10 Top Interview mistakes to be avoided!!

1. Lying
Although it's tempting, it doesn't work. By all means gloss over the unflattering things. But out-right fibbing NEVER pays.

Mark Twain said: "If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything." Think about it. They will catch you out later.

2. Slating your current company or boss
Fed up with your current job and would give anything to leave because they've treated you badly? Your job interview is NOT the time to seek revenge. Bear in mind that the interviewer will be listening to your answers and thinking about what it would be like to work with you. Ask yourself: do you like working with people who constantly criticise others? Isn't it a bit wearing? The trouble is that the interviewer draws massive conclusions from your answers. So your throwaway comment about your boss or employer may be interpreted to be your "standard" way of thinking. It makes you look bad, not your employer.

3. Being Rude
If you find you were accidentally rude, then apologise calmly and genuinely. Then leave it behind you and get on with the rest of the interview. If you dwell on it, it will affect your performance. What's "rude"? Well, that depends on your audience. As a rule of thumb, avoid cracking jokes about potentially sensitive topics and beware of being too "pally" with the interviewer: polite and friendly is enough. After all, you're not in the pub with them. So stay professional. Also bear in mind that everyone you meet could be involved in the selection process. So blanking the receptionist or talking down to the junior members of staff could cost you the job.

4. Complaining
Ok, so your train journey might have been a nightmare and maybe you thought the tube would never arrive, or the tailbacks on the motorway were endless. But your interviewer doesn't want to know that!

Complaining, even in jest, is not a recommended icebreaker. It may be completely harmless, or it might simply make the interviewer switch off. Don't let complaining set the tone for the interview!

5. Talking about people you don't get on with at work
These days, it's common to be asked how you deal with conflict. Companies realise the importance of interpersonal relationships in the working environment. So if they ask you about difficult people or situations, make sure you hold back from character assassination and blaming others for problems because it won't do you any favours! If you accidentally do "break" this rule, apologise and explain what you "really" meant.

6. Not Being Prepared
Re-read the relevant version of your CV and the job advert, just before the interview. You'd be surprised how many people can't remember what they wrote on their CV. And if you remember what type of person the job advert was looking for, it's easier to demonstrate that you have those qualities.

Make sure you've brought with you anything you were asked for. It's fine to bring a note-pad and pen, but make sure they're tidy. It's even ok to bring notes with you; particularly if you have any questions you want to ask. It shows you're taking the job application seriously. Ill-prepared candidates rarely get job offers.

7. Appearing to be too nervous, or too confident
If you appear too nervous they'll think you're not confident enough to do the job. However, appearing too confident will make them think you won't fit into the team. If interview nerves are an issue for you, it's worth getting practical help from a professional, such as an interview coach.

8. Making a weak first impression
Unfortunately, no matter how hard the interviewer tries, a lot of "don't want to hire them" decisions are made in the first few minutes of contact. If you make a strong first impression, the interviewer will be more inclined to overlook "imperfections" in your answers.

9. Not having researched the company
As a general rule, the more famous the brand, the more they will expect you to have done your homework. Researching the company shows you're serious about the job.

Example from a real interview for a major food brand:

Candidate: "Hello Mr. Interviewer. Yes, I'd love to work for your company. I think your brand is great and I really believe I could make a contribution to your marketing strategy."

Interviewer: "So what do you think about our current merchandising, compared to our competition?"

Candidate: "Oh... Errr.... Well, I haven't had time to check it out, really."

Likelihood of getting the job? Low.

10. Putting your foot in it and not noticing
Yes, we know, you didn't mean to put your foot in it. But it doesn't really matter what you intended. What counts is how the other person reacts. So what can you do? Be prepared to simply say "sorry, that's not what I meant!" This requires you to actually be paying attention to the interviewer, rather than your own thoughts and feelings. Once you've apologised, leave it there, take a deep breath to help you relax and move on with the job interview.

Appraisal and Resignation!!

A newly joined trainee engineer asks his boss "what is the meaning of appraisal?"

Boss: "Do you know the meaning of resignation?"

