INTERVIEW SKILLS

Interview means “to see between”. It is a meeting between two people where questions are asked and answered to elicit information.

What is a job interview?

An interview gives a prospective employer the opportunity to speak with you and consider your appropriateness for the job in question. A well written resume will get you a call for an interview; the soft skills you exhibit during the interview will get you the job. The resume shows that you possess the desired knowledge skills for the job, so the interview will focus on soft skills (as your personality, attitude, communication skills, interpersonal skills etc) that will help the employer decide whether or not you will fit into the company culture.

Importance of interview

Important for both job seekers and employers, as it connects both of them at the professional level.  This technique assists employers in selecting a right person for a right job. It helps job seekers to present their job skills and acquire a desired position on merit.

Types of Interviews

Some interviews may be very formal, others may be very informal and seem like just a chat about your interests. Remember always you are being assessed.

1.                   Nondirective / Informal interview: An unstructured conversational-style interview.  The interviewer pursues points of interest as they come up in response to questions

2.                   Directive / Formal interview: An interview following a set sequence of questions.

3.                   Screening Interviews: Screening interviews are generally conducted when an employer has a large applicant pool which they want to narrow down to a more manageable number. They tend to be very short, and the questions will focus on basic qualifications. Screening is usually done by phone.

4.                   The Telephone Interview: Companies request an initial telephone interview before inviting for a face to face meeting in order to get a better understanding of the type of candidate. Benefit is that you can have your notes out in front of you. You should do just as much preparation as you would for a face to face interview, and remember that your first impression is vital. Phone interviews may become longer and more detailed if its overseas on video conference.

5.                   The Panel Interview: These interviews involve a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. This type of interview is popular within the public sector.

6.                   The Group Interview: When candidates are required to perform a task in a group the selection is done in a group interview and the candidate along with a group is asked to solve a particular problem. The performance and behavior is, however, assessed and rated individually. You may be asked to interact with each other by usually a group discussion.

7.                   Stress interview: An interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of often rude questions. This technique helps identify hypersensitive applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance.

8.                   Competency Based Interviews: These are structured to reflect the competencies the employer is seeking for the particular job. These will usually be detailed in the job description so make sure you read it through, and have your answers ready for questions such as “Give me an example of a time you worked as a team and look a leadership role to achieve a common goal.”

9.                   Situational interview: A series of job-related questions which focuses on how the candidate would behave in a given situation.

10.               Behavioral interview: A series of job-related questions that focus on how they reacted to actual situations in the past.

11.               Job-related interview: A series of job-related questions which focuses on relevant past job-related behaviors.

12.               The Sequential Interview: These are several interviews in turn with a different interviewer each time. Usually, each interviewer asks questions to test different sets of competencies. However, if you are asked the same questions, just make sure you answer each one as fully as the previous time.

a)      Unstructured sequential: An interview in which each interviewer forms an interview independent opinion after asking different questions.

b)      Structured sequential:  An interview in which the applicant is interviewed sequentially by several interview supervisors and each rates the applicant on a standard form.

13.               Depth Interview: In such a interview, questions are based upon a specific area of the interviewee’s interest. The person has to answer in detail. The academic competence and knowledge is tested thoroughly in such type of interviews.

14.               Candidate-order error: An error of judgment on the part of the interviewer due to interviewing one or more very good or very bad candidates just before the interview in question.

The Interview Process:

Interview acts as a filtering device through which the interviewer screens the desired candidates. It is a method to shorten the candidate list to those who are the required fit in the job profile.

—  Interview Preparation

—  First Impression

—  Information Exchange

—  Closing the interview

—  Interview Follow-up

STAGES OF INTERVIEW

A.      Pre-Interview Process:

1. Preparation

—  Do a SWOT Analysis – Find your strength and Weaknesses

—  Check Resume for any updation.

—  Rehearse your answers  loudly in front  of the mirror to identify any  gaps in your delivery and answering techniques

—  Rehearse a mock interview with  a friend/person and  seek an honest critical feedback

—  Do not fumble or get confused during the actual interview.

—  Find the location so that you know how long it will take you to get there.

—  Get proper rest the night before.

—  Arrive early and use this time to freshen up

2. Employer Research

—  The biggest mistake you can make in a job interview is knowing little to nothing about the company with which you are interviewing!

—  Read about the company products/ services, operations, history, CEO, international/national partnerships etc.

