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An Opportunity to join SAIL as Management Trainees

Management Trainees (Technical)- 318


Management Trainees (Administration ) -57


SAIL, a Maharatna Company, is the leading steel-making company in India with a turnover of
Rs. 47,103 crore (FY 10-11). The company is one of the highest profits earning corporate of the
country. SAIL, is in the process of modernizing and expanding its production units, raw material
resources and other facilities to maintain its dominant position in the Indian steel market. To
man front-line executive positions in its Plant/Units, SAIL invites applications for the posts of
Management Trainees (Technical) and Management Trainees (Administration) in E-1 grade
from young, energetic, result oriented and promising talent in the country.


ELIGIBILITY:
Upper Age : 30 years as on 1.7.2011, i.e., not born earlier than 1.7.1981


Minimum Qualification 
Management Trainees(Technical)
Degree in Engg. (full time)/MCA (3 years full time)with 65% marks (average of all
semesters), in the disciplines of Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgy, Civil, E&T,
Instrumentation, Ceramics, Chemical, Computer Science and Mining Engineering


Management Trainees(Administration)
For HR and Marketing :
Bachelors’ degree in any discipline with 60% marks with at least two years full time
MBA/PG Diploma in management with 60% marks in HR/PM&IR/Pers /MHROD for
HR and Marketing for Marketing discipline.
For MT -Finance : CA/ICWA


RELAXATIONS:
Age
The upper age limit is relaxable by 5 years for SC/ST and by 3 years for OBC candidates and by
10 years for Physically Handicapped candidates). Those domiciled in the state of Jammu &
Kashmir from 1/1/80 to 31/12/89 will be allowed by 5 years relaxation in upper age limit.
For departmental candidates the upper age limit shall be 45 years.


Qualification
For MT (Tech) : The SC/ST/PWD and Departmental Candidates having Engineering Degree in
the required disciplines with 55% marks shall be eligible to apply
For MT (Admn.) : The SC/ST/PWD and Departmental Candidates having Bachelor’s degree with
50% marks and MBA/PG Diploma in Management in the relevant discipline with 50% shall be
eligible to apply against HR and Marketing disciplines.
For MT (Tech) post, candidates having degree in related disciplines as given below can apply
against the respective discipline:


Main Disciplines   BE/BTech/MCA
Mechanical 
Mechanical / Production / Industrial Engg. / Production & Industrial Engg. /
Thermal / Mechanical & Automation


Electrical 
Electrical / Electrical & Electronics / Electrical, Instrumentation & Control /
Power Systems & High Voltage / Power Electronics / Power Engineering


Electronics & Telecommunication
Electronics/Electronics & Telecomm./ Electronics & Communication


Instrumentation & Control
Electronics & Power / Electronics & Instrumentation / Instrumentation &
Control/ Electrical, Instrumentation & Control


Computer Science
Computer Science/ Information Technology/MCA (three years)

SELECTION PROCEDURES

HEALTH :
For MT (Tech)
Should be of sound physique, free from any physical defect. Medical standards stipulate
minimum requirements of Weight 45 kg; Height 155 cm; Myopia and Hypermetropia, if any, not
to exceed ± 4.00 in each eye and no squint or colour blindness, partial or full. Suitable
relaxation in height and weight will be given to female candidates.


For MT (Admn.)
Should be of sound physique, free from any physical defect. Medical standards stipulate
minimum requirements of Weight 45 kg; Height 155 cm; Myopia and Hypermetropia, if any, not
to exceed ± 6.00 in each eye. Suitable relaxation in height and weight will be given to female
candidates.


RESERVATIONS:
Reservations for SC/ST/OBC/Physically Handicapped categories will be provided as per
Presidential Directives.


The OBC candidates who belong to ‘Creamy layer’ are not entitled to OBC concession and such
candidates have to indicate their category as General. The OBC (non creamy layer) candidates
are required to submit the requisite certificate in the prescribed format issued in the current
financial year by the competent authority at the time of Interview, if called for.
Under the Persons with Disability category, while the post of Management Trainees (Technical)
is open only for Orthopaedically disabled candidates, the post of Management Trainees
(Administration) is open to all categories of disabilities.


Category (SC/ST/OBC/PWD) once entered in the online application form will not be allowed
to be changed and no benefit of other category will be admissible later on.



SELECTION:
Eligible candidates will be required to appear for a Written Examination, information for which
will be provided in the Admit card. Candidates shortlisted on the basis of their performance in
the Written Test will be intimated to appear for Group Discussion/Interview.


WRITTEN TEST :
Eligible candidates will be required to appear for objective type written test in at any one of
the centres at Agartala, Allahabad, Bangalore, Baroda, Bhilai, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Bokaro,
Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Durgapur, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi,
Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Ranchi, Rourkela, Salem, Trichy, Vijaywada and
Visakhapatnam.


