5 feng shui tips for job seekers

Let's face it -- job searching is stressful. So if anything can be done to help bring positive energy to the experience, it's worth exploring. That's why the practice of feng shui is so intriguing. While feng shui may seem like something you do when decorating your house, its applications can extend beyond the abode and into your job search.

According to the Encarta World English Dictionary, feng shui is "a Chinese system that studies people's relationships to their environment, especially their home or workspace, in order to achieve maximum harmony with the spiritual forces believed to influence all places."

"Feng shui is about how the space you live and work in affects your mood, energy level and your decisions," says Donna Stellhorn,and author of "2012: Year of the Water Dragon." "By making the appropriate changes to your physical environment, you shift the energy flow and prime your subconscious to recognize success opportunities."

Stellhorn notes that when it comes to the job hunt, it's easy to feel down and defeated by what seem like insurmountable obstacles. "To protect ourselves from these obstacles, we can set up blocks to new opportunities. We may not feel these blocks, only those opportunities seem to stop coming. By making feng shui changes, we stimulate the energy so the opportunities can come again."
So how can job seekers benefit from feng shui? Stellhorn shares the following five tips to help bring balance and positivity to your job search:

1. Avoid horizontal lines on your résumé or cover letter. "Horizontal lines break up the flow of energy, giving the reader a chance to look away -- the same way we may close a book when we come to the end of a chapter," Stellhorn says. "Horizontal lines may cause the reader to pause to check email or answer the phone, and once their attention is lost they may not return to finish reading your résumé."

2. Choose paragraphs over lists. Stellhorn says that if you're pursuing a position that requires certain expertise, try using paragraphs instead of just bullet points. "Studies show we have an internal clock that judges the amount of time it takes us to scan information. The longer we linger, the more complex it seems. A paragraph gives the impression of more in-depth knowledge and a stronger skill set." Conversely, Stellhorn says that if you're applying for a position requiring people or sales skills, bullet points work well, because they exude the energy of being more straightforward and easy to understand.

3. Focus your energy on interviewing. After applying for a position, Stellhorn suggests blocking out a few dates and times on your calendar when you're available for interviews. "Make a point of marking them in your calendar, and picture how the company will contact you. By focusing your intent on getting the interview, you call the energy of opportunity to you." And no matter what happens, a little positive thinking never hurt anyone.

4. Choose your interview clothes wisely. When picking an outfit for an interview, Stellhorn recommends choosing clothes based on the position for which you're applying. She suggests wearing darker colors when interviewing for a management position, because black and navy indicate a person of power and authority. Lighter colors -- grays, tans and creams -- are good for a supporting role, because they can indicate a person who is willing to work hard. "If the job involves communication, consider wearing blues; if it involves making quick decisions, then wear red; if it's financial, consider wearing charcoal."

5. Be mindful of your movements. Stellhorn says that during an interview, job seekers should be cognizant of their body language. Men should avoid folding their hands in their lap as this may send a subconscious message that they're feeling threatened. "Women should avoid playing with their jewelry during the interview. This can be seen as covering up a lie."

While there's no silver bullet when it comes to conducting a successful job search, integrating feng shui may just help you better focus on your future.

Resume Building Tips

Don't lie in your resume.

This is an obvious tip. An employer discovering a lie in your resume has the legal option of firing you immediately. Beyond this, many employers will do background checks and contact references during the hiring process. Avoid any potential problems by being truthful.

Beware templates and sample resumes:

Using a template can be helpful, but use your own discretion when deciding which elements to retain. You must create your own original resume using valid personal information.

Ensure your resume is clear and readable:

Use standardized formatting and clear, concise language when building your resume.

Use proper grammar, punctuation, and matching verb tenses:

Use your writing as a way to demonstrate you have quality communication skills. Consistent verb tense keeps your writing clear and understandable. Most resume building uses past and present tense only.

Use powerful action verbs:

Don't say, "Responsible for performing," say, "Performed."

Keep your wording professional and free of jargon or slang:

Use professional communication skills when writing your resume. Improper spelling or colloquial terms decreases your overall presentation as well as the clarity of your writing.

Use your resume to get the interview, not the job:

A quality resume is merely a foot in the door. Your resume will not get you a job but merely introduce you to perspective employers. Use this as the first chance to sell yourself to an employer. The interview itself will provide you with another opportunity to do so.

