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Job Channels
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December 25, 2007
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During my time of job-haunt, which is good 15 years back (I graduated in 1992), the channels through which job could be found was minimal. Job availability situations were available mainly in print media such as newspapers. Campus interview was rare and Internet was at its infancy.
You are however at the most fortunate time with evolved Internet with which you can haunt for jobs at the click of a button. There is more reason to be optimistic about finding the right job, as the economy of India is booming, creating more job opportunities.
If you ask me what channels are available to you for job-haunting, I would try to summarize as follows:
Age-Old Job Channels: Those that have been in existence even before Internet came.
1.0 Campus Interview Jobs.
2.0 Pool Campus Jobs.
3.0 Walk-in Jobs.
4.0 Common Recruitment Tests.
New Age Job Channels: Those that have come through Internet.
5.0 Job-site based Jobs.
6.0 Referral Jobs (Buddy Lao jobs).
The above list is indicative only and is categorized according to how the job selection process is organised by the recruiter. Let us go into details of these job-channels. Last two channels (Job-site based Jobs & Referral Jobs) would be discussed in my next post (New Age Job-Channels), while other channels are being discussed below.
1.0 Campus Interview Jobs:
 If you are fortunate to belong to a very good institute (i.e. attractive in the eyes of a recruiter), than this channel is open before you when recruiters comes hunting for you in your own institute campus.
The Training & Placement cells of these institutes maintain very close relations with the recruiters, providing them with all required data on who would be attending the Campus Interview.
The selection process by the recruiter varies from recruiter to recruiter, but most recruiter goes through the usual round of Written Test -> Group Discussion -> Personal Interview, sometimes with Psychometric Tests.
Never had campus interview in the past, but would like to have one?
If there had never been a Campus Interview in your institute but you think that recruiters would find your students attractive to employ, than you need to chalk up a strategy as follows:
i) Form a Training & Placement Cell with concurrence from your institute authority. There must be at least a group of five/six active individuals, with an active faculty as a mentor.
Prepare an Institute Profile file (Name, Address, Branches, Qualifications awarded, Accreditation, Academic Calendar etc.), which is sought by the recruiters when you approach them for campus interview.
ii) Gather maximum data on your alumni: “Who is working in which organizations, in what capacity, which cities of which country”. More well placed are your alumni, more attractive the institute looks to a recruiter.
iii) The Institute Profile File and Alumni Profile becomes your sales brochure for the institute. With it, start approaching the recruiters through e-mail and phone. Where would you find these contact details? Use your contacts (Faculties, fellow friends from other institutes, alumnus) and of course Google to find the corporate websites!
Since the recruiters are always bombarded with requests for campus interview, it is unlikely that your requests would be accepted on your first request itself. Therefore you need to have patience for that first Campus Interview to occur for your institute. It may quite be possible that whatever you are doing. the fruits of it would be enjoyed by your junior students.
Also try to go in for good placement agencies first (rather than the employing organizations themselves), so that your students gets used to the whole idea of Campus Placement. Why? Because this way chances of conducting the first Campus interview is always better. Later you can go for employing organizations directly.
2.0 Pool Campus Jobs:
Very akin to the Campus Interview jobs, in Pool Campus Jobs, few institutes forms a pool and organizes the selection process in a common venue, mostly in one of the institutes having better infrastructure or better communication facilities.
The advantage for the recruiter is that they find students from all the institutes in a common place and thus do not have to visit the institutes individually. And hence more and better recruiter comes, which helps more students getting placed with better job offer.
North East Professional Institutes Forum (NEPIF) is one such forum which organizes Pool Campus Jobs for its member institutes of North East India. If your own institute belongs to North East India, you may wish to contact NEPIF to accept your institute as a member institute.
Also, your own institute can form such a partnership with other institutes offering similar courses and qualifications and together you can invite recruiters for Pool Campus Jobs.
3.0 Walk-in Jobs:
As the name suggests, these kinds of jobs are advertised by the recruiters in the electronic (Internet) and print media (newspapers) and you just have to walk-in to appear in the selection process.
In most cases, the written-test round is not conducted and candidates are required to appear in the GD/Interview rounds directly.
Walk-in Interviews are a little bit different than the normal interviews – since the interviewer may not have heard at all about the institute you passed out from. His perception on you would bank entirely on your resume. Therefore you need to prepare as good a resume as possible.
Following two items are must-carry items while going for a walk-in:
1. Few (2/3) hardcopy of your resume.
2. Few (2/3) passport size photographs.
Also, if you are an working individual, you need to carry photocopies of the last increment letter/offer letter, whichever is latest.
You can visit following internet sites to find walk-in job announcements:
http://search.clickjobs.com/js/search/jresult.php?walkin=yes
http://www.walkinsindia.com/
http://www.mywalkin.com/
Do you know of any better sites for walk-in jobs? Kindly send me the web site address at careerquips@gmail.com. We would acknowledge your contributions with sincere thanks.
4.0 Common Recruitment Tests:
This is the most formal out of all the job channels, which have been around for a long, long time. Used by all Government agencies (UPSC Exams – Civil Services, Defence, Railways etc.) and Public Sector industries (such as IOCL, NTPC, SAIL etc.), its advertisement are given elaborately in Print (newspapers) as well as in Electronic media (Internet). Not many Private Sector industries however conduct common recruitment tests.
The format of selection process is elaborate again: You need to apply in specified formats; you are called for written exams in selected centers after which GD & Interview is held.
Government jobs and Public Sector industries jobs are a happy hunting ground for freshers, since the intake is at entry-level, experience is not asked for.
Following links should help you getting these kinds of jobs:
http://www.employmentnews.gov.in/
www.yuvajobs.com/indian-govt-jobs.asp
Above rounds up the job channels which have been existing even before Internet came. Would you like to know the New Age Job Channels? Click here to find them.Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 25, 2007
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New Age Job-Channels
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December 23, 2007
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Gone are the days when people used to depend only on “Employment News” or “Situations Vacant” positions in news papers or listen to All India Radio for job openings. The world has become net-centric with the advent of Internet. Searching for jobs had never been so easier.
