2. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Resume Basics
• Why to have resume?
• For whom the resume is meant for?
• Issues and Challenges in Resume Preparation
• Issues and Challenges in Defending the contents of the resume
• The interview process with resume as the key driver
3. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. Where do you want to see yourself 5 years down the line?
Student: I want to see myself as a team lead / Project lead/ store manager etc. etc.
Here the student answered the question in the manner of “What is in store for me
based on my initial appointment irrespective of my performance on the job”
Remember, the interviewer/ organization etc. will not be impressed by this answer
due to the fact that your capability, performance etc. fetches you the next level of job.
Hence the correct answer to this question is
• I want to see myself as a person who has significantly improved his skills,
capabilities etc. which are required as a part of my job profile for which I have
come to this interview. For, I know that these are essentials which will equip me
to face new challenges for the next level of job. In other words, if I improve on
these basic aspects then I will be able to contribute significantly to the growth of
the organization
4. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. What are your Strengths ?
Student: My strength is I am team player, I am hard working etc.
Here the student answered the question in the manner of “What is generic in nature
and nothing specific”
Remember, the interviewer/ organization etc. will not be impressed by this answer
due to the fact that he is more concerned with your strength and not the generic
answer. Hence the correct answer to this question is
• My strength lies in exercising the control over myself whenever the work is
assigned / given to me. This begins with planning the assigned work and
sticking to the plan. For I know that by sticking to the plan I am more
productive than without the plan. In other words, I set the objective first to the
given task and then work a systematic plan which is more productive.
5. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. What are your weaknesses ?
Student: My weakness is I am poor in communication skills / time management etc. etc.
Here the student answered the question in the manner of “Being helpless at the
weakness issue and DOING NOTHING about it”
Remember, the interviewer/ organization etc. will assess you on recognition of your
weakness and what are you doing to overcome or minimize them. Hence the correct
answer to this question is
• My weakness is that I am poor in communication skills / time management etc.
but I am already on my way to minimize these weakness as I have joined
improvement courses / refresher courses etc. so that these are minimized to a
great extent and hence do not interfere in my assigned work and hence I am
more productive
6. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. You have written in your resume, that you prepared a MIS report on customer
satisfaction. What was the criterion for customer satisfaction?
Student: We were provided a sheet by the incharge / boss / supervisor. We went to retail store ,
contacted the customer, asked him to fill in the form and …… that’s it
Here the student answered the question in the manner of “How” he went about
creating the report whereas the interviewer was looking at “What”. The correct
answer to this question is “the following was the criterion for customer satisfaction”
• Commitment to delivery schedule i.e. if the dealer promised the delivery in 10
days, it was 10 days
• Delivered as per the requirement or specifications meaning that the dealer
delivered the product as per the specification
ETC. ETC.
7. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Another question
Q. You have written in your resume that your hobby is playing chess / badminton or
any other sport, tell me in what manner your hobby will assist you in the job profile
of Marketing executive / software developer for which you have come here?
Student: Looks and here and there as he has never anticipated this sort of question. He tries to
say something but …….
The correct answer is
My hobby is definitely going to assist me and in fact, it has assisted me several times for
example, playing chess is a game which involves lot of strategy and thinking with the main
objective being to block the opponents move and win the game. Marketing too is game like a
chess and herein my opponent is the customer, who will put me lot of challenges and I have to
think / work out many strategies so as to sell my product to him.
8. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Another question
Q. You have written in your resume as a career objective that you want to work in an
organization which offers growth and provides development opportunities to you.
Now tell me, If I hire you and tomorrow if someone else provides you more
development opportunities and growth, you will leave this organization
Student: The student goes on the defensive and says no Sir, this is not the case. I will continue
to work….. Etc. etc….
The interviewer interrupts
Interviewer: This means you are contradicting your own resume ……..
Things like this should be avoided meaning that as a student you should ensure that what you
put down in your resume you are able to defend it very diplomatically. Either reframe the
objective or be prepared to answer it in a manner which will satisfy the interviewer.
The correct answer is
Definitely I would like to work in an organization which will provide me opportunities for my
growth due to the fact that once the organization is growing, I too need to learn new things so
as to contribute efficiently and effectively in a manner so as to achieve the purpose of the
organization for which I was hired (or likely to be hired!!!)
9. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Another question
Q. You have written in your resume that you have worked in customer satisfaction
project. Now tell me what was your role in the project
Student: The student get excited and answers the question something like this. My role in the
project was preparing the questionnaire, asking the customers to fill in the form, compile the
data and ………. Etc. etc…..
Once again the student goes off the track and starts in the manner of “How” he went about in
the project execution and not on “What” the interviewer was looking for
The correct answer to this question would be
My role in the project was sort of a managerial role. In the sense that I was responsible fot
setting the objective i.e. what was required to be achieved and What needs to be done so as to
achieve the objective. For example, when I was given the task of conducting the survey, I asked
my boss / supervisor as to what do we intend to derive out of this exercise, what are the target
people to be surveyed; etc. etc.
10. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. Why should we hire you?
Student: Well, Sir!!, I am a team player, I have necessary qualifications etc. etc.
Here the student answered the question which is vague and does not lead to any
definite conclusion. THIS IS TO BE AVOIDED AT ANY COST
The correct answer to this question is “Sir, the prime reason for hiring me is the fact
that based on my response in this interview session, you have got a partial glimpse of
my profile which will be validated and verified once you provide me an opportunity to
work under you or in your organization. I am confident that my performance in this
interview session has provided you a positive response which will be in its enhanced
form when I am asked to join the organization. On the other hand, even if I have
failed to generate the positive response to you I have learnt a lot from you in this
session and hence I will try to work on these learnings so as to equip myself for next
round of opportunity in your organization of in other organization as the work
culture is more or less the same.”
11. Session on linking the contents of resume with Job Profile
Some familiar questions and familiar answers given by students during the interview process
Q. From your resume, it is seen that you have done Fashion designing / IT technical
courses/ etc. etc. and then you are pursuing Management Course. Do you think that
you are better equipped to join fashion designing / IT field instead of this JOB
profile for which we are conducting interview?
Student: Well, Sir!!, I pursued this course and later realized that I am unable to cope with this
etc. etc. and hence joined management course……
Here the student answered the question which depicts indecisiveness and the failure
to take corrective and preventive actions.
The correct answer to this question is “Sir, agreed I have done Fashion course / IT
course etc. but these courses are an asset for my managerial job profile due to the
fact that management is not static function it is dynamic and is ever involving just
like fashion industry and the IT course assists me in developing the imagination
powers required for integration these in my management practices”