Trainee: "Yes I do"

Boss: "So let me make you understand what a appraisal is by comparing it with resignation"

Comparison study : Appraisal and Resignation

In appraisal meeting they will speak only about your weakness, errors and failures.
In resignation meeting they will speak only about your strengths, past achievements and success .

In appraisal you may need to cry and beg for even 10% hike.
In resignation you can easily demand (or get even without asking) more than 50-60% hike.

During appraisal , they will deny promotion saying you didn't meet the expectation, you don't have leadership qualities, and you had several drawbacks in our objective/goal.
During resignation, they will say you are the core member of team; you are the vision of the company how can you go, you have to take the project in shoulder and lead your juniors to success.

There is 90% chance for not getting any significant incentives after appraisal .
There is 90% chance of getting immediate hike after you put the resignation.

The high cost of being Workaholic!!

In a nation of overachievers, hard work is a virtue. If you work hard, you'll achieve your goals. If you work even harder, you'll achieve even more. Right?

Perhaps not. There are, in fact, several downsides to working too hard. Being the office workaholic can cost you coveted promotions, hurt your home life, and even turn friends into enemies. Evaluate yourself with the following five questions.

1. Are you busy ... or disorganized?
Are you constantly staying late and coming in early yet producing the same output as others? If so, your boss may come to view you as inefficient and possibly disorganized. Dave Cheng, an executive coach with Athena Coaching, says, "There are some people, type A's, who get a lot of satisfaction from doing lots of work, but the quality isn't necessarily superior."

Focus on getting your work done in a reasonable time frame. If you have perfectionism or time-management issues, ask your supervisor to help you prioritize things and learn when to let go of a task. Cheng says, "Just because you're working longer doesn't mean you're working better."

2. Are you delegating ... or hoarding?
If you have any aspirations at all to move into management, you must learn to delegate work. Again, tasks need to be completed in a timely fashion; if you're having trouble finishing a project, you must delegate to other team members, even if you happen to relish the task you're giving away.

Cheng, who has more than 12 years of experience in corporate human resources, reveals, "Some workers feel like if they do everything and they're the only one who knows how to do it, they're making themselves irreplaceable. However, sharing information and teaching others around you is a valued skill as far as management is concerned."

Focus on completion and quality and be generous enough to let a colleague learn and shine. If you lack sufficient support, ask your boss about expanding your group.

3. Are you hungry ... or is your plate full?
Once you've solidified your reputation as the office workaholic, you may find that when your dream project comes through the door, you aren't asked to work on it. Why? Your boss probably thinks you don't have the bandwidth to take on anything else. Always keep a bit of room in your schedule to sink your teeth into new challenges and opportunities.

Cheng reminds professionals, "Your ability to say no to certain things gives you the freedom to say yes to others."

4. Do you have friends ... or 'frenemies'?
Your workaholic ways are likely alienating once-valued associates. Above and beyond the obvious grumblings of, "You're making the rest of us look bad," your colleagues may dread collaborating on a project with you.

Lose the overly methodical approach, don't expect folks to come in early or stay late for meetings, and focus on process and outcome.

5. Do you work to live ... or live to work?
The best workers are well-rounded professionals with full lives, in and out of the office. Each year, new studies abound about the importance of vacations, hobbies, and enjoying your leisure time. But are you listening?

Your friends and family will be in your life a lot longer than you'll hold most jobs. Also, pursuing leisure activities you're passionate about can lead to a second career.

Cheng concludes, "Work-life balance is a choice. If you reflexively say yes to taking on extra work, you may live to regret it."

Courtsey:Caroline Levchuck, Yahoo! HotJobs

Few Success Secrets!!

Inc. - Needham, MA
Hire great people, and give them the resources and training to be successful, Then get out of the way, and let them do their jobs.

Southampton Group LLC - Charlotte, NC
Integrity and ethics matter in everything we do. How we treat the people we work with is as important as how we treat our customers.

Martin Capital - Clayton, GA
Personal relationships are the most valuable asset in our business. Whether it's a customer or a strategic partner, we look beyond the single transaction to a long-term, win-win partnership.

