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Opportunities
dated May 02, 2007
(Questions answered on career concerns)
Tell us about a time when you worked as part of a team and found it challenging.
Nayeem
Via email
Organisations place a lot of importance on teams and the fact that employees are able to work as team members. While answering a question like this mention any instance when you were part of a team and had to face problems. Example: `We were a team of 6 for a marketing project during our post graduation, I found that one member of the team really dominated the project. He was very pushy, always putting pressure on us to complete the work and not allowing us any say in how the work should be organised or allocated. I felt it was really his project rather than the work of a team. Everyone agreed that I was the best person to talk to the student concerned. After speaking to him, I could see that he was having some personal problems and we all came to a consensus that we will reallocate some of the work to make the burden on him easier.'
This kind of answer shows a willingness to address issues effectively and to seek a resolution that is acceptable to the team. It shows support and sympathy for a member of the team experiencing difficulties while at the same time making it clear that each one is expected to contribute to the team effort. By seeking a greater commitment from the other team members and yourself in order to get the project finished, you are demonstrating strong leadership skills within the group.
I am planning to move from my current organisation. How should I mention experience along with my career graph in my resume?
Raghu Vamsi
Via email
Resumes should include your job history. The name and location of the organisations you have worked for, years you worked there, title of your job, a few of the duties you performed, and results you achieved.
When describing your job duties, emphasise results instead of responsibilities and performance rather than qualities. It is not enough, for example, to claim you are organised; you must use your experience to prove it. If you worked on a project with other people, tell theinterviewer your accomplishments came from a team effort. Also, mention any promotions or increases in responsibility you received. Use specific accomplishments to give your experience impact. Note any improvements you made, any time or money you saved, and any problems you solved— for example, were you praised for handling difficult customers? Were you always on time or available for overtime? Did you start a new programme? Mention quantifiable results you accomplished, such as a 10-per cent increase in sales, a 90-per cent accuracy rate, a 25-per cent increase in student participation, or an A grade.
[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]
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