This post has been made as a sequel to my previous post Job Channels, in which I discussed the traditional channels of jobs, which had been in existence even before the internet came.
With the advent and maturity of internet, two very New-Age channels evolved:
1.0 Job-site based Jobs.
2.0 Referral Jobs (Buddy Lao jobs).
In fact, while the former is only about a decade old (started in India in March 1997 by Naukri.com), the later evolved very recently and is growing rapidly. Let us know more about them:
1.0 Job-site based Jobs.
Imagine job-sites as a huge employment exchange. In employment exchanges, you feel up a form to register and submit your records (i.e. your biodata). When there is a job availability meeting your qualifications, you are called for the selection process.
Same thing happens in Job-sites also, only this time over internet. You need to feel a form to register and submit. You can upload your resume during registration or at any later time. Do you need to pay anything for this service? No, It is free.
How do you get a job after you register?
The recruiters searches for the people who has the qualifications needed by them in the job sites and incase your qualifications meets their criteria, you are called for the selection process. Simple, is not it? As I told you, Job Sites are nothing but huge Employment Exchanges!
What do you need to get jobs through job-sites?
Just a valid e-mail id for registering in the job-sites. If your resume is ready, you can upload it during registration or you can upload it or modify it at any later time.
Where to register?
There are dozens of job portals like Naukri.com, Jobstreet.com, Clickjobs.com, Monster.com, details of which have been discussed in section: Discover yourself: Head Hunter Links
Once you have prepared your resume, submit it in job-sites such as Naukri.com, Jobstreet.com, Clickjobs.com, Monster.com. You can register in multiple job-sites, but if you are from India my choice is Naukri.com, for the reasons given in Head Hunter Links . What you need is only a valid E-mail ID. You can register in the site now and upload the resume later.
4.0 Referral Jobs (Buddy Lao jobs):
As the name suggests, an individual working in the recruiting organizations refers about these job availabilities to persons whom he knows closely having the required eligibilities.
When the referred person applies and gets a job, both the referring as well as referred individual (getting the job) benefits. How? The referred individual benefits by getting the job while the referring person may win a handsome amount, if it was done in a Employee Referral scheme (Called Buddy Lao schemes popularly).
How much the referring individual earns?
This varies from organisation to organisation and in the same organisation from position to position. But just to give you an idea: Cognizant pays between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000 per candidate depending on the level at which the referral is made.
Why are the organizations offering Employee Referral schemes?
Because even they benefits as the hiring cost is minimum and almost always the right person is recruited.
Read this full story from “The Hindu Businesslike”, which says how more and more people are being recruited through this informal job channel.
Quoting few lines from it:
"Companies are encouraging referrals by compensating employees for every referred candidate hired. Cognizant pays between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000 per candidate depending on the level at which the referral is made "
.....Of the 11,000 people hired by Wipro Technologies in the last six months, 16 per cent was through referrals....
......Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has hired 1,920 of the 16,000 people this year through referrals...
......Infosys Technologies has reward mechanisms to suit referrals at different levels and TCS has a `Buddy Lao' (Bring a buddy) scheme...
How to get a referral job?
You must naturally know the person who refers you for the job. The best way to know this person is to network..
How? There are many ways to network:
i) Alumni association:
The most effective of them is your own school/college alumni association. From amongst them you should be able to find which alumni can help you in the field you have specialized in.
ii) Members of the academic fraternity: This can be your teachers, staff members, friends from other institutes etc.
iii) The Members of clubs or other organizations to which you belong.
iv) Online networking sites: 
LinkedIn : Mainly used for professional networking. Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them. LinkedIn also offers a job search tool called JobsInsider. Orkut : It is a social network site and you can use it to find your own communities, such as the place you belong to, institute in which you studied at etc. Batchmates : Good to find your old classmates and seniors from your schools/colleges. Above three sites are for examples only and you should subscribe to that site in which you can find maximum of your target contacts. When should you start networking? Well, you should network as early as possible.. may be even before your penultimate years. Above rounds up our discussion on the job channels - New-age & Age-Old channels. Do you have anything more to add? Kindly give your comments below. Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 23, 2007
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Patterns of Job Tests
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December 22, 2007
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Selection process of each recruiter differs from one another – some may include GD in the selection process while others not, some includes Managerial Interview in addition to Technical & HR interview while others may just go for HR interview alone. The purpose of this post is just to give you a very brief overview of the different phases of a selection process without going into details (which are discussed in subsequent topics like Aptitude Test, Technical Test, Psychometric Test, Group Discussion, Interview). All these exams invariably contains atleast one of above four test sections: General Awareness, General English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning Ability. To illustrate this, I am showing below the written exam pattern of some popular exams below:
Pattern of SBI PO exam:
Pattern of SBI Clerical written exam: Written test will consists of Objective type questions in following five papers: 1.0 General Awareness. 2.0 General English. 3.0 Quantitative Aptitude. 4.0 Reasoning Ability. 5.0 Marketing Aptitude / Computer Knowledge.
SSC CPO (Central Police Organisation) exam pattern:
Management Aptitude Test (MAT) exam pattern: MAT is a 2hr-30min test with following five sections, each of 40 marks: 1. Language Comprehension: 40 Questions, 30 mins. 2. Mathematical Skills : 40 Questions, 40 mins. 3. Data Analysis and Sufficiency: 40 Questions, 35 mins. 4. Intelligence and Critical Reasoning: 40 Questions, 30 mins. 5. Indian and Global Environment: 40 Questions, 15 mins. All the questions are multiple-choice objective type questions.
Selection processes of some major IT industries:
Job Tests Pattern of WIPRO: Aptitude Test consisting of Verbal - 32Q, Quantitative- 38Q, Logical-4Q. Followed by Technical & HR Interview.
Aptitude Test consisting of Verbal - 20Q, Quantitative- 20Q, Logical-15Q, One Essay.
Followed by GD, Technical & HR Interview.
Capgemini:
Aptitude Test consisting of Verbal - 25Q, Quantitative- 25Q, Logical-30Q.
Followed by Technical & HR Interview.