However, SAIL may add/delete any centre and allocate appropriate centre to the candidate.
The written test for both the above mentioned posts will be held on the same day as per the
following schedule:


i) For MT(Technical) - In the Forenoon session
ii) For MT(Administration) - In the Afternoon session


Candidates can apply and compete for both or either of the above stated posts, subject to their
fulfilling the eligibility conditions prescribed for each. Those interested in competing for both
the posts will have to apply separately for each of the post with requisite fee and also will be
required to appear in the tests in both the sessions at the same centre.


GROUP DISCUSSION / INTERVIEW:
Candidates shortlisted on the basis of their performance in the written test will be intimated to
appear for Group Discussion/Interview, which may be held at short notice. Please visit the SAIL
website for information on the same. SC/ST/OBC candidates will be given relaxation in
prescribed qualifying level for written test, group discussion and interview.


TRAINING & PROBATION:
Candidates selected as Management Trainees will be placed on training for one year. The
Management Trainees (Technical) will be registered as Apprentices under the provisions of
Apprentices Act, 1961. After successful completion of training, the candidates shall be placed
under probation for one year.


EMOLUMENTS:
The Management Trainees will be offered Basic Pay of Rs.20,600/- p.m. in the pay scale of
Rs.20600-3%-46500 (E-1). On successful completion of training the Management Trainees will
be designated as Junior Managers in the same scale of pay.


Besides Basic Pay, the MTs will also be paid Dearness Allowance. They will also be entitled for
other perquisites and benefits such as PF, Gratuity and other perks & allowances as per rules of
the Company in vogue. The CTC would be around Rs. 7 lakhs p.a. In addition, Company
provides benefits like Leave encashment, housing/HRA and free medical facility for self and
dependents as per rules in vouge.


An amount of Rs. 5000/- per month will be deducted from the total emoluments during the
period of training and probation, as retention amount, on returnable basis on confirmation of
service in the Company after successful completion of training and probation period (two
years). The retention amount will be forfeited, on leaving the service/termination of service
before confirmation.


Being direct recruitment on initial basic, the Company will not bear any liability on account of
Salary/ leave salary/ pension contribution etc., of pervious employment, if any.


PLACEMENT :
If selected, the candidates can be posted to any Plant/Unit location of the Company. The
candidates will not be allowed to seek/ apply for transfer to any other plant/unit location of the
Company for initial four years of service. For departmental candidates this restriction will be
for initial two years.

HOW TO APPLY

Eligible and interested candidates would be required to apply online only through SAIL’s
website: www.sail.co.in. No other means/mode of application shall be accepted.
Before registering their applications on the website the candidates should possess the
following:


a) Valid e-mail ID, which should remain valid for atleast one year.
b) Pay in Slip for Rs.500/- as examination fee for General and OBC Candidates. Rs.100/- as
processing fee for SC/ST/ PH/Departmental candidates. The Pay-in-Slip is to be downloaded
from the website after filling in the required details.
c) Candidates should have latest passport size photograph as well as photograph of signatures
in digital format (.jpg or jpeg file only, of less than 500 kb size) for uploading with the
application form.
d) Candidates applying for both MT (Tech.) and MT (Admn.) should register separately with
separate application and processing fee.
After applying online, candidate is required to download the system generated Registration
Slip with unique registration number and other essential details.


MODE OF PAYMENT OF APPLICATION/PROCESSING FEE
State Bank of India has been authorized to collect the registration fee (examination fee), in a
specially opened account (No. 31836070568) at CAG Branch, New Delhi, on behalf of SAIL.
Candidate has to approach the nearby SBI branch with a printout of the “pay-in-slip” which is
available on the Application Registration Portal. The pay-in-slip printed from the Portal only
should be used for depositing the fee for proper crediting of amount in the allocated account.
On receipt of the money the concerned branch of SBI will issue a unique Journal Number and a
Branch Code of the branch collecting the money. This Journal Number and the Branch Code are
to be filled up by the candidate during online registration. In case the candidate deposits the
fee in a wrong account, SAIL will not be responsible. There will not be any other mode of
collection of registration fee. Also please note that an amount of Rs.20/- will be paid by the
candidate as Bank Charges to the collection branch of SBI in addition to the applicable
registration/processing fee. The SBI branches will accept the fee from 10.00 AM of the starting
date to 5.00 PM of the closing date of submission of online application.
Fee once paid will not be refunded under any circumstances. Candidates are therefore
requested to verify their eligibility before paying the application/processing fee.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

All correspondence with candidates shall be done through e-mail only. All information
regarding examination schedule/admit card/ interview call letters etc. shall be provided
through email/uploading on SAIL website. Responsibility of receiving, downloading and
printing of admit card/interview call/ any other information shall be of the candidate. SAIL
will not be responsible for any loss of email sent, due to invalid/wrong email ID provided by
the candidate or for delay/not receipt of information if a candidates fails to access his/her
mail/website in time.