Know and communicate the purpose of the resume:

Tailor your resume for individual positions and companies. Send a single resume for each position you are applying for. Remember that the resume is meant to land you the interview and put you ahead of other candidates.

Analyze the job advertisement:

Tailor your resume to fit the duties, responsibilities, and experience a company is seeking. Use specific keywords and phrases posted in the job listing.

List your keys to success:

Highlight your strengths, such as volunteer work, community service, multilingual language skills, programming languages, technical proficiencies, and other qualifications pertinent to the job you are applying for. Be sure to list these qualifications and technical skills early, especially if they are immediately necessary to the job you are applying for. Employers will not scour your resume to find out if you are the candidate they're looking for.

Use industry keywords:

Research the industry you are applying for and show your insider knowledge. If you know about stage lighting and electrical work, use terms like: "grip, key grip, set electrician, and best boy." Research like this highlights your ability to learn and adapt as well as letting the employer know you will require less training than other applicants.

Keep it brief:

Most resumes should ably be read in under 2 minutes. Keep your important resume information, excluding cover letters and reference sections, under two pages. However, this limit does not include cover letters or references.

Sell yourself:

Provide the best and most pertinent information to describe why this employer needs to hire you for this position.

Leave out irrelevant information:

Hobbies, previous jobs with no marketable skills or work experience, and other unrelated material should remain off your resume unless they directly pertain to the position you are applying for.

Use concise bullet points:

Use quality phrases rather than complete sentences and paragraphs for the information contained under your headings and titles. Lists communicate your qualifications more quickly and effectively than if the information were imbedded in a paragraph.

Use appropriate fonts:

Use font sizes and types commonly used in business writing. Some industries actually prefer certain sizes and styles of font. Use consistent font formatting throughout your resume. Commonly accepted styles include Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New at 11 and 12 point sizing.

Keep a professional design ethos:

Do not include garish colors or inconsistent content. Keep your resume clean and professional.

Do not use pictures:

Avoid background pictures, photos of yourself, clip art, or other artwork while resume building. Only include a headshot if the job advertisement specifically requests the inclusion of a professional photo. Artistic designs, artwork, and photography belong in your portfolio and not in your resume.

Avoid redundancy:

Utilize word selection, pronouns, and creative writing to keep from repeating the same words and phrases throughout your resume. If you worked the same job at several companies, do not use a stock paragraph to describe your duties in this position. Instead, consider it an opportunity to sell yourself with newly phrased skills or job duties unique to that position.

Do not personalize your resume:

Avoid the usage of, "I," "me," "my," and other personalized language when resume writing. It is assumed you accomplished the things you listed on your resume.

Use headers properly:

You want your headers to be placed and aligned appropriately according to your resume design, and the header must correlate directly to the information underneath.

Use appropriate title and heading sizes and styles:

Titles and heading should be only slightly larger than your body text. If you choose to use bold or underlined titles and headings, keep it consistent and tasteful.

Include essential resume sections:

Your resume should include a cover letter, your objective, your contact information, your work history, your education, your skills, and a personal references section. No matter what job listing you're applying for, all employers will be looking for this information.

Clearly state your career objective:

Whether included in your cover letter or in a separate objective sentence, your intent for preparing your resume must be covered. You need to make your reader aware of the job you are seeking with the resume they are holding. Typically, this is only one to two sentences and focused on the here and now.

Include proper information in your cover letter:

The cover letter is used to inform your prospective employer of your qualifications and skills making you the best candidate for the available position. If required, this is where you can discuss what this job helps you accomplish towards your long-term career goals. Even if a cover letter is not required, it may be a good idea to include one.

Do not use a title:

Your name and contact information are all your resume needs.

Include your contact information:

Be sure your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and professional website are neat and easy to read at the very top of your resume. Do not include your social networks or blogs in your resume unless they are entirely professional and contain only information that enhances your chances of landing the interview.

Include pertinent work history:

If you have limited or unrelated work history, explain why the experience you do have is relatable to this position. Those with limited experience, such as fresh college graduates, seeking jobs in their field may want to include education histories prior to work histories in the resume. Service and volunteer work may be included here, but those with several such entries may want to add a subsection within their work history.

Typically only include 15 years of work history:

Out of date work history only applies if it is the sole experience applicable to the job you are applying for or is extremely relevant alongside your current history.

Add important educational history:

Your education history may include finished and partially completed school and technical degree programs, certifications, and awards pertaining to the job you are applying for.

