Navtej Kohli Career Mission Blog

These items were taken from real resumes and cover letters. It was also printed in the July 21, 1997 issue of Fortune Magazine. Enjoy your stay on Navtej Kohli career blog

•     I demand a salary commiserate with my extensive experience.
•     I have lurnt Word Perfect 6.0 computor and spreadsheet progroms.
•     I received a plague for Salesperson of the Year.
•     Wholly responsible for two (2) failed financial institutions.
•     Reason for leaving last job: maturity leave.
•     Failed bar exam with relatively high grades.
•     It’s best for employers that I not work with people.
•     Let’s meet, so you can “ooh” and “aah” over my experience.
•     You will want me to be Head Honcho in no time.
•     I am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.
•     I was working for my mom until she decided to move.
•     Marital status: single. Unmarried. Unengaged. Uninvolved. No commitments.
•     I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.
•     I am loyal to my employer at all costs. Please feel free to respond to my résumé on my office voice mail.
•     My goal is to be a meterologist. Without any training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage.
•     I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely no one and absolutely nothing.
•     I procrastinate, especially when the task is unpleasant.
•     Personal interests: donating blood. Fourteen gallons so far.
•     As indicted, I have over five years of analyzing investments.
•     Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store.
•     Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs as “job-hopping.” I have never quit a job.
•     Marital status: often. Children: various.
•     Reason for leaving last job: They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 a.m. every morning. I couldn’t
  work under those conditions
•     The company made me a scapegoat, just like my three previous employers.
•     Finished eighth in my class of ten.
•     References: none. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.

Jokes apart! But if you’re really looking for a bright future, make sure you don’t make such silly mistakes on your resume or cover letter

Wish you good luck,
Navtej Kohli 

Resume mentors your way to success. Here are a few handy tips on Navtej Kohli Career blog that will improve your odds at interview.

Resume Tips:
1. Make your resume short (one page, if possible, two pages at most).
2. Use white or ivory paper.
3. Type your resume on a computer, when possible. (If you do not have access to a computer visit your local Job Service office, One-Stop Career Center, or local public library for help.)
4. Use action words to describe your work skills. (See “Action Words” below.)
5. Stress skills, knowledge, and abilities that fulfill the job requirements.
6. Be specific about accomplishments, but do not stretch the truth.
7. Provide information about career goals.
8. Make it attractive.
9. Emphasize most recent jobs.
10. Proofread it for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors.
11. If possible, have someone else check your resume for errors.
12. Save references and personal data for the interview.
13. Avoid date of birth.
14. Avoid salaries or the reason for leaving the last job.
15. Ask yourself “Would I interview this person?”
16. Keep your resume current.
17. Finally, prepare a cover letter to introduce your resume. (See “Cover Letter” below.)

Navtej Kohli’s joke of the day.

This joke is not intended to offend any fraternity. Just take it on a lighter note, after all we all humans are kindred spirits.

A blonde goes for a job interview in an office. The interviewer decides to start with the basics. “So, Miss, can you tell us your age, please?”

The blonde counts carefully on her fingers for about 30 seconds before replying, “Ehhhh .. 22!”

The interviewer tries another straightforward one to break the ice. “And can you tell us your height, please?”

The young lady stands up and produces a measuring tape from her handbag. She then traps one end under her foot and extends the tape to the top of her head. She checks the measurement and announces, “Five foot two!”

This isn’t looking good so the interviewer goes for the real basics. “And uhh, just to confirm for our records, your name please?”

The blonde bobs her head from side to side for about twenty seconds, mouthing something silently to herself, before replying, “Mandy!”

The interviewer is completely baffled at this stage, so he asks, “Just out of curiosity, Miss. We can understand your counting on your fingers to work out your age, and the measuring tape for your height is obvious, but what were you doing when we asked you your name?”

“Oh that!,” replies the blonde, “That’s just me running through ‘Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you….”

Navtej Kohli enlists some frequently asked questions at Interviews.