Job Tests Pattern of TCS:
Aptitude Test consisting of Verbal - 35Q, Quantitative- 38Q, Logical-12Q.
Followed by Technical & HR Interview.
Job Tests Pattern of CMC:
Aptitude Test consisting of Verbal - 24Q, Quantitative- 40Q, Logical-23Q.
Technical Test consisting of 50Q.
Followed by Technical & HR Interview.
As you can see from above, the patterns which are being used by recruiters although differs from one another, all of them uses the same tools for screening candidates at different levels. So once if you prepare for one, you can as well appear in the job tests of other recruiter. Labels: Written Tests |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 22, 2007
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Resume writing
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December 20, 2007
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In all my discussions on job preparedness with students, I am always asked this million dollar question – “How can I write the best resume?”
This one line question demands a million line to answer. To find an answer these days, the easiest one is to “Google” your query, so I googled “Write best resume”
 The search result showed me over “3,81,000” results…. I was confused!
If you had taken my route, you would have been confused too! But have patience, I am presenting you in a nutshell how to write a Good resume, so that you can take off on your journey immediately! Once you make your first resume, you can always improve upon it. If you are already a pro in making resume, click here to discover more resources in the “Discover Yourself” section.
What is a resume?
A resume is a document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education (with or without an accompanying cover letter), naturally for the purpose of IMPRESSING someone (in your case, a recruiter!). It is akin to the leaflet of a seminar… if the leaflet is presented well, you are tempted to go and attend the seminar. Similarly, if the resume is written well, employer is tempted to call you for selection process.
It is in short form – a document to show the “Best that you are” in the “Best possible way” so that you can get that “Best Job”.
If you are a fresher (wanting that always elusive first job), to show the “Best that you are” is the most difficult one and is the core problem, the solution of which you want by that question “How can I write the best resume?”
But its answer is very simple:
To write a good resume, if you have time still, than build up the best in you, even before the time to present your resume:
Study properly to get good grade to show off, do at least one good project based on which maximum questions are asked to a fresher in during interview, be members of student forums - which shows the social animal in you and participate in contest among students - quiz, debate, sports & games etc., to show how talented and energetic you were while studying … all of this would actually form the content of your resume later when time comes to prepare it!
But what if you have already passed out or on the threshold of passing out, without having the time to develop those resume contents? Well, you need to mask yourself intelligently….say, if you have never played sports and games and you state in your resume that you were the best athlete in your college, you must naturally know at what time you ran that 100 meters! Mind it, I am not teaching you here how to lie…but….
With these inputs, lets go ahead to see what is a “Good Resume”… it is a resume sent by one of the student for my comments – his name is Sanjay Majumder. We would learn by examples by going through this resume. So click here to proceed to learn.Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 20, 2007
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Find your exam Prep Books:
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Learn Resume writing by live-example
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December 19, 2007
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Learning resume writing by example:
(Download the example resume by clicking here)
If you see this resume, in the very first look itself you would find that:
1. It has been prepared in MS-Word in two pages. Why MS-Word? Because, almost everyone has it. You can as well make it as a .pdf/.rtf document.
2. The lay-out is kept very simple, with no graphics.
3. Font used is “Times New Roman” of uniform size for 'Headers' & 'Details' throughout, to maintain consistency of look and feel. You could as well use any other default fonts.
4. Its component (Objective, Education, Skill etc.) has been laid in such a way that each component stands out, with ample white spaces (so that resume does not look cluttered).
With the understanding of above look and feel, let’s go digging more of this résumé.
Components of this resume:
1.0 Header:
 I suppose the title says it all and you should not have any problem inserting your own name, address, contact number and e-mail id in this space. If you have two addresses, say one for your campus and the other for your home address, insert it into two separate lines:
Campus: Block-C, Room No.-55, Assam Univeristy, Silchar, Assam, India – 788012
Home: House no. L – 12, Udayanchal Lane, C. R. Avenue, Silchar, Assam, India – 788012
2.0 Objective:
 Of all the components, “Objective” of a resume is what a fresher has the most problem writing. But in actuality it is very simple: It is akin to the “Subject” of the “Application for leave” you wrote in your school days! It says what is beneath it. With little bit of practice you can write the “Objective” of your resume very well.
This maximum two-line component says why you are writing the resume for.. what kind of a job you want. It should however be also supported by what you have written below it in the “Education”, “Experience” and “Skills” part of the resume.
For example, in the “objective” of this resume example, Sanjays objective is supported by his education (M.Sc in Comp. Science), Skills (List of software’s he has specialized), his Academic projects & the experiences he has gathered.
Some examples of a good resume objective are as below:
i) A position in the accounting field where excellent analytical and technical skill would help to improve the company's profitability.
ii) A Graphic Design position where advanced graphic and creative skills will produce a quality product for agency customers.
iii) An entry level project management position in the construction industry where strong skills in man-management and technical knowledge can be proved.
The above are only examples and we encourage you to learn more by digging through more resources in “Resume Links” of the “Discover Yourself” section.
3.0 Education:
 This again is a cake-walk.. you know what you studied… so fill them chronologically, starting with your most recent qualification down upto Class-X.
And if you have good academic scores (anything above 60% or equivalent grade in Grade point system), write that down too with the year of passing (if without “gap” years) e.g.:
A.I.S.S.C.E : (10+2) (C.B.S.E), Central School, Umrangso, Assam - Year: 2002 –%age:80%.
A.I.S.S.E : (Matriculation) (C.B.S.E), Central School, Umrangso, Assam – Year: 2000 –%age: 75%.
M. Sc. (Comp. Sc.) : Assam University, Silchar – Likely Year of passing: 2007 –Current %age: 65%.
4.0 Skills:
 It is again easy, some of it you have acquired from your academic life (i.e. from ‘Education’ above) and some you may have gained yourself by self-learning as you are interested in them. But you should take care while listing your skills, that these should reinforce what you have said in your “Objective” statement.
5.0 Academic Project Details:
 This again is a part of your education and you should not have difficulty writing them down. You should take care here, so that the details presented are precise and concise. Use maximum 3/4 lines.
If you did not have “Academic Project” in your academic life, you can as well skip this component.
