PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Personality is the sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others. Or
Personality is generally defined as the deeply ingrained and relatively enduring patterns of
thought, feeling and behavior. In fact, when one refers to personality, it generally implies to all
what is unique about an individual, the characteristics that makes one stand out in a crowd.

Personalities is the sum total of individual’s Psychological traits, characteristics, motives, habits,
attitudes, beliefs and outlooks.

Personality determinants :
Heredity : Heredity refers to those factors that were determined at conception. Physical
structure, facial attractiveness, gender, temperament, muscle composition and reflexes, energy
level, and biological rhythms are characteristics that are generally considered to be either
completely or substantially influenced by who your parents were, that is by their biological,
physiological and inherent psychological make up.
Environment : The environmental factors that exert pressures on our personality formation are
the culture in which we are raised, our early conditioning, the norms among our family, friends
and social groups, and other influences that we experience. The environment to which we are
exposed plays a substantial role in shaping our personalities.
Situation : A third factor, the situation, influences the effects of heredity and environment on
personality. An individual’s personality although generally stable and consistent, does change in
different situations. The varying demand of different situation calls forth different aspects of
one’s personality. We should not therefore look upon personality patterns in isolation.

DEVELOPING POSITIVE PERSONALITY

1. Subconscious Programming :

Most of us sometimes get programmed / conditioned by a wrong messages that “ donot do that”,
“don’t take the risk”, “you can not do that” you are not good in …and so on…..
You can imagine the bad effect such message can have on any person.

Fig- I : Subconscious Mind Programming

Our Conscious Mind is like a watch man. And the Subconscious Mind is a store of all the
previously programmed or conditioned information / knowledge/ believes. Now programming
personality means putting positive believes/ information into the store with out the knowledge of
the watchman (conscious mind).

Suppose you tell yourself that “you are good at Public Speaking”. And the store has stored based
on peoples comments and experience that “you are poor in communication” “you can not speak
well in public”, “you don’t have an impressive body language” …..
The watch man sees your sentence and compares it with the knowledge in its store and says “this
information is wrong”. The watchman throws the new information away. He does not allow the
new positive information into the store. This is the fundamental difficulty in changing
personality & behavior of a person.

Now the question is how and when we could programme our mind for positive personality trait
with out the obstruction of watchman…

The answer is we can programme our mind for positive personality traits during the Twilight
period just before sleeping and just before waking up. This is the time when the conscious
mind is active enough to generate the positive traits for entering into store but inactive to
judge/compare and will not obstruct to the positive traits to enter into the subconscious
store house.

2. Reinforced Programming / Conscious Programming :

Autosuggestion and Repetition of the positive traits despite negative response from comparison
with the store house also gives success in programming for personality traits.

Auto-suggestion is a statement made in the present tense, of the kind of person you want to be.
Auto-suggestion are like a commercial about “Super You”, or “Future Super You” for
yourself what you want to be or achieve. They influence both your conscious and subconscious
mind in the long run shaping your personality and attitude.

Auto-suggestions are the conscious way to programme the subconscious mind for positive traits.
It is the effective method of voluntary development of positive traits and attitudes.

Auto-suggestion should be mixed with emotions. All such reinforced / conscious programming
which have been emotionalized (giving feeling) and mixed with applied faith, begin immediately
to translate themselves into physical or real equivalent.

Auto-suggestive thoughts which are mixed with any of the feeling of emotions constitute a
“psycho-magnetic” force which attracts other similar or related thoughts.

Our subconscious mind resembling a fertile garden spot, in which weeds will grow in abundance
if you the seeds of more desirable crops are not sown therein. Auto-suggestion is the agency of
control through which an individual can voluntarily feed his subconscious mind on thoughts of
creative/ positive nature or by neglect permit thoughts of a destructive nature to find their way
into the rich garden of mind. So Caution should be taken while programming your mind for
positive traits only.
3. Defensive Approach :
One of this type of approach is protest or deny the negative traits at it’s very beginning of the
entering in the subconscious store. And the second is to consciously avoid this type of
environment or situation. In real life situation it is very difficult because it may lead to
confrontation and argument or Inaction.

Another problem in this is that most of us have some negative traits previously in our store house
due to our past experience and conditioning.

