Business casual guidelines for men and women

Business casual is crisp, neat, and should look appropriate even for a chance meeting with a CEO. It should not look like cocktail or party or picnic attire. Avoid tight or baggy clothing; business casual is classic rather than trendy. Basics: Khaki pants, neatly pressed, and a pressed long-sleeved, buttoned solid shirt are safe for both men and women. Polo/golf shirts, unwrinkled, are an appropriate choice if you know the environment will be quite casual, outdoors or in a very hot location. This may not seem like terribly exciting attire, but you are not trying to stand out for your cutting edge look, but for your good judgment in a business environment. Shoes / belt: Wear a leather belt and leather shoes. Athletic shoes are inappropriate. Cost / quality: You are not expected to be able to afford the same clothing as a corporate CEO. However, do invest in quality that will look appropriate during your first two or three years on the job for a business casual environment or occasions. Details: Everything should be clean, well pressed, and not show wear. Even the nicest khakis after 100 washings may not be your best choice for a reception. Carefully inspect new clothes for tags, and all clothes for dangling threads, etc. (as with interview attire). Use common sense. If there are six inches of snow on the ground and/or you are rushing to get to an information session between classes and you left home 12 hours earlier, no one will expect you to show up looking ready for a photo shoot — they'll just be happy you made it. Just avoid wearing your worst gym clothes and jeans. If you show up at an event and realize you're not as well dressed as you should be, make a quick, pleasant apology and make a good impression with your interpersonal skills and intelligent questions.

How to make a resume

Introduction Almost everybody you can ask about how to make a resume will tell you that its job is to sell you to employers. But what does this actually mean? Think about the last time that you made a major purchase. What attracted you to the particular product you eventually bought? To start with, your interest may have been caught by an advert. This would have given you an instant impression of the product’s appearance, while highlighting its most outstanding features. You then decided to have a closer look, perhaps by looking at a website or going into a shop to ask for more details. Encouraged by what you learned, you may then have tried the product out firsthand, to see whether it lived up to everything you’d heard. Now think of yourself as the product and the employer the buyer. Your resume needs to have the same effect as the initial advert and the ‘closer-look’ information. If it works well, it will convince the employer to ask you to an interview, when they get to check you out firsthand. However, you are an extremely complex product. Your features include not only your past work history, but your potential in your next job, as well as your characteristics as an individual employee. It’s not surprising then, that while you’re sitting staring at the blank page, it’s hard to know where to start, or indeed how to start. Here are some basic guidelines that will help you put that elusive attention-grabbing resume together. Overall format Appearances count as much as content. The way your resume is presented and laid-out will make an enormous difference to how much attention it attracts. If it’s badly laid out, the employer will not feel like reading more than a few lines. Remember that they don’t have time to do more than skip through most applications, so you want to make life as easy as possible for them and encourage them to read yours. The best resumes are usually no more than two pages in length, with critical information summarized in the top third of the first page. Information is presented clearly with plenty of bullet points. Wide borders and white space between paragraphs also help make your resume easier to read. A clear font and simple layout will keep the employer’s focus where it matters: on the content. Snazzy graphics, a messy, cluttered page and large blocks of text will only make it harder to read and therefore put the employer off. Your profile This part of your resume is like the picture in the advert. But unlike a picture, it doesn’t show your face – instead it’s a snapshot of your experience and skills. It sits at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact details. Get it right and it will encourage the employer to read further. In two or three sentences, you need to highlight one or two important areas of your experience and pinpoint two or three key skills and abilities. Make sure these are relevant to the advertised job (you can change your profile to suit whichever post you’re applying for). You can also mention your career goals, or what you’re seeking in your next job. Make sure this section sounds concise and fairly upbeat – everybody is looking for a motivated employee! Achievements Next in your resume comes the Achievements section. Think of this as the extra information that goes into the advert. An achievement is a result that you personally brought about in your current or post jobs. It isn’t a fixed responsibility that anybody in that job would have fulfilled – it’s evidence of how you made a difference. For that reason, it tells the employer what you might deliver for them. The best achievements to include are those that can be measured in financial figures, statistics, numbers of people or units, as these show how you can help to bring about results. Achievements can also be differences that you’ve made to the way systems are set up or how organizations are run. Reports you’ve written or awards you’ve won also count as achievements. Likewise, very fast promotions within the same organization are worth including. List around six achievements in order of impact. Career history Going back to our example of a major purchase, this is the extra information that you’d find on a website, or that you’d learn out by going into the shop. It’s the small print that provides the more in-depth information about the product (you). Start with your current or most recent job and work backwards through your work history. For each job, give the employer’s name and location, your job title and the dates you started and finished (give the years only, you needn’t include months). Next, provide details of your duties for each post. Do this for the jobs you’ve held in the past 10 years. Start with the most important responsibility and work downwards. List about five or six duties and mention any achievements that aren’t already in your Achievements section. Use bullet points to keep it neat and clear. If there are gaps in your employment, due to unemployment or raising a family, try to explain these briefly. Education / Qualifications This section is also like the small print. Contrary to popular belief, there’s no need to list every examination that you passed while at school. If you took your main educational qualification over 10 years ago, then it’s not going to be of as much interest to the employer as the jobs you’ve held since. So simply list what you’ve attained, along with the place of study and the dates when you qualified. If you have a degree, that’s all you need to include – there’s no need for earlier examinations taken up to the age of 18. If your career is still young and you’ve only held one or two posts, then it may be worth giving more details about your qualifications, but only if they’re relevant to the positions you’re applying for. Also include any professional qualifications and memberships you’ve gained. IT and Other Skills Depending on the job you’re interested in, this is where you can include other skills that are relevant. IT skills are increasingly important in many sectors, so in this section list your software skills and training. If IT is very important in the job, you may want to include further details, such as hardware, operating systems, architectures, etc. If typing and language skills are relevant, include these as well. Personal Details and Hobbies Not everybody includes these more personal sections these days. If you do include a Personal Details section, add it at the end of the resume and include your date of birth, driving license (if relevant), marital status and nationality. The final two details are optional – employers don’t necessarily wish to see them. Hobbies and interests are not always important to an employer. However, for certain jobs, your outside interests might tell them a bit more about you – such as your personality, leadership potential and team working skills. Also important … the language you use So now you know what needs to go into your resume. Next, you need to read it back to yourself. Do you feel that it’s selling you to an employer? Or is it a series of dull, dry lists? If it doesn’t have that ‘buy now!’ factor, it may be due to the language you’re using. As with all effective adverts, the writing style you use in your resume is as important as the factual content. Your descriptions need to be short and to the point, yet they also need to be readable and persuasive from the employer’s point of view. Try to use effective statements and professional language. Always be positive and keep your language short and punchy – this makes the resume a more inspiring read. Make it sound like you made things happen, rather than that things happened around you. Use active verbs for this reason. And always write in the ‘third person’, avoiding use of the word ‘I’ wherever possible. Avoid being repetitive by using different wording to explain similar duties in different jobs. Also, read the description of the job you’re applying for and include some of the wording used there. Now check it … and double check it Run the Spellchecker on your word processing package to check that there aren’t any errors in your resume. Then reread it several times. Reading it out aloud will help you to notice where the grammar or sentence structure doesn’t work. Ask somebody else to read it for you and give you an honest opinion on whether it sells you to your best advantage. Follow these guidelines and your resume will be a polished, finely tuned document that will considerably improve your chances of gaining an interview. Good luck!