3. Practice Questions/Prepare Answers

—  Some frequently-asked interview questions

—  “Tell me about yourself.” (The interviewer is looking for communication skills and clear thinking about your recent history, not your childhood).

—  “What is your biggest strength?” (Know your top 2 or 3 strengths and be prepared to discuss each with an example).

—  “How will you handle stress on the job?” (Provide a good example of how you have dealt with stress in the past. It’s possible that stress can actually help some people perform better!)

—  Describe your most significant accomplishment. (Relate the situation, the obstacle and the outcome. Tell what qualities were needed to achieve this. Mention a life experience that illustrates your best attributes ).

—  What do you see yourself doing in five years? (You should assure the employer that you’re worth the investment in time and training, and that you plan to be around for awhile – learning and contributing more along the way).

4. What to wear/bring

—  Formals – Well ironed, formal suit, polished shoes, neat hair, minimal jewellery and make-up (girls), look smart and elegant.

—  Confident Smile

—  Professional-looking portfolio/briefcase

—  Two copies of your resume and photographs

—  Copies of result card

—  Nice pen and paper for note-taking

—  Brush/comb, Breath freshener

B.The Interview

1.       First Impression:

—  Recruiters will size you up in the first 30 seconds of  your interview. Make sure that you create a good first impression by being aware of the following:

—  Good eye contact

—  The importance of a smile

—  Firm handshake

—  Clear, well spoken introduction

—  Show confidence and poise

—  Maintain good posture

—  Be careful with vocal tone and volume

2.       Information Exchange

—  Listen carefully

—  Take time with your answers

—  Respond positively

—  Focus answers on the needs of the employer

—  Ask insightful questions, showing your knowledge of the employer and subject.

—  Give examples and provide details: tell stories that illustrate your achievements

3.       Closing the Interview

—  Mention anything relevant that you feel is important. Repeat your “sales pitch” as you show enthusiasm for the job.

—  Take the employer’s business card and thank him/her.

—  Ask what the next step in the hiring process is, if you get confirmed.

C .Interview Follow-Up

—  Send a prompt thank you letter or email.

—  Follow up if you have not heard from the employer in the time period earlier specified.

—  Send a prompt thank you letter or email.

—  Follow up if you have not heard from the employer in the time period earlier specified.

Interview Don’ts

—  No bad manners or rudeness (treat all office staff nicely)

—  DON’T whine or complain about others or about your ‘bad luck.’

—  DON’T be a know-it-all.

—  DON’T try to be funny (but a genuine sense of humor is a good thing).

—  DON’T discuss salary or benefits until you have been offered a job.

Top 10 Interviewing Blunders!

—  Don’t prepare

—  Dress inappropriately

—  Poor communication skills

—  Cell phone goes off

—  Talk too much

—  Don’t talk enough

—  Fuzzy facts

—  Give the wrong answer

—  Badmouthing past employers

—  Forget to follow up

General Interview Preparation

Here’s a list of questions that you should consider your answers for when preparing…

• Why do you want this job?
• Why are you the best person for the job?
• What relevant experience do you have?
• Why are you interested in working for this company?
• What can you contribute to this company?
• What do you know about this company?
• What challenges are you looking for in a position?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• Why should we hire you?

Over 300 Indian Students Face Deportation In US Fake University Sting

10 Indian-Americans are among 21 people arrested as part of a sting operation in which a fake university was created by US authorities to expose a visa scam. (File photo)

WASHINGTON:  Over 300 Indian students who unknowingly came to the US as part of a fake university sting operation conducted by law enforcement agencies to expose a visa scam, have been identified and located and the process has started for their deportation, officials said.

"The 306 individuals from India who were purported students at the University of Northern New Jersey have been identified, located and placed in the immigration process for removal in accordance to proper due process," Alvin Phillips, spokesman USICE Homeland Security Investigations told Press Trust of India.

10 Indian-Americans are among 21 people arrested as part of a sting operation in which a fake university was created by US authorities to expose a visa scam that allowed more than 1,000 foreigners to maintain student and work visas.

The arrested people were brokers, recruiters and employers who unlawfully and fraudulently obtained or attempted to obtain student visas and foreign worker visas for approximately 1,000 foreign nationals from 26 countries.

It is learnt that a large number of students who received necessary visa and permits to work in the US as a result of the sting operation for which they reportedly paid huge sums of money are from India. These people arrested for their involvement in an alleged scheme to enrol foreign nationals as students in the University of Northern New Jersey, a purported for-profit college located in Cranford, New Jersey (UNNJ).