Candidates are not required to send any document to SAIL. The candidates will be allowed to
appear in the Written Test only if they possess the valid Photo Admit Card which will be
available for download from the SAIL website as per schedule indicated below.

Candidates possessing full time degree course from Institutes approved/recognized by
UGC/AICTE will only be eligible to apply. Only departmental candidates having
degree/diploma through correspondence/part time course from approved/recognized
institutes will be eligible to apply.

The term departmental candidates means those candidates who are currently working
with SAIL as permanent employees.

Wherever CGPA/OGPA or letter grade in a degree is awarded; equivalent percentage of
marks should be indicated in the online application form as per norms adopted by the
University/Institute. The candidate will have to produce a copy of these norms with
respect to his/her University/Institute at the time of Interview.

If the PG Degree/Diploma in Management does not mention the area of specialization,
specialization in the area will be considered only if the candidate has studied at least
three subjects of the specialized course as elective subjects.

Those candidates who are awaiting their final results can also apply. However, they will
have to produce the final certificate of eligibility qualification at the time of Interview,
otherwise their candidature will not be entertained.

Candidature of a registered candidate is liable to be rejected at any stage of recruitment
process or even on joining, if any information provided by the candidate is found to be
false or not in conformity with the eligibility criteria.

Candidates employed in Govt. departments/PSUs/Autonomous Bodies will have to
produce NOC at the time of interview.

No request for change of examination centre will be entertained. However, SAIL
reserves the right to cancel or add any centre depending on the response in that
area/centre.

If the SC/ST/OBC/PH certificate has been issued in a language other than English/Hindi,
the candidates will be required to submit a self certified translated copy of the same
either in English or Hindi.

Candidates may visit the FAQs section on the SAIL website for any queries.

Candidates should retain a photocopy of their Pay in Slip and Registration Slip as they
can be asked to produce it for future reference.

SAIL reserves the right to cancel/restrict/enlarge/modify/alter the requirements
advertised, if need so arise, without issuing any further notice or assigning any reason
thereto.

The health standards indicated above are minimum pre-requisites. However,
appointment of selected candidates will be subject to their passing the Company’s
Medical Examination as per standards laid down under SAIL’s Medical & Health Policy.

The candidates applying against this advertisement, may be considered for appointment
in any of subsidiaries/ joint venture Companies of SAIL. In such case their appointment
will be as per the terms and conditions of the respective subsidiary/joint venture
Company.

Court of jurisdiction for any dispute will be at Delhi.

IMPORTANT DATES

1. Starting date for submitting applications through website 27.07.2011
2. Closing date for submitting applications through website 17.08.2011
3. Starting date for downloading of Admit Card from SAIL website for written examination 05.09.2011
4. Tentative Date of Written Test (will be confirmed in Admit Card) 25.09.2011

Interview DOs

Dress appropriately for the industry; err on the side of being conservative to show you take the interview seriously. Your personal grooming and cleanliness should be impeccable. Know the exact time and location of your interview; know how long it takes to get there, park, find a rest room to freshen up, etc. Arrive early; 10 minutes prior to the interview start time. Treat other people you encounter with courtesy and respect. Their opinions of you might be solicited during hiring decisions. Offer a firm handshake, make eye contact, and have a friendly expression when you are greeted by your interviewer. Listen to be sure you understand your interviewer's name and the correct pronunciation. Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name, address your interviewer by title (Ms., Mr., Dr.) and last name, until invited to do otherwise. Maintain good eye contact during the interview. Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching. Respond to questions and back up your statements about yourself with specific examples whenever possible. Ask for clarification if you don't understand a question. Be thorough in your responses, while being concise in your wording. Be honest and be yourself. Dishonesty gets discovered and is grounds for withdrawing job offers and for firing. You want a good match between yourself and your employer. If you get hired by acting like someone other than yourself, you and your employer will both be unhappy. Treat the interview seriously and as though you are truly interested in the employer and the opportunity presented. Exhibit a positive attitude. The interviewer is evaluating you as a potential co-worker. Behave like someone you would want to work with. Have intelligent questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having done your research about the employer in advance, ask questions which you did not find answered in your research. Evaluate the interviewer and the organization s/he represents. An interview is a two-way street. Conduct yourself cordially and respectfully, while thinking critically about the way you are treated and the values and priorities of the organization. Do expect to be treated appropriately. If you believe you were treated inappropriately or asked questions that were inappropriate or made you uncomfortable, discuss this with a Career Services advisor or the director. Make sure you understand the employer's next step in the hiring process; know when and from whom you should expect to hear next. Know what action you are expected to take next, if any. When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye contact. Depart gracefully. After the interview, make notes right away so you don't forget critical details. Write a thank-you letter to your interviewer promptly.