Grooming tips for men and women

Hair: Should be clean and neat. Shoes: Should be in polished condition. Make sure heels are not worn. Details: No missing buttons, no lint; and don’t forget to remove external tags and tacking stitches from new clothes. Hands: Clean fingernails. Fit: Clothes should be clean, neatly pressed, and fit properly, neither tight nor baggy. Smell: Perfume or cologne should be used sparingly or not at all. No odors on clothes. Don't smell like smoke. Padfolios: Preferred over a bulky briefcase. A small briefcase is also appropriate, but if you have no reason to carry a briefcase, don't; you risk looking silly. Bookbags: Appropriate to carry to an information session held on campus (after all, you are a student). For career fairs and job fairs, bookbags are generally checked at the door, and you should carry a padfolio only. Don't carry a bookbag to an event held at a hotel.

Top 10 Things to Get Your Resume Noticed in 2008

Within the thousands of resumes we have seen and worked from, we have found some strange common mistakes made by a jobseeker. To avoid these mistakes: 1. Have a resume that is results-focused and does not just list job descriptions. 2. Other than your contact information, be sure not to include personal information on your resume. It is not appropriate. 3. Be sure your resume is about one to three pages in length. It will engage the reader if you do not tell them everything. It will also leave things to talk about in the interview. 4. Only put your cell phone number on your resume if are confident that when you answer it you will be able to go through a phone interview with no problem. 5. When using job boards to list your resume, change a few words and re-post it to the job board(s) everyday so you can be at the top of the list of qualified candidates. 6. Be sure you include a cover letter when there is a person you will be sending your resume to, unless they tell you it is not necessary. 7. Call and get a name so that when you send a cover letter it will go to a specific person. Also it will help when you call to follow up. 8. Always confirm that your resume was received when you submit a resume to a company or person. It is a great reason to make contact and can make a huge difference. 9. Get a business card when you go in for the interview so that you have the information of the person you spoke with. It makes sending the thank you letter easier. 10. After an interview, be sure that you handwrite or e-mail a personalized thank you letter that expresses your interest and qualifications again. Utilizing these ideas will make your job search more enjoyable and successful.

How to Find Your Ideal Internship

Congratulations! By reading this article you are taking the necessary steps for achieving greater career and job-search success upon graduation from college. Internships are invaluable learning experiences for college students -- and almost a necessity for any college graduate. Employers are demanding that college grads have "real world" experience, and internships are one of the best ways for college students to get that experience. So how do you find your ideal internship? It's a three-step process: Determine Your Internship Goals, Prepare/Polish Your Job Search Skills, and Find/Track Down Internship Sources. Determine Your Internship Goals Before you can even start thinking about finding an internship, you need to spend time reflecting on your goals for obtaining an internship. Consider these questions: * What are your specific career interests? An internship is a great tool to help you define your career goals. For example, if you're majoring in history, but have an eye on a political career, you might consider an internship with a local or state politician. Or, an internship can help further refine your career goals. For example, if you're a marketing major but not sure whether you want to go into advertising or public relations, you should consider getting internships in both areas to help you decide which is best for you. * Why do you want an internship -- and what do you hope to gain from it? There are multiple reasons for obtaining an internship, including answering the question above. Other possible reasons include learning new skills, gaining networking connections, adding work experience to your resume, and as an entry point that you hope leads to a full-time position with the employer when you graduate. * What type of organization are you interested in? Organizations come in all sizes and shapes, from Fortune 500 companies to not-for-profit organizations. What are you looking for? Issues to consider include size, ownership, corporate culture, etc. * What industry would be best for your needs? Even when you know exactly what you want to do, you can still be uncertain about the type of industry that best suits you. For example, if you are a natural-born salesperson, you really have the option of working in any industry, but pharmaceutical sales is quite different from selling insurance. * Where do you want to have your internship? If your internship is during the regular semester, you obviously need an internship close to your college campus, but during the summer months you may wish to have an internship near home so you can save on expenses (and enjoy mom or dad's cooking/laundry service/etc.) or in a location where you hope to land a full-time position when you graduate -- or just to experience a place in which you have never lived before. * Will you consider both paid and nonpaid internships? It would be great if all internships paid, but in reality a large number do not - especially in certain industries. So, you need to decide whether you can afford to not get paid during your internship. One more thing: while it is not always the case, paid internships tend to be more professional (and you do less grunt work) because the employer wants to get its money worth from you. * Do you want college credit for the internship? Many colleges offer at least some college credit for internships. The plus side (besides earning the credits) is that there is usually an internship program with an established list of employers and internships available to you. The down side is that there may be more restrictions on the type and amount of work you can do based on the program guidelines. Prepare/Polish Your Job Search Skills As internships become more and more competitive, it becomes even more important for you to have a strong set of job-search skills. We recommend you spend some time polishing these skills: * Cover letter writing * Resume preparation * Interviewing strategies Another good resource for you is all or part of our Student's Guide to Job-Hunting on the Internet, which has information and resources related to a number of the key issues discussed in this article. Find/Track Down Internship Sources Okay. If you've gotten this far, it's now time to find that ideal internship that perfectly fits all your goals and needs. So, where do you find internships? Try these resources: * Career Services Office. Just about all career services offices have a list of internship programs, important application dates, and other sources of internship information. This office is a great place to start your search. Some offices even have a special internship coordinator. * Major/Minor Department. Major-specific internship programs are frequently maintained by the department office. One or more faculty members may specifically handle internships, so make sure you investigate these sources. * Networking Sources. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a specific type of Internship; these people should include your family, your friends (at school and at home), your family's friends, your professors, past employers, alumni, etc. Just as with job-hunting, networking may be one of your best sources for internships -- especially for competitive internships. Learn more about networking. * Internship and Career Fairs. Most colleges (or college consortiums) offer at least one career fair during the academic year, and often one focuses specifically on internships. Even if you are looking for an internship in a different geographic location, go to the fairs and network with the recruiters. Many organizations have multiple offices -- and you may later change your mind. Read our article, The Ten Keys to Success at Job and Career Fairs. * Alumni Office. Many (if not all) colleges now ask alumni if they would be willing to sponsor current college students as interns - and these alums are a great source for internships as well as a networking source for other internships. Take advantage of this resource! This information may either be found in the career services office or the alumni office. * Company Websites. If you have already identified a specific set of companies where you would like to intern, you should consider going straight to the source by visiting the career section of each company's Website. Try our Quintessential Directory of Company Career Centers. * Internship Websites. There are a few general internship Websites, as well as a number of industry-specific Websites. A good resource, but internship sites have lagged behind the development of job sites, so don't depend too much on these resources. Where do you find the best internship sites? Go to our Internship Resources for College Students. * Books and Periodicals. There are some great print sources of internships. First, there are annual directories of internships, which you can find in our College Internship Books section. The other print source is trade magazines and newspapers published for your major or career field. If you are a member of a student organization, you may already have a subscription to at least one of them. Your college library should also have subscriptions to these publications -- as should some of your professors. These publications often publish information about internship programs. * Cold Contact. If none of these other internship sources work for you, or if you have a specific geographic location you want to target for your internship, consider using the cold calling method to find your internship. This process involves identifying a list of companies and writing them asking for an internship. Where can you get information about companies in a specific geographic location? Consider contacting that region's chamber of commerce for a list of member companies -- or just get your hands on a phone book for that area. What are some other sources? Go to our Guide for Researching Companies. And consider reading our article, Cold Calling: A Time-Tested Method of Job-Hunting. Final Words of Advice After you've found several internship possibilities and applied to them, your work is not done. Just as with job-hunting, you must follow-up with each company. Don't call the companies every day, but be persistent. The old adage about the squeaky wheel getting the grease rings true here. Follow-up your initial contact with a phone call, follow-up your interview with a thank-you letter, and follow-up your thank you letter with a phone call.

