Interview

Interview

Topics discussed for the 4^th week were on how to write a cover letter, creating a CV and a trial interview was conducted.

The lecturer discussed on how to write a professional cover letter and on how to design a CV, and then the lecturer gave the task of researching on how to write a professional cover letter for an open job position and to design an appropriate CV for the open job position as a business analyst at IFS for all students.

The lecturer then stated that a trial interview would be conducted that is scheduled to take place on the 19^th of November 2014 for the open position “business analyst” at IFS and the students should prepare for it by printing a cover letter and a CV.

Students were further asked to research on the company, job position, company culture etc., students were also asked to be professional and attend the interview in a manner that they would participate in a formal interview.

Cover letter

All students were given the task of writing a cover letter to be attached with the CV for the open job position at IFS.

Research was conducted by the author on “how to write a professional cover letter?”

Purpose of a cover letter

• Introduce you
• Mention the job (or kind of job) you're applying for (or looking for)
• Match your skills and experiences with the skills and experiences required by the job
• Encourage the reader to read your resume

Points to be considered while writing a cover letter

• A cover letter shouldn't be more than one A4 sheet
• Properly address it to the right party
• Find out information about the job position and include the what is necessary
• Find out information about the company that is recruiting

What to include in a cover letter?

• Candidate name and contact details
• Employer name and contact details
• Explain about the job opening
• Relevant skills and experience that match the job description
• A summary of why “I am right for the job”

What not to include in a cover letter?

• Typos (ensure that the cover letter is free of spelling mistakes)
• Don’t include CV in a cover letter
• Don’t mention other job openings

above information was extracted from (Youth Central, 2014)

The cover letter submitted for the trial interview is attached as follows.

CV

The preparation of the CV was done with the help of the info graphic  that was provided by the lecturer as well as further research was done on how to design a professional CV and also by referring to sample CV’s available on the internet.

Information that should be on a CV

• Previous related work experience
• Qualifications and skills
• Accomplishments
• Education
• Clear objectives
• Keywords
• Contact information
• Personal experiences
• Computer skills
• References

Key points that make a good CV

• Should be targeted to the specific job opening and relevant skills relating to the job should be clearly mentioned
• It should be clearly laid out (it should be in a easy to read manner, properly ordered and organized)
• Information provided on the CV should be accurate

Eg: if you provide “communication” as a skill the party should be able to communicate perfectly if it contradicts the employer would clearly understand that the candidate has provided inaccurate information

• Importance of using proper spelling and grammar

Mistakes done by candidates when designing a CV

A survey done by employers show that the following are the common mistakes a candidate makes while designing a CV.

• Spelling and grammar 56% of employers found this
• Not tailored to the job 21%
• Length not right & poor work history 16%
• Poor format and no use of bullets 11%
• No accomplishments 9%
• Contact & email problems 8%
• Objective/profile was too vague 5%
• Lying 2%
• Choose a sensible email address

Information extracted from (University of Kent, 2014)

Interview

Preparing for an Interview

What needs to be done before an interview?

• Know about the role and about the organization (research)
• Think about how your experience, interests and skills relate to the job and organization
• Identify what the employer is looking for
• Identify possible questions that may be asked and prepare answers
• Find out in what form the interview will take place in (eg: single, panel, group)
• Plan the day of the interview
• Make sure to arrive early
• Decide on attire and make sure it’s all set for the day of the interview

How to make a good impression at a job interview?

• Arrive early
• Be organized
• Answer questions carefully
• Pay attention to the way you communicate
• Be confident

Extracted from (Prospects, 2014)

The lecturer also gave an article to students on what should not be done during an interview, following are the 9 points.

• Freeze up
• Dominate
• Be sloppy
• Self-aggrandize
• Throw anybody under any bus
• Focus more on perks than on the job
• Be opinion- free
• Stretch the truth
• Be clueless about the hiring company

On the 19^th of November 2014 interviews were conducted by Miss Kaushi and Miss Manesha for the open position at IFS.

The author was interviewed by Miss Manesha and the author was given feedback that is attached below.

The students were given feedback and judged based on 5 key elements as follows.