6.0 Work Experience:
 How can a fresher have “Work Experience”? Well you must have.. just try to remember! This may even be those unpaid/voluntary works. e.g.:
i) Part-time jobs while you were studying,
ii) Short-term projects,
iii) Summer trainings,
iv) Research projects in which you have participated,
v) Term papers or documents you have prepared,
vi) Presentations made at seminars, workshops, or other meetings.
Your resume gets stronger, if you have those sort of work experiences, which reinforces your resume “objective”.
7.0 Co-curricular Activities:
 The content you write under this component of resume is more to establish that you are a team player, a social animal, rather than justifying your skills or objectives of your resume.
8.0 Summary:
 This sums up the resume.. it says what your strengths are and what your potential employer can expect from you. Some resume experts tells that the summary should be given at top, just below your header. But I prefer to place it at last, as it sums up the whole resume and that is why it is named as "Summary"!
9.0 References:
 This is an optional component of your resume. If you are sure that the person whom you mention here (Your Institute Head / HOD / Teacher / Project Guide etc.) would speak well of you, if enquired by your potential employer, than mention their names & contact details here. Please also tell these persons that you have done so, so that they are not caught surprised when your potential employer enquires about you.
You can also choose to reveal the identities of your references only on request, by stating a one line as : References available on request. Kindly ask me for it.Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 19, 2007
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More about Resume
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December 18, 2007
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I assume you have already written your first resume and now would like some more info about resume making. If you have not, write the one by going through this live-example.
What I am including here are some nuances of resume making. May be you would find yourself more by going to the links in “Discover Yourself” section.
First: The resume file format
While making your first resume, the first and foremost question which comes to your mind is in which format (.doc/.pdf/.htm/.rtf/.txt) should the resume be written? Well, the opinions vary but you must keep ready your resume in at least following two different formats for any occasion:
1.0 Print ready format:
Print ready format enables receiver of your resume to download your resume and print it as it appears on your screen. These are the .doc (MS-Word), .pdf (Adobe Writer) documents. Use this format when:
i) You have to present your resume in hard copies (such as in Walk-in-interviews, Campus Interview etc.).
ii) You can send your resumes as an e-mail attachment.
2.0 ASCII (text) format:
This format is devoid of the ornamental formatting (Like “Bold”, “Italics”, “Underline” etc.) and is just a text based file with .txt extension. This is a preferred form of submitting resume when you are submitting over internet, since most of the employers these days use keyword-searchable databases. It is a must if you are submitting resume in job sites.
You can easily convert your “Print ready format” resumes into “Text format”.
For example in MS-Word, open the resume and save it as type “Plain Text”. In the pop-up box, choose ”Text encoding: Other encoding: US-ASCII” and than “Save” it. After that, you need to edit the “.txt” file generated, to remove such characters as “?” and also align the text to left.
Second: What after the resume is prepared?
Once you have made your resume, show it to a few persons, who can give you suggestions to improve it. These persons in resume- parlance are called as "Resume Critique".
Also, check your resume yourself for following:
Appearance: Does your resume looks neat and clean and not cluttered?
Completeness/Length: Does your resume contains all required info, but is not too long?
Focus/Integrity: Does components of your resume gives an integrated look and feel, focusing on your job objective?
Professionalism: Is your resume free of typographical errors?
Third: In which Job-site to submit the resume?
Once you have prepared your resume, submit it in job-sites such as Naukri.com, Jobstreet.com, Clickjobs.com, Monster.com. You can register in multiple job-sites, but if you are from India my choice is Naukri.com, for the reasons given in Head Hunter Links . What you need is only a valid E-mail ID. You can register in the site now and upload the resume later.
Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 18, 2007
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Find your exam Prep Books:
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Written Aptitude Test for Jobs
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December 15, 2007
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Written test (whether "pen-paper" or "online") happens to be the most common of all the selection tests used by the recruiters. In fact, it happens to be the first obstacle, put by a recruiter before candidates in their quest for the job. The other phases of the selection process like GD/interview follows for only those who qualify the Written Test.
So how to clear this first obstacle? The answer is: only through practice! You can practice through these recommended books and also by practicing the previous years question papers of specific recruiters, links of which you would find in Written Test Links of section Discover yourself.
Written tests in most of the recruitment exams consist of following four test sections: 1.0 Test of General Awareness. 2.0 Test of General English. 3.0 Test of Quantitative Aptitude. 4.0 Test of Reasoning Ability. If you study and master above four test sections, you can appear in any exam and come out with flying colours - it may be a bank recruitment exam (for Probationary Officers or Clerks), a PSU recruitment exam (such as SAIL/GAIL/BHEL/ONGC etc.), a management entrance exam (such as MAT/CAT).
All these exams invariably contains atleast one of above four aptitude test sections. To illustrate this, I am showing below the written exam pattern of some popular exams below:
Pattern of SBI PO exam:
Pattern of SBI Clerical written exam: Written test will consists of Objective type questions in following five papers: 1.0 General Awareness. 2.0 General English. 3.0 Quantitative Aptitude. 4.0 Reasoning Ability. 5.0 Marketing Aptitude / Computer Knowledge.
SSC CPO (Central Police Organisation) exam pattern:
Management Aptitude Test (MAT) exam pattern: MAT is a 2hr-30min test with following five sections, each of 40 marks: 1. Language Comprehension: 40 Questions, 30 mins. 2. Mathematical Skills : 40 Questions, 40 mins. 3. Data Analysis and Sufficiency: 40 Questions, 35 mins. 4. Intelligence and Critical Reasoning: 40 Questions, 30 mins. 5. Indian and Global Environment: 40 Questions, 15 mins. All the questions are multiple-choice objective type questions.
So as you can find from above exam patterns, written aptitude test is almost universal. So what you should do is prepare for these tests section by section: first study for Test of General Awareness, than study for Test of General English and so on and so forth.
If you study and master above four test sections, I give you 200% confirmation that you can do well in the written aptitude tests of competitive recruitment exams.
In addition to above Written Test, some recruiters also conduct “Technical Test” for the engineering students, depending on the branch/departments to which a student belongs. This is being discussed in the next post.