Dressing for the Job Interview

Well, your resume worked and now you have an appointment for the all important job interview. You have done your homework. You are confident that you can answer anything the interviewer throws at you. Finally the big day arrives and the final important choice must be made. What should you wear? It is no secret that how you look has everything to do with the first impression you make. A first impression is made in the first 27 seconds. If you are too formal in your appearance, you might give the impression of being rigid and stuffy. If you are too casual, you may send the signal that you do not take the interview or the job very seriously. Begin by talking to employees of your potential new employer and find out what the dress code is and how seriously management takes it. If you can't find out this information, you should choose clothing that is professional in the impression it gives. If you do not already own clothing that will work on an interview, you should go to a store where you can get good advice from the sales person. Be prepared to have the clothes tailored. No human being completely fits in clothes that are off the rack. To make the best impression the clothes must be altered to fit and accent your best features. The following ideas can never be neglected: Look clean and neat. Make sure that your hair is done appropriately. Women - do not wear wild hairdo's Men - get a trim of head and facial hair. Do not wear a perfume or cologne as many people are allergic. Bathing with a good quality bath soap will leave a light scent. You will be nervous and a gentle scent can mask the perspiring you may be doing. An unscented antiperspirant can be used. Cover any tattoos and avoid gaudy jewelry. Definitely limit pierced jewelry to ears only. Do not wear nose or tongue jewelry MEN Wear a suit or sport jacket with color coordinated trousers The color should be neutral or dark - blue, black or gray is best Wear a tie - even if you will never wear one after you get the job Shoes should be leather - clean and polished - black is best Make sure your nails are trimmed and that they are clean. WOMEN Wear a classic suit or a simple dress with a jacket. This is not a time to be provocative or sexy. Some appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy, or gray. Dress in a higher style that the position calls for but do not attempt to out dress everyone there. Avoid wearing clothes that are tight, revealing or trendy. It may be the very latest fashion but it will not impress the interviewer Fingernails should be trimmed to a length that doesn't leave an observer wondering how you keep from stabbing yourself. The polish should be closer to a color your mom might wear than to a color that your kid sister would go for. Even after you are successful in getting the job, you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Interviewing for that first job is only the beginning in the role clothing will play in your career. You should regularly add pieces made of high quality, long wearing fabrics. It is best to buy separates that you can mix and match with the pieces that you already own. Each piece you buy adds to the variety of looks you can achieve. You may ask why this is important? The reason is that even after you have the job you sought, you might like to be considered for advancement and promotion. The impression you leave on the job every day will be added to your performance when the boss looks around for someone to promote.

Interview Questions You May Be Asked (Part Two)

How long have you been looking for a new job? If you have been unemployed for a long time this may be a rather tricky question to answer. But be honest. If you have been away on holiday or done some voluntary work you could mention this. Do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large company? Remember where you are! If the company interviewing you is a small to medium sized company say that you enjoy a close atmosphere with a good team spirit. At a large company say that you enjoy the stability of working for a large and established company. What are you looking for in a new job? Make sure your answer fits in with the company who is interviewing you. A suitable reply would be that you are looking for a new job where you can apply your existing skills and learn new ones. What would your ideal job be? Again, remember where you are! Describe the job in terms of the criteria they have used to describe their job. An ideal job might include things like challenging work, a fair rate of pay for the job, nice colleagues, good career prospects, good team atmosphere, opportunity to learn new skills, apply old skills, etc. Are you considering any other positions at the moment? If you are say so, but do not give too many details away - it will weaken your negotiating position later. If you do not have any other job offers at the moment just say that you have a few irons in the fire. What did you think of your manager/supervisor? Say that he/she was the sort of person you could learn from and you communicated well, which meant that the task in hand was completed on time. What did you do on a day to day basis? Stress the positive things you did including your achievements. Even if some or much of it was paperwork, you can still show your interest in the way it was tackled. Did you increase sales or profits in your last job? This question is only relevant for senior managers or sales people. If you have increased sales and/or profit then do not be afraid to shout about it. If you have not increased sales say why not, e.g. general downturn in the market, etc. It might then be a good idea to mention an achievement in a previous job if your performance was better there. Have you reduced costs at your last company? If you have reduced costs say so - companies are always looking for ways to reduce costs. How would you describe yourself? / How would others describe you? Pick your best attributes and achievements from your career. Do you consider yourself successful? You should say you do. Pick some work related achievements that are in line with the position that you are discussing. What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it? You should pick an achievement which is related to their needs. What has been your biggest failure? Try to pick a failure which you were later able to correct or something that is not really important. How could you improve yourself? Do not mention anything negative about yourself - the interviewer is looking for a chink in your armour. Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job? If you progressed faster than normal you should say so. If growth was not as good as expected then be careful how you phrase this. Are you a leader? State how you have successfully acted as a leader, giving examples of your successes. How do you handle criticism? Your answer should be along the following lines: "I always think that it is important to get feedback on how I am performing so that I can improve any areas which my manager/supervisor highlights. Do you have regular staff appraisals and a staff development plan?" What sort of manager are you? / What makes a good manager? You should say that it is someone who listens to other people and can delegate whilst maintaining overall control of the task at hand, bringing in the project on time and to budget. Good planning skills are essential. Do you work well with others? Or are you a loner? Some jobs mean that you have to work very closely with other people whilst other jobs mean that you are largely working on your own, so you need to say that you are happy in both situations. Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self-motivated? You need to say that you are self-motivated. Are you accepted into a team quickly? Hopefully you can answer a resounding "Yes" to this question. Can you act on your own initiative? You should say that you can. You could ask how much responsibility you would have.

