Also refer the accompanying guides in documents shreya

Your Resume is your window to get somebody’s attention

- It should be crisp and feels good to the evaluator
- It should be max 1½ page document

Headline - This is brief elevator pitch on why they should choose you
Example for customer relations job
- Including scale and complexity of the tasks that you handle
- Your great client relationships quality
- Regions that you have managed etc.
- Client management skills

Resume components
- That is clean, uncluttered, legible font, avoid unnecessary pics
- Chronological experience which means recent job should be on top
- Add impact that you had on college (if fresher) competitions, activities awards etc. or impact you
had in company (if you have experience). Because they need to know the impact and success that
you created.
- Nowadays, Ai Technology is used to shortlist candidates, so add Keywords & Descriptors that
makes the algorithm select you and also impress the human.
- Use Active Verbs like accelerated sales, coordinated program, developed program, etc.
- Avoid using jargons and acronyms that are organisation specific
- Review your content for spelling & grammatical errors, also use
- Have a different person's perspective, so that any type of people find yours interesting
- Resume should be authentic with right tense and flow of the resume is authentic
- Online tools like Chatgpt, Canva, Grammarly, Linkedin to create polished resume
- Sanitise Your Digital Footprint in LinkedIn and other sources
- Use a good Professional picture
- Upload good references from ex-colleagues
- In Inmail, when recruiters reach out be persistent but not desperate

Template for Resume

1. Headline Statement: Why should they get interested in your resume?
2. List Keywords and active descriptors for this role that fit your resume
3. Experience: In Chronological order - recent first
4. Your Contributions in these roles use Active verbs
5. Qualifications & Accolades: Showcase your relevance in skills needed for role

Research about the Company

- Visit the company website, to see the services, locations, values, culture, products & clients of
conversation. You can crawl on websites and read press and analyst interviews. Look up
LinkedIn, Glassdoor for culture, salary and reviews
- In Job description clear understand the context of the offerings that the organisation has
- Research your Interviewers, their interests and accomplishments to build rapport and understand
under what lenses they would be judging you
 - Prepare notes on questions that you should ask those interviewers when you meet them
- Make sure there is consistency maintained in your experiences, etc in all digital platform

In Job Interviews
- Prepare 5 powerful stories in your current role
- See what really the Key descriptors are saying and anticipate the questions that the organisation
might ask by researching about the company
- Optimising your story based on the culture fit of the company. So, that they are convinced that
you can come and hit the ground running instantly

Dress Code
- Dress code make sure you are well aware and always Dress up!
- Dress for the job you want and not the job you have.
Your Clothes, Grooming, Gestures & Expressions should suit the job you want
- Achieve the 4A of appearance - Appropriate, assured, authentic & attractive
Guidelines for Dress code
- Make sure your clothes are ironed
- Wear comfortable perfectly fit clothes
- Tie length should touch correctly on the belt
- Wear matching socks
- Always wear a watch
- If you're thin, use horizontal lines in design
- If you’re short, use lines close together to give illusion of height
- If you’re waist is large, avoid horizontal lines or belt
- If you’re lower body is large, use darker colours in the bottom
- If you want to add height, keep the colour of the belt and bottoms close together
- If you have long legs, emphasise the top & belt match close together
- Have a good posture, be comfortable and assured to enhance yourself & outfit

They say the best of players before they step onto the field have already won the match in their
heads because they have spent endless hours thinking through what they are going to do in ground

So, Prepare for different types of questions,

Think about the five stories on life experiences and professional achievements.
Think about the depth they can offer to different types of questions

The best thing to do in an interview, when the question stumps you or you’re still thinking is:
Paraphrasing the question which gives you the time to think instead of staring, or saying well..
Types of Questions
1. Tell me Something about yourself :
People can read your resume so don’t recite everything instead add more depth and clarify that
headline statement
Start with one liners for obvious in the beginning - (Short gist unsaid things)
saying Who you are name? Personality? Strengths & Weaknesses? Skills? Then why do you
require this Job? Future plans? What you bring to the table?
My name is …. Then don't go overboard in qualifications, say job or study recently in a different
way than resume
Then Use the Job description, the soft and hard skills that they are looking for, blend in your
achievements, short term goals & long term goals
Make sure you answer everything based on why they would help company (perspective)

