How to Pick a Job

You need money to get by. And barring a scenario where you win the lottery, etc., you need to work to make money. What type of work should you do?

It makes sense to do something that will pay at least reasonably well, and something you don't suck at, and that you don't hate doing. These are the minimum criteria. In a best case scenario, you'd be paid handsomely, would be fantastic at doing it, and would also love your work.

Working between the parameters of the minimum and best case scenarios above, you need to look at how well you like performing the tasks that your job requires of you. You see, every job simply consists of responsibilities, which can be further broken down into tasks that you need to complete on a daily basis. 

Do not be swayed or influenced by a job title. It is just a term, a name, it means nothing. It induces a feeling in you, of what that job might be like, that isn't necessarily accurate. A job is really the tasks that it comprises.

So get a feel of what tasks the job would require of you, what you would do on a daily basis. If you enjoy these, and are paid well to do these, and have a natural aptitude for these tasks, you're set.

How to Pick a Job

Two Kinds of Employees

There are two kinds of employees in any organisation:

Those who play it safe

Their job role is defined around a list of fixed responsibilities and tasks, which they will follow to the letter and not change. They will do everything that is within their agreed purview, and will do it efficiently. They carry out fixed and routine tasks. They follow set rules. They do what they are told. They will not take initiative. They will wait for orders. They play safe. They follow the straight path with no diversions. Diverging from a process means more work, independent thought and accountability. 

This is a comfortable, no risk, CYA work ethic. They cannot be held responsible for something they are told to do. They will enjoy stable jobs but will always be seen as followers. There is a limit to how much responsibility they will be given in an organisation. They will be used well, but not relied upon for bigger things.

Those who show initiative

They define themselves by their goals, not by a fixed list of tasks or responsibilities, which can constantly change. They are ready for change. They will go out of their purview to get something done. They not only follow the rules but change them and break them if necessary, and set new rules. They do what they are told, and more. They think for themselves, and do what they should have been told to do. 

They constantly take initiative, and not wait for orders, but do what they think is right. More importantly, they take responsibility for everything they do, because their actions are theirs alone, and not necessarily group mandated, but actions that they believe will help the group at large. This contains an element of risk, as bad decisions are occasionally made, and consequences follow. But in the long run, they are trusted with larger projects that require independent thought.

What do you think? Which group are you in?

Two Kinds of Employees

Job Interview Tips: Questions You Must Ask

I've been to a lot of interviews in my professional career, and in all that time I've learned that there are a few questions that you, as a candidate, simply must ask your interviewer during that first round. I've shared them below.

Skills & Responsibilities

What are the top skills I will need for this position?

What responsibilities will this position entail?

What are the top tasks that I will need to accomplish on a daily basis?

What responsibilities and tasks will take up most of my time?

Is there anything you have seen in other people you have interviewed that you have not seen in me?

What is the most difficult part about this job?

Are there any particular challenges of which I need to be aware?

The Position

Whom will I be reporting to?

Whom will I be working most closely with?

Is this a new position? If not, why did the previous person leave?

Are there any particular concerns I need to be prepared for in this position?

What will a typical day/week be like?

What is the most important thing I will need to do for you in the next 6 months?

The Department

How is this dept. structured?

How many people does this dept have?

What are the current challenges in this dept?

The company

What scope is there for personal development at your company?

Are there opportunities for growth, both horizontal and vertical?*

Pointed Questions

What do you like about working here?

Is there anything you would like to change?

When can I expect a response from you?

Do not:

Don't ask general questions about the company's work - you're expected to know this.

Don't ask about work days & timings, overtime & leave policy, travel & relocation requirements, etc. It might give your employers the impression that you're finicky. Just wait for your interviewers to brief you about these details themselves. It's what they usually do. If not, wait until a later round before you bring them up.

Don't discuss your salary under any circumstance during the first interview round. If you are asked for a figure, don't mention a specific sum or range. Wait till the final round and make them put a number down, which you can then use to negotiate over.