Interview Questions You May Be Asked (Part One)

Why do you want this job? Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not mention the negative aspects of your current job or the job in question. What qualities do you think will be required for this job? Their advertisement for the job may help you a little bit, but you should also think of the other qualities that may be required. These may include leadership ability, supervisory skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, problem solving, analytical skills, etc. What can you contribute? This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements in your previous position(s) which are relevant to the new position you are applying for. Why do you want to work for this company?Emphasize the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These would not endear you to a prospective employer. What do you know about this company? This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give them a run down of their products/services, sales figures, news, company figures, customers, etc. What interests you about our product (or service)?Again, your research into the company should aid you in answering this question. What can we (the new company) offer that your previous company cannot offer? Tread carefully here! Again do not mention money. Stress opportunities for personal growth, new challenges, etc. You have not done this sort of job before. How will you cope/succeed? Say that you are the sort of person who aims to succeed at everything you do and that you are very determined and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. Why should we employ you? The answer to this question will be based on your previous experience and achievements which relate to the company. At the end you could add that you think there is a good fit between you and the job, and do ask the interviewer for their opinion. How long do you think it would be before you were making a significant contribution to the team/company? If you think that you could contribute from day one then say so. Then turn the question round on them and say how soon would they expect it. How ambitious are you? Would you compete for my job?Depending on the position you are applying for you may want to sound fairly ambitious, but do not look as if you are after the interviewer's position. What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing? Likes: stress things such as a new challenge or the opportunity to bring fresh experience to the company. Dislikes: Imply there is nothing to dislike about the job, which is why you are so interested. Why did you choose a career in …? Be positive about your reasons. If you have changed careers make a logical argument as to why you did so. Why are you changing careers? This question will only be asked if you are making a radical change in your career. Always stress the positive aspects of the change rather than the negative aspects of your previous career - you do not want to come across as someone who is moving just because you hate your old career. Say why you think you will be good in the new career - this should come from your experience and achievements, stress the transferable skills you have, such as leadership ability, etc. How much does your last job resemble the one you are applying for? What are the differences? The interviewer is trying to see how well you would fit in to the position you are applying for. So you should stress the similarities rather than the differences. When it comes to discussing the differences it will help your case if you can show that either you have done something similar in the past or that you can quickly pick up the new skills. What do you think of the last company you worked for?You should stress the positive aspects of your last company saying that they were a good company to work for. Tell them about the training you received or the work related experience you gained. Why did you join your previous company? Did they live up to your expectations? Why are you leaving now? Always be positive about your reasons for joining and leaving a company. Be very careful that you do not say anything negative about your present employer. If you do, the new company will wonder what you will say about them when you leave. You might want to stress that you are looking for a new challenge and that you feel that the company who is interviewing you fits the bill! Explain the organisational structure in your last company and how you fitted into it? This sort of question may be used to find out whether your old job is at a comparable level to your new job. If the new job being discussed would be a step up the ladder you will need to show that you are ready for a more demanding position. You may be able to show that you have already had many of the responsibilities and the necessary skills which would be required for the next step.