What sort of questions are asked? To give you some idea, following are some example of questions asked by recruiters in different sections. Can you help me with some more examples? You can post these examples by posting as comments by clicking “Post a Comment” link at the bottommost part of this post.
Verbal section:
1.0 Synonyms. Example: Best pair of choices which expresses the same relationship as the given APIARY : BEE :: a. mountain : skier b. airport : flight c. schedule : event d. stable : horse Ans: (d) stables, where horses are kept, just like in Apiary bees are kept.
2.0 Antonyms. Example: LATITUDE a. frenzy b. attitude c. altitude d. restriction Ans: (d) restriction. Meaning of latitude is “freedom, room to move; scope”.
3.0 Sentence completion: Example: Which options out of a), b), c) and d) fills the sentence below correctly: After the funeral, the residents of the apartment building __________ a. sent faithfully flowers all weeks to the cemetery. b. sent to the cemetery each week flowers faithfully. c. sent flowers faithfully to the cemetery each week. d. sent each week faithfully to the cemetery flowers. Ans: (c)
4.0 Sentence correction: Which part of sentence needs to be corrected? Example: The progress made in space travel for the early 1960s is remarkable. a. progress b. made c. in space d. for Ans: (d). It should be “during”
5.0 Fill-in-the-blanks. Example: __ his vacation, Ram went __ the forest and also walked __ the river. Ans: During, to, along.
6.0 Reading Comprehension: Example: Line 1. A recent investigation by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey shows that strange animal behavior might help predict earthquakes. Investigators found such occurrences within a ten-kilometer radius of the epicenter of a fairly recent quake. Some birds screeched and flew about wildly; dogs yelped and ran around uncontrollably. Line 5. Scientists believe that animals can perceive environmental changes several hours or even days before the mishaps. Animals were noted as being restless for several weeks before a Tashkent, Uzbekistan, earthquake. An hour before the disaster, domestic animals refused to go indoors and dogs howled and barked furiously. In 1960, an earthquake struck Agadir in Morocco. Survivors recall that stray animals, including dogs, were seen streaming out of town before the earthquake. In a safari zoo near San Francisco, llamas would not eat the evening before a 1979 quake, and they ran around wildly all night. Line 12. Unusual animal behavior preceding earthquakes has been noted for centuries. British Admiral Robert Fitzroy reported huge flocks of screaming seabirds over Conception, Chile, in 1835. An hour and half later, dogs were seen fleeing, and ten minutes later the town was destroyed. Similar stories of chickens running around in apparent states of panic, horses trembling and dogs barking incessantly were recorded throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by survivors of earthquake destruction in India, Yugoslavia, Peru, Mexico and the Unites States. Line 18. In 1976, after monitoring bizarre animal behavior, the Chinese predicted a devastating earthquake. Although hundreds of thousand of people were killed, the government was able to evacuate millions of others people and thus keep the death toll at a lower level.
Q:What prediction may be made by observing animal behavior? a. An impending earthquake b. The number of people who will die c. The ten-kilometer radium from the epicenter d. The fact that an earthquake has occurred. Ans: a).
Quantitative section:
1.0 Questions involving Venn diagram. Example: If in a class 80 people speak English, 42 speak French, 65 speak Hindi, 12 speak both English and Hindi, 17 speak both French and Hindi, 13 speak both English and French and 6 speak all three languages, how many people are there in all? Ans: 133 people as shown from following diagram:
 2.0 Time and Distance Example: A truck departed from Newton at 11:53a.m. and arrived in Far City, 240 miles away, at 4:41 p.m. on the same day. What was the approximate average speed of the truck on this trip? a. 16/1,200 MPH b. 40/288 MPH c. 1,494/240 MPH d. 50 MPH Ans: d. Distance: 240 Miles. Time: 4 hr & 48 mins = 4.8 hrs. (48 mins=48/60hrs=0.8 hr). Average speed: 240/4.8 = 50 MPH
3.0 Problems on ratio/percentages: Example: If the ratio of women to men in a meeting is 4 to 1, what percent of the persons in the meeting are men? a. 20% b. 25% c. 33 1/3% d. 80% Ans: a). 20%
4.0 Geometric Formulas: Example: If the measures of the three angles of a triangle are (3x + 15), (5x - 15), and (2x + 30), what is the measure of each angle? a. 75 b. 60 c. 45 d. 25 Ans: b. 60 Sum of all angles in triangle=180. Therefore, 3x + 15 + 5x – 15 + 2x + 30 = 180, x= 15. With x=15, measure of the angles, say 3x + 15 = 60. Check same for others.
5.0 Ratios : Example: A and B undertake to do a work for Rs.56. A can do it alone in 7 days and B in 8 days. If with the assistance of a boy they finish the work in 3 days then the boy gets Rs.-- a. 11 b. 45 c. 43 d. 21 Ans: 11
6.0 Puzzles : Example: You are given two candles of equal size, which can burn 1 hour each. You have to measure 90 minutes with these candles. (There is no scale or clock). Also u r given a lighter.
Ans: First light up the two ends of the 1st candle. When it will burn out light up one end of the second candle. (30+60=90)
LOGICAL Section: 1.0 Blood relation: Example: Pointing to a man Carl said, “He is the son of brother of my mother’s husband.” How are Carl and the man related? Ans: Paternal Cousin
2.0 Data sufficiency: One sentence is given below. Mark the answer according to the following: A- If only FIRST sentence is required to verify the sentence B- If only SECOND sentence is required to verify the sentence C- If both FIRST and SECOND sentence are required to verify the sentence D- Cannot be verified even if both sentences are considered
Example: Two trains are traveling towards each other. When will the two trains meet? If - 1. Train A is coming at a speed of 20km/hr 2. Train B is coming at a speed of 30km/hr Ans: D
Following was the criteria decided by the selection committee of Indian Cricket Board: 1) Player’s age should be 18-28 years 2) He must be the captain of any cricket team for at least 2 years 3) He must be a Ranji Player for at least 2 years 4) He must have taken at least 20 wickets or made 1000 runs in a calendar year in Ranji
If 1st condition is not fulfilled … referred to chairman If 2nd condition is not fulfilled … he must be an all rounder with at least 500 runs and 15 wickets If 4th condition is not fulfilled … referred to VP
Now choose correct option based on following conditions: Rahul was born on dec.10,1979 and is a captain of Ranji team since Feb 2005. He won man of the tournament last year for taking 24 wickets last year. He is: a) Selected b) Rejected c) Referred to Chairman d)Data Insufficient Ans: a
3.0 Symbol change: Example: If * means +, + means -, - means / and / means *, then what is the value of- 8+4-9*7/12+3 Ans: 8-4/9+7*12-3 = 88.55
4.0 Matching comparisons: A- If all the three options match B- If FIRST and SECOND options match C- If FIRST and THIRD options match D- If none of the three match
Example: KKTUJNGDFTSR KKTUJHGDFTSR KKTUJNGDFTSR Ans: C
Above are just some examples so that you get the feel of what sort of questions are asked. Can you help me with some more examples? You can post these examples by posting as comments by clicking “Post a Comment” link below.
