? Each one was unique, someone had weird smile or had a unique dressing style. When it comes to college infrastructure, it was typically like a Delhi university college (does not like to say much about it). It many time practically taught me that ‘Don’t rely much upon anyone; you never know you have to live without them someday.’ Most of our time used to be spent on canteen or Tankush which is opposite to IIFT Delhi. The only thing that I liked in the product portfolio of my canteen was cheese grilled sandwich! They were really tasty! Jokes a part, but college canteen was a fun place to be at. I sincerely owe it many happy moments.

Two toughest days at my college were the first and the last days. On the first day, as I was not knowing any of them, it was tough to adjust among the heterogeneous crowd & on the last day, it was tough because I was knowing all of them and I knew they weren't worth missing. The only thing that kept haunting my mind when I was greeting them the last time was that I won’t be seeing these faces now on a daily basis.

I am not much of an emotional person per say but when you spend some of the most important days of your life at a place; you are obligated to get connected there. But there is no point of being gloomy and hinder the new things that are going to come in my life. Rather I should be saving all the moments of these two most fantabulous years and keep them secured in a virus free place


MOHIT MALIK

Thanks mohit for your contribution. Articles are welcomed at aumnamheyshivaye@gmail.com

Graduation or Post Graduation in India? The students life of two degrees

Graduation vs Post graduation and which provides a better college life has always been a matter of debate among my friends.(Mind you the blog is strictly nonacademic)

The moment you enter any post graduation programme, you find a big change in the course structure, the working environment, placements and most important THE FUN OF GRADUATION. Some people(including me) say graduation is more fun while some people(though i believe there wont be many) say that Post Grad is more fun

I believe that life in Graduation is more fun , more thrilling, friends are more adventurous, and in private colleges like mine the placements are almost the same. I’m sure someone has already told you to do what you love, follow your dreams and ask yourself, “Is this what Steve Jobs would do?,” whenever a crisis arises. They do not tell you the actually useful things.

There are no rules in adulthood/post graduation. On the surface, this sounds exciting. But bottom line is post graduation life gets a bit boring if you count the fun factor and you have to live by certain rules if you are not open minded.

People are dressed more formally,friends are less adventurous, duties of life are imposed on you, the placements are the pillars to your future, the thinking becomes one directional when you pursue a PG programme.

In graduation the students are dreamers. Most of them actually want to be entrepreneurs, are willing to enter new fields, and you actually learn how to live life.

Post graduation becomes a dress rehearsal of graduation minus the fun, the excitement, the curiosity and the Soul of college life seems to be bit blurry. There is less bunking of classes, you actually know what subjects you are studying, there are few road-trips the parties are more sober, there are few night outs, and the girls want a serious relationship as the marriage card starts playing in their minds

Yes you study your subjects in Depth in Post Grad, yes you are more exposed to your field, yes you get more mature, yes you still hang out with your friends and yes you get better placements(if your PG is from a very good college) but may be its just the Gen X factor that seems to be a bit blurry to me.

But that just my thinking about the post graduation life as for me the graduation was real life. What are your views?

Disclaimer : The truth is, your next steps might be daunting. But the beauty of it is that your college experience is what you make it. And everyone's path is different: some go right into the working world, while others seek out a different kind of adventure. Wherever you go, though, you might not make this transition again. So make the most of it, and remember to enjoy it.

Curse of Being an MBA Student. Not really

Hey guys. First blog (courtesy my MBA programme) and i took up a topic (please tolerate with me) you all must have wondered after taking MBA especially if you are not from A top B. School. We join MBA and the most common word my friends say is we are Cursed.  

The bitter reality if you are not from top 10 B schools the placement scenario is tough, but on positive side all other B.Schools are almost same so we (yes i am an Amitian) are all at level platform.
Same average packages, same sales profiles, same sitting through n- no of interviews and same cursing that why we came here. At one time like engineering, MBA was considered very precious but not now.

Yes we all have taken MBA at times when jobs and packages are poor and market scenario is degrading day by day. Yes all that we learn in our B School the infrastructure is not what we saw on T.V ads( but hey that's their marketing strategy and we bought it). But MBA isn't all that Bad if you take its positive aspects.

What i have learned after 1 year of MBA is that only our experiences, our own efforts, our contacts, extra curricular activities and maximum interaction with industry and yes a good dosage of luck does wonders. MBA is after all a Management degree. How well we manage ourselves in any B. School is what helps us.

People say MBA is bad, i say where else will you study with a "biotech professional", an "IT engineer", a "Textile professional",an "air-hostess",an "ubiquitous banker", an "M.B.B.S. or a Pharma guy". So you get to meet diverse people. And the Batch is usually the most appealing aspect , most guys drool over the MBA girls, and MBA guys are considered most well dressed.

For me MBA is a sea of practical learning, meeting new people, you have maximum time to get indulged in other extra curricular activities. Trust me i am an engineering student and MBA appears a cake walk in terms of academics in front of Engineering. I agree that MBA IS A ROLLER COASTER RIDE. How well you enjoy this roller coaster is your choice
So guys with this belief that we all would do something good despite the regular cursing of our  MBA degree.Its an open Page for all MBA alumnus/aspirants, MBA students and MBA pass-outs.

Any comments suggestions on MBA related experiences, summer internship positives(or negatives with censored cursing) are welcomed here. Look out for another post soon(i hope i will post something interesting next time).

Disclaimer- All the stupid has been said, there is nothing more i can add