IT Exchange -- A TechZing.com Blog

Learning through blogging -- An Interactive way..!!

2007-01-31T01:43:00.000-08:00

Blogging is helping students in many ways. It is helping them to think and write more critically and can help draw out students who would otherwise not engage in any sort of debate. Students are learning to be responsible and they are communicating outside the class boundaries and the school or institution. They are truly loving that.

Conventional Learning

In the normal and conventional type of teaching students more often than not rely on the lecturer as the main source of ideas and critique for their own work. This is not definitely helping them in bringing their own ideas out and in thinking in an innovative manner. This is where, blogs help students. They are interactive in nature. These web-based forums for discussing ideas, experiences or opinions allow students to discuss publicly what they are studying with other students and experts outside their own university.

Professors / Teachers should encourage their students to put their personal opinion in there, provided they are informed and backed up with evidence. Today, in a lot of field of academics like electronic or e-learning have their own blogs. So, students can engage directly with them.

Ping -- An important feature of Blogs

One of the most powerful facilities in web blogs is pinging. Pinging is a process which involves a person posting a comment about someone else's work on their own blog.

They use the 'Track Back' tool to notify the author when they have published the comment, basically inviting them to discuss it.It alerts the original author that someone has written about them. That's very powerful in the world of blogging.

Unlike other online networking at universities, such as email lists and intra nets, blogging is unique because it is public and not restricted by passwords.

Learning to be responsible

As students are writing in the public domain, they also have to learn about plagiarism, copyright, privacy, ethics and defamation. This is an important aspect and teachers / professors should concentrate on this point very strongly.

Students should also check for the credibility of the blogs and the bloggers before they actually go and learn from a blog post. If not, they may end up learning wrong things or they also end up in collecting information which is absolute waste. Hence, teachers should teach their students how to test the credibility or authenticity of bloggers they read and check the resources they draw on.

Debates Participation

Blogs also encourage broader participation in debates. If you had a group discussion in a class you're only going to get a couple of people saying something. This means she has no idea what the other students are thinking.But when they write on their web blog I can read it. They have a voice and the other students read it and respect it as well.

Blogs are also extremely useful for categorising and managing a large collection of thoughts, whether they are from lecture notes, a student's own ideas, or comments on the ideas of others.

Job Interview – How to be a Winner

2007-01-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

If you are not that happy with your current job, if you think that you deserve much better than what you actually doing right now or if you are looking to start your career; then it is certain that you have to put in a lot of effort to make your dream true. As the competition is increasing and as the fight between number of job seekers is increasing, it demands a dedicated effort to be the best out of lot.

Interview process is the most important phase in your hob hunting process. If you can some how manage to impress the interviewer at the time of interview then job is yours. Hence impressing the interviewer is the key here. There are some simple but effective steps which can really help you in achieving this task.

Maintain good dress code. For men dark color suit with branded shirts is advisable. Even a formal shirt will suitable trouser without coat will also do. Avoid any dark and attractive colors. For women attending in suits is perfect. Avoid short skirts.

Avoid all kinds of jewelry that glows too much and grabs the attention of the interviewer. It is important that your skills and candidature grabs the attention rather than your jewelry.

Have all your credentials in an ordered manner.

Carrying a brief case with all the essential things (by basing on your personal preferences) is always a very good option.

Men should comb their hair properly. Women should tie their hair if they have long hair, if not they should also comb it properly. Men should have a clean shave. Have your shoes well polished.

Always maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewers. If there is a panel try and observe every body. Never ever concentrate on a single person.

Give prompt replies. Never lie. Be frank in replies. If you do not know some thing, be bold in saying that. If it is an important thing tell them that you will learn it soon. It certainly tells about your attitude and self confidence.

If you follow these simple but effective tips, and if you use your common sense properly then it is quite sure that you are going to succeed at the interview.

Job Interview – The Employer’s View

2007-01-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

In the last few years, with the increase in the number of qualified professionals coming out of colleges and with the increase in the competition among the employers to attract the talent pool of job seekers; the interview process became a very important thing even from the perspective of the employer.

It is definite that interview process is very important for job seeker to get a much needed change in his career or to start his career altogether. At the same time the job interview process is very important for the interviewer because he has to select the human resource which is going to be the ambassador for his organization. Selecting a wrong person definitely spoils the whole environment of the organization and there by its reputation. On converse, selecting a right one who perfectly meets with the requirements, who suits to the organizational culture and who can add value to the bottom line of the organization; certainly gives the organization a much required boost.

So, if you are an interviewer, these are the few basic tips which should help you in finding the right one for the job:

First and foremost, go through his qualifications and credentials. If you have any doubt about them clarify with him.