Labels: Aptitude Test, Written Tests |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 15, 2007
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Recommened Books for preparation of job tests
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December 12, 2007
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You may be asking me this questions at this very moment:
Why you need to prepare for your job tests?
You may be a bright student and may be scoring very high grades in your academics, but preparation for jobs is a different thing altogether and hence you should prepare for these along with your academic studies.
May be you would not believe me if I say “high grades in your academics does not ensures you selections in job tests...” Well, just try to answer the example questions given in Aptitude test section. If you can not answer more than 70% questions correctly, you should take the help of following books, which would give you some preparations for the written tests:
 List Price: Rs. 625; Offer Price: Rs. 469; Discount: Rs. 156 (25%)
List Price: Rs. 125
List Price: Rs. 450; Offer Price: Rs. 338; Discount: Rs. 112 (25%)
List Price: Rs. 425; Offer Price: Rs. 378; Discount: Rs. 47 (11%)
Above books can be used for preparation of test of reasoning paper for the competitive exams. These books are available in most of the bookstores, but you can also order them online by clicking the links below, from Flipkart.com which offers huge discounts up to 25%, apart from free shipping/postage in India. You can choose to pay through Credit Card/Debit Card/Internet Banking. You can also choose to pay through “Cash-on-Delivery” i.e. you pay in cash only when the same is delivered at your doorstep. BARRON'S GRE 2008 - 17TH EDITION Although this book is actually meant for GRE exam (for admissions abroad), it is also being used by majority of students appearing in the Competitive Exams. The book is specially good for the Verbal section of job tests ( i.e. antonym, analogy, and sentence-completion questions, reading comprehension etc.).
You can buy this book from your nearby book store. You can also buy it from Sify's shopping site where the book is listed at Rs. 793.78/-. If the book is out of stock with above online book site, you may not see the listing.
PUZZLES TO PUZZLE YOU by Shakuntala Devi
 This book is being specially recommended for Infosys test puzzles. No doubt even for other exams you would find this book very useful. You can buy this book from your nearby book store. You can also buy it from Rediff shopping site where the book is listed at Rs. 99/-. If the book is out of stock with above online book site, you may not see the listing.
MORE PUZZLES by Shakuntala Devi 
A sequel to "Puzzles to puzzle you" as given above.
You can buy this book from your nearby book store. You can also buy it from Rediff shopping site where the book is listed at Rs. 65/-. Have you come across any other book which can be useful to job-seekers for preparation of job tests? I would love if you kindly post the name of the book(s) by posting as comments by clicking “ Post a Comment” link below. Labels: Aptitude Test, Written Tests |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 12, 2007
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Find your exam Prep Books:
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Technical test (written)
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December 11, 2007
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Technical written test is quite different from the “ Aptitude Test” which is commonly called as “ Written test”. While in Aptitude Test questions asked are general in nature (Verbal, Quantitative & Logical) and is common to all candidates, recruiters (mostly IT companies) sets this round to test the knowledge on specific domains, such as C, C++, Java, ASP, SQL, Networking etc. The questions sets also differs from branch to branch and is mostly for engineering students.
As the pattern varies from recruiter to recruiter and also from branch to branch, it is not possible to give you an universal test pattern. However just to give you an idea, about 30 questions are asked, which you need to answer in about an hour.
How to clear Technical Test? The answer is: only through practice! You can practice the previous years question papers of specific recruiters, links of which you would find in Written Test Links of section Discover yourself. Also following books have been recommended to increase your test preparedness domain-wise.
List Price: Rs.595, Offer Price: Rs.595 List Price: Rs.465, Offer Price: Rs.419, Discount: Rs.46 (10%) List Price: Rs.540, Offer Price: Rs.540. List Price: Rs.430, Offer Price: Rs.387, Discount: Rs.43 (10%) List Price: Rs.480, Offer Price: Rs.480. List Price: Rs.460, Offer Price: Rs.414, Discount: Rs.46 (10%) List Price: Rs.540, Offer Price: Rs.540. List Price: Rs.405, Offer Price: Rs.365, Discount: Rs. 40(10%)
List Price: Rs.480, Offer Price: Rs.480. List Price: Rs.540, Offer Price: Rs.540 List Price: Rs.400, Offer Price: Rs.400 Books for Technical test in Computer Science /Information Technology: 1. C Books : Let us C /Pointers in C/Test your C skills /Let Us C solutions ---By yashwant kanetkar The c programming language by -- Kernighan and Ritchie 2. Data structure: TannenBaum 3. C++ : Balaguruswamy and Schaum Series 4. Unix : UNIX shell programming by yashwant kanetkar 5. Java : A Programmer's Guide to Java™ Certification—by Khalid A. Mughal 6. Operating system : OS by Galvin 7. Networking: TannenBaum 8. Software engineering : Roger Pressman.
