EMOTIONAL SELF ASSESSMENT QUIZ
* Give yourself 1 mark for every "YES" and no mark for every "NO"...!
1. Are you happy with your body?
2. Are you happy with your diet?
3. Do you feel energetic?
4. Do you do some form of exercise daily?
5. Do you practice yoga at least once or twice a week?
6. Are you happy with the quality and quantity of your
sleep every night?
7. Do you wake up refreshed every morning?
8. Are you happy with your weight?
9. Do you consider yourself a happy person?
10. Do you have at least three people in your life that
you can confide in and trust?
11. Do you talk to them daily?
12. Do you do fun things with friends and family?
13. Are you happy with your experiences of intimacy and sexuality?
14. Are you comfortable with your financial resources?
15. Do you spend less money than you earn?
16. Do you spend money on friends and family?
17. Do you have a meditation practice?
18. Do you feel compassion for those less fortunate than you and
have the desire to help them?
19. Do you have peace of mind?
20. Do you think about the meaning of death?
21. Are you comfortable with the fact of your own mortality?
22. Do you experience moments of spontaneous joy?
23 Do you feel joy at the success of others?
24. Do you experience spontaneous insight and creativity?
25. Do you experience meaningful coincidences and synchronity?
26. Do you feel you are highly intuitive?
27. Do you feel that there is a spiritual solution to every problem?
28. Are you in touch with your shadow self?
29. Do you think consciousness survives physical death?
30. Do you see the world with as your extended body?
31. Do you understand what it means to be the eyes of the universe looking at itself?
32. Are you able to harness the power of intention?
33. Do you see relationships as a mirror of yourself?
34. Can you harmonize the masculine and feminine in your own being?
35. Do you have the desire to free yourself from all conditioning and experience total freedom?
36. Do you have the desire to transcend your personal identity and experience your universal identity?
37. Do you see Planet Earth as your extended body? The earth recycling as your flesh and bones, the rivers and waters as your circulation, the air as your breath, and the trees as your lungs?
38. Are you able to see several event lines in the future based on choices of the present?
39. Are you able to tap into the matrix of collective thought, the cosmic field?
40. Do you feel the presence of the divine wherever you go?
___________
0-10: Struggling
10-20: On your way
20-30: Thriving
30-39: Almost There
40: Enlightened
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
I Love You Ma...!!!
I Love You Ma !!!
It was Mother's Day. He was driving his new royal blue Mercedes Benz and enjoying the bounties of nature. The road was smooth and the traffic was less. The trees on both sides danced with the wind and protected the street from the hot rays of the sun like a guardian. He was at peace listening to the birds warbling early in the morning.
The colorful flower shop adjacent to the road attracted his attention. He stopped his car, got out and took a closer look at some of the flowers displayed. There were bouquets of red, pink and yellow roses arranged neatly on the shelves. Every bouquet had a beautiful 'Mother's Day' greeting card attached to it.
He thought about his loving mother who lived two hundred miles away. He chose a nice bouquet of pink roses, signed the greeting card and requested the shopkeeper to courier it to his mother the same day.
Just before he got into his car, he noticed a small, cute girl standing next to the shop. She was counting the currencies in her hand. She seemed a little upset.
He went up to her and asked, "Can I help you?"
She replied in a choked voice, "I want to buy some red roses for my mother. But I have only eighty rupees whereas the bouquet costs one hundred rupees."
He smiled and asked her to accompany him to the shop. He bought a big bouquet of red roses for the little one. She thanked him profusely. He patted her and bid her goodbye.
While leaving the shop, he offered her a ride. She was elated and said, "Yes, please take me to my mother." He was thrilled as he could see her eyes sparkling with happiness.
She showed him the way, which finally led to a cemetery. She disembarked from his car, gave him a hug and said, "Thank you Uncle". Then she ran to her mother's grave, knelt down and placed the bouquet on the freshly dug grave.
The man was speechless for a minute. He immediately made a U turn and drove back to the same flower shop. He took the bouquet of pink roses from the vendor and drove down two hundred miles, at one stretch, to meet his beloved mother.
He handed over the bouquet to his mother, gave her a tight hug and said, "I love you, Ma."
She kissed him on his forehead and asked, "Why did you drive down all the way? You could have simply couriered the bouquet to me and wished me over the phone."
He said to himself, "This is a Mother's Love. At any point in time, mothers think only about our comforts and well being."
It was Mother's Day. He was driving his new royal blue Mercedes Benz and enjoying the bounties of nature. The road was smooth and the traffic was less. The trees on both sides danced with the wind and protected the street from the hot rays of the sun like a guardian. He was at peace listening to the birds warbling early in the morning.
The colorful flower shop adjacent to the road attracted his attention. He stopped his car, got out and took a closer look at some of the flowers displayed. There were bouquets of red, pink and yellow roses arranged neatly on the shelves. Every bouquet had a beautiful 'Mother's Day' greeting card attached to it.
He thought about his loving mother who lived two hundred miles away. He chose a nice bouquet of pink roses, signed the greeting card and requested the shopkeeper to courier it to his mother the same day.
Just before he got into his car, he noticed a small, cute girl standing next to the shop. She was counting the currencies in her hand. She seemed a little upset.
He went up to her and asked, "Can I help you?"
She replied in a choked voice, "I want to buy some red roses for my mother. But I have only eighty rupees whereas the bouquet costs one hundred rupees."