• Confidence
• Professionalism
• Communication skills
• Preparation
• Knowledge

Lessons learnt

• Writing a proper cover letter and designing a CV
• Do’s and Don’ts while writing a cover letter
• Providing relevant skills and experience for the job opening
• Preparing for an interview
• Knowing about the organization that is recruiting
• Knowing the job role
• Being confident in answering questions as well as being professional in an interview
• Identifying strengths and weaknesses
• Being honest

Debate and CV

Phase 1 debate

At phase 1 the class was divided into two groups and the 1^st group was asked to represent HP board and the other to represent the labor union

From the groups 3 students were supposed to represent on behalf of their respective groups

All members were requested to find facts to support the negotiation and to support the students who were representing the groups

At the end of phase 1 both debating groups were not able to come to proper terms, so the debate was stopped and phase two was suggested by the lecturer to conclude the debate.

Students representing HP

• Prashan
• Rachel
• Ovin

Students representing HP Labor union

• Mishan
• Madushani
• Jude

Phase 2 debate

After phase one of the debate, phase 2 took place where selected students were supposed to negotiate on a settlement for the HP layoff issue.

In phase two of the debate 4 students were representing each group

The two groups came to a final conclusion in which HP will not cut down further jobs, but based on a one year contract and the level of performance of the employees HP can fire employees if needed.

• The level of performance of the employees will be measured based on the completion of the one year contract.
• The contract will be reviewed by two representatives of the labor union to verify it is possible to complete the task within a year. (achievable tasks)
• The employees who fail to meet the terms of the one year contract can be fired without any compensation.

The debate was concluded and both parties were satisfied with the negotiated outcome

Students representing HP

• Praveen
• Rachel
• Prashan
• Adhil

Students representing HP Labor union

• Mishan
• Madushani
• Jude
• Navindu

Lessons learnt by taking part in this task

• Proper facts were essential
• Body language plays an important role while negotiating
• Either parties can bluff at times, which is not a good strategy for negotiating
• Negotiators shouldn’t get their emotions involved
• Confidence
• Ability to communicate effectively and by being patient as well as understand the other parties negotiation terms

CV’s

The next session the students were briefed on how to make a good CV and what were the important things that HR managers looks into while reading a CV and hiring a potential candidate.

The lecturer then distributed a handout to the students which gives a clear idea of what the HR Managers look at while hiring a potential candidate.

As stated in the above diagram, most HR managers look for candidates who have

• Relevant work experience
• Specific accomplishments
• Whether the resume was customized for the open post

HR managers also look for keywords in resumes such

• Problem solving
• Leadership
• Oral/Written communication
• Team building
• Performance and productivity improvement

An HR manager should be able to understand the CV properly and identify if and whether the candidate is suitable for the open post.  

A proper understandable CV which consists of all the necessary information in a summarized manner is used as a marketing tool for the candidate to market him/herself to the respective employer.

Conclusion of session 2

By understanding the handout provided by the lecturer it is understandable on how an employer looks at a CV and what the employer expects for in a potential candidate, by understanding those key elements its best to create a CV based on the information provided.

An employer spends less than 30 seconds to glance through particular CV. A good CV should have all the following mentioned details in a summarized form that is readable by the employer with ease.

The author was able to gain knowledge on what an employer looks in a CV, and what should be mentioned in a CV as well as the CV should communicate what “you” can do to the hiring employer.

Negotiation

Definition

A dialogue between two or more parties that take place in order to reach an understanding or a common objective in order to resolve points of differences to gain an advantage for an individual or a group of people

Types of negotiation

Distributive

A distributive negotiation results in a loss to one party, while both parties may benefit from this type of negotiation one party will have to give in more than what he/she takes.

This may end in a way where both parties will have to give up and no one would gain anything.

Integrative

This type of negotiation is where both parties involved will negotiate in a collaborative manner where both sides work together mutually in hopes of reaching the greatest and highest benefits possible.

Ways on how a negotiation may end

A negotiation can end in 4 different ways namely,

1. Win/Win
2. Win/Lose
3. Lose/Win
4. Lose/Lose

A Win/Win situation is considered the best option where both parties involved get expected/fair benefit and maintain a steady relationship with the involved parties. These negotiations are known as “integrative negotiations”

A Win/Lose or Lose/Win is a situation where one party will have to give up or agree to the other party in order to end the negotiation.