Some Sample Questions for IT discipline: Following questions gives you some idea on what sort of questions are asked:
1. What is true about the following C Functions
(a) Need not return any value
(b) Should always return an integer
(c) Should always return a float
(d) Should always return more than one value
2. Main must be written as
(a) The first function in the program
(b) Second function in the program
(c) Last function in the program
(d) Any where in the program
3. Which of the following about automatic variables within a function is correct ?
(a) Its type must be declared before using the variable
(b) Tthey are local
(c) They are not initialised to zero
(d) They are global
4. Write one statement equivalent to the following two statements
x=sqr(a);
return(x);
Choose from one of the alternatives
(a) return(sqr(a));
(b) printf("sqr(a)");
(c) return(a*a*a);
(d) printf("%d",sqr(a));
5. Which of the Following is platform independent?
a)UNIX b)BASIC c)C d) JAVA
6.Encription and Decription of data is done in which layer
a) presentation b) application c) session d).......
7. 4Stack is Implemented by
a)RAm b)ROM c)EPROM d)EEPROM
8. Write a C code to reverse a string using a recursive function, without swapping or using an extra memory.
9. what will MAX(i++,j),MAX(i,j++) return.
10. Difference between Macro and ordinary definition.
11. Difference between Class and Struct.
12. Give the outputs of a compiler and assembler and loader and linker etc.
13. If a new data structure, suppose a queue is to be added like int, long etc.,where shall the changes be -- lex or yacc or where.
14. what is a Real Time OS.
15. Describe VRTX in few words.
16. How does the scheduler know the time how it should be scheduled.
17. Name some sockets, TLI, streams. and much about project.
18. What is deadlock? How do you avoid it?
19. What is a semaphore?
20. What exactly happens after each system call in sockets, both at the client and at the server.
21. What is the difference between widget & gadget in XWindows?
22. Tell about strtok & strstr functions.
Can you help me with some more examples? You can post these examples by posting as comments by clicking “Post a Comment” link below. Labels: Written Tests |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 11, 2007
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Find your exam Prep Books:
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Psychometric Test for Jobs
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December 10, 2007
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 Do Psychometric tests sound to you as a new type of test, which you have never heard before? But actually it is not that new and incase you have appeared in the "Aptitude Tests" commonly called as "Written Tests", than you have already taken part in one form of the Psychometric Tests called as “Aptitude & Ability Tests”, as the figure at right would show.
What you may not have come across is the other form of the Psychometric tests, called “Personality & Interest Tests” or commonly called by recruiters as “Personality Profiling”. It is increasingly being used by recruiters in their selection processes and this is what we are discussing in this post.
These tests provide a potential employer with insights into how well you work with other people, how well you handle stress, and whether you will be able to cope with the intellectual demands of the job.
Do not be so much worried about the sucess in these tests! One of my recruiter friend told me that no one would fail, untill and unless he/she wants to fail himself/herself! It is infact not a part of those elimination rounds, but is a measure to size you up before issuing the offer letter.
What is the format of Psychometric tests?
Psychometric tests are conducted by recruiters almost always towards the end of the selection tests i.e. after the “Written Aptitude Tests” and mostly after your GD is over. It is also held mostly held over internet, where you are asked to visit the website specified by the particular recruiter and answer the questions online.
You are asked about 150 Questions, which needs to be answered in 30 minutes. The questions are very simple, asking very basic questions about your liking & disliking and hence time availability is sufficient.
What the questions tests is your personality, by repeating similar question more than once, with different words and ways. In all such similar questions your answer is expected to be same.
To give you some example, note following two questions :
Q1:When you meet a stranger, you wait for the stranger to introduce himself/herself.
(a) Yes (b) No (c) ?
Q2:It is difficult for you to chat about things in general with people.
(a) Yes (b) No (c) ?
These two questions have similar meanings. If you answer Q1 as "YES" and Q2 as ''NO", i.e. if you differ in your answers to similar questions, you express contradictory statement about yourself.
Want to have some on-line practice on Psychometric Test over internet?
 Visit this site to get some idea about Psychometric Test questions. There are 10 questions to be answered in 10 minutes. And the questions are all basic as the question at right would show.
Some practice questions:
Answer following questions as : i)Yes, ii)No, or iii) Can't say.
1. You start to work on a project with great deal of enthusiasm.
2. You would rather plan an activity than take part in it.
3. You have more than once taken lead in organizing project or a group of some kind.
4. You like to entertain guests.
5. Your interests change quickly from one thing to another.
6. When you eat a meal with others, you are usually one of the last to finish.
7. You believe in the idea that we should " eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."
8. When you find that something you have bought is defective, you hesitate to demand an exchange or a refund.
9. You find it easy to find new acquaintances.
10. You are sometimes bubbling over with energy and sometimes very sluggish.
11. You are happiest when you get involved in some projects that calls for rapid action.
12. Other people think of you as being very serious minded.
13. In being thrown by chance with a stranger, you wait for the person to introduce himself or herself.
14. You like to take part in many social activities.
15. You sometimes feel "just miserable" for no good reason at all.
16. You are often so much " on the go" that sooner or later you may wear yourself out.
17. You like parties you attend to be lively.
18. If you hold an opinion that is radically different that expressed by a lecturer, you are likely to tell the person about it either during or after the lecture.