25 Most Difficult Interview Questions [Be Prepared]

1. Tell me about yourself. Since this is often the opening question in an interview, be extracareful that you don't run off at the mouth. Keep your answer to a minute or two at most. Cover four topics: early years, education, work history, and recent career experience. Emphasize this last subject. Remember that this is likely to be a warm-up question. Don't waste your best points on it. 2. What do you know about our organization? You should be able to discuss products or services, revenues, reputation, image, goals, problems, management style, people, history and philosophy. But don't act as if you know everything about the place. Let your answer show that you have taken the time to do some research, but don't overwhelm the interviewer, and make it clear that you wish to learn more. You might start your answer in this manner: "In my job search, I've investigated a number of companies. Yours is one of the few that interests me, for these reasons..." Give your answer a positive tone. Don't say, "Well, everyone tells me that you're in all sorts of trouble, and that's why I'm here", even if that is why you're there. 3. Why do you want to work for us? The deadliest answer you can give is "Because I like people." What else would you like-animals? Here, and throughout the interview, a good answer comes from having done your homework so that you can speak in terms of the company's needs. You might say that your research has shown that the company is doing things you would like to be involved with, and that it's doing them in ways that greatly interest you. For example, if the organization is known for strong management, your answer should mention that fact and show that you would like to be a part of that team. If the company places a great deal of emphasis on research and development, emphasize the fact that you want to create new things and that you know this is a place in which such activity is encouraged. If the organization stresses financial controls, your answer should mention a reverence for numbers. If you feel that you have to concoct an answer to this question - if, for example, the company stresses research, and you feel that you should mention it even though it really doesn't interest you- then you probably should not be taking that interview, because you probably shouldn't be considering a job with that organization. Your homework should include learning enough about the company to avoid approaching places where you wouldn't be able -or wouldn't want- to function. Since most of us are poor liars, it's difficult to con anyone in an interview. But even if you should succeed at it, your prize is a job you don't really want. 4. What can you do for us that someone else can't? Here you have every right, and perhaps an obligation, to toot your own horn and be a bit egotistical. Talk about your record of getting things done, and mention specifics from your resume or list of career accomplishments. Say that your skills and interests, combined with this history of getting results, make you valuable. Mention your ability to set priorities, identify problems, and use your experience and energy to solve them. 5. What do you find most attractive about this position? What seems least attractive about it? List three or four attractive factors of the job, and mention a single, minor, unattractive item. 6. Why should we hire you? Create your answer by thinking in terms of your ability, your experience, and your energy. (See question 4.) 7. What do you look for in a job? Keep your answer oriented to opportunities at this organization. Talk about your desire to perform and be recognized for your contributions. Make your answer oriented toward opportunity rather than personal security. 8. Please give me your defintion of [the position for which you are being interviewed]. Keep your answer brief and taskoriented. Think in in terms of responsibilities and accountability. Make sure that you really do understand what the position involves before you attempt an answer. If you are not certain. ask the interviewer; he or she may answer the question for you. 9. How long would it take you to make a meaningful contribution to our firm? Be realistic. Say that, while you would expect to meet pressing demands and pull your own weight from the first day, it might take six months to a year before you could expect to know the organization and its needs well enough to make a major contribution. 10. How long would you stay with us? Say that you are interested in a career with the organization, but admit that you would have to continue to feel challenged to remain with any organization. Think in terms of, "As long as we both feel achievement-oriented." 11. Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position. What's Your opinion? Emphasize your interest in establishing a long-term association with the organization, and say that you assume that if you perform well in his job, new opportunities will open up for you. Mention that a strong company needs a strong staff. Observe that experienced executives are always at a premium. Suggest that since you are so wellqualified, the employer will get a fast return on his investment. Say that a growing, energetic company can never have too much talent. 12. What is your management style? You should know enough about the company's style to know that your management style will complement it. Possible styles include: task oriented (I'll enjoy problem-solving identifying what's wrong, choosing a solution and implementing it"), results-oriented ("Every management decision I make is determined by how it will affect the bottom line"), or even paternalistic ("I'm committed to taking care of my subordinates and pointing them in the right direction"). A participative style is currently quite popular: an open-door method of managing in which you get things done by motivating people and delegating responsibility. As you consider this question, think about whether your style will let you work hatppily and effectively within the organization. 13. Are you a good manager? Can you give me some examples? Do you feel that you have top managerial potential? Keep your answer achievementand ask-oriented. Rely on examples from your career to buttress your argument. Stress your experience and your energy. 14. What do you look for when You hire people? Think in terms of skills. initiative, and the adaptability to be able to work comfortably and effectively with others. Mention that you like to hire people who appear capable of moving up in the organization. 15. Have you ever had to fire people? What were the reasons, and how did you handle the situation? Admit that the situation was not easy, but say that it worked out well, both for the company and, you think, for the individual. Show that, like anyone else, you don't enjoy unpleasant tasks but that you can resolve them efficiently and -in the case of firing someone- humanely. 16. What do you think is the most difficult thing about being a manager or executive? Mention planning, execution, and cost-control. The most difficult task is to motivate and manage employess to get something planned and completed on time and within the budget. 17. What important trends do you see in our industry? Be prepared with two or three trends that illustrate how well you understand your industry. You might consider technological challenges or opportunities, economic conditions, or even regulatory demands as you collect your thoughts about the direction in which your business is heading. 18. Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job? Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can without hurting yourself. Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. where you considered this topic as you set your reference statements. If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision, the result of your action. Do not mention personality conflicts. The interviewer may spend some time probing you on this issue, particularly if it is clear that you were terminated. The "We agreed to disagree" approach may be useful. Remember hat your references are likely to be checked, so don't concoct a story for an interview. 19. How do you feel about leaving all your benefits to find a new job? Mention that you are concerned, naturally, but not panicked. You are willing to accept some risk to find the right job for yourself. Don't suggest that security might interest you more than getting the job done successfully. 20. In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you like the most? The least? Be careful and be positive. Describe more features that you liked than disliked. Don't cite personality problems. If you make your last job sound terrible, an interviewer may wonder why you remained there until now. 21. What do you think of your boss? Be as positive as you can. A potential boss is likely to wonder if you might talk about him in similar terms at some point in the future. 22. Why aren't you earning more at your age? Say that this is one reason that you are conducting this job search. Don't be defensive. 23. What do you feel this position should pay? Salary is a delicate topic. We suggest that you defer tying yourself to a precise figure for as long as you can do so politely. You might say, "I understand that the range for this job is between $______ and $______. That seems appropriate for the job as I understand it." You might answer the question with a question: "Perhaps you can help me on this one. Can you tell me if there is a range for similar jobs in the organization?" Don't sell yourself short, but continue to stress the fact that the job itself is the most important thing in your mind. The interviewer may be trying to determine just how much you want the job. Don't leave the impression that money is the only thing that is important to you. Link questions of salary to the work itself. But whenever possible, say as little as you can about salary until you reach the "final" stage of the interview process. At that point, you know that the company is genuinely interested in you and that it is likely to be flexible in salary negotiations. 24. What are your long-range goals? Refer back to the planning phase of your job search. Don't answer, "I want the job you've advertised." Relate your goals to the company you are interviewing: 'in a firm like yours, I would like to..." 25. How successful do you you've been so far? Say that, all-in-all, you're happy with the way your career has progressed so far. Given the normal ups and downs of life, you feel that you've done quite well and have no complaints. Present a positive and confident picture of yourself, but don't overstate your case. An answer like, "Everything's wonderful! I can't think of a time when things were going better! I'm overjoyed!" is likely to make an interviewer wonder whether you're trying to fool him . . . or yourself. The most convincing confidence is usually quiet confidence.

Marketing Your 'Hidden' Job Skills

Millions of job seekers -- including individuals new to the working world and those well past graduation -- wrestle with the same doubts: They're unsure if they are skilled or experienced enough to land a job in today's employment market. If you are among this group, the good news is you likely have more to offer companies than you think. In fact, you may have dozens of "hidden" abilities that employers seek. The trick is to identify and successfully market them. Here's how: Identifying your skills The first step is to distinguish your duties from your skills. Duties are the activities you perform on the job: generating reports, coordinating a national advertising campaign, providing desktop support. Skills are the tools and techniques you use to accomplish these tasks: knowledge of certain software, communication abilities, leadership. For example, if you've worked as an administrative assistant, you may have arranged meetings, drafted correspondence and answered the phone. As a result, you likely developed strong planning skills to ensure meetings went smoothly, strong communication abilities to accurately convey your manager's messages to staff, and solid customer service skills to successfully interact with internal and external clients. And that says nothing of your technical skills, such as typing speed, research abilities and knowledge of Microsoft Office. The list goes on. Before compiling your résumé, write down all of your previous duties. Then list the skills and abilities that were necessary to accomplish each task. Don't limit yourself to full-time jobs. Also include part-time work, volunteer positions and even your hobbies. Perhaps you served as the president of your homeowners association, thereby developing leadership skills, negotiation abilities and knowledge of budgeting processes. Chances are you'll uncover a number of talents you hadn't considered. Marketing your skills Of course, identifying your skills is only half the battle. You also must successfully market them to interested companies if you are to eventually land a job. The key is to find out what skills prospective employers are looking for and ensure your résumé and cover letter highlight these abilities. Start by asking yourself what type of firm you hope to work for: Is it large or small? A public or privately owned company? What industry is it in? What's the corporate culture like? Your answers can help you determine which of your many skills your ideal company may seek. For example, if you'd like to work for a large firm and speak Mandarin, considering targeting multinational companies that may be looking to hire individuals with your language skills. If you are applying for a position within the advertising field, prospective employers may be intrigued to learn about the pop-culture blog you write. You can gain an idea of the skills companies seek by looking at the job descriptions they post. For instance, a high-tech firm may be in need of systems security specialists to assist with the rollout of new protection software. Although you have never held this specific role before, the knowledge of common security breaches you attained through professional education courses and by volunteering for special information technology projects with past employers may help you get the job. Conducting informational interviews and consulting specialized publications like Robert Half International's "Glossary of Job Descriptions for Accounting and Finance" also can help you align the skills on your résumé and in your cover letter with the requirements of the position. One note of caution: Although it may be tempting to include all of your skills in your résumé and cover letter, throwing everything against the wall in hopes that something will stick is rarely an effective strategy. Hiring managers are only interested in one thing: whether, based on what they read, you deserve serious consideration as a candidate. Information that does not contribute to a positive response -- such as your participation in a recent marathon or your expertise with outdated software -- should be omitted. No matter how much or how little work experience you possess, you likely have a number of skills that will impress hiring managers. Before launching your next job search, take some time to uncover your hidden talents. Doing so will make you a more attractive candidate and increase your chance of success.