He smiled and asked her to accompany him to the shop. He bought a big bouquet of red roses for the little one. She thanked him profusely. He patted her and bid her goodbye.
While leaving the shop, he offered her a ride. She was elated and said, "Yes, please take me to my mother." He was thrilled as he could see her eyes sparkling with happiness.
She showed him the way, which finally led to a cemetery. She disembarked from his car, gave him a hug and said, "Thank you Uncle". Then she ran to her mother's grave, knelt down and placed the bouquet on the freshly dug grave.
The man was speechless for a minute. He immediately made a U turn and drove back to the same flower shop. He took the bouquet of pink roses from the vendor and drove down two hundred miles, at one stretch, to meet his beloved mother.
He handed over the bouquet to his mother, gave her a tight hug and said, "I love you, Ma."
She kissed him on his forehead and asked, "Why did you drive down all the way? You could have simply couriered the bouquet to me and wished me over the phone."
He said to himself, "This is a Mother's Love. At any point in time, mothers think only about our comforts and well being."
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Parents are precious. Take care of them.
Parents
Note: This article is forwarded by my good friend Ms. Madhavi. Thanks Madhavi for this article.
This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations:
Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.
My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never travelled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.
As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.
Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.
Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.
Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too..
Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS.
__._,_.___
Note: This article is forwarded by my good friend Ms. Madhavi. Thanks Madhavi for this article.
This was narrated by an IAF pilot to IIT students during a Seminar on Human Relations:
Venkatesh Balasubramaniam (who works for IIT) describes how his gesture of booking an air ticket for his father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made him (Venkatesh) realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.
My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never travelled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.
As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.
Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.
Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.
Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too..
Take care of your parents. THEY ARE PRECIOUS.
__._,_.___
Sunday, October 24, 2010
How To Handle Negativity
Question:
How do you maintain a high enough level of consciousness when someone throws a ball of negativity at you, so that you don’t feel resentment and anger afterward?
Answer:
Just be yourself and let your natural response be what it is. If you are having a strong emotional response to a situation, then that is your present experience, then that what is happening. You can’t have a honest spiritual reaction to negativity by trying to be loving and accepting. Take your reaction as an opportunity to heal the part of you inside that takes it personally and as a way to correct the voice inside that buys into or feels threatened by that negativity. You begin by noticing your reaction without judgment or blame. That part of you that can witness your emotions, is your higher self, that is beyond any hurt feelings or anger. As that silent self becomes stronger and more dominant than your ego, it becomes easier to let go of the resentment afterward, and you will find that over time you will also be less and less reactive to the negativity when it occurs.
How do you maintain a high enough level of consciousness when someone throws a ball of negativity at you, so that you don’t feel resentment and anger afterward?
Answer:
Just be yourself and let your natural response be what it is. If you are having a strong emotional response to a situation, then that is your present experience, then that what is happening. You can’t have a honest spiritual reaction to negativity by trying to be loving and accepting. Take your reaction as an opportunity to heal the part of you inside that takes it personally and as a way to correct the voice inside that buys into or feels threatened by that negativity. You begin by noticing your reaction without judgment or blame. That part of you that can witness your emotions, is your higher self, that is beyond any hurt feelings or anger. As that silent self becomes stronger and more dominant than your ego, it becomes easier to let go of the resentment afterward, and you will find that over time you will also be less and less reactive to the negativity when it occurs.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
How to Transform Your Life...!
To change everything, you only have to change one thing.
If you’re struggling with something that you’d like to change in your life, rest assured – transformation might be closer than you think. When we look at the big picture, it’s often tempting to think that we have to change...the big picture. In reality, you can change one little thing, and the entire picture will shift.
When you feel most powerful, most able to take on challenges, what tends to be your emotional state? Are you feeling good, or feeling bad? My guess is that you’re probably feeling most capable, most on your game, when you’re feeling good. And when you're feeling bad - well, even the smallest hurdles can seem insurmountable - nevermind the major obstacles. However, the temptation is to think that you’re at the mercy of “how you feel” when it comes to making shifts in your life.
The Big Three
Take anything in your life at all, and the way that you experience that situation, the emotional state that it puts you in, can be broken down into three components:
Your physiology – what you’re doing with your body
Your focus – where you’re choosing to place your attention
Your language – the words that you use to describe the situation
These three elements are your keys to unlocking the secret of speedy transformation.
A simple experiment to make it real for you
As an experiment, think back on your life, to something that made you really sad, or depressed. See if you can get back into that feeling state again. Once you’re there, examine what you’re doing with the “big three”.
What are you doing with your body? How’s your posture? Your breathing? Do you feel relaxed, or constricted? Do you feel tension in any part of your body? Is there a movement that you associate with that feeling (and what is it)?
What are you thinking about? What thoughts do you repeat to yourself, like incantations, to get you into that emotional state? What pictures do you have in your mind?
What are the words that you use to describe the situation? Are there particular metaphors that you’ve chosen?
Now move on to a happier time
Having done that with something that made you sad – now switch to something that made you joyful. Think back to a time where you were feeling really, really, good. Make that really, really, really good. Take a moment to really get yourself into that state. Now think about the big three again.
What are you doing with your body?
What are you thinking about/focusing on?
How would you describe this situation to someone else?
Changing Your Emotions in an Instant
First of all, did you notice that you were able to experience quite an enormous emotional shift in a relatively short span of time, from feeling sad/depressed to feeling great/ecstatic? And how did you do that?
