Table of Content:

Chapter 1: True Career Stories

Education Completed, No Job.............................................01What is a Lifetime Opportunity?..........................................02Job Search Nightmares.........................................................03Without a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) -How do I Enter the Job Market?.........................................06Best Career Advice: Be honest about yourSkills and Abilities.................................................................08Critical Thinking....................................................................10Do You Want to Work for a Multinational Company?...13

Chapter 2: It's your Career mate!

Your Network is Your Net Worth......................................19How to Build a Career Path?...............................................21USP and SWOT Analysis.....................................................23

Chapter 3: Resume and Cover Letter Issues

Writing an Effective Resume...............................................27The Resume Trap..................................................................31What do we Expect from Job Seekers?...............................33Do you need a Cover Letter toIntroduce your Resume?......................................................34

Chapter 4: Tools, trick and techniques

Tool for Entry Level Jobs.....................................................39Key Interview Tips................................................................40The Most Difficult Question!...............................................43The Interview Room.............................................................45Be a Storyteller.......................................................................47When you Know it's Over!...................................................4920 Interesting Interview Questions....................................52I Need the Best Candidate for the Job!...............................54

Chapter 5: Its Social Era!

Social Media Job Search Tool..............................................59Using Linkedin Effectively..................................................61The Twitter Magic!................................................................64Ten Twitter Tips ...................................................................65Ten Cool Twitter Tricks for Job Search..............................66Job search via Facebook.......................................................69Online Profile and Visibility................................................71Standout, Stay ahead and Get Noticedon Social Media.....................................................................73

Chapter 6: The Success!

What is Success?....................................................................7710 Emotions to Power Success............................................78Time Management................................................................84Be a Linchpin.........................................................................88

Chapter 4: Tools, trick and techniques

Tool for Entry Level Jobs.....................................................39Key Interview Tips................................................................40The Most Difficult Question!...............................................43The Interview Room.............................................................45Be a Storyteller.......................................................................47When you Know it's Over!...................................................4920 Interesting Interview Questions....................................52I Need the Best Candidate for the Job!...............................54

Chapter 5: Its Social Era!

Social Media Job Search Tool..............................................59Using Linkedin Effectively..................................................61The Twitter Magic!................................................................64Ten Twitter Tips ...................................................................65Ten Cool Twitter Tricks for Job Search..............................66Job search via Facebook.......................................................69Online Profile and Visibility................................................71Standout, Stay ahead and Get Noticedon Social Media.....................................................................73

Chapter 6: The Success!

What is Success?....................................................................7710 Emotions to Power Success............................................78Time Management................................................................84Be a Linchpin.........................................................................88

Chapter 7: Plan Your Career Growth

A Simple Story!......................................................................93Five Biggest Career Regrets................................................ 96Better Planning for Career Growth,Lesson adapted from Priscilla Calman.................................98

Chapter 8: The Career Questions Answered

How much do you talk about the previous jobas compared to the current one?.................................... 112While responding to a question, how muchExplanation should you give?.......................................... 113How should you respond to the question:"Would you like to ask anything?"...................................114Key points to consider in a one-to-one interview...........115Key points to consider in a panel interview....................116How to handle an interview taken by the CEO?............117What are the key things HR professionalswould like to see in a near-perfect candidate?...............118

The Conclusion!................................................................ 121

Acknowledgments............................................................ 125

Preface

As I was about to write this book, I googled the phrase,Books on Careers, and got over 142,000 results. In theinternet age, myriad material is available on careerdevelopment. The question I asked myself: How will mybook be different from the best sellers and legions ofpublished matter?

I believe in real life experiences. In the early 1980swhen I was at school, my parents wanted me to become anengineer as that was the buzz word and was in directcompetition with medical education. But I never was anengineer or doctor type. Although I studied pre-engineeringin high school and came under parental pressure to continuemy BSc, I never developed an interest in chemical reactions,mathematical equations, and the laws of physics. I wasmore a marketing guy: loving to interact with people tolearn how they live, behave and survive.

A couple of months into the BSc course, I decided toswitch to the Bachelors of Commerce. Although, I did notknow where I would land, that decision was the turningpoint in my career. I started out as a salesman. This job wastough, but at an early age, I was so lucky to learn thingsmost MBAs struggle with even after earning an expensivedegree.

In 1990, in tough competition with over 200 candidates,I managed to get a job at the Trade and Investmentdepartment at the British Consulate in Karachi. That was

my real institution of learning: I worked there until early2006 and over 16 years, I sorted thousands of jobapplications, shortlisted candidates, developed hiring tests,and sat on countless interview panels.