Avoid obvious information:

Do not state you are available for an interview, have references available, or make other obvious statements. The interviewer assumes you are available to interview and can provide references because you sent them a resume seeking employment.

Maintain a positive tone:

Do not use negative words within your resume. You want to portray your accomplishments and education in a positive light only.

Use achievements and not responsibilities:

Describe your professional achievements rather than the duties you performed.

Use numbers and statistics:

Include your achievements with numerical and monetary statistics. "Increased monthly sales" is less impressive than "Increased monthly sales $6,000."

Incorporate all positions held within a company:

If you worked for the same company for ten years, but your responsibilities increased as time went by, list the increases in job duties as separate positions related to the work completed.

Only mention pertinent hobbies:

Only talk about hobbies you can directly relate to the position applied for. Excess information is personal, unnecessary, and a waste of space.

Mention important figures you have worked with:

This is your chance to name-drop. Only mention important figures related to the position applied for or the company at large.

Use a good printer:

Ensure the hard copy of your resume is free of folds, wrinkles, and half-printed characters.

Proofread multiple times:

Studies suggest putting a printed copy of your resume away for 24 hours prior to proofing it the first time. Mistakes are more difficult to catch when your writing is fresh in your mind.

Get a second opinion:

You should let trusted friends, relatives, professors, or coworkers proof your resume to ensure spelling and grammatical correctness.

Stay focused without scattered information:

Keep your wording and lists focused without jumping haphazardly between ideas. Keep similar concepts together to ensure clear, concise, and readable writing.

Keep it flowing:

Ensure your ideas consistently transition into related concepts. Disjointed writing is difficult to follow.

Submit your resume to the appropriate people:

Ensure your resume arrives on the desk of the appropriate person. Contact the company to determine who is in charge of resume submissions.

Find other places to post your resume:

Now you know how to write a resume and tailor it to a specific job. Submit your resume to a variety of companies seeking qualified applicants like you.

Update regularly:

Update your resume for fresh information, new contact numbers, and additional qualifications learned as well as tailoring your resume to fit new companies.

Back it up:

Back your resume up in various places. Computers crash, hard drives die, and the unforeseen can occur.

Call after submitting your resume:

Unless the job posting specifically requests no phone calls, it is encouraged to call the persons in charge of hiring between 3 and 7 days after they receive your resume.

Group Discussion Tips & Tricks

A group discussion (GD) is a simulated exercise, where you cannot suddenly put up a show, since the evaluators will see through you easily. GD is a discussion by a group of people which involves an exchange of thoughts and ideas. Group Discussions are largely used by institutes where there is a high level of competition. The number of participants in a group may vary from 8 to 15 people. In most cases a topic or a situation is given to the group and the members have to discuss it within a given period of time

A group discussion consists of:

• Communication Skills
• Knowledge and ideas regarding a given subject
• Capability to co-ordinate and lead
• Exchange of thoughts
• Addressing the group as a whole
• Thorough preparations

There are some simple procedures that can help you to foster equal and open sharing in group discussions, whether with fellow teachers or with your students

A good description of your objective is - to be noticed to have contributed significantly in an attempt to help the group reach the right consent.
The most important aspect of your contribution to a GD is the quality of content (QOC), which is reflected in the points you make, knowledge of the relevant subject, and the supportive examples you give.
When you start a GD, you are responsible for putting it into the right perspective or framework. So nitiate one only if you have in depth knowledge about the topic at hand.

There are different techniques to initiate a GD and make a good first impression:

• Quotes
• Definition
• Short story
• Question
• Shock statement
• Facts, figures and statistics

You should be able to articulate your thoughts properly and you should also be able to understand what others are trying to say.

Critical success factors in a GD

Cognitive skills or knowledge

The most important aspect of your contribution to a GD is the quality of content (QOC), which is reflected in the points you make, knowledge of the relevant subject, and the supportive examples you give.

Comprehension of the core idea

It is essential to deliver high quality content. But to do that, you should speak on the topic and not deviate. The panel basically wants to see whether you have identified the crux of the problem and whether you are offering relevant solutions.

Logical reasoning

It includes understanding the topic, generating quality arguments, analysis and a progressive approach to a justifiable conclusion. This is one of the necessary attributes to be seen in an influential participant. Such people convey an impression of being open minded and logic driven rather than opinionated.