By changing your physiology, your focus, and your language.
These tools are available to you at any moment to shift the way you feel, to completely change your experience in any situation.
Try it, you’ll like it
The next time you find yourself faced with a “problem”, take a moment to assess the Big Three. What are you doing with your body? What are you paying attention to? What words are you using to describe the situation. Then, as an experiment, try changing each of them.
Start with the body. Change your posture. Smile. Straighten your spine. Hold your head up high. Imagine that some celestial being is looking down upon you, only you, and in that moment the two of you are connecting. You are embodying the physical manifestation of that celestial being here on the planet. Feel different?
Don’t stop there. Move on to your focus. You were thinking about the problem. As an experiment, shift your focus to gratitude. Is there something in this situation that’s actually a gift to you? Has life given you a chance to grow into the person you’re meant to become? Instead of thinking about a person's frown, how about focusing on their earlobes, or the glistening spot on their forehead?
Finally, your language. What metaphors might you pick to describe your problem, and how can you turn them on their head? For instance, let’s say that you’re feeling confused – not sure what to do next – like you’re in a maze. OK, so you’re in a maze! Now, what would happen if you were lifted above that maze – wouldn’t that be a helpful perspective? What if you could start at the exit of the maze, your goal, and could see the path working backwards to where you are now – wouldn’t that help you reach your solution? What if you looked down at the ground there in the maze, and found that there was a thread that someone else had left behind, leading you the way out? Can you follow it?
As you see, within each problem are the seeds of its resolution. If you take a moment to “do” the Big Three, you’ll see how easy it can be to make the shift. And you’ll probably even find that simply ONE of the steps is all it takes to shift the landscape. All it takes is one. But all three – well, that’s just icing on the cake.
If you’re struggling with something that you’d like to change in your life, rest assured – transformation might be closer than you think. When we look at the big picture, it’s often tempting to think that we have to change...the big picture. In reality, you can change one little thing, and the entire picture will shift.
When you feel most powerful, most able to take on challenges, what tends to be your emotional state? Are you feeling good, or feeling bad? My guess is that you’re probably feeling most capable, most on your game, when you’re feeling good. And when you're feeling bad - well, even the smallest hurdles can seem insurmountable - nevermind the major obstacles. However, the temptation is to think that you’re at the mercy of “how you feel” when it comes to making shifts in your life.
The Big Three
Take anything in your life at all, and the way that you experience that situation, the emotional state that it puts you in, can be broken down into three components:
Your physiology – what you’re doing with your body
Your focus – where you’re choosing to place your attention
Your language – the words that you use to describe the situation
These three elements are your keys to unlocking the secret of speedy transformation.
A simple experiment to make it real for you
As an experiment, think back on your life, to something that made you really sad, or depressed. See if you can get back into that feeling state again. Once you’re there, examine what you’re doing with the “big three”.
What are you doing with your body? How’s your posture? Your breathing? Do you feel relaxed, or constricted? Do you feel tension in any part of your body? Is there a movement that you associate with that feeling (and what is it)?
What are you thinking about? What thoughts do you repeat to yourself, like incantations, to get you into that emotional state? What pictures do you have in your mind?
What are the words that you use to describe the situation? Are there particular metaphors that you’ve chosen?
Now move on to a happier time
Having done that with something that made you sad – now switch to something that made you joyful. Think back to a time where you were feeling really, really, good. Make that really, really, really good. Take a moment to really get yourself into that state. Now think about the big three again.
What are you doing with your body?
What are you thinking about/focusing on?
How would you describe this situation to someone else?
Changing Your Emotions in an Instant
First of all, did you notice that you were able to experience quite an enormous emotional shift in a relatively short span of time, from feeling sad/depressed to feeling great/ecstatic? And how did you do that?
By changing your physiology, your focus, and your language.
These tools are available to you at any moment to shift the way you feel, to completely change your experience in any situation.
Try it, you’ll like it
The next time you find yourself faced with a “problem”, take a moment to assess the Big Three. What are you doing with your body? What are you paying attention to? What words are you using to describe the situation. Then, as an experiment, try changing each of them.
Start with the body. Change your posture. Smile. Straighten your spine. Hold your head up high. Imagine that some celestial being is looking down upon you, only you, and in that moment the two of you are connecting. You are embodying the physical manifestation of that celestial being here on the planet. Feel different?
Don’t stop there. Move on to your focus. You were thinking about the problem. As an experiment, shift your focus to gratitude. Is there something in this situation that’s actually a gift to you? Has life given you a chance to grow into the person you’re meant to become? Instead of thinking about a person's frown, how about focusing on their earlobes, or the glistening spot on their forehead?
Finally, your language. What metaphors might you pick to describe your problem, and how can you turn them on their head? For instance, let’s say that you’re feeling confused – not sure what to do next – like you’re in a maze. OK, so you’re in a maze! Now, what would happen if you were lifted above that maze – wouldn’t that be a helpful perspective? What if you could start at the exit of the maze, your goal, and could see the path working backwards to where you are now – wouldn’t that help you reach your solution? What if you looked down at the ground there in the maze, and found that there was a thread that someone else had left behind, leading you the way out? Can you follow it?