A handbook to keep forever, this book is written fromthe practical point of view, containing over 25 years worthof my experiences: learning from top career enthusiasts,human resource experts and most interestingly I havecovered experiences, concerns and questions shared withme during mentoring sessions I had been conductingrecently.

Two Don�ts of networking:

� Never send emails until you feel that the other personhas started recognizing you.

� Never ask for favors right at the beginning of yourrelationship.

Did you ever see students having a business card withcontact details on it?

I haven�t. To be an effective networker, even if you area student, get a business card with your name, email addressand phone number, social media links and give out thesecards at networking events. Networking is a naturalphenomenon every human being is attuned with; we justneed to explore it a little deeper.

How to Build a Career Path

Often, people land in jobs or start businesses withoutconsidering the potential for future growth. Having spokento a large number of young people, I can say that over 90percent of entrants to the career market follow someonethey are inspired with or just follow the market trends.They do not work hard enough to identify the rightopportunities based on their strengths and passion.

There are four key steps to career development, pavingthe way to a successful career path.

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Understanding your Skills and Qualifications

There are many alternatives in the job market. Forexample, if someone has done biomedical engineering, hecan opt to start his career as a sales person specializing inbiomedical equipment sales. He will excel, because of onereason: His ability to understand biomedical equipment.

It is essential to gauge your skills and qualificationswith a broader focus, considering options beyond theimagination of other people competing with you in thecareer market.

Prepare a Hit List

I am yet to find a job seeker with a clear vision abouthis or her target company (or companies). If you do notknow where potential career opportunities are for you,forget a swift start.

As soon as you are ready to start looking for jobs,prepare a list of companies you wish to target. It should bea large list. Get website addresses, emails. You will needthose in the next stage.

Deal with Deficiencies

Those who prepare well and start dealing withdeficiencies effectively are more successful in their career.If your English needs improvement or your accounting isweak, you should work on these areas and improve.

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Human Resources:� Did you complete any coaching or mentoring of staff

members? Were there any specific positive results thatcame from this?

� Did you increase staff retention due to yourmanagement style? If so, by what percentage?

Added Responsibility

Were you awarded any extra authority in a position?For example, you may have commenced as a ProductionManager, then been awarded with full control of qualityassurance for the firm after six months.

These are simple, yet effective examples that couldmake your resume standout from the heap.

What do we Expect from Job Seekers?

�I have been looking for good staff. It is so difficult to findthe right people.�

I have heard this from many business owners andsenior managers but I do not know if anyone has ever askeda human resource expert a simple question: �What are yourexpectations from a job seeker?�

The right candidate needs to have three E qualities.The 3E formula is:

� Experience: Someone with the right experience.� Education: Someone with relevant education.� Enthusiasm: Someone who is enthusiastic in building

his/her career.

BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER 33

I would hire a candidate with at least two Es.

Do you Need a Cover Letter to Introduce yourResume?

Recruitment dynamics are focused upon internet and socialmedia networks, leaving behind newspaperadvertisements.

Using #jobs can help you find jobs posted on Twitter.Those who know this have a clear advantage. With theemergence of jobsites such as Monster, Workopolis, Rozee,Bayt and social media networks such as LinkedIn, jobhunters are encouraged to register and leave their profilesfor recruiters to search from a wide database.

The question today: Is there a need for a well-craftedcover letter or is this an obsolete tool?

The new recruitment process, when it starts on socialmedia or via internet based applications, almost eliminatesthe need for a cover letter.

Applicants need worry about a cover letter only if itis specifically requested by the advertiser.

34 BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER

�If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in yourpersonal and career life, you must become a worthwhileperson in your own self-development�. Brian Tracy

Tool for Entry Level Jobs

A young MBA Finance with 3.7 GPA recently met with mefor career advice. I was amazed (kind a shocked) to observehis lack of career direction. But I soon realized it was nothis mistake. Our educational institutions, even the topbusiness schools do not provide a career path. They expectevery brilliant student will land in top-paying jobs atmultinationals automatically!

The reality is otherwise: Many brilliant MBAs are doingjobs they initially were not prepared to consider or areoverqualified for.

I have developed a four-question strategy for bettercareer direction.

The strategy is to answer the following questions withhonesty and diligence:

1. Who are my potential employers? (Answering this willhelp you build an inventory of potential employers.Spend time with an open-mind to identify as many aspossible � cross-sectoral opportunities must beincluded)

2. What will I do if I do not get a job in my discipline ofeducation? (Answering this will help you find otherpotential venues)

3. What will I do if I do not get a job at all? (Answeringthis will help you identify options beyond workingor others)

BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER 39

6. Include your LinkedIn URL in the signature block ofyour emails.

7. Make sure you adjust the privacy settings on yourprofile to public.

8. Devote a Facebook page to your professional life.9. Keep your social media profiles updated.10. Include brief reports on your job search in your status

updates.