How To Interview the Interviewer??

As the interview comes to a close, one of the final questions you may be asked is "What can I answer for you?" Have interview questions of your own ready to ask. You aren't simply trying to get this job - you are also interviewing the employer to assess whether this company and the position are a good fit for you. Interview Questions to Ask: •How would you describe the responsibilities of the position? •How would you describe a typical week/day in this position? •Is this a new position? If not, what did the previous employee go on to do? •What is the company's management style? •Who does this position report to? If I am offered the position, can I meet him/her? •How many people work in this office/department? •How much travel is expected? •Is relocation a possibility? •What is the typical work week? Is overtime expected? •What are the prospects for growth and advancement? •How does one advance in the company? •Are there any examples? •What do you like about working here? •What don't you like about working here and what would you change? •Would you like a list of references? •If I am extended a job offer, how soon would you like me to start? •What can I tell you about my qualifications? •When can I expect to hear from you? •Are there any other questions I can answer for you? Interview Questions NOT to Ask: •What does this company do? (Do your research ahead of time!) •If I get the job when can I take time off for vacation? (Wait until you get the offer to mention prior commitments) •Can I change my schedule if I get the job? (If you need to figure out the logistics of getting to work don't mention it now...) •Did I get the job? (Don't be impatient).

5 Tips for a Safe Online Job-Search

Conducting a job search using the Internet has definitely transformed how jobseekers contact hiring companies. The availability of copying and pasting a text version resume into a form at a company's website has laid the foundation for an easier and more convenient process. No longer does a jobseeker need to spend hours with the traditional method of printing and mailing his resume to countless recipients. With the Internet's convenience, a breeding ground for scam artists continues to grow each year as well. Identity thefts have increased to an overwhelming 10 million cases per year, and many of them are the result of phishing — not surprisingly, the employment industry is under attack as well. Phishing is an attempt to extract personal information through what appears to be authentic emails. If you are job searching, an email from a seemingly interested recruiter, for example, may not raise a red flag with you. You may think that the contact person and company listed are legitimate, yet looks can be deceiving. Knowing what to look for and how to spot fraud (or potential areas for abuse) can be the best deterrent to ensuring you have a safe experience while conducting your job search. Be leery of submission invitations. Scammers and spammers follow the same patterns. Mass emails are sent to an enormous list of recipients. Not everyone on the "hit list" is searching for a new job; however, only a small number of people need to be convinced, or tricked into believing, the email is authentic in order for the scam to be deemed successful. Receiving an email from a recruiter who states, "We saw your resume on the Internet, and we find your skill set to be perfect for one of our clients. Please complete our online application through the below link." Ask yourself a series of questions: Did you send your resume to this recruiter? Visit the company's website (type the web address into your browser, avoid clicking the link in the email); upon further examination are they reputable? How did they hear about you? Call the company if necessary. Always proceed with caution when you receive a cold-contact email from someone. Avoid responding to requests for personal information, such as a social security or credit card number. Let's say you receive an email from what appears to be a well-known job bank. The email states that your account needs your contact and payment information to be updated in order for service renewal. You click on the link and you're taken to a page that looks, feels, and "smells" right. You proceed by submitting the requested information. The link appeared safe, but you were taken to a site designed to defraud you. Reputable companies will rarely ask for personal information via email so examine every incoming email for validity. When purchasing from a resume writing or resume submission service, for example, ensure information is encrypted upon hitting submit. Encryption, in short, ensures the private information you submit online is kept safe. When at your browser, you can recognize an encrypted form when the root URL starts with "https:" instead of "http:" or seeing the padlock present in the bottom right corner of your screen. Purchasing from companies having added security measures in place can ensure your private information avoids the hands of ill-willed people. Learn more about encryption by reading Jeff Tyson's article titled, "How Encryption Works," at howstuffworks.com. Read and understand the privacy policy of sites you patron. The Better Business Bureau possesses a strict policy for members who do business online. A privacy statement must be displayed on the company's website, no exceptions. High business practices are a necessity for maintaining the trust of online buyers; and the BBB understands the critical importance of trust among consumers. A privacy statement outlines what type of customer information is collected and how it's used. Alliances and partnerships, for example, arrange for Company A to sell or pass on client information to Company B. The information transferred or sold could be basic, like name and email address, or far more in-depth like name, address, social security number, and phone number. No matter how basic or detailed the information, the company must have the logistics spelled out in their privacy policy. Tell! Reports show an estimated 80% of online fraud goes unreported. If the proper authorities aren't aware of the magnitude of fraud that actually exists on the Internet, then getting the much-needed funds to battle the problem will take more time. The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (ifccfbi.gov) has an online complaint feature for individuals to report phishing attacks. The IFCC report process requires basic information, including information on the perpetrator and type of fraud. In addition to filing a complaint, forward the fraudulent email to the legitimate company. Phishing is smearing the good names of countless companies, and notifying the company about the scam can also help the fight. Companies being brought onboard will ensure well-rounded efforts to this epidemic. Avoid giving your information out freely. Whether you're at the end of a phishing attack or the job application requires more information than you're willing to provide, proceed with caution. Much like you'll analyze job opportunities; intensely examine each person who receives your personal information. With safe online practices, you'll get the best return from your job-search efforts — instead of spending hours filing a police report and calling credit bureaus and credit card companies.

Interview Strategy

You've landed two interviews, what can you expect? If you review the information listed below you should be armed with all the information you need to make the interview more comfortable and land your dream job.

Be prepared

Obviously, you will need to bring your resume. Even if you already know the company has your resume because you e-mailed it directly to the person you'll be interviewing with, bring copies anyway. Other people within the organization may sit in on the interview, so don't assume that all interviewers will have your resume. Not having additional copies can be an awkward and negative start to any interview. With this in mind always take at least three to five formatted copies of your resume along with a list of references.

Know challenges you've overcome

Throughout your career in each role, know your greatest challenges and how you overcame them. This or a similar question is almost ALWAYS asked. Be sure you have one example for each position you've held. You never know which job will catch the interviewer's attention.