*Don't ask too many questions about your career path unless you're a fresher or young executive interviewing at a large firm. Large firms want young people to grow with them (though that growth can be slow and somewhat bureaucratic). If you have experience, or are being interviewed for a specialist or very technical and somewhat senior role, or interviewing at a small firm that probably has a flattish hierarchy, asking too many questions about vertical growth might give your interviewers the jitters, as they're looking for someone to perform a certain role and remain in that role, and not necessarily grow.

Don't ask if your job is going to be fun or if the company is a fun place to work. Everyone wants a fun place to work but asking this question at a company with a serious corporate culture is like committing Seppuku. Instead, observe the company's culture yourself by looking around when you visit their office. If in doubt, or if it's a telephonic interview, ask an open ended question about company culture.

If you're planning to go on leave, wait till you get an offer first before mentioning it.

Please note: 

These questions apply to jobs in general. If you're being interviewed for a sales, business development, strategic planning role, etc. you're probably going to want to ask a lot more pointed questions involving the company's prospects, targets and revenue, etc. And you're questions would automatically take on a more technical bent if you're applying for a technical job.

Do have any good candidate questions that you feel should be included on this list?

Job Interview Tips: Questions You Must Ask

How To Get An HR Job.

Knowing a bit about the HR field, I thought I'd try to note down all the points that one would need to break into the field. My advice may not be perfect, but it's based on a lot of my own experiences and observations.

It's not that hard to get a start in HR. Try the following things,

1. Study the field. Know what you’re getting into. HR is really a multifunctional field – there’s recruitment, learning and development (training), compensation and benefits, performance management (appraisals) and strategy. Find out what skills each functional area demands and if you posses those skills, and if you do, whether you enjoy exercising them. This applies to any job.
Depending on the size of the company, you could be a generalist handling most of the functions above, or a specialist handling just one of them. Strategy, though, is mostly handled by senior management, external consultants, or people with a lot of experience or potential.

2. Post your CV on job sites – Naukri, Monster, TimesJobs, Jobsahead, etc. Make sure you classify it under the appropriate tags so that your CV pops up when a recruiter searches for an HR candidate.

3. If you’re a fresher or new to this field, getting into corporate HR is going to be tough. They usually recruit for even their entry level positions, folks direct from management institute campuses (MBA’s who get absorbed as management trainees) or with years of experience.

Instead, start looking for entry level jobs in HR recruitment agencies as they're the easiest to get. Just do a Google search or look at the jobs sections of newspapers to get names, addresses and contact details of a few recruitment agencies. Then call them and send them your CV or start visiting them for interviews. It’s important to network, get your CV out there and make contacts.

4. At your interview, convince the people there that you have the skills that they need. You need to know that recruitment is a mixture of search and sales skills. At your job, you will be assigned a client. Your client will give you a position to fill; you need to know where and how to look for someone to fill that vacancy.

Most recruiters use the job sites, their own databases, and referrals to get whom they need. They comb job sites, wasting as little time as possible by entering the right keywords. From their search results, they then shortlist a few CV’s that they feel are good and begin making calls.

On the call, they are polite and clear about the benefits of the job they are offering. If the person they’re screening doesn’t fit the job role, they add that person to their database for future reference and ask for possible referrals.

5. Qualifications help. It would be good to get a diploma or certificate in HR from a management institute (Eg. Welingkars, NMIMS, etc.). They have 6 month and 1 yr full time and part time courses in HR so you could work and study simultaneously.

6. If you regularly meet or exceed your targets and impress your client, you might even get offered a job by your client. If not, you still stand to make a lot of money through incentives. After a few years of work in a recruitment agency, you should have all the skills that corporate HR is looking for and can start applying to various MNC’s. Once you get into a company, it’s easier to get transferred to another department if you wish, though you will initially be involved with recruitment.

7. If recruitment is not your cup of tea, you could always complete a full time course like an MBA and then get an HR job of your choice through campus placements.

How To Get An HR Job.