As you see, within each problem are the seeds of its resolution. If you take a moment to “do” the Big Three, you’ll see how easy it can be to make the shift. And you’ll probably even find that simply ONE of the steps is all it takes to shift the landscape. All it takes is one. But all three – well, that’s just icing on the cake.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
What Makes You Different From Others in Interview
Assessing Your Job Skills: What Makes You Different from All the Others?If you have been reading articles or listening to news reports
about the job market, it becomes obvious that the number of
people currently seeking jobs outnumbers the jobs that are now
available.
If you happen to be one of those job seekers, you realize that
you are competing against the odds. The question is, "How can
you make yourself stand out when there are so many other
candidates looking at the same job?" The answer is to "focus" --
focus on what makes you unique.
Let's assume that you have an outstanding resume and that you
make it to the top of the stack of resumes of people to be
called for an interview. You, and maybe nine or ten other
equally qualified people for the position, that is.
Because companies have so many candidates to choose from, they
are interviewing more people so that they can select the "best."
When you are lucky enough to be invited to an interview, it is
essential that you be ready to sell yourself, to let the
interviewers know what makes you unique, what added value you
can bring to the position--in other words, why you are the best
person for the job.
By doing some basic preparation, you can determine your
uniqueness and where you should focus your attention. The first
step in this process is to identify your five strengths. These
strengths are the areas where you do very well.
This may take some thought on your part. What are your
strengths? Think about previous performance appraisals - what
was said or written about you? What would your co-workers or
ex-bosses say about you?
• List the skills and experiences you have that would be
required in the type of job you are seeking. For instance, a
technical job would focus on programs, languages, and platforms,
etc.
• Give some thought to those skills in which you excel, those
that are referred to as the "soft skills." These skills can be
viewed as transferable– you can take them with you to any job
you hold. Examples of these skills are your communication and
people skills, or your time-management and project-management
skills, or your ability to build strong relationships, or your
ability to influence others.
• Lastly, think of the personal traits that make you unique.
Maybe you never miss deadlines, or perhaps you are willing to do
above and beyond what is asked, or perhaps you have a great
attitude. (Don't dismiss these traits--many people have been
fired for negative personal traits rather than for lack of
knowledge).
When you have identified your five strengths, make a list of
those strengths and some examples of when those strengths have
helped you achieve results on the job. It will be essential that
you can not only identify your strengths, but that you also have
examples and stories of times when you demonstrated those
strengths in the past.
The next step is to look at the job postings and ads. In fact,
look at several job postings that would be of interest to you.
Your goal is to find key words and phrases. For this exercise,
don't limit yourself to geographical location. Look at jobs of
interest located anywhere.
When you have several postings, read each word and sentence
carefully, taking notes as you do. What are they looking for?
What words appear consistently in almost every posting?
Now, take a piece of paper and divide it in half. On one side
of the paper write, "What they are looking for," and on the
other side, "What I have to offer." Each time you apply for a
position, it will be invaluable for you to know how you stand
against what they are looking for. This exercise will help you
see how close a match you are and where you should focus.
Your next step is to add your uniqueness to the "What I have to
offer" list. Some postings will list additional skills required,
which make it easier for you to see what is important to them.
An example would be, "Must have excellent communications skills,
strong organizational skills, and be a willing team player." If
these words appear in most of your posting examples, then make
sure that these are a part of your focus. Can you work these
words and your five strengths into the interview to demonstrate
your fit -- and then some? Some postings will be more vague
about what it takes to get the job done and will require reading
between the lines to determine what other skills are necessary.
In summary, by narrowing your uniqueness to these five basic
points, you can guide the conversation to include this
information. By focusing on five strengths, you will be prepared
with examples of times when you have used these strengths.
Whenever possible, give examples to show how you have "been
there and done that," and can do it again. It will be necessary
to demonstrate that you have what it takes, and then some, to be
unique in this market.
My Job Interview Brand Tool in my online seminar at www.wiziq.com/srikumarmenon
actually creates your unique statement and gives you examples to
use. You add your experiences, I help you with hints and ideas,
and the tool puts it all together in a final statement that you
can use over and over again.
When you walk out of that interview room, your interviewers may
not remember all five of your points; but if they remember even
two of the points that make you unique, you will be ahead of the
game!
Dear Friends - I can't go to the interview with you, but I can
tell you what they are going to want at the interview.
You can enrol for my online seminar on Interview Preparation by logging in at www.wiziq.com/srikumarmenon.
Good Luck With Your Interview.
Shrikumar Menon
about the job market, it becomes obvious that the number of
people currently seeking jobs outnumbers the jobs that are now
available.
If you happen to be one of those job seekers, you realize that
you are competing against the odds. The question is, "How can
you make yourself stand out when there are so many other
candidates looking at the same job?" The answer is to "focus" --
focus on what makes you unique.
Let's assume that you have an outstanding resume and that you
make it to the top of the stack of resumes of people to be
called for an interview. You, and maybe nine or ten other
equally qualified people for the position, that is.
Because companies have so many candidates to choose from, they
are interviewing more people so that they can select the "best."
When you are lucky enough to be invited to an interview, it is
essential that you be ready to sell yourself, to let the
interviewers know what makes you unique, what added value you
can bring to the position--in other words, why you are the best
person for the job.
By doing some basic preparation, you can determine your
uniqueness and where you should focus your attention. The first
step in this process is to identify your five strengths. These
strengths are the areas where you do very well.
This may take some thought on your part. What are your
strengths? Think about previous performance appraisals - what
was said or written about you? What would your co-workers or
ex-bosses say about you?