4. Imaginary Anchoring or Invisible Counseling Committee :

While watching a picture we anchor the Hero, placing ourselves in place of hero. Similarly we
can anchor Great men in imagination and let them shape our personality.

Another is the Invisible Counseling Committee comprising of great personalities of your

choice. We can counsel from these great minds at times or situation. What decision or action he
would have been taken in my situation..

Winston Churchill the war time British Prime Minister was following this principle. He had his
Imaginary Counseling Committee by the side of his Chamber. Many great decisions he used to
take by following these principles.

I follow the habit of reshaping my Character by trying to imitate some great personalities whose
lives and life works have been most impressive to me. These personalities are Mahatma Gandhi,
Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, Shiva Khera, Napoleon
Hills & Bill Gates. I held an imaginary council meeting with this group whom I called my
“Invisible Counselor”. In these imaginary council meeting I called on my cabinet members for
the knowledge I wished each to contribute addressing myself to each members in audible words
as follows :

Mahatma Gandhi, I desire to acquire from you the ideology of truth and Non-violence and
devotion towards practicing these in every odd hours and to acquire the magnet leadership to
attract millions to join in the peaceful struggle for freedom and Humanity.

Mother Teresa, I desire to acquire from you the ability to provide relentless humanitarian
services to the most unprivileged, poor diseased and intense spirit to serve the mankind despite
all odds.

Mr. Abraham Lincoln, I desire to build into my own character the keen sense of justice, the
untiring spirit of patience, the sense of humor, the human understanding, and the tolerance which
were your distinguishing characteristics.

Napoleon Bonaparte, I desire to acquire from you, by emulation, the marvelous ability you
possessed to inspire men and arouse them to greater and more determined spirit of action. Also
to acquire the spirit of enduring faith, which enabled you to turn defeat into victory, and to
surmount staggering obstacles.
Albert Einstein, I wish to acquire from you the Scientific Bent, ever inquisitive mind, the spirit
to innovate and contribute to Humanity.

Napoleon Hills, I want to acquire from you the ability to nurture the human resources and to
Give the society the magic formulae of success of wealth and fortune and helping people realize
their true potential.

Mr. Shiva Khera, I want to acquire from you the skill and understanding to motivate the people
towards positive ends and to offer the world the blue print for positive and successful life.

Bill Gates, I wish to acquire from you the Brilliant Intelligence, Innovation, Intense drive to
succeed, persistence, personal intensity and conscientiousness dimensions

5. Physical Action / Body Language Approach :

In general it is the positive practice or experiencing desired traits whether the desired perfection
achieved or not.

It is generally said that our personality traits control our body language. But it is a fact that the
reverse is also true. This means we can change our negative traits towards positive traits by
consciously practicing the body language for positive traits.
6. Domino-effect. Direct exposure to good personalities or environment :
Here the direct environment is the driving force in shaping the personalities. When one
constantly remains in direct contact with great personalities will enriches his own to be the one.
Similarly the organization culture and structure also many times influences ones personality.
Sometimes it is the guiding principle for job satisfaction / recruitment.

Caution should be taken while programming your mind for positive traits only. Because
these processes give results for negative traits also. Mahatma Gandhi and Adolf Hitler both
successfully applied these principles but one positively and other negatively.

SIXTEEN PRIMARY PERSONALITY TRAITS :

1. Reserved (aloof) vs Outgoing
2. Less intelligent vs More intelligent
3. Affected by feeling vs Emotionally stable
4. Submissive vs Dominant (leading)
5. Serious vs Happy to Lucky
6. Expedient (practical) vs Conscientious ( carefull, deligent)
7. Timid vs Venturesome (adventurous)
8. Tough-minded vs Sensitive
9. Trusting vs Suspicious (
10. Practical( realistic) vs Imaginative (creative)
11. Forthright (straight forward, frank) vs Shrewd (clever)
12. Self-assured(self-confident) vs Apprehansive
13. Conservative vs Experimenting
14. Group dependant vs Self-sufficient
 15. Uncontrolled vs Controlled
16. Relaxed vs Tense

Some of the behavioral and attitude traits as identified by Shiv Khera for positive personality
building……

TRAITS FOR BUILDING POSITIVE PERSONALITY :

1. Accept Responsibility :
The price of grateness is the responsibility – Winston Churchill
“Responsibility gravitates to the person who can shoulder them.”
-- Elbert Hubbard

Society is not destroyed by the activities of the rascals, but by the inactivity of good people.