Jeff Antaya, Chief Marketing Officer at Plante Moran,has his finger on the pulse when he says: �Social media islike a snowball rolling down the hill. It�s picking upspeed.�

Using LinkedIn Effectively

"Job postings are such old news - Social is the hot newindustry, " says Jeff Vijungco VP, Worldwide TalentAcquisi t ion at Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Social media networks not only connect people andbusinesses, these networks provide career options both forentrepreneurs and job seekers.

The most exciting social media tool for connectingprofessionals is LinkedIn. With over 200 millionprofessionals from all continents, LinkedIn offerstremendous power to find and connect with professionalswho are relevant to you and your career.

Droves of headhunters and recruitment firms are nowusing LinkedIn to source suitable candidates. Not just cost

BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER 61

over limits set by cultural norms. Keep in mind theboundaries; at the upper limit of your boundary, discussionbecomes a bit fiery. The challenge at this stage is to keepyour mind focused on politeness, soft voice and positiveuse of words and phrases. Keep your justifications asreasonable as possible and consider solutions instead ofusing problem statements. While results might vary, keepyour conduct straight, and you will start achieving thedesired outcome.

Time Management

A conversation with a 23-year-old lad about timemanagement inspired me. Like many others, this youngsterwas finding it tough to accomplish all his tasks and wasstruggling with his daily routine. His average sleep timehad reduced drastically to about three to fours hours.

I googled three combinations for time managementand these are the results:

Pages available on �Time Management� 219,000,000Pages available on �Time Management Tips� 41,600,000Pages available on �Time Management Skills� 56,800,000

None of these can help you increase even a singleminute of a 24-hour cycle!

Time is one of our most valuable resources. As timecannot be created, the only option is to better utilize it.

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Here are few tips I use for getting the best out ofmy time:

Identify Time Wasters

Time wasters are the common cause for not havingenough time.

Texting, Facebooking and tweeting can be time wasters:

Do these activities only if you have time, or fix a time,and use an alarm clock to alert you when you should belogging off.

Identify Stress Cause

Stress is a silent killer, hurting physically and mentally,reducing your ability to deliver or accomplish. Onceidentified, avoid these causes where possible. Often angercauses most stress. Try to stay happy and enjoy what youdo. Not many people realize that watching TV can be morestressful than reading a book.

Organize Your Week

You might question, why not organize my day first?If you organize a week, your days will be automaticallyorganized.

Important versus Urgent Work

Time Management articles mention important workversus urgent work. If it is not a question of life and death,rest is just important.

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Five Biggest Career Regrets

It is vital to understand what works and what does not.Failures and regrets teach us lessons. Only smart peoplelearn these lessons and re-strategize their careerdevelopment objectives.

Daniel Gulati, co-author of Passion and Purpose: Storiesfrom the Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders,highlighted five biggest career regrets.

He spoke with 30 professionals between the ages of28 and 58 and asked them what they regretted most abouttheir careers. The sample was diverse in age, experience,profession and education. He found the following were themost lamented regrets:

96 BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER

I should have taken philosophy as acareer, Maths stinks

humorcarbons

BOOTSTRAPPING YOUR CAREER 111

During the course of writing Bootstrapping YourCareer, I spoke to several people, including students,career seekers, mid-level professional, etc. Followingseven questions are drawn from these conversations.These questions bug everyone, they need answers,acceptable answers.

I floated these seven questions to few seasonedprofessionals and in this chapter responses from threeexperts are shared. Based on these wonderful ideas,readers can articulate well in their interviews.

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Experimenting, innovating and creating new ways of doingyour work is exciting. But one also needs to look at theculture of an organization. Some bosses are not leaders,they do not like asking questions, they want you to followthe guidelines and map, company or the departmental headhas given you.

Most of the times issues can be resolved with simple efforts- Simple thinking - Simple Asking. However, there arepeople who make simple things extremely complicated bykeep thinking about these things and not acting on ideas,not implementing small stuff, not talking to people aroundthem. There are bosses who can be extremely difficult!Working smarter is always better than working harder. Iam a firm believer in effortless work. People generally blendthemselves in a normal working environment with otherhard working people and become map followers and killtheir creativity. Once you are a map follower, you cannotcreate one. Creating a map requires special skills and oneof these skills is passion to excell.

Bosses like to defend their thoughts; there are only fewwho appreciate your concern, your ideas, and yourcreativity. Instead of pushing hard and creating conflict,wait for the right moment to prove your worth. That rightmoment clicks few times every year. Make your point clearand defend your position when your Boss is in trouble -that is the time to create and implement your map, yourideas!