Create your own story so you are ready for anything

An excellent idea is to create your own story. This way when the interviewer asks questions of you, then you are prepared. You just mentally reference "your story". That will make it easier for you to answer questions of the interviewer. They may ask questions in many varieties. You cannot prepare for the exact question, but if you have developed your own story, it will make the task of answering the questions a breeze.

Your mental personal story would be similar to: My name is Bob Jones. For the last 15 years I've worked for Coca-Cola in sales, business development and management. I have held three different progressive positions. I started in sales. My role in sales was to meet with Franchisees and ensure that they were satisfied with their relationship with Coca-Cola and ensure they renewed their contracts with Coca-Cola. My goal was to build strong relations with clients and really get to know their business to create marketing promotions/signage to increase beverage sales for the location. I successfully obtained my goals and objectives and each year increased by at least 10%. Before this position, I worked with ... (and the story continues)

Research the company

At the end of every interview, there will be a question from the interviewer - "Do you have any questions?" You think to yourself, "Not really, pretty self explanatory. I just want the job." Obviously, that is not the answer to give. Not asking questions can be a fatal move. This is your time to demonstrate your knowledge of the industry, the company and get additional information about the position. You should ask questions. Here are a few examples:

Good questions to ask (just pick 3 or so):

* My favorite: What attracted you (the interviewer) to this organization?
* What kind of turnover rate does the company have?
* What happened to the person that held this position before? Was he promoted?
* What projects and assignments will I be working on?
* What are the current problems facing the company (or my department)?
* Describe the work environment.
* Why do you enjoy working for this company?
* Describe the typical responsibilities of the position.
* What are the most challenging aspects of the position?
* Will I receive any formal training?
* Are there opportunities for advancement within the organization?
* ALWAYS CLOSE WITH: When can I expect to hear from you?

Close the sale

Any salesperson will tell you, "You know that you cannot make a sale if you don't ask for the sale." If you're interested in the position that you are interviewing for, let the interviewer know this by stating, "I am very interested in this position. Is there anything that prevents you from offering me this position right now?"

Follow Up Letter

Be sure to send a thank you letter. It should mainly reiterate your interest in the position and mention specific things that were brought up in the interview and how you'd be a perfect match for the position. For example, if the interviewer kept mentioning the company's commitment to customer service then you may want to add in your thank you letter: "Throughout my career I have worked in many environments where customer service was key. I have been able to work with numerous clients and have had many referrals due to your professionalism and ability to connect with the customer. I am confident that I can bring your ability to build customer relationships and utilize this ability to the benefit of the XYZ Company team."

Now you have an outline of things to prepare and review for the interview. With preparation it should be difficult for the interviewer to throw you off track. You should be confident and ready to tackle any challenging questions that may come up and get hired!

Choosing a Satisfying Career

In a recent study covered by a leading market research firm, Harris Interactive Inc., it was found that only 45% of America's workforce is satisfied with their jobs. This is a significant drop from three decades ago when a similar survey reflected a 75% job satisfaction rate.

Addressing this concern is a tedious process, but we can all take small and careful steps to make sure we would not be among the 33% who think they are in dead end jobs, or the 21% who wish to drop their current career path in order to take up something new.

Jobseekers: Here is a list of questions that will help you evaluate what career path is perfect for you.

1) Do you know yourself well enough?

* Being able to understand your potentials, abilities, interests, preferences, motivating factors, and values is the key element in choosing your career. Match your personality with your profession.

* If you are creative, who not try a career in art and design? Click here for more information on receiving on online degree for The Arts Institute.

2) Have you set your own personal goals?

* Setting goals gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day. It keeps employees driven and having a positive attitude towards to the work they do. Choose a career that is compatible with goals you have set yourself.

* If your goal is to earn extra money for your savings account, maybe you should try a career that provides commission or incentives.

3) Do you think ahead?

* Identify your weaknesses and possible hindrance to your job satisfaction with the career path you have in mind. Knowing the enemy is a means to winning the battle.

* If you do not have the attention span needed for Accounting, don't waste your time trying it out. If you need structure in your work-day do not try a career in Marketing. Never be timid to try something new, but know yourself before you know your career-path.

4) Have you taken career tests?

* There are tons of career tests you can take online. It is not 100% accurate and may not all work well for you, but it is helpful in widening your perspective and giving you more options for a career path.

* If your career tests show you that you are very good with people, why don't you give public relations or advertising a shot?

5) Are you a risk taker?

* Be open to failure, but do not obsess on it. Learn from mistakes and try as hard as you can not to commit the same ones.

Start your own Search Engine Company

Some entrepreneurs may look at an online search market dominated by Google and Yahoo and then look elsewhere on the internet for a startup idea. But other entrepreneurs see opportunity. Spock.com co-founders Jaideep Singh, 40, and Jay Bhatti, 35, are taking on search by intentionally not taking on Google. Their Redwood City, California, startup focuses solely on people search and capturing a share of what eMarketer estimates is an $11 billion market for search advertising in 2008. "The opportunity to develop a compelling experience is there if you focus on the right verticals and create a differentiated enough experience from Google," says Bhatti.
The first hurdle a search startup needs to clear is finding the right niche. The general search market may be cornered by some big players, but there's still room for innovative ideas. "We're not trying to build a fad," says Bhatti. "We're trying to build a real technology with a business model behind it. This has the potential to change the way users look for content on the web." He points to search engines Kayak.com (travel search) and TheFind.com (product search) as examples of other search businesses finding success in specific niches.
Despite being located near Silicon Valley and its savvy Web 2.0 techies, Bhatti never loses sight of Spock.com's target customers. "You have to make sure you build it for the right audience--and that's the mass consumer audience--and not for the tech crowd," he says. That effort shows in Spock.com's simple user interface and cleanly laid out search results. New search entrepreneurs will have to spend a considerable amount of time and effort on the framework of their search technology, at the same time figuring out the best way to present it to potential users.Spock.com has invested a lot more of its $7 million in round A funding into engineers, search technology and user interface than it has into marketing. Currently working on round B funding, the company hopes to scale the business up and eventually crack the top five of search engines. "One of the biggest things that you have to understand as an entrepreneur is that anything is possible," says Bhatti. "Market conditions can change very quickly, [as can] market leaders." That need for nimbleness in the search market is a good sign for small startups in this space.