2. Show consideration :
Show consideration, courtesy, politeness and caring.

3. Think Win-Win : Win-Win philosophy is the ultimate way to success in the collaborative and
networked world. One who master that art can achieve greatly.

4. Choose your words carefully:

The principle is your speaking must be better than silent, rather be silent.
Words spoken out of bitterness can cause irreparable damage. The way the parents speak to their
children in many instances shapes their children’s destiny.

5. Never Criticize, Complain and Condemn

6. Smile and Be Kind :

Smile is the shortest distance between two people.

7. Put Positive interpretation on other people’s behavior:

We see the world not as it is, but as we are.

So when we are interpreting other peoples behavior negatively we just reflecting our own
mentality to this situation. In contrast when interpret positively, chances that other people may
realize its negativity and change or amend this.

8. Be a Good Listener :
Effective communication is 50% listening, 25% speaking, 15% reading and 10% writing. So
when we listen carefully then 50% communication is done.

9. Be Enthusiastic :
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm
--- Ralph Waldo Emersion
10. Give honest and Sincere Appreciation :
The desire to feel important is one of the gratest craving in most of the human beings and it can
be a great motivator. Honest and sincere appreciation makes one feel important and promote
these positive qualities in him. In contrast giving false and insincere appreciation is flattery or
sycophancy which in the long run is harmful to the receipient.

11. When you make a mistake, accept it and make it easy to amend:
Mistakes are to be learned from. So accept it immediately and make change or amend easy.

12. Discuss but don’t argue:

Arguing is like fighting a losing battle. Even if one wins in the argument, the cost may be more
than the worth of victory.
An Ignominious victory is a defeat itself.

13. Don’t Gossip:

Gossip may lead to slander and defamation of character. People who listen to gossip are as guilty
as those who do the gossiping.

14. Turn your promises into commitment:

Commitment leads to enduring relationship through thick and thin. It shows in a person's
personality and relationship.

15. Be grateful but do not expect gratitude:

16. Be dependable and practice loyalty:

An ounce of loyalty is worth more than a pound of cleverness.
Ability without dependability is of no worth.

17. Avoid bearing grudges:

Life is too small to bear grudges.

John Kennedy once said “forgive the other person but don’t forget their name.” Means “if
one cheated me once it is his fault, but if cheats me twice then it is my fault.”

18. Practice honesty, Integrity and Sincerity:

Lies may have speed, but the truth has endurance.
Honesty, Integrity and Sincerity have more enduring effect than the opposite.

19. Practice Humility:

Don’t be cheated regularly to forgive.
Confidence without humility is arrogance. Sincere Humility is the foundation of all virtues. It is
a sign of greatness.

20. Be understanding and Caring :

The best way to be understood is to be understanding. And the basis of real communication is
also understanding.

21. Practice courtesy on daily basis :

22. Develop a sense of humor:

Have a sense of humor and you will possess the ability to laugh at yourself. A sense of humor
makes a person likeable and attractive. Some people are humor-impaired.

23. Don’t be sarcastic and put others down :

24. To have a friend be a Friend :

Mutual trust and confidence are the foundation stones of all friendship.

25. Show Empathy :

Empathy alone is a very important characteristic of positive personality. People with empathy
ask themselves this question, “how would I feel if someone treated me that way?”

Project Yourself with Confidence

Develop your self-image as an individual and project this confidence to the people you meet in
the course of your daily life or at work. Confidence and self-worth are attractive traits that help
you get ahead and go for what you want.

Source: http://sadhuji.blogspot.com/

Taking control of your self-confidence

If you are low in self-confidence, is it possible to do things that will change that? Is your self-
confidence in your control?

While it may not seem so, if you are low in self-confidence, I strongly believe that you can do
things to increase your self-confidence. It is not genetic, and you do not have to be reliant on
others to increase your self-confidence. And if you believe that you are not very competent, not
very smart, not very attractive, etc. … that can be changed.

You can become someone worthy of respect, and someone who can pursue what he wants
despite the naysaying of others.

You can do this by taking control of your life, and taking control of your self-confidence. By
taking concrete actions that improve your competence, your self-image, you can increase that
self-confidence, without the help of anyone else.