Unbeknownst to the defendants and the foreign nationals they conspired with, the UNNJ was created in September 2013 by special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The HSI sting investigation was carried out to unearth the unauthorised networks and educational institutions that are "nothing more than sham visa mills," officials said, adding that these educational institutions have no curriculum, no classes, no instructors and no real students.
 

Bound By Legislation On Visa Fee Hike: US Tells India

Last year, the US Congress imposed a special fee of up to USD 4,500 on H-1B and L-1 visas - popular among Indian IT companies. (Representational Image)

WASHINGTON:  The US has told India it is bound by legislation on the recent visa fee hike - which has badly hit Indian IT companies, an issue that was strongly raised by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his bilateral meeting.

"There are always two issues, one of course is the recent one, visa fee hike and the other is the old issue of totalisation charges for the IT professionals. The US response really is that we have a legislation which so states it," Jaitley told Indian reporters during a media roundtable.

"So unless that legislation is changed (it is likely to remain)," he said.

Mr Jaitley was responding to a question on the kind of response he received from the US Trade Representative, Mike Froman, when he strongly raised the issue during a meeting early this week.

Noting that such a visa fee is impacting only Indian companies, Mr Jaitley had described it as a "discriminatory" practice.

Last year, the US Congress imposed a special fee of up to USD 4,500 on H-1B and L-1 visas - popular among Indian IT companies - to fund a 9/11 healthcare Act and biometric tracking system.

While agreeing on the USD 1.1 trillion spending Bill, Congressional leaders decided to impose a special fee of USD 4,000 on certain categories of H-1B visas and USD 4,500 on L-1 visas.
 

US Says Bound by Legislation on Visa Fee Hike: Arun Jaitley

.Washington: The US has told India it is bound by legislation on the recent visa fee hike - which has badly hit Indian IT companies, an issue that was strongly raised by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a bilateral meeting.

"There are always two issues, one of course is the recent one, visa fee hike and the other is the old issue of totalisation charges for the IT professionals. The US response really is that 'we have a legislation which so states it'," Mr Jaitley told Indian reporters during a media roundtable.

"So unless that legislation is changed (it is likely to remain)," he said.

Mr Jaitley was responding to a question on the kind of response he received from the US Trade Representative, Mike Froman, when he strongly raised the issue during a meeting early this week.

Noting that such a visa fee is impacting only Indian companies, Mr Jaitley had described it as a "discriminatory" practice.

Last year, the US Congress imposed a special fee of up to $4,500 on H-1B and L-1 visas - popular among Indian IT companies - to fund a 9/11 healthcare Act and biometric tracking system.

While agreeing on the $1.1 trillion spending Bill, Congressional leaders decided to impose a special fee of $4,000 on certain categories of H-1B visas and $4,500 on L-1 visas
.

Do backward people still need reservation?

Is reservation necessary?

There are people who don't get it easy. They have to fight for survival each day just to fill their stomach. If we want equality in society then these people have to be taken along. The reservation should be based on financial basis rather than caste/religion basis. What is the fault of person if he is born in a poor upper class family? Doesn't he/she deserve equal chance as being given to other poor people from backward society? Why a rich person from backward class should get a reservation when he/she can fulfill his/her needs? In the current scenario no one gets easy in the world whether that person is from upper caste or lower caste. It's all about the financial condition of an individual.

Off late there has been a huge debate whether reservation should be given or not and if it is to be given then to whom it should be given? Recent case of increasing the reservation in Maharashtra comes into mind. But do backward people actually need reservation? Can our society thrive without reservation? What should be the criteria for reservation if at all it has to be given? What if there is no reservation? Will there be equality? Do deserving people actually get reservation?

There are laws for everything in our country but unfortunately they are bent according to the needs of some. Look at the small kid working in a tea stall and ask yourself if reservation has benefited him?

Then look at the great names in every field. Did they actually need reservation to show their capabilities?

But when we talk about "DO BACKWARD PEOPLE STILL NEED RESERVATION?" two things come in mind.
Who are backward people and what is reservation?
When we talk about backward it may be financially backward or from backward caste. Reservation simply means reserving seats in the field of education, jobs or other economic benefits.