Beginners Guide to CSS Competitive Examination

To check your eligibility you need to have a look at CSS Rules
To know syllabi you need to browse CSS Syllabus
Once you browse the above links certain problems or questions would crop out in your mind. These are those certain problems, which we confront when we aspire to take CSS exams. These are:
What optional subjects should I opt?
Am I competent enough to take CSS exams?
What is sufficient time span for preparation?
How much should I study?
First we deal question 1:
There are two perspectives:
Optional subjects about which we learn that they are high scoring subjects.
Optional subjects about which we learn that they are not that high scoring subjects.
Perspective A:
No denying the fact that there are certain subjects, which are really marks yielding these subjects include all science subjects such as pure math, applied math, physics, computer sciences… and other subjects such as mercantile law, accountings etc. To analyze this perspective one should consider these points:
One’s aptitude concerning the subject.
One’s skill concerning the subject.
One’s capacity concerning enhancement one’s capability in the subject.
Who should opt these subjects?
Anybody who says ‘yes’ to all above questions should go for these subjects.
It is reality that there is no surety that one earns a bachelor’s or master degree in any of the these disciplines with enthusiasm or keen interest. Most of us earned our degrees without reckoning our aptitude. Or we go for a discipline, which is in “fashion”. Or sometimes we are left with no choice-a Hobson’s choice. In CSS mater is quite different here we do not have to earn a degree rather we have to grab excellent marks. If these subjects are marks yielding; it is realty too that these are one of those subjects, which can’t be solved with general knowledge. General knowledge is a tool or open seism for success in subjects fall in category of humanities. One of the best ways to analyze one’s capabilities in natural sciences subjects is to review past 10 years papers in this way one can easily understand the prospective problems and rate of success. By reviewing past 10 years papers one can easily calculate how much diligent efforts are required to get excellent marks in the subject. Please neither underestimates nor overestimates your competence. In case of overestimation none would endure loss but only you. Underestimation is somewhat good because it would work as impetus for hardworking. Most important thing in opting these subjects is your aptitude. Higher the aptitude higher would be the rate of success.
Remember in old days only physical strength was a tool to get success; physical strength was replaced by intelligence; intelligence was replaced by hardworking; hardworking was replaced by power of self-administration.
So only criterion of success is to administer yourself; administer your aptitude, administer your intelligence and ultimately administer your power to endure tough times.
Perspective B:
This perspective does not hold water because of the fallowing facts:
No subject is low scoring if one is well prepared.
Only requirement to get high score is to know how to deal that subject.
Your aptitude is your strength; higher the aptitude higher would be success rate.
For instance, it is said that constitutional law is too easy subject but as low score as 2 has been recorded in this subject. Intriguingly in the same subject numbers of aspirant have scored more than 80%.
As said before your aptitude is your strength and next step to get excellent marks is to administer your aptitude. Only advice that could be given is to evaluate your aptitude precisely. Point is to put effort. Remember any subject either belongs to natural science or social science would be of no use if you have no aptitude or interest. Lower the aptitude higher would be boredom; higher would be boredom higher the difficulty in dealing the subject and ultimately higher stamina would be required to borne that subject. So please do not waste your vitality just in digesting perceived monotony a subject.
Last but not least point in opting optional subjects is to evaluate scope of subjects. Go for that subject where you have adequate interest coupled with relatively shorter syllabus instead of that subject where you feel too aptitude coupled with too much syllabus. Here the most important constraint is of time constraint if you have a year for preparation you could choose latter option but if you do not have enough time formal option would be better.
Now time to deal second question.
Am I competent enough to take CSS exams?
There are indeed some apprehensions such as:
I have never enjoyed creditable academic record.
My English is not that high.
I am not confident.
Can I offer what this endeavor demands?
You can cope any kind of apprehension if you have high will compound with logic. If there is a will there is a way! What you have to do is to draw a strategy or a plan with different milestones you job is to cross milestones within time. For instance your milestones (which could be interpreted in term of prerequisite of success) could be these:
Milestone 1: I have to get English proficiency (say first 3 moths).
Millstone 2: I have to develop analytical characteristics (say within 2 months).
First you have to draw your strategy; strategy is how you define you ‘problem statement’ that is you define what you have to do in order to achieve you objective the second part which is most important is to execution of strategy that is your work on “how” part of your problem. Remember do not render strategy making “a brown study” or building castle in air. You strategy should be feasible and must be realistic or workable. Again please do not overestimate yourself.
You can do any thing what any other single human being can do. If you feel that you take more time as compare to any other person or just simple that you can’t grab things fast do not bother yourself remember the essence that ‘YOU CAN DO WHAT OTHER CAN DO!’ instead of taking time span a predicament. But time span should be realistic such as if one can do a piece of work in 1 day you must be able to do that work in 3 days anyhow that different must keeps dwindle as time passes and you should be able to do that work in 1 and half day.
Beside aforementioned stuff following are other imperatives that are of equally importance:
English language proficiency
Grasp on current affair
Analytical capabilities
What role English language proficiency plays is as obvious as one’s existence.
About grasp on current affairs I would like to quote Yahya’s statement that if one has no grasp over current affair one no need to bother oneself to take exams. Yahya scored 37 th position in 2003 CSS exams. Yahya statement holds water in very circumstances and one can easily validate his statement if one has gone through paper pattern of 2005 CSS exams; even Islamyat paper was not devoid of current affairs.
Analytical mind plays decisive role in one’s success FPSC has too changed her course from encouraging rot learning to appreciate analytical mind. If you do not have analytic skill it would be very difficult to attempt paper with reason and logic. If your paper has no show of mind you cant expect any bright success. Anyhow to develop analytical skill is not too difficult you just need to read what one says and put argument accordingly. First you would face difficulty to pen argument but you can learn from editorials or opinions of newspaper where writer always support her option only on bases of logic. You can easily judge that different writers support their points on different ground and they often vary from each other if endorse one policy other endorse any other policy you can judge that on what points one endorse a specific policy and on what points one oppose that policy. Another way is to develop these skill is to discuss contemporary affairs with your friends, go to chat room try to get opinions of different people who belong to different regions argue with them on specific points through this way you can easily gather different viewpoints such as American view, Iraqi, Indian view on specific issues. Remember learn how to acknowledge true reason; do not dare stick to your point if one provides enough logic to support her point instead of your insistence on your viewpoint, which is averse of logic.
Now to deal question: What is sufficient time span for preparation?
No one can predict accurate time span it could be from 6 month to 3 years. All is what academic background you have what kind of skills you have what is your rate to grasp concept.
If one has to start from scratch but possessing good metal capabilities rough estimation is of 1 year.
If one has to start from scratch with not too good metal capabilities rough estimation is of 1½ to 1 year.
If one need not to start from scratch and possessing good metal capabilities rough estimation is of 6 months.
Thing is this is you who has to gauge your skills precisely on one can better predicate time span for preparation but only you. Another thing is this time span is estimated with viewing of getting good positions. There could be no time span if one claims oneself a fatalist and insist to enjoy the aftermaths of one’s adventure based on “high stars” rather than on deliberation.
How much should I study?
Answer of this question strictly depends on your choice of time span coupled with your metal capabilities. Whatsoever time span you chose as suggested above (in second last question) you need to study from 6 to 8 hours on daily basis.