Example: I’m a transformational HR leader and I like to work with organisations that are going
through transformation. All my experience over the last decade has been working either with
startups or organisations going through difficult times and making transformation happen. I come
into my best performance when I’m working in organisations like this and I like to believe that the
company that xyz is going through a transition and I would love to be part of that transition
- So highlight what you bring to the table & what the organisation is looking for
- You can highlight the projects that you already worked in, and how the success of those
will connect well with the organisation’s challenges are going through

If you are returning to the work office or have gaps in employment history,
Then talk about the volunteering work you did or consulting work you completed

2. How you handled a Difficult situation:

Understand the question behind the question, why they are asking.
They want to know how you perform when there is scarcity in resources, how you react when
things don’t work the way you wanted but didn't so how you improvised with change or lack of
sources, and using your 5 stories illustrate your methods

STAR METHOD

When you are responding it is your job to make their life easier for them.
 So, using STAR METHOD Example:
We had committed to a client to deliver within 45 days, but we realised by 30th day that we
couldn't accomplish it. So, we realised that we need to do things differently.
We needed to put more resources on the project. We had to notify the project stakeholders and let
them know there is going to be a potential delay. We had to go back to the entire project and
restructure the activities in a way that we deliver the most important ones to be able to get to the
critical path that we have right now.
And then the result was we had anticipated to have a slippage of 15 days, but by doing all of these
tasks, we only had a slippage of 5 days. Therefore we saved ourselves from embarrassment but
also worked with the client in a manner that they continued to have trust since they received their
desired outcome.

Use this method for any question, like how do you handle pressure, etc.

3. What are your Strengths & Weaknesses

- Talk about how you brought your strengths to life
Like your collaboration skill, how did you bring that to life.?
Whilst I was the program manager on this, it needed me to work on different parts of the
organisation to make this real. Like working with Hr manager to get resources, working with
client leaders, to convince them to get the client on our side and share transparently what we can
achieve then your collaboration with the team where you restructured and systemized and got
everybody convinced and achieved the desired results. So, this skillset helped me be who I am and
I would hold me as a good stead in any organisation that I would work with.
- For Weaknesses, think about what they are looking for behind this
They want to know are you aware of your shortcomings, and how have you been working
on it and are you conscious about them
But most of them try to disguise their strengths as their weaknesses and give a story
around it.

So, Instead for weaknesses :

- Talk about a past mistake and how you’ve learnt from it and now its no longer an
issue that it was in the past.
So, Star method using it example:
My estimation skills were not as good as they are today.
 I remember a project that I did at a time, where I had not anticipated that there’s a
dependency on the client side for them to provide us data in time and in a particular
format. So, the client didn’t provide it on time and desired format so there was a
delay in the entire project and we had a slippage which resulted in an escalation.
And I have learned from this mistake and today I validate my estimation for a
particular program with my team members systemize it completely before
providing the proposal to the client

4. Why should we hire you?

Understand what the recruiter is looking at? The recruiter is looking for you to be able to bring to
life for them, What is so distinct about you and the experiences that you had. What differentiates
you from other candidates.
So your mind should go to your headline statement and bring it life through your experiences and
achievements like through my work experiences. I go to work with different geographies which
helped me understand culture and adaptability, and I like to believe this role would bring my cross
culture appreciation to become more successful for this role. So, what you learnt in those
experiences are now adding value to this role.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

What are they looking for? They are looking for loyal and staying with them for long years. Over
the next two years these are specific areas where i want to focus on and build my skills, add value
to the organisation, so this opportunity will help me to achieve my larger objective so that i am
ready to it in a couple of years.

