Interview Tip

What is your weakness ? 

-tip for an interview

              

This seemingly simple question is the clincher; a strong weapon in the HR personnel’s arsenal, posing dilemma and trouble to most interviewees. Very frankly, if you are honest, you might lose the job opportunity but you can’t lie either… So what do you do? Giving an oft-said answer seems phony and fake. When you say, “I’m a perfectionist and I go to the minute details…” you make the interviewer comprehend that you are slow. Stating you don’t have any weakness is being ego-maniacal. So how do you tackle it? 

               Andrea Kay, author of Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want says, “It’s a tricky question." Some belonging to the old school suggest stating a fault which isn’t really one on deep insight. Some say, state a weakness and link it to a reprehensible fault displayed by someone else, i.e, “I’m impatient when my team doesn't take initiative, or don’t owe up.” However, a weakness in reality is the flip side of a strength taken too far. Good selling is talking a lot, being realistic is being uncreative, etc. So, how do you talk about weaknesses when you're trying to sell yourself simultaneously? 

                Strengths and weaknesses are situational and are actually entwined. So, study your environment and use your skills to answer this. Nobody’s perfect at everything and every employer knows that too. If you're not comfortable stating a real weakness, state something that has nothing to do with the job. If I were to answer it, I would say, "I'm bad at math”, as math has nothing to do with my writing career and that’s an honest answer too. You can also state a real weakness, and talk about the rectifiable measures taken by you but don't open a can of worms by talking people issues bluntly. Here are some tips to assist you in framing the answer:

• If you're a match for the job, the employer wants to reiterate that. Your goal is to land in a position where you'll thrive and being honest helps then. So, come clean on a weakness, thinking hard about your past work struggles, what your managers had suggested, etc. 
• While stating weakness, answer with things you "are working upon to improve".
• Don't use the clichéd means of presenting strength as weakness like stating you’re a workaholic. Best is to name a true weakness of modest size, i.e. I had trouble in organising things, but now, I write down a list of things to do and maintain a diary to track deadlines and the small things. It has helped me to finish things on time and be organised.
• Always choose one weakness that will not disqualify you from the job citing examples of what you are doing to fix them. Make it evident that you learn from your mistakes.

                 This thought-provoking question can actually open the door for further discussion. It helps in probing a strong, dominant personality and helps in matching as well as understanding his/her  weakness vis-a-vis the strengths. This question is also a measure of a candidate’s diplomacy quotient. Your aim is not to get any job but to secure the right one. And this question would inevitably pop up during interview. So, prepare carefully having a balanced approach and you'll shine in the interview. Prepare well and make the weakness your strength.   

Rajashree B Mustafi

- Article Published in www.shine.com

Why you should start running today?

Running is one of the best forms of exercise, not only for getting fit but for weight control too. A 30-minute run, three to four times a week, trims your waistline, strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves muscle tone and definition and helps foster a positive mental attitude. Running can also be a great social activity. Here are the top 25 tips on why you should start running today.

1. Running is the quickest way to cardiovascular fitness. You get fitter faster by running regularly.

2. Running is one of the cheapest forms of exercising. You only need a pair of running shoes and shorts and T-shirt to get started.

3. Running is easy to learn. Most people have run at some point in their life, either competitively or at school/college, so there is no steep learning curve involved.

4. Running makes you feel good, not only physically, but mentally as well.

5. Running is excellent for reducing stress levels. There is nothing better than a run to clear your head and concentrate the mind. Many great ideas have been formulated on training runs.

6. Running is one of the most flexible methods of training around. Wherever you are in the world, it is nearly always possible to get out for a run. You can jog, steady run or sprint depending on how you feel that particular day.

7. Running is good for your heart. It not only strengthens the heart but also reduces the actual resting heart rate.

8. Running is accessible to all. As long as you are physically able, you can go for a run virtually anytime and anywhere. There are no race barriers to running.

9. Running helps you to lose weight and tone muscles. The more your train and run, the more weight you will lose. Also by toning up, you are getting rid of the excess fat and converting it to muscle.

10. Running is for people of all ages. Old or young, everyone can benefit from running.

11. It is good for your sex life! By being more physically active you increase your sex drive.

12. When run training, you can get away with eating chocolate and legitimately say it is part of your training program.

13. Running is a great way to recover from a hangover. A run will help clear your head faster than sitting around feeling terrible.

14. Running is a great safety aid. Being able to run away from people puts you in a much better position if you are chased.

15. You can use running to change other people's lives. Run for a charity and raise money to help the needy or less able.

16. Running with friends gives you time to catch up on gossip and get fit at the same time.

17. Running is a time-efficient way to get fit and lose weight so you have more free time after exercising to enjoy yourself.

18. Running is a challenge that can be motivational and bring great personal satisfaction.

19. Running is a great way to see a new place if you have limited time available for sightseeing. Just think how much more of a place you can see when running around it compared to walking.

20. Running improves your concentration as you are forced to concentrate more when running. This in turn improves your concentration when you have to focus in other areas of life.

21. You nearly always work better after a run because you are still on a runner's high and feel ready for anything.

22. Running is a great way to meet people, especially if you join a club or enter a race.

23. There are no monthly subscriptions with running. You just put your running shoes on and go.

24. Endurance built-up through running can be transferred to other sports.

25. If you drink alcohol you can just run a little bit further the next day to work off the extra calories

Care about ur Hair...

Hair Care Tips

µ      Brush your hair regularly before going to bed each night.

µ      Wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Use very little but enough to cover hair completely with lather. Use a conditioner to keep hair manageable.

µ      Avoid brushing wet hair. This will cause the hair to stretch and finally break. Finger-dry, or use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to gently remove the knots.

µ      Restrict blow-drying your hair. The process of blow-drying is harsh on hair as it robs it of moisture.

µ      Avoid dyes. Use mehandi (henna) instead as a conditioner and colouring agent.

µ      Take a calcium supplement or drink two glasses of milk a day.

µ      Always hold hair dryer away from your hair. Direct air from the hair dryer down hair shaft and not directly into the roots and keep it moving.

µ      After a perm, never brush your hair. Instead comb hair gently.

µ      Trim your hair once in 7 weeks  to avoid split ends.

µ      Avoid pulling back your hair tightly.

µ      Never use a rubber band on your hair as it can pull and damage hair considerably.

µ      Never go out in the sun without having your head covered.

µ      Stimulate circulation by massaging your head with oil to which some vitamin E has been added. This will make hair soft and silky.

µ      Never wash your hair with very hot or very cold water.

µ      Learn to relax. Hair loss can happen because of stress. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B, C and E.

µ      Add iron and minerals in the natural form in your diet.

µ      If your hair is oily, cut down on fried food and fat. Drink plenty of water.

Tips for Dandruff

      Massage the Scalp with pure coconut oil.

      Apply coconut oil which has been boiled with small onions for about 20 minutes. Wash it off with a mixture of green gram powder and water drained from cooked (boiled) rice.

      Apply a mixture of almond oil and gooseberry juice with finger tips on the scalp.

      Apply the warm mixture of olive oil, lemon juice and coconut oil. Do a steam -towel- wrap for 15 minutes and wash the hair with a mild shampoo.

      Apply a paste of fenugreek and mustard to the scalp.

      Mix Shikakai powder with the water drained from the cooked rice and wash the hair with it.

      Crush  the leaves of five petal hibiscus flower and take the juice. Wash the hair with this juice.

      Heat oil with a little camphor. Apply the oil in the scalp and massage for 10 minutes. After 30 minutes wash the hair with a herbal shampoo. Do the steam -towel- wrap for 15 minutes.