• List the skills and experiences you have that would be
required in the type of job you are seeking. For instance, a
technical job would focus on programs, languages, and platforms,
etc.
• Give some thought to those skills in which you excel, those
that are referred to as the "soft skills." These skills can be
viewed as transferable– you can take them with you to any job
you hold. Examples of these skills are your communication and
people skills, or your time-management and project-management
skills, or your ability to build strong relationships, or your
ability to influence others.
• Lastly, think of the personal traits that make you unique.
Maybe you never miss deadlines, or perhaps you are willing to do
above and beyond what is asked, or perhaps you have a great
attitude. (Don't dismiss these traits--many people have been
fired for negative personal traits rather than for lack of
knowledge).
When you have identified your five strengths, make a list of
those strengths and some examples of when those strengths have
helped you achieve results on the job. It will be essential that
you can not only identify your strengths, but that you also have
examples and stories of times when you demonstrated those
strengths in the past.
The next step is to look at the job postings and ads. In fact,
look at several job postings that would be of interest to you.
Your goal is to find key words and phrases. For this exercise,
don't limit yourself to geographical location. Look at jobs of
interest located anywhere.
When you have several postings, read each word and sentence
carefully, taking notes as you do. What are they looking for?
What words appear consistently in almost every posting?
Now, take a piece of paper and divide it in half. On one side
of the paper write, "What they are looking for," and on the
other side, "What I have to offer." Each time you apply for a
position, it will be invaluable for you to know how you stand
against what they are looking for. This exercise will help you
see how close a match you are and where you should focus.
Your next step is to add your uniqueness to the "What I have to
offer" list. Some postings will list additional skills required,
which make it easier for you to see what is important to them.
An example would be, "Must have excellent communications skills,
strong organizational skills, and be a willing team player." If
these words appear in most of your posting examples, then make
sure that these are a part of your focus. Can you work these
words and your five strengths into the interview to demonstrate
your fit -- and then some? Some postings will be more vague
about what it takes to get the job done and will require reading
between the lines to determine what other skills are necessary.
In summary, by narrowing your uniqueness to these five basic
points, you can guide the conversation to include this
information. By focusing on five strengths, you will be prepared
with examples of times when you have used these strengths.
Whenever possible, give examples to show how you have "been
there and done that," and can do it again. It will be necessary
to demonstrate that you have what it takes, and then some, to be
unique in this market.
My Job Interview Brand Tool in my online seminar at www.wiziq.com/srikumarmenon
actually creates your unique statement and gives you examples to
use. You add your experiences, I help you with hints and ideas,
and the tool puts it all together in a final statement that you
can use over and over again.
When you walk out of that interview room, your interviewers may
not remember all five of your points; but if they remember even
two of the points that make you unique, you will be ahead of the
game!
Dear Friends - I can't go to the interview with you, but I can
tell you what they are going to want at the interview.
You can enrol for my online seminar on Interview Preparation by logging in at www.wiziq.com/srikumarmenon.
Good Luck With Your Interview.
Shrikumar Menon
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Come Out as a Winner in Group Discussion....!
Come Out as a Winner in Group Discussion....!
As the written test checks numerical ability, language skills and analytical ability, one quality of paramount importance, which it fails to assess, is how well you work in a team.
During most of his or her professional life, an MBA would work as a team member rather than as an individual (unlike in academic life) and it is for this reason that interpersonal skills such as getting along with people, communicating ideas and understanding another’s point of view, is closely observed during a Group Discussion.
Rule No. 1:
It is not enough to be knowledgeable. You must also be able to communicate them effectively. This is especially relevant for all of you who remain relatively quiet during a GD. It may be because one is from a vernacular background and not confident about speaking in English. It may be because one is not confident about presenting one’s opinions, or feels that his knowledge of the topic is limited. It could also be because other members are aggressive. Whatever the reason, the bottom-line is that if you do not participate, the default impression you leave is that you don’t know anything. The onus to prove otherwise lies with each of you, individually.
Even if your English is not polished and you make grammatical errors, remember that you are not being marked on mere language skills; the focus here is on assessing communication skills and that in simple terms means putting your ideas across as well as understanding the ideas being put across by others.
Rule N. 2:
On the other end of the spectrum, the Vomit Syndrome also plagues GD participants. You have two to three minutes to collect and pen down thoughts before the actual discussion begins and typically, everyone jots down points worth contributing. The trouble arises when a participant blurts out these points here or there irrespective of the flow of the discussion, and the need of the hour.
The overbearing thought in the participant’s mind is “The more I speak, the more points I score” and the result is akin to what I referred to as vomit. Such behaviour makes you come across as extremely selfish and insensitive. Instead follow the discussion and offer your contribution when it is relevant and in a manner that is integrated with the flow. This reflects that you are concerned about the overall success of the discussion rather than merely your own individual success.
This is the key to success in a GD. But it can be implemented only if you realise the golden rule about communication, in general: it’s a two-way process. Good communicators listen as well as speak. So, if you listen well during a GD, you will surely find the opportunity to speak your mind.
Many think that the person who speaks the most emerges as the leader. Nothing could be further from the truth. A domineering, verbose person is only viewed as a bull in a china shop, a far cry from the image of an ideal manager. True leadership lies in understanding the demand of the situation in a GD. If there is a dearth of ideas, can you provide some food for thought? If the group is digressing from the topic, can you steer it smoothly back without ruffling any feathers? If there are some in the group who have been trying to be heard in the milieu, can you help them get a chance?