Below, I outline 25 things that will help you do that. None of them is revolutionary, none of
them will do it all by themselves. The list certainly isn’t comprehensive. These are just some of
my favorite things, stuff that’s worked for me.
And you don’t need to do all of them, as if this were a recipe … pick and choose those that
appeal to you, maybe just a couple at first, and give them a try. If they work, try others. If they
don’t, try others.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Groom yourself. This seems like such an obvious one, but it’s amazing how much of a
difference a shower and a shave can make in your feelings of self-confidence and for your self-
image. There have been days when I turned my mood around completely with this one little
thing.

2. Dress nicely. A corollary of the first item above … if you dress nicely, you’ll feel good about
yourself. You’ll feel successful and presentable and ready to tackle the world. Now, dressing
nicely means something different for everyone … it doesn’t necessarily mean wearing a $500
outfit, but could mean casual clothes that are nice looking and presentable.

3. Photoshop your self-image. Our self-image means so much to us, more than we often realize.
We have a mental picture of ourselves, and it determines how confident we are in ourselves. But
this picture isn’t fixed and immutable. You can change it. Use your mental Photoshopping skills,
and work on your self-image. If it’s not a very good one, change it. Figure out why you see
yourself that way, and find a way to fix it.

4. Think positive. One of the things I learned when I started running, about two years ago, what
how to replace negative thoughts (see next item) with positive ones. How I can actually change
my thoughts, and by doing so make great things happened. With this tiny little skill, I was able to
train for and run a marathon within a year. It sounds so trite, so Norman Vincent Peale, but my
goodness this works. Seriously. Try it if you haven’t.

5. Kill negative thoughts. Goes hand-in-hand with the above item, but it’s so important that I
made it a separate item. You have to learn to be aware of your self-talk, the thoughts you have
about yourself and what you’re doing. When I was running, sometimes my mind would start to
say, “This is too hard. I want to stop and go watch TV.” Well, I soon learned to recognize this
negative self-talk, and soon I learned a trick that changed everything in my life: I would imagine
that a negative thought was a bug, and I would vigilantly be on the lookout for these bugs. When
I caught one, I would stomp on it (mentally of course) and squash it. Kill it dead. Then replace it
with a positive one. (”C’mon, I can do this! Only one mile left!”)

Know yourself and you will win all battles. – Sun Tzu

6. Get to know yourself. When going into battle, the wisest general learns to know his enemy
very, very well. You can’t defeat the enemy without knowing him. And when you’re trying to
overcome a negative self-image and replace it with self-confidence, your enemy is yourself. Get
to know yourself well. Start listening to your thoughts. Start writing a journal about yourself, and
about the thoughts you have about yourself, and analyzing why you have such negative thoughts.
And then think about the good things about yourself, the things you can do well, the things you
like. Start thinking about your limitations, and whether they’re real limitations or just ones
you’ve allowed to be placed there, artificially. Dig deep within yourself, and you’ll come out
(eventually) with even greater self-confidence.

7. Act positive. More than just thinking positive, you have to put it into action. Action, actually,
is the key to developing self-confidence. It’s one thing to learn to think positive, but when you
start acting on it, you change yourself, one action at a time. You are what you do, and so if you
change what you do, you change what you are. Act in a positive way, take action instead of
telling yourself you can’t, be positive. Talk to people in a positive way, put energy into your
actions. You’ll soon start to notice a difference.

8. Be kind and generous. Oh, so corny. If this is too corny for you, move on. But for the rest of
you, know that being kind to others, and generous with yourself and your time and what you
have, is a tremendous way to improve your self-image. You act in accordance with the Golden
Rule, and you start to feel good about yourself, and to think that you are a good person. It does
wonders for your self-confidence, believe me.

One important key to success is self-confidence. A key to self-confidence is preparation. –

Arthur Ashe

9. Get prepared. It’s hard to be confident in yourself if you don’t think you’ll do well at
something. Beat that feeling by preparing yourself as much as possible. Think about taking an
exam: if you haven’t studied, you won’t have much confidence in your abilities to do well on the
exam. But if you studied your butt off, you’re prepared, and you’ll be much more confident.
Now think of life as your exam, and prepare yourself.