• This approach mostly benefits the party who wins the negotiation whereas the other party may have some benefits compared to what he/she could have gained if they won the negotiation. (one party gives in more than they take away)

A Lose/Lose negotiation happens when both parties don’t agree upon anything and end the negotiation without making any decisions.

• This approach does not benefit either party involved.

Skills for Negotiation

According to Singh (2008) the following can be stated as the skills of a negotiation

1. Set clear objectives
2. Do not hurry
3. Be prepared
4. Remain flexible
5. Continually examine why the other party acts as it does
6. Respect face-saving tactics employed by the opposition
7. Attempt to ascertain the real interest of the other party by the priority proposed
8. Listen actively
9. Build a reputation for being fair but firm
10. Control emotions
11. Remember to evaluate each bargaining move in relation to all others
12. Measure bargaining moves against ultimate objectives
13. Pay close attention to the wording of proposals
14. Remember that compromise is the key to successful negotiations; understand that no arty can afford to win or lose at all
15. Try to understand people
16. Consider the impact of present negotiations on the future relationship of the parties

Saying Yes and No

Singh (2008) states that in negotiations saying "yes" and "no" should be said by negotiators without fear when needed for the following reasons.

• Could lead to winning approval and acceptance
• Could be used as a measure to avoid getting hurt by feelings
• Maybe used so that negotiators may not want to anticipate consequences in full,
• To make others indebted to us

Task to be done

Students were given a “Negotiating Style” self-assessment to be done at home to help identify and examine their personal negotiation style.

the negotiation self assessment is based on 5 key negotiating styles used to measure the assertiveness and cooperativeness when negotiating.

5 key negotiating styles

1. Competing 
2. Avoiding
3. Collaborating
4. Accommodating
5. Compromising

The task was done successfully and the results are uploaded above.

Strengths and Weaknesses that affect me as a negotiator

Strengths	Weaknesses
Preparation and proper facts	inability to say “yes” or “no” when needed
Understanding my interests (what I want?)	Not having patience
Understanding the other parties interest (What he/she wants)	Avoiding important points by the other parties involved
Able to communicate points clearly
Setting clear objectives
Listening to the other party involved actively
Being open minded
Being flexible
Try to talk about possible areas of agreements
Setting clear objectives

Approaches to overcome weaknesses

Inability to say “yes” or “no” when needed

• According to (Singh, 2008) a negotiator should have the ability to say “yes” or “no” when needed. This weakness can be eliminated by gaining confidence and overcoming fear while negotiating with other parties.

Not having patience

• The time taken for a negotiation depends on the negotiation, some negotiations might take less time and some may take more than expected, a negotiation should not be rushed, if done so either party may have losses that could have been sorted out by negotiating further.
• This weakness can be overcome by being patient while negotiating and understanding all parties objectives.

Avoiding important points by the other parties involved

• A good negotiation should benefit all parties that are involved, by ignoring or avoiding important points made by the other negotiator has high chances of leading into the other party losing or gaining less than expected.
• This weakness can be overcome by acknowledging and giving importance to every point the other negotiator makes.

B.A.T.N.A
According to The Negotiation Academy (2014) a Best alternative to a negotiated agreement is a strategy that is used while negotiating. in simple terms this is basically when both negotiating parties cannot come to terms this alternative approach is used.
B.A.T.N.A is looking at other alternatives before starting a negotiation which is the next best option that would satisfy both parties, these are commonly used as a backup plan for a negotiation.
according to The Negotiation Academy (2014) these are the things that should be looked at while drafting a B.A.T.N.A

• Brainstorm a list of all available alternatives that might be considered should the negotiation fail to render a favourable agreement;
• Chose the most promising alternatives and expand them into practical and attainable alternatives; and
• Identify the best of the alternatives and keep it in reserve as a fall-back during the negotiation.

Lessons learnt

• When negotiating the aim/objective of each negotiator should be to achieve expected or a fair benefit which satisfies both parties
• A negotiation should be done patiently, it shouldn't be rushed
• A negotiator shouldn't fear and should have confidence
• Proper facts and preparation is an effective method to a successful negotiation
• Ability to understand the needs and wants of the other party
• Try to end a negotiation in an integrative manner (Win/Win)
• Giving importance to the other parties points in a negotiation
• The importance of using a B.A.T.N.A and the steps in drafting the best alternative