Be sure about all the mandatory skills which a person should posses for the job. Ask as many questions as possible to get a good grasp of those mandatory skills. If he is not matching with any of those skills, think twice before you go further.

Try and find how well he fits in the organizational culture.

If the job involves working in a team, make sure that he is a good team player.

Al most all the jobs require minimum communication skills. Check whether he is meeting these requirements.

If the person is looking a change in a job, try and find the perfect reasons for that. This will give you an idea of the person’s character.

If on a scale of ten, if the person gets at least 7 then he is certainly going to be your organizational asset rather than a mere employee. So, follow these simple steps and have good interviewing.

Job Interview – Impress with your skills

2007-01-14T07:05:00.000-08:00

Even though the number of job opportunities is increasing rapidly in recent years, the competition is also increasing at a furious pace thanks to the globalization. Globalization, the technological advancements and especially the internet made it very hard to find the suitable job. It’s not that there are no enough jobs, but the problem is with fierce competition.

You have to really prepare hard to get a job. The qualification which you have acquired just gives an entry ticket in to the job market. After that you have to fight really hard to find the job that aptly suits you.

There should be some differentiating factor with you which can really show you as the best one among the crowd. Normally skill set will be the main differentiating factor for every one. Starting from the resume up to the interview process (both direct and telephonic interview) you should try and show up your skill set in a perfect manner. You should be able to make the opposite party happy with your skill set.

Normally skills of any person can be divided into three categories. They are:

Technical skills

Management skills

Personal skills

1. Technical skills: These are the mandatory skills which one should posses’ in order to qualify for a job. Normally you should concentrate on projecting these skills in the resume. If the interviewer has got any questions on them he will definitely ask you in the interview. So there is no need to bother about them at the time of the interview. And as these are the skills that you acquired from your academic qualifications, you are supposed to be good at them

2. Management skills: These skills are also mandatory but only for certain types of jobs which involve managing people or managing time. For all the other jobs these skills are certainly great add-ons. Especially in the last few years, interviewers are giving importance to these skills as most of the projects involving managing a team or being a good team member.

3. Personal Skills: These are the skills that show your attitude towards your work and life. These include time management skills, Personal life management’s skills and so on. As striking a good balance between the personal life and the professional life is becoming a key factor for success at the job, people are increasing giving importance to these skills in recent times.

So, you should first develop these skills and then try and emphasize on these skills at the interview process to help your selves in becoming a good candidate for the job.

Job Interview Follow up – An essential process for success

2007-01-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

In today’s competitive world it is really hard to find and get your dream job. You certainly have to go through a rapid, rigorous, dedicated and disciplined process to reach your dream. It starts from preparing a resume, applying to the suitable jobs, Attending interview and finally making the interview happy about your candidature. It’s really a grueling process. And of course the skill set is very important and the basic thing. Qualifications and skill sets give you an entry ticket into this competitive market. There after you should use your common sense in a disciplined and controlled manner coupled with loads of patience to get your job.

Normally people put lots of efforts in preparing the resume, in preparing for the interview. They will certainly do their best to impress the interviewer on that day whether it is a direct interview or a telephonic one. And once that interview is finished people start thinking of another opportunity or else they just wait for the result of the interview. Here they miss a trick. They miss a wonderful opportunity in the form of a thank you letter or a feed back mail to the interviewer.

More often than not this happens with the interviewees. But you should keep in mind to follow him up at least with one mail and if possible with a phone call after the interview. During the interview process you should try and be as free as you can. If you feel comfortable in the interview then the interviewer also feels comfortable in talking to you and in interviewing you. If there is a good rapport being created between two of them there are great chances that you can express a lot about you which your resume may not be able to express about you. And if used, this opportunity can really help in creating a very good impression on you and increases the chances of your candidature for the vacancy.

When you can create a good rapport with the interviewer then the stage is all set to exploit by you. Use the opportunity to your advantage. Before you leave the interview room does not forget to exchange your visiting card with the interviewer. Also remember that, asking for his card is not a good idea. But if you give your card to him then it is certain that he will also give his card as a matter of courtesy.

Use the visiting card of the interviewer to your advantage. Shoot out a mail to him in less than ten hours of time after your interview, thanking him for taking some time out in interviewing you and making you feel comfortable at the interview process. Thank him for increasing your chances of getting selected for the job. . If he had discussed any personal issues with you then do not forget to mention them. But never ask him about the results date or some thing related to that.