Similarly, if the group has turned out to be a fish market as it often does in an MBA GD, can you put some order back into the chaos or do you just try to shout as loud as anybody else? In a nutshell, are you a part of the problem or the solution?
Good Luck with your Group Discussion....!
article courtesy: career360
As the written test checks numerical ability, language skills and analytical ability, one quality of paramount importance, which it fails to assess, is how well you work in a team.
During most of his or her professional life, an MBA would work as a team member rather than as an individual (unlike in academic life) and it is for this reason that interpersonal skills such as getting along with people, communicating ideas and understanding another’s point of view, is closely observed during a Group Discussion.
Rule No. 1:
It is not enough to be knowledgeable. You must also be able to communicate them effectively. This is especially relevant for all of you who remain relatively quiet during a GD. It may be because one is from a vernacular background and not confident about speaking in English. It may be because one is not confident about presenting one’s opinions, or feels that his knowledge of the topic is limited. It could also be because other members are aggressive. Whatever the reason, the bottom-line is that if you do not participate, the default impression you leave is that you don’t know anything. The onus to prove otherwise lies with each of you, individually.
Even if your English is not polished and you make grammatical errors, remember that you are not being marked on mere language skills; the focus here is on assessing communication skills and that in simple terms means putting your ideas across as well as understanding the ideas being put across by others.
Rule N. 2:
On the other end of the spectrum, the Vomit Syndrome also plagues GD participants. You have two to three minutes to collect and pen down thoughts before the actual discussion begins and typically, everyone jots down points worth contributing. The trouble arises when a participant blurts out these points here or there irrespective of the flow of the discussion, and the need of the hour.
The overbearing thought in the participant’s mind is “The more I speak, the more points I score” and the result is akin to what I referred to as vomit. Such behaviour makes you come across as extremely selfish and insensitive. Instead follow the discussion and offer your contribution when it is relevant and in a manner that is integrated with the flow. This reflects that you are concerned about the overall success of the discussion rather than merely your own individual success.
This is the key to success in a GD. But it can be implemented only if you realise the golden rule about communication, in general: it’s a two-way process. Good communicators listen as well as speak. So, if you listen well during a GD, you will surely find the opportunity to speak your mind.
Many think that the person who speaks the most emerges as the leader. Nothing could be further from the truth. A domineering, verbose person is only viewed as a bull in a china shop, a far cry from the image of an ideal manager. True leadership lies in understanding the demand of the situation in a GD. If there is a dearth of ideas, can you provide some food for thought? If the group is digressing from the topic, can you steer it smoothly back without ruffling any feathers? If there are some in the group who have been trying to be heard in the milieu, can you help them get a chance?
Similarly, if the group has turned out to be a fish market as it often does in an MBA GD, can you put some order back into the chaos or do you just try to shout as loud as anybody else? In a nutshell, are you a part of the problem or the solution?
Good Luck with your Group Discussion....!
article courtesy: career360
Saturday, September 25, 2010
How to motivate yourself daily to do things that you really want to do?
It’s not easy developing good habits through guilt and will power. It can be more successful to build a healthy lifestyle by paying attention to how much better you feel when you do positive activities like exercising, eating well and meditating compared to how you feel when you don’t. Compare not just feeling better physically, but also how much better you feel emotionally by supporting balance and clarity in your daily routine. When you have accumulated enough positive experience with your new habits compared to your old habits you will a natural motivation to continue. You will actually look forward to those activities to feel better.
It’s not easy developing good habits through guilt and will power. It can be more successful to build a healthy lifestyle by paying attention to how much better you feel when you do positive activities like exercising, eating well and meditating compared to how you feel when you don’t. Compare not just feeling better physically, but also how much better you feel emotionally by supporting balance and clarity in your daily routine. When you have accumulated enough positive experience with your new habits compared to your old habits you will a natural motivation to continue. You will actually look forward to those activities to feel better.
Friday, September 24, 2010
PLACEMENT PREPARATION MANTRA
Great first job can go a long way in paving the road for a rewarding career. That's why placements occupy a student's mind right from the day he or she enters professional college. But approaching them in a systematic manner, is a must.Here are 10 steps to come out as a winner in your Job Interview.
Step 1: Build a PERFECT RESUME
IIM students get started six months ahead of placements. What's more, the PERFECT RESUME undergoes at least 30 cycles of change and review!
Start by training yourself on how to write a perfect RESUME.
The layout must be clean avoid unnecessary clutter, fancy fonts or colours. Keep the text sharp by editing out unnecessary words but at the same time highlighting your strengths.
Choose your words strategically. For instance, 'Was captain of my college cricket team at the inter-college sports meet' could read as 'Led my college cricket team in the inter-college tournament.'
A useful rule of thumb while deciding what to include in the PERFECT RESUME- see if it really helps the recruiter make a decision about you. For instance, writing your father's name or marital status (in most cases) adds no value.
Projects, training and internships must be described in such a way that they reflect your contribution. You could use a three-point format, each point not more than one sentence - project objective, what you did and what you achieved, that is, the result
Highlight extracurricular activities where you excelled over others.
