job app 101 - pakistan
DESCRIPTION
A brief guide to resume building and interview preparation - for college and university students in PakistanTRANSCRIPT
JOB APPLICATION 101On business recruitment in Pakistan
Where to?
16th March 2013
DO WE FIT?
But before we start, are we, you and me, the right fit? Will this work for you?
I am:
LUMS grad
ABM @ FMCG*
I’m not:
Professional recruiter*
What follows should be of help, if you are:
-A business student
- Looking for an internship/job at a major
corporation
* The following slides reflect strictly my views- not those of organizations I am/have been affiliated with
AGENDA
Why the hassle?
Flipping sides
Pitching right
1. WHY THE HASSLE?
Why spend all that time and energy on ONE page?
How I thought recruitment drives would be
- Recruiters need the best candidates, hence ->
- Individual attention to each candidate
- They’ll gave a 110% to the recruitment drive
What they turned out to be like
Supply: >13k business graduates every year
Demand: ~200 new recruits
i.e. ~70 candidates for 1 position. Hence recruiters satisfice
The process
No. of
candidates
Time spent by HR on
each candidate
~ 80% candidates get exactly zero HR minutes
So, 1) pray you’re part of the 20%
2) work your socks off at stage 1 (and subsequently)
1. CV
screening
2. Test
3.First
interview
4. Assessment
Centre
2. FLIPPING SIDES
A look at the process- from the recruiter’s side of the table
Why the process is what it is
• If they spent 30 minutes interviewing every candidate in the country, they’d need 411000 minutes -> more than 2 working years
It’s practical
• It is a system refined over decades, and high-performing senior executives have come in through the same
It works
What recruiters are looking for
Skills Experiences*
- InitiativeWill she go beyond the call of duty?
- TeamworkWill he stand in for a colleague who fell
sick?
- CreativityWill he bring fresh thinking to solve our
year old problem?
- LeadershipTwo years later, can she mentor a new
hire?
- Analytical skillsWill she crack that equity valuation model?
As depicted by
- Extra-curricularsStudent societies, sports, volunteer work
- AcademicsCourses taken, distinctions
- Personal lifeIssues resolved in family, tough
circumstances overcome
The relative importance of each factor will vary based on industry, company culture etc.
* Note that I say experience – not achievements – more on that in section 3
How they test for these
-Brand names
(university/
internships)
- Cut off criteria
(GPA, work
experience etc)
- Analytical
skills
(Math, verbal)
- Personality
- Communication
-Discussing
Experiences
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Creativity
3. PITCHING RIGHT
Mapping what you’ve got, against what they want
• Keep a diary of all your key experiences as and when they happen (extracurricular, academic, professional)
• Classify (is this leadership or teamwork?)
Record
• Use STAR approach – when recording experiences, and later discussing them (in cover letters/interviews etc)
STAR
• Know the company & industry inside out. Use Google News, company website etc.
• Connect with mutual friends who work at the company, other employees through LinkedIn
Research
• Adapt your resume/cover letter/interview notes based on 1) company profile/culture and 2) function/role you’re applying for
Tailor
Across all stages- throughout your career
Design
If you’re good with design or know
someone who is, create a CV to
stand out (If you’re like the 98% of
us, use a standard template with
minor tweaks)
Be consistent- while choosing
fonts, colors, and spacing
Send resume as PDF
Keep it to one page
Content
Begin with a resume summary
Position yourself- based on what
company/position you’re applying
for
No jack-of-all: Pick 2 key skills and
build your story around those
Focus on results, not roles
Proofread! We’re all human- get
reviews from teachers/seniors
a. CV screening- a resume is design + content
7 fatal flaws to avoid by Accepted.com
Before test
Components: Math + Verbal + Logic
Work in teams: Prepare with partners who have complementary skills
Practice: GRE/GMAT questions available online, sample tests on company website. Keep error logs.
Sleep well!
Resources: Grockit; IQtest; MathRun; GMATClub
b. Test
In test
Know the rules: Calculator
allowed? Word limit? Time?
Stationary? Test venue?
Play to your strength: In the test,
devote more time to
sections/topics you are best at
Worst case: you can’t clear, don’t
fret. There will always be another
time!
Design
First impressions last- make them count
Dress conservatively- but bear context in mind (are you interviewing for
banking? Is interview at a café? What’s company dress code?)
Take with you printed copies of your resume/cover letter
Always better to be more formal than less!
c. Interview- again, design + content!
durable; more
expensiveOld, slow,
unsafe/risky
Research- about company culture/values, financial performance, job
description, interviewer’s background - tailor your responses to come off as a
better fit
Behavioral interviews- where experiences count as much as results. Prepare
a set of examples that show multiple competencies
Example: You led football team to tournament final. This could involve
instances where you showed leadership/solved a crisis/learnt from mistake
Differentiate- What ads do you remember? Those that stand out. Find your
top 2 unique strengths- prepare supporting stories (use STAR)
Mock Interviews- play interviewer with friends- to get real life perspective on
being at the opposite end of the table
Interview- again, design + content!
For Content- work on:
Company
Self
What’s happening in 1) Industry 2) company
Demonstrate1)competence 2) commitment 3) cultural fit
50 most common interview questions- Forbes
http://blogs.hbr.org/silverman/2009/07/ace-the-interview.html
How to respond to ‘introduce/describe/tell us about yourself’
For management consulting- Victor Cheng’s www.caseinterview.com
For finance graduates- http://www.wallstreetprep.com/blog/top-10-investment-banking-interview-questions/
Great wiki-jobs article- How to crack interviews
LinkedIn- connect with current employees- great source of information on company culture, key competencies etc.
Use Google, Google news to your advantage- remember, it’s what you know differently that counts
Interview Resources
d. Assessment Centre
Why assessment centres?
MNCs work on mega projects, which require large teams -> diverse
opinions, varying skill-sets & lots of debate/conflict
So ACs also give you a sneak peak into what life at the company is like
ACs judge whether you’re fit to thrive in teams- a summary here- they
check a) What you say, b) how you say it
how creative/insightful your thoughts on a new topic are
how you relate your responses to current issues in industry
whether you keep team goals in mind or digress during discussion?
how you question a point-of-view- aggressively? aptly?
how you respond to criticism
how structured your conversation is; how convincingly you deliver your
point
a
b
d. Assessment Centre
Tips & resources
Take active part in clubs/societies at University- as the debate that happens
there is a good simulation for ACs
Sometimes, you’ll get a 20 pager case, to summarize and present in half
an hour- so practice summarizing and presenting sample case studies
How to analyze a case- by Kellogg School-
Tips on ACs by Oxford University Career Office
To keep track of developments in global economy and business, read
‘Business this week’ and ‘Politics this week’ at The Economist
THANK YOU!
For more information, get in touch
www.facebook.com/headedwhere