Dated May 25, 2005
How do I respond if the potential employer insists that I list my current salary in their application?
Lalit Tiwari
Hyderabad
It's advisable for you to avoid filling in an application form until after the interview process is complete, if possible. When asked that you fill an application form, you can simply put a diagonal line through the box that asks for your previous salary.
Mentioning your present salary could leave very little room for negotiation.
Another way to answer the question of salary level is to tell the interviewer that you are the best in the company and is being paid based on your qualifications and the company's standard salary level for that position. Now, with the experience and qualification, the compensation should match the industry norms.
You could also state that the new job, while in line with your skills, is incomparable with your current job. As such, your current salary isn't a good indicator of what you should earn in this position. Respond by saying, "What I'm making is not important, what is important is whether or not my skills are what you need, and I'm confident the range will be fair." This allows you to reveal your self-confidence.
I wish to rework on my résumé and have noticed marked differences when I compared various résumé styles. In this backdrop, I seek your valued advice to avoid committing major or minor mistakes.
Suman Srivastav
Bangalore
Do consider a bulleted style to make your résumé as reader-friendly as possible.
Don't get worked with the old "one-page résumé rule." It's always good to keep your résumé to one page, if possible, but if you have many years of experience try to condense it to two pages and not more than that.
Do think of a résumé design that's not so common. Most jobseekers use Microsoft Word résumé templates and wizards. There's nothing wrong with them, per se, but your résumé won't look distinctive if you use one. These templates and wizards can also be a bit inflexible to work with.
Don't ever mention anything that cannot be justified in your résumé.
Do include as much contact information as possible -- any information that would enable an employer reach you during business hours.
Do give your résumé as sharp a focus as possible. One way to sharpen your focus is by making an objective statement. The objective statement can be very simple and straightforward; it can be simply the title of the position you're applying for, which can be adjusted for every job you apply for.
Do list your job information in the order of importance for the benefit of the reader. In listing your jobs, what's generally most important is your title/position. So, list in this preferred order: Title/position, name of employer, city/state of employer, dates of employment, etc.
Emphasise transferable skills, especially if you don't have much experience or seek a career shift. .
Don't emphasise skills and job activities you don't want to do in the future, even if they represent great strengths for you. In fact, you may not even want to mention these activities.
Do not include on your résumé any personal information.
Don't list references right on your résumé. References belong to a later stage of the job search. Keep references on a separate sheet and provide them only when they are specifically requested.
Do proofread carefully. Misspellings and typos are deadly on a résumé.
Give some tips to deal with language barriers in interviews?
Laxmanan
Madurai
The importance of your language fluency as a candidate depends in part on the job, and the company you work for. If you are working with numbers or computer programming, refined English skills are less important. If other colleagues speak your primary language, you need not rely as heavily on English. If you are applying for a job of a higher level, for example, as a manager or you will be interacting with English-speaking clients regularly, language fluency could be significant.
Meanwhile, in addition to the job itself, language skills can pose barriers during interviews. Employers need to feel like they can connect with you. Even if you are friendly and accomplished, interviewers will begin to feel uncomfortable if they cannot communicate with you effectively. People feel odd about themselves when they cannot understand you or are not confident that you understand them. If interviewers feel uncomfortable around you, they will feel uncomfortable with you as well. The last thing you want to do is leave an interviewer with the impression that you were nice and talented, but that he could not tell if you understood what he was saying. Feeling like you cannot express yourself well can also cause you to lose well-deserved and much needed confidence.
There are ways for you to overcome these negative outcomes. Language difficulties are best resolved by learning English very well. The more fluent you are, the better; and you can connect with the employer more confidently.
What are the career prospects open for chemists?
Kumar Nanduri
Vijayawada
The day-to-day tasks of chemists include:
Conducting experiments to identify composition and chemical changes in materials; undertaking research and analysis to develop and test theories, techniques and processes; testing the reliability of theories; developing practical applications of research findings; testing products and materials to ensure compliance with standards; and undertaking cost analysis, pricing and quality assurance exercises.
Graduates choosing to enter industrial chemistry could find themselves in the chemical industry itself, or in other manufacturing and processing industries such as the agriculture, food processing, water and sewerage, electricity and mining industries. Industrial chemists are responsible for the research, development and production of products. There are also growing job opportunities for industrial chemists in marketing and sales.
In the government sector, chemists generally undertake research.
An academic career offers opportunity to teach at university.
The FAQ column deals with career concerns addressed to The C&K Management LTD. PO Box 2178, Secunderabad 500003 or emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com
Lalit Tiwari
Hyderabad
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