Interview DON'Ts

Don't make excuses. Take responsibility for your decisions and your actions. Don't make negative comments about previous employers or professors (or others). Don't falsify application materials or answers to interview questions. Don't treat the interview casually, as if you are just shopping around or doing the interview for practice. This is an insult to the interviewer and to the organization. Don't give the impression that you are only interested in an organization because of its geographic location. Don't give the impression you are only interested in salary; don't ask about salary and benefits issues until the subject is brought up by your interviewer. Don't act as though you would take any job or are desperate for employment. Don't make the interviewer guess what type of work you are interested in; it is not the interviewer's job to act as a career advisor to you. Don't be unprepared for typical interview questions. You may not be asked all of them in every interview, but being unprepared looks foolish. A job search can be hard work and involve frustrations; don't exhibit frustrations or a negative attitude in an interview. Don't go to extremes with your posture; don't slouch, and don't sit rigidly on the edge of your chair. Don't assume that a female interviewer is "Mrs." or "Miss." Address her as "Ms." unless told otherwise. Her marital status is irrelevant to the purpose of the interview. Don't chew gum or smell like smoke. Don't allow your cell phone to sound during the interview. (If it does, apologize quickly and ignore it.) Don't take a cell phone call. Don't take your parents, your pet (an assistance animal is not a pet in this circumstance), spouse, fiance, friends or enemies to an interview. If you are not grown up and independent enough to attend an interview alone, you're insufficiently grown up and independent for a job. (They can certainly visit your new city, at their own expense, but cannot attend your interview.)

Interview DOs and DON'Ts

Here are the keys to successful phone interviewing. Follow these simple rules and you should achieve success in this important phase of job-hunting.

* Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you. * When in job-hunting mode, don't have a disproportionately silly or long greeting on your answering machine or voicemail. * Do ensure that household members understand the importance of phone messages in your job search. * Do know what job you are interviewing for. * Do practice, if possible. Have a friend call you to do a mock phone interview so you get the feel of being interviewed over the phone. * When being interviewed by phone, do make sure you are in a place where you can read notes, take notes, and concentrate. * If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter. It's often best to be the one who calls back so you can be mentally prepared. * Do consider using a phone interview log. * Do consider keeping some notecards or an outline in front of you to remind yourself of key points you want to cover with the interviewer. You don't want your responses to sound scripted, but you don't want to fumble for important points either. Do also have your resume in front of you so you can remember highlights of your experience and accomplishments. * Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard. * Do consider standing when being interviewed on the phone. Some experts say you'll sound more professional than if you're slouching in an easy chair. * Do consider dressing nicely for the phone interview. It may sound silly since the interviewer can't see you, but you really will project a more professional image if you're dressed for the part instead of wearing, for example, a ratty bathrobe. * Don't feel you have to fill in the silences. If you've completed a response, but the interviewer hasn't asked his or her next question, don't start babbling just to fill in airtime. Instead, ask a question of your own related to your last response. * Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions. * Don't panic if you have special needs. If you are hearing-impaired, for example, phone interviews are still possible. * Don't snuffle, sneeze or cough. If you can't avoid these behaviors, say “excuse me.” * Don't chew gum or food, or drink anything noisy

Concentration

1. Enter into a state of relaxed concentration. This is the state from which great basketball players or Olympic skaters operate. You'll need to quiet the negative self chatter in your head through meditation or visualization prior to sitting down in the meeting. You'll focus on the present moment and will be less apt to experience lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation.

2. Act spontaneous, but be well prepared. Be your authentic self, professional yet real. Engage in true conversation with your interviewer, resting on the preparation you did prior to coming to the meeting. Conduct several trial runs with another person simulating the interview before it actually occurs. It's the same as anticipating the questions you'll be asked on a final exam.

Goal

3. Set goals for the interview. It is your job to leave the meeting feeling secure that the interviewer knows as much as he or she possibly can about your skills, abilities, experience and achievements. If you sense there are misconceptions, clear them up before leaving. If the interviewer doesn't get around to asking you important questions, pose them yourself (diplomatically) and answer them. Don't leave the meeting without getting your own questions answered so that you have a clear idea of what you would be getting yourself into. If possible, try to get further interviews, especially with other key players.

4. Know the question behind the question. Ultimately, every question boils down to, "Why should we hire you?" Be sure you answer that completely. If there is a question about your meeting deadlines, consider whether the interviewer is probing delicately about your personal life, careful not to ask you whether your family responsibilities will interfere with your work. Find away to address fears if you sense they are present.