10. Know your principles and live them. What are the principles upon which your life is built?
If you don’t know, you will have trouble, because your life will feel directionless. For myself, I
try to live the Golden Rule (and fail often). This is my key principle, and I try to live my life in
accordance with it. I have others, but they are mostly in some way related to this rule (the major
exception being to “Live my Passion”). Think about your principles … you might have them but
perhaps you haven’t given them much thought. Now think about whether you actually live these
principles, or if you just believe in them but don’t act on them.

11. Speak slowly. Such a simple thing, but it can have a big difference in how others perceive
you. A person in authority, with authority, speaks slowly. It shows confidence. A person who
feels that he isn’t worth listening to will speak quickly, because he doesn’t want to keep others
waiting on something not worthy of listening to. Even if you don’t feel the confidence of
someone who speaks slowly, try doing it a few times. It will make you feel more confident. Of
course, don’t take it to an extreme, but just don’t sound rushed either.

12. Stand tall. I have horrible posture, so it will sound hypocritical for me to give this advice,
but I know it works because I try it often. When I remind myself to stand tall and straight, I feel
better about myself. I imagine that a rope is pulling the top of my head toward the sky, and the
rest of my body straightens accordingly. As an aside, people who stand tall and confident are
more attractive. That’s a good thing any day, in my book.
13. Increase competence. How do you feel more competent? By becoming more competent.
And how do you do that? By studying and practicing. Just do small bits at a time. If you want to
be a more competent writer, for example, don’t try to tackle the entire profession of writing all at
once. Just begin to write more. Journal, blog, write short stories, do some freelance writing. The
more you write, the better you’ll be. Set aside 30 minutes a day to write (for example), and the
practice will increase your competence.

14. Set a small goal and achieve it. People often make the mistake of shooting for the moon,
and then when they fail, they get discouraged. Instead, shoot for something much more
achievable. Set a goal you know you can achieve, and then achieve it. You’ll feel good about
that. Now set another small goal and achieve that. The more you achieve small goals, the better
you’ll be at it, and the better you’ll feel. Soon you’ll be setting bigger (but still achievable) goals
and achieving those too.

15. Change a small habit. Not a big one, like quitting smoking. Just a small one, like writing
things down. Or waking up 10 minutes earlier. Or drinking a glass of water when you wake up.
Something small that you know you can do. Do it for a month. When you’ve accomplished it,
you’ll feel like a million bucks.

16. Focus on solutions. If you are a complainer, or focus on problems, change your focus now.
Focusing on solutions instead of problems is one of the best things you can do for your
confidence and your career. “I’m fat and lazy!” So how can you solve that? “But I can’t motivate
myself!” So how can you solve that? “But I have no energy!” So what’s the solution?

17. Smile. Another trite one. But it works. I feel instantly better when I smile, and it helps me to
be kinder to others as well. A little tiny thing that can have a chain reaction. Not a bad
investment of your time and energy.

18. Volunteer. Related to the “be kind and generous” item above, but more specific. It’s the
holiday season right now … can you find the time to volunteer for a good cause, to spread some
holiday cheer, to make the lives of others better? It’ll be some of the best time you’ve ever spent,
and an amazing side benefit is that you’ll feel better about yourself, instantly.

19. Be grateful. I’m a firm believer in gratitude, as anyone who’s been reading this blog for very
long knows well. But I put it here because while being grateful for what you have in life, for
what others have given you, is a very humbling activity … it can also be a very positive and
rewarding activity that will improve your self-image. Read more.

20. Exercise.
All you have to do is take a walk a few times a week, and you’ll see benefits. Start the habit.

21. Empower yourself with knowledge. Empowering yourself, in general, is one of the best
strategies for building self-confidence. You can do that in many ways, but one of the surest ways
to empower yourself is through knowledge. This is along the same vein as building competence
and getting prepared … by becoming more knowledgeable, you’ll be more confident … and you
become more knowledgeable by doing research and studying. The Internet is a great tool, of
course, but so are the people around you, people who have done what you want, books,
magazines, and educational institutions.

22. Do something you’ve been procrastinating on. What’s on your to-do list that’s been sitting
there? Do it first thing in the morning, and get it out of the way. You’ll feel great about yourself.

23. Get active. Doing something is almost always better than not doing anything. Of course,
doing something could lead to mistakes … but mistakes are a part of life. It’s how we learn.
Without mistakes, we’d never get better. So don’t worry about those. Just do something. Get off
your butt and get active — physically, or active by taking steps to accomplish something.