List of Questions you can ask the interviewer

- Role, earlier person what could be done differently? What impact does this role bring to an
organisation?
- What does a typical day look like?
- In this role, what are your expectations from me?
- What according to you is the most challenging aspect of this role?
- What opportunities are there for professional development within your company?
- What’s the performance review process like here?

Practice - Practice and Use the Power of Visualisation to become Charming, Confident & Impress your
recruiters.
Before the Interview
- Ensure outfit ironed
- Check travel route & approx. time for travel
- Reach 15-20 mins early
- Use buffer time to get thoughts together
- Ensure you’re well rested
- Ensure you’ve had breakfast/lunch

Priyanka Ganjawalla - Brand Expert, Retail story.

When she had an important client to impress, her stomach got churned, she wanted to hide and crawl
somewhere else. But now she is the successful head of a luxury jewellery brand because of mentor’s
advice, which was just stick 2 outfits and switch them alternatively. So, DRESS FOR THE NEXT
LEVEL.

First Impressions matter

- First impression is visual & instantaneous that is made in seconds
- Personality is the most readily noticeable aspect to make snap judgements
- Always be well-groomed & appropriately dressed.
- Once formed, they are imprinted forever
- Negative impressions carry a very strong imprint

Q&A to ask yourself to judge your first impression

1. What is the First Impression you give?

2. How do others perceive your body language?
3. How do others read your posture?
4. What energy do you give out when you interact with people?

APPEARANCE
- Grooming & Hygiene, Clothing & Poise
- For Bad breath, use mint don't eat onions before a date
For Sweat, use arm pads, use perfume.
Practise good Skincare, haircare, nail care
- For skincare there is 4 step routine CTMS
1. Cleansing, it removes dirt, excess oil & keeps you fresh
2. Toning, restores pH balance, tightens skin & gives fresh appearance
3. Moisturising, replaces natural oils, seals body moisture, keeps skin smooth
4. Sunscreen, prevents brown spots & discoloration
Keep your hairstyle clean and wash twice a week and nails clean every other day
Make sure to keep your facial hair is waxed and nail paint make sure it's even

Before the Interview -

- When nervous, affirm
“This is my opportunity to ensure that I can tell the interviewers, How I am the best
potential person among others and my experience is right fit for the job”
- First impressions matter a lot, so
Keep a close eye on how you walk into the room, how you are dressed, your confidence,
firm handshake, your voice modulation. Typically impressions are made in the first 5
mins.
- Respond to questions straight on, since many have less attention span so say yes, no
instantly do not beat-around-the-bush, if needed straight on ask do you need me to clarify
on this…

The Compensation (Payment) Question:

If they haven’t brought that question, you can frame and ask it like this:
I am assuming my candidature is moving favourably here. I would generally be interested to understand
what could be the compensation and rewards opportunity. Because while that may not be the only
deciding factor, it does have a fair amount of weightage in my decision to make a move right now.

When they ask you, What are your expectations?

I am really looking at this opportunity since it helps me to build these — skills, it also allows me to work
with these types of people, expose myself with these clients. Compensation is not the only thing, and I
would expect when I am hired, I am paid rightly compensating the work I have done and what my other
peers in the organisation would also be getting, right?

In a Telephonic interview
- Stand during interview, will get better projection to get that quick response from you
- Keep pen & notepad to note down keywords to remember
- Reaffirm responses, did I clarify your question, etc.
- Build rapport so that it doesn’t become a dull interview
- Smile while you do it, you will come across confident in the conversation

Follow-up once in 10 days

Come across in a non desperate way, Drop a thankyou note, to remind them of your resume and that you
are eagerly waiting for the opportunity and if you still didn't receive any response, ask them if possible for
feedback. Use this in a constructive way and learn from them.

Also ensure they are well aware of your references and let your people know about this call.
Keep two or three references ready like supervisor, coach & kept aware of for this call