Behavioural and personality skills

This includes certain attributes like rapport-building, team membership, participation, patience, assertion and accommodation, amenability, leadership, etc.

Communication skills

You should be able to articulate your thoughts properly and you should also be able to understand what others are trying to say.

Clarity of thoughts

In whatever you say, follow a logical sequence/order rather then presenting the points in some bits and pieces.

Body language and eye contact

These are some tools which check your level of confidence and whether you can work together effectively in a group or not. So, be sure to maintain eye contact with everyone in the group.


 Topics

1.   The parliamentary form of democracy has failed in India.
2.   Consumer satisfaction should be achieved at any cost.
3.   Managers do not add value to the society.
4.   Democracy is the only way to a sustained economic growth.
5.   Should youth indulge in politics?
6.   Liberalisation in 1991 was a forced one.
7.   Democracy is a luxury in India.
8.   What will the present budget be like?
9.   Management education should make job seekers job creators.
10. To prevent India from disintegrating, more autonomy should be given to the states.
11. Talk of social responsibility in the private sector is sheer hypocrisy.
12. Political crisis and the Indian economy
13. Corruption is an economic lubricant, and hence may not be all that bad.
14. The Indian economy is in shambles.
15. Government should reduce defence expenditure and spend more on social sector.
16. The UN has not served any purpose in the last decade.
17. Religion is a private matter and should be no concern of the state.
18. Will computerization make a robot of all human beings?
19. Women make better managers than men.
20. Do computers dehumanize society?
21. Success comes not so much by solving problems as by exploiting opportunities.
22. All higher education in India should be privatized.
23. GDs as a means of selection by the IIMs are a farce.
24. Is greed an essential human quality?
25. Pollution control is a luxury for India.
26. Engineers joining management is a national waste.
27. The pen is mightier than the sword, but fanaticism is the mightiest of all.
28. Has the Indian political structure outlived its utility?
29. Profit is the only business of business.
30. India should be reorganized into smaller states.
31. Growth and integrity are poles apart.
32. Managerial skills learnt from classroom can never match those learnt from experience.

INTERVIEW TIPS AND TRICKS

Be on time!

Practice getting to the venue to see how long it will take. Public transport may be useless, the traffic may have been heavy, but however reasonable it won't affect the fact that your chances are reduced if you are late. Always remember - You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Be Prepared!

Look at the employers' website and learn something about the company before you attend your interview. Feed them the opportunity to talk proudly about something positive you have found.

Write down and practice possible interview questions

Writing them down and practicing them with someone will make it easier to remember when you get to the interview. Use the third person when talking about the job. Avoid sounding as though you assume the job is yours. It is fine to ask about the package on offer and accommodation - living in and living out are particularly relevant.  You could also try a fewer more testing questions such as how they differentiate themselves from their competitors or what they think the toughest/hardest part of the job is.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

The outcome of the interview will depend largely on the impression you make during the first five minutes. To succeed, you must project a professional, competent and enthusiastic image. Your aim is to convince the interviewer that you would be an asset to the company.

Be honest!

There really is no point lying about your background and/or skills. If you get caught, or even manage to get out to resort and then get found out, you can be sure you won't be around for long! Job interviews are about matching needs - if there isn't a good match, then chances are that the job won't work out.

Check your Resume and be prepared with  questions arising from your CV

Make sure you know well what all you have mentioned in your resume.Do remember that there should not be anything written in your resume of which you are not well prepared of. One golden rule says be HONEST. Remember this fact. If you are unable to make your resume attractive try contacting some services.

Know yourself.

Mentally review the skills and character traits you have that will help the company's bottom line. Think in terms of the value you can add to the position and the company

Talk about specific achievements!

Interviewers like to know how you felt about about a particular success. Some will ask for specific examples of things you've done that you're particularly proud of; how you solved problems; how you learned - and improved - from difficult situations.

Don't talk too much!

Spud again - Communication is a two-way thing so give them a chance.

Prepare a sample menu plan!

If you are applying for a catering job then take along a sample menu plan. By this we mean a starter/main/dessert combination over six days, ideally with a vegetarian option. Think about teh balance of nutrients and how the colors will look on the plate. Our recipe section has a number of favourites.

Take a spare photo & CV with you!

Your interviewer won't be expecting it so you will impress them. It also helps them remember you after the interview.

Be enthusiastic and positive!

Don't criticize previous employers, particularly within the industry. Focus on positive achievements and views.