24. Work on small things. Trying to take on a huge project or task can be overwhelming and
daunting and intimidating for anyone, even the best of us. Instead, learn to break off small
chunks and work in bursts. Small little achievements make you feel good, and they add up to big
achievements. Learn to work like this all the time, and soon you’ll be a self-confident maniac.

25. Clear your desk. This might seem like a small, simple thing (then again, for some of you it
might not be so small). But it has always worked wonders for me. If my desk starts to get messy,
and the world around me is in chaos, clearing off my desk is my way of getting a little piece of
my life under control. It is the calm in the center of the storm around me.
25 things to avoid in an Interview
http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/questions/to-avoid.asp

1. Poor personal appearance

2. Lack of interest and enthusiasm; passive and indifferent

3. Over-emphasis on money

4. Criticism of past employer

5. Poor eye contact with interviewer

6. Late to interview

7. Failure to express appreciation for interviewer’s time

8. Asks no questions about the job

9. Unwillingness to relocate

10. Indefinite answer to question

11. Overbearing, aggressive, conceited with ‘know-it-all’ complex

12. Inability to express self clearly; poor voice, poor diction, poor grammar

13. Lack of planning for career, no purpose or goals

14. Lack of confidence and poise, nervous, ill at ease

15. Failure to participate in activities

16. Expects too much too soon

17. Makes excuses, evasive, hedges on unfavourable factors on record

18. Lack of tact

19. Lack of courtesy, ill-mannered

20. Lack of vitality

21. Lack of maturity

22. Sloppy application form

 23. No interest in company or industry

24. Cynical

25. Intolerant, strong prejudices

INTERVIEWING

The job interview is your chance to impress the interviewer with your skills and confidence. These few
simple steps can help you prepare.

Before the Interview

Review the job duties included in the Vacancy Notice.
Research the department.
Dress professionally. Don’t wear perfume or cologne.
Bring extra copies of your resume.
Bring a pen and paper to write down any information you might need to remember.
Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer.
Prepare answers to any questions you think you might be asked (see sample questions below).

At the Interview
Arrive on time. Try to be a few minutes early if possible.
Try to relax. Be yourself.
Show self-confidence – make eye contact; answer questions in a clear voice.
Remember to listen.
Think before answering questions. Try to make your answers as clear as possible.
Avoid negative body language – crossing your arms, swinging your foot or leg, slouching, covering your
mouth while speaking.
When given a chance, ask any questions that you have prepared in advance. You can also follow up on
anything that the interviewer tells you during the interview.

After the Interview

End the interview with a handshake and thank the interviewer for his or her time.
Find out when the department plans to make a hiring decision.
Follow up with a short “thank you for the interview” note.

Common Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself.
Tell me what interested you in this job.
Why did you leave your last job?
What are some of your strengths?
What are some of your weaknesses?
Describe your workstyle. Do you prefer to work by yourself or with others?
What are your career plans? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
What supervisory experience have you had?
Tell me about your favorite supervisor.
Why should I hire you?
Questions for an Applicant to ask in the Interview
What level of responsibility can I expect in this position?
Why is this job available?
What training programs do you have for new employees?
Is there a typical career path for a person in this position?
How are employees evaluated?
Do you like working here?
Tell me about a typical day in this department.

SELLING YOURSELF
What to Say

Introduce yourself with a smile and firm handshake. Maintain good eye contact during conversation.
Demonstrate to the recruiter what you want to and can do for the employer today, based on employer
research. Give two minute commercial.
Answer questions with:
" Yes, for example (accomplishment/result statement)" and
" No, however (accomplishment/result statement)"
Show interest in what the interviewer is saying, by nodding your head and leaning toward him/her
occasionally.
Give positive answers to negative-based questions.
Ask the recruiter prepared questions.
Initiate the next step by asking what the next step is.
Ask for the recruiter’s business card for future contact. Immediately after you leave make notes of
important points of discussion.

The "Tell me about yourself" question

Here is an example about how to answer the first question most interviewers ask. “Tell me about
yourself” It also allows the job seeker to share with the interviewer the most important thing they want
to know – “Why should I hire you?”