Vision Technologies Inc. - Glen Burnie, MD
There is no magic formula. Create the right vision for your target market, hire the best people and execute at 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, and luck will find you.

Moments in Life!!

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one, which has been opened for us.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive.Don't go for wealth; even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Dream what you want to dream;go where you want to go;be what you want to be,
because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong,
enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past;
you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Don't count the years - count the memories

5 Tips to be a best Boss!!

1) Develop
Peter Drucker once said, "If you have a star, step aside and let them pass you". In partnership, work together on a professional development plan during the annual review. If you can, balance the Division's goals with their aspirations. When possible, offer ownership and support their efforts.

2) Coach
Unlike praise, coaching provides feedback that allows the employee to reach their potential. Also, periodically coach the employee on the goals set mutually. The employee is kept in the loop and next year's performance review is not a surprise to them.

3) Delegate
The inability to delegate is a control issue. Allow your employee the opportunity to grow and see where development is necessary

4) Listen
Sounds simple. Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other. Listening actively means we are not selective in what we want to hear but open to what we listen to. Listening with compassion allows you to open your heart to what the employee is feeling.

5) Show Empathy
The practice of sympathy is not pragmatic as it focuses on the problem. Empathy is understanding how the employee feels with the goal of working towards a solution.

How to negotiate your benefits?

Courtsey:Linda Jenkins, Salary.com

Did you know that you may be able to negotiate some of your benefits? Even though companies put fixed policies on most benefits, some benefits are negotiable -- and sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

The Most Common Variables

Signing bonus. If a company wants you badly enough or can't meet your salary demands, it might sweeten the deal by offering you a signing bonus, a one-time payment that doesn't increase the base salary on which everything else is calculated. A signing bonus is a good-faith demonstration that the company agrees you're worth more than the job pays.

You can even ask for a signing bonus during the salary negotiation. Word your question something like, "What's the signing bonus for this position?" rather than "Is there a signing bonus for this position?" But remember, signing bonuses are taxed as regular income, so that's something to keep in mind as you settle on a figure.

Vacation time. Sometimes you can get more than the standard time going into the job.

Extra time away (paid or unpaid). You can also request extra paid or unpaid leave for a preplanned trip, for artistic or volunteer work, or a reasonable personal reason. And of course, you should get time away for service in the Armed Forces and for jury duty.

The List Continues

At the end of your first interview, especially with an employment person, ask about benefits. Negotiate with the hiring manager. But the best place to get complete information about the benefits package is from the human resources (HR) person. In addition to health coverage and vacation time, traditional benefits could include sick time, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, AD&D (accidental death and dismemberment) insurance, survivor income, stock options, retirement plans, and more.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. You may want to know how long the waiting periods for various benefits are. How long before you can participate in the 401(k) or other retirement plan? What's the company match on the 401(k)? When are you fully vested? What kind of health care benefits are there (HMO, PPO, indemnity plan)? Watch out for pre-existing conditions. For example, if you have a child with diabetes, many plans won't cover the child for at least six months, if ever. If that's the case, you'd want to negotiate something else to cover the expenses.

You can also use a benefits calculator to get a good idea of the value of your benefits.

If having super health care benefits (dental, vision, prescription coverage, etc.) is important and the company doesn't have them, that could be a deal-breaker for you. On the other hand, some companies have "cafeteria plans," which let you choose what benefits to pay for. Maybe, for example, you can opt out of life insurance and pick up three extra days of vacation.

Wait, There's More!

What other benefits would seriously interest you? You should be able to participate in networking sessions and professional associations, attend conferences, and receive additional training and other opportunities for professional growth. Some companies offer subsidized daycare, emergency daycare, a fitness center, flexible hours with telecommuting, sabbaticals, or valet service for dry cleaning or groceries.

Startups, those caffeine havens, are fond of stocking the refrigerator with soft drinks and offering bottomless cups of coffee. Wednesday might even be pizza day. But you'll probably have to wait until your first hump day on the job to negotiate for extra cheese.