Alter your answers

If you're called back for subsequent interviews after the preliminary one, you will face different interviewers. So, find ways to make the same information sound different. Don't describe the same project you managed to all the interviewers. Instead, describe a different project in each of the successive interviews.

JAVA Questions

Java Interview Questions

Q:	What is the difference between an Interface and an Abstract class?
A:	An abstract class can have instance methods that implement a default behavior. An Interface can only declare constants and instance methods, but cannot implement default behavior and all methods are implicitly abstract. An interface has all public members and no implementation. An abstract class is a class which may have the usual flavors of class members (private, protected, etc.), but has some abstract methods. .

Q:	What is the purpose of garbage collection in Java, and when is it used?
A:	The purpose of garbage collection is to identify and discard objects that are no longer needed by a program so that their resources can be reclaimed and reused. A Java object is subject to garbage collection when it becomes unreachable to the program in which it is used.

Q:	Describe synchronization in respect to multithreading.
A:	With respect to multithreading, synchronization is the capability to control the access of multiple threads to shared resources. Without synchonization, it is possible for one thread to modify a shared variable while another thread is in the process of using or updating same shared variable. This usually leads to significant errors.

Q:	Explain different way of using thread?
A:	The thread could be implemented by using runnable interface or by inheriting from the Thread class. The former is more advantageous, 'cause when you are going for multiple inheritance..the only interface can help.

Q:	What are pass by reference and passby value?
A:	Pass By Reference means the passing the address itself rather than passing the value. Passby Value means passing a copy of the value to be passed.

Q:	What is HashMap and Map?
A:	Map is Interface and Hashmap is class that implements that.

Q:	Difference between HashMap and HashTable?
A:	The HashMap class is roughly equivalent to Hashtable, except that it is unsynchronized and permits nulls. (HashMap allows null values as key and value whereas Hashtable doesnt allow). HashMap does not guarantee that the order of the map will remain constant over time. HashMap is unsynchronized and Hashtable is synchronized.

Q:	Difference between Vector and ArrayList?
A:	Vector is synchronized whereas arraylist is not.

Q:	Difference between Swing and Awt?
A:	AWT are heavy-weight componenets. Swings are light-weight components. Hence swing works faster than AWT.

Q:	What is the difference between a constructor and a method?
A:	A constructor is a member function of a class that is used to create objects of that class. It has the same name as the class itself, has no return type, and is invoked using the new operator. A method is an ordinary member function of a class. It has its own name, a return type (which may be void), and is invoked using the dot operator.

Q:	What is an Iterator?
A:	Some of the collection classes provide traversal of their contents via a java.util.Iterator interface. This interface allows you to walk through a collection of objects, operating on each object in turn. Remember when using Iterators that they contain a snapshot of the collection at the time the Iterator was obtained; generally it is not advisable to modify the collection itself while traversing an Iterator.

Q:	State the significance of public, private, protected, default modifiers both singly and in combination and state the effect of package relationships on declared items qualified by these modifiers.
A:	public : Public class is visible in other packages, field is visible everywhere (class must be public too) private : Private variables or methods may be used only by an instance of the same class that declares the variable or method, A private feature may only be accessed by the class that owns the feature. protected : Is available to all classes in the same package and also available to all subclasses of the class that owns the protected feature.This access is provided even to subclasses that reside in a different package from the class that owns the protected feature. default :What you get by default ie, without any access modifier (ie, public private or protected).It means that it is visible to all within a particular package.

Q:	What is an abstract class?
A:	Abstract class must be extended/subclassed (to be useful). It serves as a template. A class that is abstract may not be instantiated (ie, you may not call its constructor), abstract class may contain static data. Any class with an abstract method is automatically abstract itself, and must be declared as such. A class may be declared abstract even if it has no abstract methods. This prevents it from being instantiated.

Q:	What is static in java?
A:	Static means one per class, not one for each object no matter how many instance of a class might exist. This means that you can use them without creating an instance of a class.Static methods are implicitly final, because overriding is done based on the type of the object, and static methods are attached to a class, not an object. A static method in a superclass can be shadowed by another static method in a subclass, as long as the original method was not declared final. However, you can't override a static method with a nonstatic method. In other words, you can't change a static method into an instance method in a subclass.

Q:	What is final?
A:	A final class can't be extended ie., final class may not be subclassed. A final method can't be overridden when its class is inherited. You can't change value of a final variable (is a constant).