1. Personal and Education

This part is used to give the interviewer relevant information concerning you personally and about your
educational background. This does not include personal information such as marital status, children, etc.
This does include information such as: hometown or state and/or personal attribute(s). The education
should be either the latest obtained and/or major field if relevant to job objective.

2. Early Career/Life Experiences

This part is used to share with the interviewer past work and life experiences relevant to the job
objective.

3. Recent Work History/Life Experiences

This is the time for the job seeker to relate to the employer two accomplishments/results of the job
seeker that indicate why he/she is the best candidate for the position sought.
4. Why you are here
In this part, the job seeker speaks with enthusiasm that he/she is here for the specific position sought.

What to Do

Arrive 10-15 minutes early.

Use time wisely to review employer research information.
Have pen and paper. Asking to borrow a pen indicates lack of preparation.
Be enthusiastic. Recruiters remember a positive attitude.
Listen carefully to the interviewer’s complete question before responding.
If needed, pause and take time before answering difficult questions.
Keep going even if you feel you made a mistake.
Carry extra resumes, references, etc. organized in a portfolio
Unless asked, do not discuss salary and benefits.

DRESSING FOR THE INTERVIEW

Wear clothing that indicates you are ready to go to work today.

Men and Women

All clothes should be neatly pressed.

Conservative two-piece business suite (solid dark blue or gray is best)
Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
Clean, polished, conservative shoes
Clean and well-groomed hairstyle
Clean, trimmed fingernails
Minimal cologne or perfume
Empty pockets – no noisy coins
No gum, candy or cigarettes
 Men

Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern

Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best); clean and polished
Dark socks (black is best)
Short hair always fairs best in interviews
No beards – mustaches are acceptable (keep neat and trimmed)
No earrings
No heavy cologne

1.
Women

Always wear a suit with a jacket; or a sheath dress with a jacket

Do not wear extremely high-heeled or platform shoes
Do not wear open-toe shoes or mules (they are more casual)
Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative
color
One set of earrings only
Conservative makeup
No heavy perfume
No heavy cologne

Common Questions Asked

1. When should I discuss salary and benefits at an interview?

It is recommended that you allow the employer to bring it up. Otherwise, wait until you
have been offered the position.

2. Are thank you notes really important?

YES, YES, YES. Thank you notes are a major factor in securing any position. They should
be sent within 24 hours after an interview and should emphasize what you can contribute
to the organization.

3. Is it really important to get a job offer in writing?

It is absolutely essential to have a written agreement. Written agreements protect both you
and the employer

4. If you get bad vibes during the interview, how do you politely decline?
Be honest. The employer will appreciate you not wasting their time. Let them know you do
not think it is a good fit and you appreciated their time.

Resume, Cover Letter & Interviewing Tips

RESUME

Why should I use a resume along with my application?

A resume can help Human Resource Services staff and the hiring supervisor understand what skills,
experience, and education you have that are relevant to a job. A well-done resume makes your
application look more professional. You can use a resume to help demonstrate your communication
skills.

What should I include in my resume?

Use your resume to help target your job search. Include relevant job history, education, volunteer
experience, and memberships/associations. Use your resume to highlight important work experience
and skills. Do not include information regarding marital status, parental status, religious affiliation,
photos, age, or weight.

Resume Language
Use action verbs such as “developed,” “managed,” “coordinated,” and “maintained.”
Don’t use “I” to start every sentence.
Do use your own words to explain your experience
Proofread carefully!
Resume Information
Keep your name, phone number and address current.
Include dates of employment in a month/year format (example: 05/02 – 08/02).
Include references. Use a separate sheet if necessary.

Resume Appearance
Use 1” margins on all sides.
Use a standard font that is easy to read.
Use bold font and italics to highlight information.
Make sure to leave some white space in between sections.
Don’t label your resume. The title “Resume” is unnecessary.
Your resume can be longer than 1 page. A good rule of thumb is 1 page for each 10 years of work
history.

COVER LETTERS

Why should I include a cover letter along with my application?

A cover letter can be a helpful tool to highlight your skills. Use a cover letter to show how your skills are
appropriate for the job. A cover letter can also be used as a marketing tool – think of it as your personal
sales brochure! You should use a cover letter anytime you use a resume.

Can I use one standard cover letter on each of my applications?