Agenda

5. Follow up with an effective "thank you" letter. Don't write this letter lightly. It is another opportunity to market yourself. Find some areas discussed in the meeting and expand upon them in your letter. Writing a letter after a meeting is a very minimum. Standing out among the other candidates will occur if you thoughtfully consider this follow up letter as an additional interview in which you get to do all the talking. Propose useful ideas that demonstrate your added value to the team.

6. Consider the interviewer's agenda. Much is on the shoulders of the interviewer. He or she has the responsibility of hiring the right candidate. Your ability to do the job will need to be justified. "Are there additional pluses here?" "Will this person fit the culture of this organization?" These as well as other questions will be heavily on the interviewer's mind. Find ways to demonstrate your qualities above and beyond just doing the job.

Verbal

7. Expect to answer the question, "Tell me about yourself." This is a pet question of prepared and even unprepared interviewers. Everything you include should answer the question, "Why should we hire you?" Carefully prepare your answer to include examples of achievements from your work life that closely match the elements of the job before you. Obviously, you'll want to know as much about the job description as you can before you respond to the question.

8. Watch those nonverbal clues. Experts estimate that words express only 30% to 35% of what people actually communicate; facial expressions and body movements and actions convey the rest. Make and keep eye contact. Walk and sit with a confident air. Lean toward an interviewer to show interest and enthusiasm. Speak with a well-modulated voice that supports appropriate excitement for the opportunity before you.

Attitude

9. Be smart about money questions. Don't fall into the trap of telling the interviewer your financial expectations. You may be asking for too little or too much money and in each case ruin your chances of being offered the job. Instead, ask what salary range the job falls in. Attempt to postpone a money discussion until you have a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities of the job.

10. Don't hang out your dirty laundry. Be careful not to bare your soul and tell tales that are inappropriate or beyond the scope of the interview. State your previous experience in the most positive terms. Even if you disagreed with a former employer, express your enthusiasm for earlier situations as much as you can. Whenever you speak negatively about another person or situation in which you were directly involved, you run the risk (early in the relationship) of appearing like a troubled person who may have difficulty working with others.

Interview Preparation

Interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to gather information. The employer wants to know if you, the applicant, have the skills, knowledge, self-confidence, and motivation necessary for the job. At this point you can be confident that the employer saw something of interest in your resume. He or she also wants to determine whether or not you will fit in with the organization's current employees and philosophy. Similarly, you will want to evaluate the position and the organization, and determine if they will fit into your career plans. The interview is a two-way exchange of information. It is an opportunity for both parties to market themselves. The employer is selling the organization to you, and you are marketing your skills, knowledge, and personality to the employer.


Research is a critical part of preparing for an interview. If you haven't done your homework, it is going to be obvious. Spend time researching and thinking about yourself, the occupation, the organization, and questions you might ask at the end of the interview.

Know Yourself

The first step in preparing for an interview is to do a thorough self-assessment so that you will know what you have to offer an employer. It is very important to develop a complete inventory of skills, experience, and personal attributes that you can use to market yourself to employers at any time during the interview process. In developing this inventory, it is easiest to start with experience. Once you have a detailed list of activities that you have done (past jobs, extra-curricular involvements, volunteer work, school projects, etc.), it is fairly easy to identify your skills.

Simply go through the list, and for each item ask yourself "What could I have learned by doing this?" "What skills did I develop?" "What issues/circumstances have I learned to deal with?" Keep in mind that skills fall into two categories - technical and generic. Technical skills are the skills required to do a specific job. For a laboratory assistant, technical skills might include knowledge of sterilization procedures, slide preparation, and scientific report writing. For an outreach worker, technical skills might include counselling skills, case management skills, or program design and evaluation skills

Generic skills are those which are transferable to many work settings. Following is a list of the ten most marketable skills. You will notice that they are all generic.

Analytical/Problem Solving Flexibility/Versatility Interpersonal Oral/Written Communication Organization/Planning Time Management Motivation Leadership Self-Starter/Initiative Team Player

Often when people think of skills, they tend to think of those they have developed in the workplace. However, skills are developed in a variety of settings. If you have ever researched and written a paper for a course, you probably have written communication skills. Team sports or group projects are a good way to develop the skills required of a team player and leader. Don't overlook any abilities you may have.

When doing the research on yourself, identifying your experience and skills is important, but it is not all that you need to know. Consider the answers to other questions such as:

How have I demonstrated the skills required in this position? What are my strong points and weak points? What are my short term and long term goals? What can I offer this particular employer? What kind of environment do I like? (i.e. How do I like to be supervised? Do I like a fast pace?) What do I like doing? Apart from my skills and experience, what can I bring to this job?

Know the Occupation

The second step in preparing for an interview is to research the occupation. This is necessary because in order to present a convincing argument that you have the experience and skills required for that occupation, you must first know what those requirements and duties are. With this information uncovered, you can then match the skills you have (using the complete skills/experience inventory you have just prepared) with the skills you know people in that occupational field need. The resulting "shortlist" will be the one that you need to emphasize during the interview.