19. It is difficult for you to chat about things in general with people.
20. You give little thought to your failures after they are passed.
21. You often wonder where others get all the excess energy they seem to have.
22. You are inclined to stop to think things over before you act.
23. You avoid arguing over a price with a clerk or sales person.
24. You would dislike very much to work alone in some alone place.
25. You often find it difficult to go to sleep at night because you keep thinking of what happened during the day.
26. You find yourself hurrying to get to places even when there is plenty of time.
27. You like work that requires considerable attention to details.
28. You are satisfied to let some one else take the lead in group activities.
29. You enjoy getting acquainted with people.
30. It takes a lot to get you emotionally stirred up or excited.
31. You work more slowly and deliberately than most people of your sex and age.
32. You are a carefree individual.
33. When people do not play fair you hesitate to say anything about it to them.
34. It bothers you to have people watch you at your work.
35. You have usually been optimistic about your future.
36. You like to have plenty of time to stop and rest.
37. You take life very seriously.
38. You enjoy applying for a job in person.
39. You would like to be a host or hostess for parties at club.
40. You often feel uncomfortable or uneasy.
41. You are the kind of person who is "on the go" all the time.
42. You often crave excitement.
43. The thought of making a speech frightens you.
44. You find it easy to start conversation with strangers.
45. You often feel guilty without a very good reason for it.
46. People think you are a very energetic person.
47. You sometimes make quick decisions that you later wish you hadn't made.
48. You find it difficult to ask people for money or other donations, even for a cause in which you are interested.
49. You are so naturally friendly that people immediately feel at ease with you.
50. You daydream a great deal.
51. You are quick in your actions.
52. You have a habit of starting things and then losing interest in them.
53. When you were a child many of your playmates naturally expected you to be the leader.
54. You sometimes avoid social contacts for fear of doing or saying the wrong thing.
55. You have frequent ups and downs in mood, sometimes with and sometimes without apparent cause.
56. You always seem to have plenty of vigour and vitality.
57. It is difficult for you to understand people who get very concerned about things.
58. When a clerk in a store waits on others who come after you, you call his or her attention to the fact.
59. You would be very unhappy if you were prevented from making numerous social contacts.
60. There are times when your future looks very dark.
61. You sometimes wish that people would slow down a bit and give you a chance to catch up.
62. Many of your friends think you take your work too seriously.
63. You hesitate to walk into a meeting when you know that everyone's eye will be upon you.
64. You limit your friendships mostly to members of your own sex.
65. You almost always feel well and strong.
66. You seem to lack the drive necessary to get as much as other people do.
67. You make decisions on the spur of the moment.
68. You are rather good at bluffing when you find yourself in difficulty.
69. After being introduced to someone , you just cannot think of things to say to make good conversation.
70. You feel lonesome even when with other people.
71. You are able to work for unusually long hours without feeling tired.
72. You often act on the first thought that comes into your head.
73. At the scene of an accident, you take an active part in helping out.
74. You have difficulty in making new friends.
75. Your mood often changes from happiness to sadness or vice versa without knowing why.
76. You talk more slowly than most people.
77. You like to play practical jokes upon others.
78. You take the lead in putting life into a dull party.
79. You would like to belong to as many clubs and social organizations as possible.
80. There are times when your mind seems to work very slowly and other times when it works very rapidly.
81. You like to do things slowly and deliberately.
82. You are a happy-go-lucky individual.
83. When you are served stale or inferior food in a restaurant, you say nothing about it.
84. You would rather apply for a job by writing a letter than by going through with a personal interview.
85. You are often in low spirits.
86. You are inclined to rush from one activity to another without pausing enough for rest.
87. You are so concerned about the future that you do not get as much fun out of the present as you might.
88. When you are attracted to a person whom you have not met earlier you make an active attempt to get
acquainted even though it may be quite difficult.
89. You are inclined to limit your acquaintances to select few
90. you seldom give your past mistakes a second thought.
91. You are less energetic than many people you know.
92. You often stop to analyzed your thoughts and feelings.
93. You speak out in meetings to oppose those whom you feel sure are wrong.
94. You are so shy it bothers you.
95. You are sometimes bothered by having a useless thought come into your mind over and over.
96. You get things in hurry.
97. It is difficult for you to understand how some people can be so unconcerned about the future.
98. You lie to sell things (i.e. to act as a sales person)
99. You are often "Life of the Party".
100. You find daydreaming very enjoyable.
101. At work or at play other people find it hard to keep up with the pace you set.
102. You can listen to a lecture without feeling restless.
103. You would rather work for a good boss than for yourself.
104. You can express yourself more easily in speech than in writing.
105. You keep in fairly uniform spirits.
106. You dislike to be hurried in your work.
107. You sometimes find yourself "crossing bridges before you come to them".
108. You find it somewhat difficult to say "no" to a sales person who tries to sell you something you do not really want.
109. There are only a few friends with whom you can relax and have a good time.
110. You usually keep cheerful in spite of trouble.
111. People sometimes tell you to "slow down" or "take it easy".
112. You are one of those who drink or smoke more than they know they should.
113. When you think you recognize people you see in a public place, you ask them whether you have met them before.
114. You prefer to work alone.
115. Disappointment affect you so little that you seldom think about them twice.
116. You are slow and deliberate in movements.
117. You like wild enthusiasm, sometimes to a point bordering on rowdyism at a football or baseball game.
118. You feel self conscious in the presence of important people.
119. People think of you as being a very social type of person.
120. You have often lost sleep over your worries.
121. You can turn out a large amount of work in a short time.
122. You keep at a task until it is done, even after nearly everyone else has given up.
123. You can think of a good excuse when you need one.
124. Other people say that it is difficult to get to know you well.
125. You daydreams are often about things that can never come true.
126. You often run upstairs taking two steps at a time.
127. You seldom let your responsibility interfere with your having a good time.
128. You like to take on important responsibilities such as organizing a new business.
129. You have hesitated to make or to accept "dates" because of shyness.
130. Your mood is very easily influenced by people around you.
131. Others are often amazed by the amount of work you turn out.
132. You generally feel as though you haven't a care in the world.
133. You find it difficult to get rid of sales person whom you do not care to listen or give your time.
134. You are a listener rather than a talker in a social conversation.
135. You almost always feel that life is very much worth living.
136. It irritates you to have to wait at a crossing for a long freight train to pass.
137. You usually say what you feel like saying at the moment.
138. You like to speak in public.
139. You like to be with people.
140. You generally keep cool and think clearly in exciting situations.
141. Other people regard you as a lively individual.
142. When you get angry, if you let yourself go, you feel better.
143. You seek to avoid all trouble with other people.
144. People seem to enjoy being with you.
145. You sometimes feel listless and tired for no good reason.
146. It is hard to understand why many people are so slow and get so little done.
147. You are fond of betting on horse races and games, whether you can afford it or not.
148. If someone you know has been spreading untrue and bad stories about you, you see the person as soon as possible and have a talk about it.
149. Shyness keep you from being as popular as you should be.
150. You are generally free from worry about possible misfortunes.Labels: Freshers Job Tools |
| posted by
Prasanta Bora on
December 10, 2007
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Find your exam Prep Books:
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