Show the first draft to your Training Mentor and your Professor who has worked in the industry or anyone with professional exposure whom you can trust for the right guidance. Get it reviewed by as many people as possible and incorporate whatever feedback that makes sense to you.
Step 2: Know the opportunities
Talk to everyone and keep abreast of companies visiting the campus, the roles on offer and their selection processes. Some companies may cancel their visits at the last minute and some new ones may be roped in. Keeping track of these developments as they happen could prove to be vital.
Step 3: Practise interviewing
What would you do if you were asked to give a guitar performance at the Taj Mahal in six month's time? You'd learn to play the guitar and practise till your fingers hurt. And then, practice some more! Do the same for your campus interview performance:
Train yourself on all about interviews and interview questions.
Create and prepare a list of common interview questions.
Reflect on who you were as a child, a teen, an adult, a student and a friend. What excites you in life and what depresses you? What are you good at and what are you bad at? The key is to know yourself. Only then you'd be able to tell others about yourself with conviction.
Next, think about the interview questions: strengths/weaknesses, long-term/short-term career goals, what motivates you, skills, career interests. Develop and answer your list of questions.
Practise with your mentors with industry experience to review your answers. Revisit your answers and incorporate whatever feedback makes sense.
The objective is to portray that you know yourself well enough to be able to make sound career decisions. When someone asks you about your strengths and you take two minutes to blurt out a badly-formed answer, he would think you don't know yourself well enough and hence he cannot trust you when you say you are interested in working for his company. All the thinking that can be done before the interview should be done before the interview.
Get someone - Ask your friend,mentor or uour placement officerto interview you and give you objective feedback.
Step 4: Practise for written tests
Talking of hurdles, this is one big one! If you don't get through the written tests (aptitude or technical), you don't get to see those smart company executives who will eventually hand over your job offer letter.
Step 5: Review curriculum
Information is power, and having prior information about who is coming to recruit on campus, will help you determine what you need to study beforehand. For instance, for an IT job, data structures, sort algorithms and basics of C/C++ would generally suffice. Similarly, a VLSI design job might require basic knowledge of digital circuits, Boolean algebra, electronic systems design and finite state machines etc.
If you are clueless about the kind of questions the interviewers will ask, then be ready with a list of three to four 'favourite subjects'. Some companies try to test how good you are in your strength areas and select you on the basis of that knowledge even if that is not relevant to the job profile on offer.
Step 6: Ace group discussions
Form a GD practice group along with some serious fellow students. GDs can be tricky affairs because you need to walk a fine line between being too aggressive and too meek. You can't hog all the limelight, yet you can't hide in the background. You can't be too loud or too soft. Practising in the training sessions will get you the balance right.
Two, you must share your own views, or else you will not be able to speak with conviction. But to develop a viewpoint, you need facts and awareness. Read newspapers, magazines and watch news basically, know the world around you. Awareness will give you sufficient fodder for a discussion.
Step 7: Research companies and industries
Surf the Internet for information regarding the company - history, locations, main products/services, and for any major news story in the past two to three months. Also read about the industry-major players, industry history, major challenges, trends and future direction.
Knowing the company and industry, adds credibility when you say you want to work there. Being well-informed reflects interest, a potential to become productive early, and also one's ability to make a sincere effort.
Step 8: Get a set of formals
You may already possess a white shirt and a pair of black trousers. But get a new set! The best policy is to be conservative. Go for plain white well-fitted full sleeve shirts, black trousers without pleats (and other fancy stuff) and plain black leather shoes.
You could give the tie a miss. If not, then make sure you are comfortable - wearing a tie in the hot summer sun and getting drenched in sweat is hardly impressive. Just to reinforce, err on the conservative side. For instance, avoid metal embellishments on shoes and breast pocket buttons on shirts.
Women have several options when it comes to formals. A light-coloured formal shirt and black trousers or a simple, light-coloured saree or salwar suit, will do. Avoid something too flowery or ornate, and team it up with a pair of formal shoes (but avoid pencil heels!).
Step 9: File all certificates
Get together all your educational/ non-education certificates including Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets, technical certifications, the one that you received for singing on Gandhi Jayanti in Class 5 and NCC/ NSS certificates every documentary proof of achievement so far. Arrange them neatly in a file folder, have them at hand during your interview.
Step 10: Enjoy the ride!
This is more important than it seems. After all, how can you give a winning performance if you do not enjoy it? People invariably do much better in the interviews they enjoy while messing up the ones they are too 'psyched up' about. Just before the interview, think of your past successes and achievements. Get into a positive, confident mood. Now's not the time to remember the weaknesses in your preparation and go, 'Oops, I did not revise bubble sort!' Just go out there and have fun.
Placements can be one's ticket to a great future. Plan well, prepare hard and be positive.
My Best Wishes...
Article courtesy: www.careers360.com
Great first job can go a long way in paving the road for a rewarding career. That's why placements occupy a student's mind right from the day he or she enters professional college. But approaching them in a systematic manner, is a must.Here are 10 steps to come out as a winner in your Job Interview.
Step 1: Build a PERFECT RESUME
IIM students get started six months ahead of placements. What's more, the PERFECT RESUME undergoes at least 30 cycles of change and review!
Start by training yourself on how to write a perfect RESUME.
The layout must be clean avoid unnecessary clutter, fancy fonts or colours. Keep the text sharp by editing out unnecessary words but at the same time highlighting your strengths.