Why we need reservation at all?
There may be groups of people who have been oppressed for ages, who have not been given the dues from the society they live in, who have been both mentally and physically abused for ages or there may be groups of people who are not financially capable in leading a standard quality of life or there may be people who might be in minority. To give these people opportunity to be equal in the society, reservation is granted to them. It is given in the form of age relaxation or fee relaxation or reserving certain seats for them.

Reservation in the constitution
Part XVI having articles 330-342 deals with special provisions relates to reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes in Lok Sabha and state assemblies and reservation in job and educational institutions.

Impact of reservation
It is a well known fact that reservation has so far been used only to consolidate the vote banks by various political parties. The basic purpose of including reservation was to provide equal opportunity to all but soon this objective was overtaken by political motive. Reservation is now being used as a tool to lure votes. Political parties change the definition of backward according to their vote banks.

Now the question is the situation which is presently in Haryana, who the hell are they to destroy our properties and why that much of loss is done. My basic question is "DO JATS REALLY NEED RESERVATION?" The answer is They want reservation simply because they are extremely jealous of the progress SC people of Haryana have made by focussing on education.

THANK YOU 

Have questions, comments, or just want to tell me something funny? Email me at jhankritsoni17@gmail.com

  

India is under threat from cyber criminals: Security firm Kaspersky

India is increasingly on the radar of cybercriminals from countries like China, Russia and the US, who are using advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks to steal data from consumers and enterprises, security software firm Kaspersky said.

APT refers to a format where the attacker gains access to a network/device and stays there undetected for a long period of time. The motive of the attack is to steal data and there is a longer term damage to the organisation/user.

“APT attacks are on the rise globally and those affecting India are also growing. These attacks are originating from China, the US and Russia among other countries. A major chunk of the attacks like Equation, Turla, Darkhotel, Regin, Cloud Atlas infected India as well,” Kaspersky Lab Deputy Director Global Research and Analysis Team Sergey Novikov told reporters here.

He added that while there were three APT announcements in 2012, the number grew to seven in 2013, 11 in 2014 and 10 in the first half of 2015.

“As more and more devices get connected to the Internet/network, the level of sophistication of these attacks is also on the rise,” he said.

Novikov said the line of distinction between state- sponsored cyber attacks and those by criminal gangs is diminishing as similar techniques often get used.

“However, it is difficult to establish whether they are working together,” he added.

Stuxnet is a example of APT attack. The malicious worm is believed to have been jointly built American-Israeli cyber weapon to sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme.

Rainer Bock, Head of Strategic Projects at the company said one could see more complex attacks going ahead, including state-sponsored ones.

“Also, the vectors of attacks will evolve. From attacking devices, cybercriminals are now looking at networks and communication channels like WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G,” he added.

Targets of these attacks are also evolving as newer devices like ATM and PoS machines, smart cities and connected cars are now on the radar, he said.

                                                           HOW TELEVISION WORK

Most people spend hours each day watching programming on their TV set, however, many people might wonder how in fact television works. There are many parts to this process and many technologies that are involved. Following are the most important processes and technologies involved in making television work.

Main Elements of the TV Process

There are many major elements that are required in order for TV to work. They usually include a video source, an audio source, a transmitter, a receiver, a display device, and a sound device.

Video Source

The video source is the image or program. It can be a TV show, news program, live feed or movie. Usually the video source has already been recorded by a camera.

Audio Source

Besides the video source, we also need the audio source. Practically all movies, TV shows and news programs have some sought of audio. Audio source can be in the form of mono, stereo or digitally processed to be later played back with surround sound.

Transmitter

The transmitter is necessary for broadcast television companies that broadcast a free signal to viewers in their area. The transmitter transmits both the video and audio signals over the air waves. Both audio and video signals are electrical in nature and are transformed into radio waves which can then be picked up by receivers (your TV set). A transmitter not only transmits one channels audio or video signal, but in most cases many different channels.

Receiver (TV set)

A receiver is usually integrated in your TV set and this receiver is able to grab radio waves (the transmitted signal) and process these radio waves back to audio and video electric signals that can now be played on your TV set.

Display Device

A display device is usually a TV set, but can also be just a monitor. The display device is able to receive electrical signals (usually sent from the receiver) and turn these electrical signals to a viewable image. Most standard TV sets incorporate a cathode ray tube (CRT), however new display devices can include LCD (liquid crystal display) and Plasma (gas charged display) display devices among others.