You will need to submit a separate cover letter with each set of application materials. Since the cover
letter is a way to help interest employers in your skills and how they are suited to the particular job, it is
a good idea to customize your cover letter for each position that you are applying for.

What information do I include in my cover letter?

Identify the job for which you are applying. Include the title and vacancy number.
Mention where you found out about the job (newspaper ad, web page, etc.). If you were referred by
someone, mention that person.
Briefly highlight your skills and experience. Don’t include all of the information found on your resume.
Tell the hiring supervisor what he/she will gain by hiring you.
Close the letter by stating what you would like to happen next. Mention where you can be reached by
phone or email.

What format do I use?

Your cover letter should be in standard business letter format.

Should I include a cover letter if I submit my materials through email?

Yes.
Hot Tips on Resume Writing
REMINDER: If you quote this page on YOUR website, be sure to include Yana Parker's name and a link to her
website (http://damngood.com)

1. What IS a resume anyway?

Remember: a Resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light,
for the purpose of getting invited to a job interview.
It's not an official personnel document. It's not a job application. It's not a "career obituary"! And
it's not a confessional.

2. What should the resume content be about?

It's not just about past jobs! It's about YOU, and how you performed and what you accomplished
in those past jobs--especially those accomplishments that are most relevant to the work you want
to do next. A good resume predicts how you might perform in that desired future job.

3. What's the fastest way to improve a resume?

Remove everything that starts with "responsibilities included" and replace it with on-the-job
accomplishments. (See Tip 11 for one way to write them.)

4. What is the most common resume mistake made by job hunters?

Leaving out their Job Objective! If you don't show a sense of direction,
employers won't be interested. Having a clearly stated goal doesn't have
to confine you if it's stated well.

5. What's the first step in writing a resume?

Decide on a job target (or "job objective") that can be stated in about 5 or 6 words. Anything
beyond that is probably "fluff" and indicates a lack of clarity and direction.

6. How do you decide whether to use a Chronological resume or a Functional one? The
Chronological format is widely preferred by employers, and works well if you're staying in the
same field (especially if you've been upwardly-mobile). Only use a Functional format if you're
changing fields, and you're sure a skills-oriented format would show off your transferable skills
to better advantage; and be sure to include a clear chronological work history!

7. What if you don't have any experience in the kind of work you want to do?
Get some! Find a place that will let you do some volunteer work right away. You only need a
brief, concentrated period of volunteer training (for example, 1 day a week for a month) to have
at least SOME experience to put on your resume.
Also, look at some of the volunteer work you've done in the past and see if any of THAT helps
document some skills you'll need for your new job.

8. What do you do if you have gaps in your work experience?

You could start by looking at it differently.
General Rule: Tell what you WERE doing, as gracefully as possible--rather than leave a gap.
If you were doing anything valuable (even if unpaid) during those so-called "gaps" you could
just insert THAT into the work-history section of your resume to fill the hole. Here are some
examples:

 1993-95 Full-time parent -- or

 1992-94 Maternity leave and family management -- or
 Travel and study -- or Full-time student -- or
 Parenting plus community service

9. What if you have several different job objectives you're working on at the same time? Or
you haven't narrowed it down yet to just one job target?
Then write a different resume for each different job target. A targeted resume is MUCH, much
stronger than a generic resume.

10. What if you have a fragmented, scrambled-up work history, with lots of short-term
jobs?
To minimize the job-hopper image, combine several similar jobs into one "chunk," for example:

 1993-1995 Secretary/Receptionist; Jones Bakery, Micro Corp., Carter Jewelers -- or

 1993-95 Waiter/Busboy; McDougal's Restaurant, Burger King, Traders Coffee Shop.

Also you can just drop some of the less important, briefest jobs.
But don't drop a job, even when it lasted a short time, if that was where you acquired important
skills or experience.

11. What's the best way to impress an employer?

Fill your resume with "PAR" statements. PAR stands for Problem-Action-Results; in other
words, first you state the problem that existed in your workplace, then you describe what you did
about it, and finally you point out the beneficial results.

Here's an example: "Transformed a disorganized, inefficient warehouse into a smooth-running

operation by totally redesigning the layout; this saved the company thousands of dollars in
recovered stock."

Another example: "Improved an engineering company's obsolete filing system by developing a

simple but sophisticated functional-coding system. This saved time and money by recovering
valuable, previously lost, project records."