Job Interview Tips

2007-01-14T07:01:00.001-08:00

With the advancements in the information technology in the last few years, not only in the field of computers but also in al most all the field are providing good number of job opportunities to the job seekers. How ever the competition for these jobs is also increasing rapidly, especially people from developing countries are becoming a real big challenge to the job seekers in developed countries like United States of America. This is evident with the increase in the percentage of the unemployed crowd in the last few years.

Hence in this world of fierce competition, you should prepare with utmost dedication and discipline to grab your chance. Getting a chance is very difficult and converting that chance is even more difficult. So preparation is the key to success; of course you need the qualification and talent as the mandatory skills for any job in this technological world.

Resume reflects our personality:

Preparation for a job starts from preparing a perfect resume. Resume is the document which is going to represent you before a prospective employer. Resume is the document which tells the employer what you are, what you can do and how apt you are to that particular vacancy. Resume helps you in getting the first impression. If he feels that you approximately suit to the requirements of the job, then only he calls you for the interview. Hence enough care should be taken to prepare that resume.

The resume should focus on your qualification and your key skills. It should tell the employer how you can effectively add to their bottom line through your skills. It should tell the employer how apt you are to the current vacancy. You should also highlight your career achievements and achievements in extra circular activities. Now days, the HR people are taking these things into consideration while short listing the candidates through their resumes.

Facing Interview:

If you take enough care while preparing the resume, you will definitely get a call from a prospective employer. Now, is the real big task before you. You should convince the employer that you are the perfect fit for the job and you are the best among the crowd. It is the biggest hurdle and if passed can make you dream come true. Hence prepare perfectly for the interview. Maintain good dress code. Have a right attitude. Try and make the interviewer to ask the questions in which you are strong at. Then it is quite sure that he will get impressed with you. And never forget to foolw up the interview with a thank you letter.

If you follow these simple steps then it is rest assured that you will get through the interview and you will get your dream job.

Succeeding in a Telephonic Interview

2007-01-14T04:52:00.000-08:00

More companies are now using telephone interviews for the hiring process. Often, the telephone interview will be one of several interviews an applicant will need to go through before they are hired by a company.

Despite this, learning how to successfully handle telephone interviews is crucially important. If you don't make it past the telephone interview, you will not be hired by the company, even if you are qualified. Many companies will use telephone interviews to help them lower their expenses. They are also used as a method of screening a large group of applicants to decide who is qualified for a group interview.

It is important for you to be prepared for a telephone interview. These interviews will be broken down into two types, and these are automated and non-automated. Automated telephone interviews are those that require you to answer a series of questions. With the non-automated telephone interview, you will be talking to an actual human. Many companies use both. You will want to prepare for a telephone interview in the same way you would prepare for a standard interview. However, the tone of your voice and the answers you give to questions will play a bigger role than your appearance.

Always keep your resume in a place where you can easily view it. You will be asked questions during the interview that you may need to answer with the information you have on your resume. If you have to look for it, the interview is over. During most telephone interviews, the employer will ask you about things you've accomplished. You will either need to have your accomplishments memorized, or you will need to have them written down. You should always have a pen and paper ready. You may be required to write down important information, and you won't have time to go look for these things.

If you will not be able to conduct a telephone interview at a specific time, it is important to make sure you let the employer know this. Missing the interview will kill your chances of being hired immediately. Before the interview starts, you will need to make sure you are in a quiet place. Noisy distractions such as pets, children, and loud noises must be stopped before the interview starts. Make sure there is no loud music playing, and the television and radio should be turned off. While conducting a telephone interview may sound easy, it is more difficult than you think. It is best to practice the telephone interview. You can do this with your family or friends. While speaking properly is important in a standard interview, it is crucial on the telephone.

The interviewer will place an emphasis on your tone of voice, background noise, and the way you answer questions. If you speak too soft, too fast, or too loud, you will increase your chances of failing the telephone interview. The automated interview will require you to concentrate. You should have a general idea of the questions that you will be asked, and you should have your answers prepared in advance. When you talk on the phone, avoid using the expressions "ums," "okays," and "uhs." Saying these things too much will show that you are not prepared, or you lack confidence.

Obvious things that you will want to avoid during the telephone interview are loud background noises, eating food, or drinking. Having a small glass of water nearby can help you keep your mouth dry, and this can improve your voice. As in regular interviews, never interrupt the person that interviewing you. Wait until they ask a question or make a statement before you give a response. Always use the title of the person you are talking to.

You should never use their first name unless they tell you its okay. Remember, your goal should be to pass the telephone interview so that you can move on to the next interview. It is the first step, and is just as important as the other interviews. You will need to make sure you're prepared before it starts.

You can't afford to make mistakes. Mistakes will lead to failure, and you are not given a whole lot of chances during the telephone interview.