Dated April 11, 2007
(Questions answered on career concerns)
What are your career goals and what is your career plan?
How should I define it?
Azeez Nawab
Bidar
A career goal helps you focus on what you want to do for a living. You could describe your goal relating to a specific job you want to do or a career goal can be a particular field you want to work in, such as medicine or education.
Rather than limiting your response you could also mention that, a career goal may help you discover career possibilities that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.
You have to say that a career goal will also guide you into doing what you want with your life -- rather than just drifting into a job. Career goal is based on your skills and interests, career possibilities, and job trends.
On the other hand a career plan determines your skills and interests, what career best suits your talents, and what skills and training you require for your chosen career.
Most of the time, employers look for someone who would stay in a job for a while.
If your career goals fit with the direction the company is moving, then your chances for getting hired increase.
I have never worked with teams before, so how do I answer the question, what qualities do you require to work in a team?
Ranjita Tejpal
Kanpur
Working in a group requires one to possess or acquire good interpersonal and communication skills. Working within a team requires one to stretch oneself beyond one's limitations and make a conscious choice to be a part of the work group.
One must be willing to share information, be communicative and an active participant.
Cooperation and coordination are also necessary to help the team evolve as a complete unit.
But in relation to answering the question when asked during a job interview, you must consider and devise a suitable situational response.
Never sound too extreme one way or another. Don't say that you hate people and would "die if you had to work with others" and don't state that you "will go crazy if you're left alone for five minutes".
A healthy balance between the two is always the best choice. Quote examples on how your previous job taught you to spend a significant amount of time on your own, or that you have learned how to get along well with people in the workplace by working on numerous team projects.
It is always good to have a combination of both roles as a part of the team as well as an individual to handle crisis.
[The FAQ column deals with career concerns addressed to the C&K Management Ltd. P.O. Box 2178, Secunderabad 500003 or emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com]
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Opportunities