It is also in your best interest to identify the approximate starting salary for that position, or those similar. There are several ways to find out about an occupation:

Acquire a copy of the job description from the employer (Human Resources/Personnel) or check with Student Employment Services. If you are responding to an advertisement, this may also supply some details.

Know the Organization

The more you know about an organization, the better prepared you will be to discuss how you can meet its needs. Some of the characteristics that you should know about an organization are:

Where is it located? How big is it? What are its products and who does it serve? How is the organization structured? What is its history? Have there been any recent changes, new developments?

There are a number of ways in which you can access this information. Most medium- to large-sized organizations publish information about themselves. You can access this a number of ways:

On campus at the Student Employment Services (company literature and business directories) or at the Drake Centre Library The Winnipeg Centennial Library has a business microfiche with information on over 5000 Canadian companies and business directories Many companies have internet home pages which you can locate by searching by industry and company name Finally, you can visit or phone the organization and request some information on their products, services or areas of research

If the organization is fairly small, or fairly new, there may not be much information published. In this case, it will be necessary to do an information interview. Contact someone within the organization, introduce yourself, explain that you are considering moving into the field, and ask if it would be possible to meet with him/her to inquire about the company/organization and about what exactly the position would involve.

Prepare Questions

Having completed your background research, you are now ready to prepare questions to ask the interviewer(s). Try to think of questions for which the answer was not readily available in company literature. Intelligent well thought-out questions will demonstrate your genuine interest in the position. Be careful how many questions you ask, however, as too many can imply you feel the interview was not successfully run. Pick your questions with care - this is your chance to gather information, so ask about what you really want to know. Avoid sounding critical by mentioning negative information you may have discovered. This is one of the most effective ways to compare different employers, so for issues of particular importance to you (for example, whether they support staff upgrading), you should ask the same questions of each employer. Some sample questions are:

What are the most significant factors affecting your business today? How have changes in technology most affected your business today? How has your business/industry been affected by the recession? How has your company grown or changed in the last couple of years? What future direction do you see the company taking? Where is the greatest demand for your services or product? Where is most of the pressure from increased business felt in this company? Which department feels it the most? How do you differ from your competitors? How much responsibility will I be given in this position? What do you like about working with this organization? Can you tell me more about the training program? Have any new product lines been introduced recently? How much travel is normally expected? What criteria will be used to evaluate my performance? Will I work independently or as part of a team? How did you advance to your position? What are the career paths available in this organization? When can I expect to hear from you regarding this position?

It is very important to ask the last question because employers want to hire individuals who are interested in the position - and asking this question definitely helps to demonstrate interest on your part. Exercise judgement when asking questions to an employer. When being interviewed by a large company that has a high profile, one would not ask the question "What is the history of your company and how was your company started?" You can find the answer to this question in the company's annual report or articles in magazines/newspapers. However, small- and medium-sized companies do not always produce publicly available annual reports and it may be difficult to access information on the company and its role in the industry. This question is appropriate if you have exercised all other ways to find out the answer.

Interview Basics

The word “interview” itself makes a person tense and nervous who needs to appear in the interview. It is normal human behaviour to become confused or get tensed but such things can be overcome with practice, learning from seniors and elders, thru own experience. These days Internet is a rich source of information.

In this preppareinterview.com, you will find questions also along with answers which are frequently asked and questions pertaining to your requirement. Have a walk through in this site. It will improve you performance remarkably and infuse a high level of confidence in you. It will make you more frank and it will develope diplomatic qualities in you too. Overall, it will give an impetus to you personality development.

In addition to doing research and practicing your answers to common interview questions, you should be aware of general interview etiquette. Remember the following points when preparing for an interview:   Review your resume, and make sure that you can explain everything on it. Arrive at the interview ten minutes early to give yourself an opportunity to collect your thoughts and relax. Be aware that many employers will have their receptionists record the time you came in. If you rush in at the last minute, an employer may have serious concerns about your ability to arrive on time for a normal day at work.   Get a good night's sleep before your interview. You will think more effectively in the interview if you are rested. Also, yawning will not impress anyone. Eat something before the interview. If you are worried about your stomach growling, you will not be able to concentrate on the questions.   Dress appropriately for the position that you are applying to. Try to dress like the people who work there would dress if they were representing their organization at some function. If you are unsure about what to wear, always err on the side of being too dressed up.   Make sure that you are clean, neat, and well-groomed. Interviewers do notice your appearance, and first impressions are critical in an interview situation.   Take a copy of your resume, transcript, references and perhaps a portfolio or work samples with you. Also take a pen and paper, as you may wan to record some important information.

PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE-UP BEFORE YOU ENTER THE INTERVIEW ROOM

For your first few interviews your background is important - your school, the medium and the place you studied in, all serve to give the interviewer an idea about you. Carry a copy of the bio-data that you have already sent, and the interview letter. Keep the extra copy with you, just in case. Show the interview letter to the receptionist/interviewer to establish your credentials, but keep this letter with you. This gives you, for your future reference, a time and date record of your interview, gives the official address of the company for further correspondence and clarifications, and may give you the name and designation of the person you are to report to.

Carry everything you need for the interview in a neat folder - do not have loose papers cascading to the floor because you are desperately hunting for the degree certificate, while the interviewers drum their fingers impatiently. And don't carry your papers in a plastic or cloth shopping bag either: invest in a good folder, plastic or even leather.

Incidentally, don't feel shy or hesitant about calling up the office and getting details about location, landmarks/bus routes/other information to help you reach the venue of the interview. Again, if it is not a "mass" interview, where lots of people are being interviewed on the same day, and you do have a genuine difficulty about reaching on the scheduled day/time, many employers will re-schedule if you ask them nicely enough. The reverse is also true: a good impression is created if you take the trouble to inform the interviewer that you can/will not attend the interview. If you are in the same town go and "case the joint" - see where the office/interview centre is, and how long it will take you to get there.   Always arrive at least fifteen minutes before your scheduled time - that gives you time to catch your breath in case you climbed the stairs too fast, allows you to compose yourself and not be too nervous, and to check out the competition. If the interview is in the offices of the company itself, this also allows you to get a "feel" of the company. See how comfortable you feel, how efficient the interview process is. Says a lot about what the rest of the company is.

Dressing Right for The Interview

If you have not peeked into your wardrobe yet, it's time to take a real hard look now. Your application's fate depends not just on how well you answer the interview questions, but also on how well you project yourself physically. The first impression your interviewer makes about you is based on the way you look, and you know what they say about first impressions. According to Joe Hodowanes, J.M. Wanes and Associates career strategy advisor, "The way a person dresses is the single biggest non-verbal communication you make about yourself." The right dressing is a measure of the seriousness that you place on the position, as a person normally spends time on his looks if he considers an event important enough.

"Although proper dressing by itself will not get you the job, a poor dress sense may exclude you from further consideration," warns Gerry Ditching, managing partner of Filgifts.com. Besides, given two equally good applicants, the company may choose to hire the person who is dressed more professionally. Here are some tips to give you a headstart.

MEN

Long-sleeved shirt and dark slacks. White is still the safest and the best color for shirts. The colour is also appropriate for our tropical weather. Also acceptable: pale shades such as beige, blue, and other pastels.

Tuck in the shirt and do not roll up the sleeves. Never wear a short-sleeved shirt to an interview or any business purpose. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt will destroy your executive image.

Ties. Optional. But if you do wear one, choose a conservative pattern. Solids, small polka dots, diagonal stripes, small repeating shapes, subtle plaids and paisleys are all acceptable.

Belts. Belts should match your shoes. Those with smaller buckles with squared lines look more professional.

Socks. Black socks are the best, followed by blue or gray, depending on your attire. Never wear white socks! Check your sock length, too--no skin should show when you sit down or cross your legs. Shoes. Black or burgundy leather shoes with laces on them, because tassel loafers are very casual. Other suitable colors are brown, cordovan and navy.

Hair. Keep neat, short and preferably parted on the side. And shave off all those facial hair.

Jewellery. Wear no or little jewellery. The watch and wedding ring are the only acceptable pieces of jewellery to go with the male attire. Thin gold or leather-strapped watches look professional but not digital watches. Also, avoid political or religious insignias, necklaces or bracelets. Definitely no pierced body parts, and cover up your tattoos!

Accessories. As much as possible, use leather briefcases or folders to hold copies of your resume. Use narrow briefcases and avoid plastic folders and plastic ball pens as they are out of place.

WOMEN

Three-piece business suits, blouse and skirt or slacks, and cardigan twin-sets. Sleeveless shirts should be rejected. Short-sleeved blouses are okay when they are tailor-cut or have features such as a sports collar or double breast design to create a business-like look. Skirts can either be long provided it does not create a Cinderella or barn-dance look or short where it falls no shorter than two inches from the knee. Nothing too revealing, please!

Panty-hose or stockings. A must for professional grooming, but nothing with overly fussy patterns. Bring an extra pair, just in case the ones you are wearing run.

Shoes. Closed shoes or pumps with at least 1½-inch heels suggest a more professional look. Dark colors are best.

Hair. Hair longer than shoulder length should be worn up or pulled back. Don't let it fall in front of your face and don't keep trying to fix it during the interview. Avoid large hair ornaments and trendy hairstyles.

Make-up. Be subtle; natural is the key word. Light shades of lip coloring and nail polish are recommended.