Sound Device

While most sound devices are built into your TV set in the form of speakers. Audio signals are obviously needed to match up with the video being shown to the viewer. Many newer TV sets have outputs to send the TV sound to high quality speakers that reproduce sound much better. Since audio signals can include surround sound technology, the TV set is able to send audio signals to the proper speakers located around your room.

Three Major Ways to Receive TV Signals

There are three major ways to receive television broadcasts. They include Broadcast TV, Cable TV and Satellite TV.

Broadcast Television

Broadcast TV is usually defined as TV signals which are transmitted from a terrestrial source, usually a transmission tower. Most broadcast TV signals are free to anyone with a receiver to pick them up. They include traditional TV channels that broadcast standard TV signals on specific radio frequencies.

Television signals are transmitted on a range of radio frequencies (RF) that includes Bands III, IV and V.

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has allocated 6 MHz of bandwidth for each TV channel. Each TV channels is on one of 3 bands ranging from Bands III, IV or V. Here is the breakdown:

Band III	Channels 2 to 6 (54 to 88 MHz)
Band IV	Channels 7 to 13 (174-216 MHz)
Band V	Channels 14 to 83 (470 to 890 MHz)

VHF (Very High Frequencies) are channels that include channels 2 to 13. UHF (Ultra High Frequencies) are channels that usually include channels 14 to 83.

The Reason for using these Bands is that these radio frequencies are great for carrying TV signals (both audio and video signals). These bands provide high quality audio and video with reatively low interference. These radio waves have a long range and can penetrate structures such as walls and building exteriors.

Satellite TV

Satellite TV uses a different form of transmission. Instead of transmitting signals from the ground, satellite TV transmits from satellites orbiting the earth. Satellite signals are usually digital and encoded and compressed. They require special antennas pointing in specific directions to pick up specific satellite signals. These signals must then be decoded or unencrypted and decompressed to view on a TV set. This usually requires special equipment and most satellite TV services operate on a pay per service fee.

Cable TV

Cable TV is another way to receive TV broadcasts. Instead of the TV signals being transmitted through the air, they are collected from a certain point, and sent from the cable company directly to your home via cable. Just like a phone line is laid from the phone company to your home, so is cable TV. There are many types of cables that are used including copper or fiber optic and the signals that the cable company sends to your home usually are encoded and or compressed. Most homes require technology to unscramble and decompress the signal to view the TV signal on their TV set.

TV Technology Elements

There are many parts to a TV set that allow you to view video images and reproduce audio signals; they include the cathode ray tube, the color process, and the TV Antenna.

Cathode Ray Tube

The cathode ray tube generally called a CRT is a vacuum tube. Inside this vacuum tube are electrons that move rapidly from one field to another (negative to positive). These electrons stream from a positive to negative electric field onto a screen that is coated with phosphor. Phosphor glows when these electrons hit the screen creating an image. TV's create images by creating small pixels or dots on the screen. Thousands of glowing dots on a screen in a certain pattern create a picture. These dots are called pixels and the more pixels on the screen, generally the higher the resolution and better the image quality.

Color Process

Within the cathode ray tube is a beam that shoots electrons onto a screen which is coated with Phosphor. While a black and white TV has one beam, color TV's have three beams; red, blue and green. Color TV's also have one screen which you view your image from, but behind this screen is a sheet of phosphor, black and white TV's only have one sheet of phosphor, color TV's have three sheets of phosphor; red, blue and green.

How to Create Color

The color TV creates colors by mixing both the three types of color beams (red beam, blue beam, and green beam) and the three types of color sheets (red sheet, blue sheet and green sheet). If you would like to create the color blue, the blue beam will hit the blue sheet in the back of the TV screen, for red, the red beam hits only the red sheet. To create yellow, both blue and green beams hit both blue and green sheets. White is when all color beams hit all color sheets. Black is when no beams fire at the sheets.

Antenna

An antenna is usually required to pick up and receive TV broadcast signals. TV broadcast signals travel a long range and face many obstacles such as walls and other obstructions. In order to capture a strong TV broadcast signal, an antenna is used. Antennas are usually composed of materials that can capture radio frequencies (usually metal). They are normally planted on the roofs of houses or on top of a structure. They are generally light weight and can be from one foot to 20 feet or more.

Besides external antennas, there are plenty of antennas that are made for indoor use. These are smaller in size and weigh less. They may also include amplifiers to make the TV broadcast signal stronger. All antennas are attached to your receiver which usually is your TV set to give your TV set the best possible signal and ultimately the best picture possible.