All interview questions are designed to find out your ability to fit-in and contribute to the specific workgroup. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions to help you prepare for your interview:

1. Tell us about yourself?

Tell them in detail how your experience would relate to the position you are being interviewed for. Be as detailed as possible about your family background, educational background and previous job experience.

2. Why are you interested in this position?

Tell your employer why you chose to apply for this position. Explain why you are a perfect match for the position and how you will do full justice to the same. Use relevant examples from your family background, educational background and previous job experience.

3. What do you know about this company?

You should research the company well before applying to it. You must be prepared to discuss the industry, the company’s relative size within that industry and show that you know who the major players and competitors are

4. What salary are you drawing?

The question is not difficult to answer – just be honest and give the figure. In all probability, your next employer may base your salary on this amount. However, the problem arises when you feel you are being underpaid in your current organization. You may feel tempted to lie, but do not give in, as checks can be easily made and you may be disqualified. In case you are getting additional perks, incentives or commissions, do not forget to mention them, as they are important while negotiating salary.

Navtej Kohli brings a simple 4-step guide that will help you choose your right career.

Most students don’t get time to spend in career planning during their graduation days. Some remain busy in work to earn money to pay their way through university, while others are mature students with a young family that they need to support. Students have time for anything but visiting career services. But choosing your right career path is very important. Navtej Kohli career blog presents a standard model that will help you in choosing your career.

Career choice revolves around 4 main stages:

• Self-awareness- This involves looking at your SKILLS, VALUES, INTERESTS and PERSONALITY and analysing where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

• Recognizing the opportunity- Gather information on the opportunities open to you. Visit specific careers education programmes for your degree subject. Many jobs are open to graduates of any degree subject. Early in your course you should look at the Vacation Opportunities open to you. As well as allowing you to earn money, they may allow you to gain relevant skills and perhaps an insight into the types of job you are interested in, putting you at the head of the queue when you eventually apply for jobs. The Careers Information Room has a wide variety of booklets, reference files, books, DVDs and computer programmes you can use. You may like to enter Postgraduate Study instead of directly entering a job, or it may be required for a particular career such as law or teaching. Here it may be important to apply early in your final year and to look at whether funding will be available to pay for the course.

• Decision Making - Talk to graduates already working in your chosen career area. Spending a day with a person in the career you are considering is the next best thing to actually doing a job, to find out what it is like. If you have done this, you will come across as much better prepared at interviews. Of course, the other important part in making decisions is discussing it with other people. Friends, family and tutors can all play an important part here. The Duty Careers Adviser is available every day without an appointment for a short discussion and can often help to inject reality into your ideas for example, pointing out that you may need to fund your way through a postgraduate course to enter your chosen career. You can also take help of several computer programs available on the internet.
• Taking Action-
It involves:
1. Finding out about the EMPLOYERS that offer the types of jobs you are interested in
2. Search our VACANCY DATABASE
3. Attending INTERVIEWS
4. Perhaps taking APTITUDE TESTS and attending SELECTION CENTRES
First look at the Timeline, which gives you an idea of what you should be doing when during your time at UKC in terms of Career Planning. Sometimes you may have to return to previous stages in the process, for example, if you are not able to get into your first choice career.

Navtej Kohli Career blog believes in motivating students. Navtej Kohli tells an anecdote about a student on interview. Being cognizant of the difficulty, see how this boy tackled this tricky situation.

There was a student who was desirous of taking admission for a study course.

He was smart enough to get through the written test, a GD and was to appear for the personal interview. Later, as the interview progressed, the interviewer found this boy to be bright since he could answer all the questions correctly. The interviewer got impatient and decided to corner the boy.

“Tell me your choice,” said he to the boy, “What’s your choice: I shall either ask you ten easy questions or ONE real difficult. Think well before you make up your mind.”

The boy thought for a while and said, “My choice is ONE real difficult question.”

“Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice!” said the man on the opposite side. Tell me: What comes first, Day or Night?”

The boy was jolted first but he waited for a while and said: “It’s the DAY, sir.”

“How???????” the interviewer was smiling (”At last, I got you!” he said to himself.)

“Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!”

Admission for the course was thus secured.