Jewellery. Be conservative. Studs of gold, silver or pearls are best. Do away with gaudy fashion jewelers, and those that clank and make noise when one moves.

Accessories. Folders and bags should blend well with the total professional look. Women should match their purse with their shoe color.

Mistakes That Cost People Jobs

Think about the following points. Do any of them apply to you?

Oversell

Trying too hard to impress; bragging; acting aggressively.

Undersell

Failing to emphasize the fact that you have related skills; discussing experience using negative qualifiers (i.e. "I have a little experience...").

Body Language

It is easy to create a negative impression without even realizing that you are doing it. Are you staring at your feet, or talking to the interviewer's shoulder? Be aware of what your actions say about you. Lack of Honesty The slightest stretching of the truth may result in you being screened out.   Negative Attitude The interview is not an opportunity for you to complain about your current supervisor or co-workers (or even about 'little' things, such as the weather).   Lack of Preparation You have to know about the organization and the occupation. If you don't, it will appear as though you are not interested in the position.   Lack of Enthusiasm If you are not excited about the work at the interview, the employer will not assume that your attitude will improve when hired.

Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table

Never make the big mistake of treating an interview lightly. It's not an impromptu thing where you depend on your improvisation skills. An interview requires careful thought and planning before you take it. Keeping in mind some basic attitudes and presentation techniques will help you sail through it with panache.

So if you thought that going for an interview just meant pulling your best suit out of the wardrobe and updating your resume, please think again. You are forgetting the other essentials: body language, basic etiquette and attitude.

Remember that you are actually selling an entire package and the packaging, in this case, is as relevant as the product inside. Ultimately you are presenting yourself as a valuable professional to a new job environment. And you can't do that without minding the basic interview etiquette to get you ahead of the rest of the pack. An interview is the sum total of many parts. It's not just what you say but how you say it that matters equally. So it's good to brush up on more than just your training skills when you do go in for an interview.   ATTIRE How you dress for an interview is perhaps as relevant as the way you lay out your resume. Says Nina Kochar of Upgrade Management Services, an organisation which coaches' executives in the basic rules of corporate etiquette: "A person who is sloppy in appearance shows a sloppy personality, so you have to be decently dressed." Of course, decently dressed does not necessarily mean being dressed to the gills. In most cases, this would mean you would wear long sleeved shirts and a pair of formal trousers. In fact, Nina Kochar does not recommend suits, especially for younger people. "A lot of young people do not have the money to invest in suits, consequently, they wear ill-fitting or borrowed suits and that looks even worse. A tie, shirt and pant should do the trick for most junior level positions."   Most HR experts would also tell you to mind the accessories like ties, belts and shoes. To be sure, badly matched shoes and ties can have a jarring effect on an interviewer. Similarly, please avoid heavy jewellery or personal accessories as they would look incongruous on you.   ENTRANCE AND INTRODUCTION Even though most of us are primed for the basic grilling that we would face during the interview, we seldom pay attention to the way we enter an interview room or how we introduce ourselves. Says Subhashish Mitra, deputy manager, Essar Cellphones: "A lot of people do not think it important to knock properly while entering the interview room. They assume that as an interview is taking place, the panel will be expecting them. To my mind this is a very major faux pas which really jars." In fact, the best way to enter an interview is to knock, ask for permission to enter and then wait for a while before you actually sit down. Few interviewees know this but the interview panel needs a little quiet time to discuss the previous candidate before they get around to the next one. So your silence till you actually get seated would be very valuable. Try and keep a bag with you for all your papers and certificates; make sure this bag is an unobtrusive as possible.   ATTITUDE AND RESPONSE This is a grey area for most interview candidates. While dressing up and resume writing are skills you can Go for a mock exercise before the real talk at the job table handle with a little practice, cultivating the right attitude as an interviewee requires a lot of patience and reading between the lines. The usual complaint of most interviewers is that few interviewees are able to stri perhaps the best thing you can do for getting your answer right. Most interviewers like to give a lead to the candidate in the way they ask the question, so it's entirely up to you to note facial expressions and the tone of the words. Do you show your certificates immediately to the interview panel? Not till you are asked actually. You might already have sent in your resume, so you shouldn't try and offload all your achievements and skills onto the panel till a turn in the interview leads to such a situation. Try and take cues form the tonal variations, facial expressions and thrust of questions from the interview panel. That in itself will give you a clue as to where this interview is heading.   TEN THINGS THAT AN INTERVIEWER LOOKS IN YOU! Family Background Education Experience Stability Initiative General Ability Interpersonal Skills Confidence Aptitude Pleasant Looks   How one wished that an interview were a simple meeting of minds and hearts. Just one casual meeting where an employee's future gets sealed. Unfortunately, it's not something as pre-ordained as you would like it to be; it's a pre-meditated exercise which fetches you dividends only if your homework is done right.