Choose your words strategically. For instance, 'Was captain of my college cricket team at the inter-college sports meet' could read as 'Led my college cricket team in the inter-college tournament.'
A useful rule of thumb while deciding what to include in the PERFECT RESUME- see if it really helps the recruiter make a decision about you. For instance, writing your father's name or marital status (in most cases) adds no value.
Projects, training and internships must be described in such a way that they reflect your contribution. You could use a three-point format, each point not more than one sentence - project objective, what you did and what you achieved, that is, the result
Highlight extracurricular activities where you excelled over others.
Show the first draft to your Training Mentor and your Professor who has worked in the industry or anyone with professional exposure whom you can trust for the right guidance. Get it reviewed by as many people as possible and incorporate whatever feedback that makes sense to you.
Step 2: Know the opportunities
Talk to everyone and keep abreast of companies visiting the campus, the roles on offer and their selection processes. Some companies may cancel their visits at the last minute and some new ones may be roped in. Keeping track of these developments as they happen could prove to be vital.
Step 3: Practise interviewing
What would you do if you were asked to give a guitar performance at the Taj Mahal in six month's time? You'd learn to play the guitar and practise till your fingers hurt. And then, practice some more! Do the same for your campus interview performance:
Train yourself on all about interviews and interview questions.
Create and prepare a list of common interview questions.
Reflect on who you were as a child, a teen, an adult, a student and a friend. What excites you in life and what depresses you? What are you good at and what are you bad at? The key is to know yourself. Only then you'd be able to tell others about yourself with conviction.
Next, think about the interview questions: strengths/weaknesses, long-term/short-term career goals, what motivates you, skills, career interests. Develop and answer your list of questions.
Practise with your mentors with industry experience to review your answers. Revisit your answers and incorporate whatever feedback makes sense.
The objective is to portray that you know yourself well enough to be able to make sound career decisions. When someone asks you about your strengths and you take two minutes to blurt out a badly-formed answer, he would think you don't know yourself well enough and hence he cannot trust you when you say you are interested in working for his company. All the thinking that can be done before the interview should be done before the interview.
Get someone - Ask your friend,mentor or uour placement officerto interview you and give you objective feedback.
Step 4: Practise for written tests
Talking of hurdles, this is one big one! If you don't get through the written tests (aptitude or technical), you don't get to see those smart company executives who will eventually hand over your job offer letter.
Step 5: Review curriculum
Information is power, and having prior information about who is coming to recruit on campus, will help you determine what you need to study beforehand. For instance, for an IT job, data structures, sort algorithms and basics of C/C++ would generally suffice. Similarly, a VLSI design job might require basic knowledge of digital circuits, Boolean algebra, electronic systems design and finite state machines etc.
If you are clueless about the kind of questions the interviewers will ask, then be ready with a list of three to four 'favourite subjects'. Some companies try to test how good you are in your strength areas and select you on the basis of that knowledge even if that is not relevant to the job profile on offer.
Step 6: Ace group discussions
Form a GD practice group along with some serious fellow students. GDs can be tricky affairs because you need to walk a fine line between being too aggressive and too meek. You can't hog all the limelight, yet you can't hide in the background. You can't be too loud or too soft. Practising in the training sessions will get you the balance right.
Two, you must share your own views, or else you will not be able to speak with conviction. But to develop a viewpoint, you need facts and awareness. Read newspapers, magazines and watch news basically, know the world around you. Awareness will give you sufficient fodder for a discussion.
Step 7: Research companies and industries
Surf the Internet for information regarding the company - history, locations, main products/services, and for any major news story in the past two to three months. Also read about the industry-major players, industry history, major challenges, trends and future direction.
Knowing the company and industry, adds credibility when you say you want to work there. Being well-informed reflects interest, a potential to become productive early, and also one's ability to make a sincere effort.
Step 8: Get a set of formals
You may already possess a white shirt and a pair of black trousers. But get a new set! The best policy is to be conservative. Go for plain white well-fitted full sleeve shirts, black trousers without pleats (and other fancy stuff) and plain black leather shoes.
You could give the tie a miss. If not, then make sure you are comfortable - wearing a tie in the hot summer sun and getting drenched in sweat is hardly impressive. Just to reinforce, err on the conservative side. For instance, avoid metal embellishments on shoes and breast pocket buttons on shirts.
Women have several options when it comes to formals. A light-coloured formal shirt and black trousers or a simple, light-coloured saree or salwar suit, will do. Avoid something too flowery or ornate, and team it up with a pair of formal shoes (but avoid pencil heels!).
Step 9: File all certificates
Get together all your educational/ non-education certificates including Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets, technical certifications, the one that you received for singing on Gandhi Jayanti in Class 5 and NCC/ NSS certificates every documentary proof of achievement so far. Arrange them neatly in a file folder, have them at hand during your interview.
Step 10: Enjoy the ride!
This is more important than it seems. After all, how can you give a winning performance if you do not enjoy it? People invariably do much better in the interviews they enjoy while messing up the ones they are too 'psyched up' about. Just before the interview, think of your past successes and achievements. Get into a positive, confident mood. Now's not the time to remember the weaknesses in your preparation and go, 'Oops, I did not revise bubble sort!' Just go out there and have fun.
Placements can be one's ticket to a great future. Plan well, prepare hard and be positive.
My Best Wishes...
Article courtesy: www.careers360.com
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Ignite Your Potential Keynote address
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/370164-ignite-your-potential
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