Dated 22 March, 2006
(Questions answered on career concerns)
What are the career prospects for software testing professionals?
Pranav Kumar
Software professionals/ developers/ Testers and quality assurance personnel are in great demand both in India and abroad.
They generally get employment with software establishments, information and communications technology sector, major national and multinational companies and public sector organisations and with public and private research organisations. They may work with IT firms or consultancies that specialise in providing IT solutions to their clients. Companies also hire them as software engineers to support in-house IT systems.
Other potential employers include the automotive sector, navigation and communications equipment designers and manufacturers, financial services, trade markets, global investment banks, security market specialists and business intelligence and market research firms, etc. You gain entry at the trainee level.
With experience, the scope widens and you could become a software testing engineer, development engineer, senior software engineer, senior test engineer, test manager/engineer or as a quality engineer, quality auditor, reliability engineer, or quality manager, principal software quality engineer and so on.
Could you give some tips, which may lead to an interview call?
Harshita Yadav
Chandigarh
To get an interview call you have to enter the job market to hunt for a job. Read `Situations Vacant' columns in the various newspapers carefully.
There are also walk-in interview calls in several advertisements.
Just visit the company on the mentioned date and appear for an interview.
Also look for vacancy advertisements in special career supplements of a newspaper (which are published every week along with the main newspaper).Contact reputed placement agencies that are in the job market.
There are many websites also that help both job seekers and job providers. Many companies do not advertise if they have only a few vacancies.
They get the vacancies filled by employee referrals or through word of mouth. So, let people know of your availability.
Networking can be a great help here. Many offers may land this way.If you have a dream to work for some particular companies then post your resume to them every two months. You may be considered whenever there is a vacancy. Spend a little time thinking what traits and characteristics an employer may be hunting for and promote yourself with those characteristics.
Employers nowadays look for people who communicate well, are good listeners, are comfortable with technology - using a computer and telephone - and can interpret what others are saying. Be focussed in your pursuits.
How can I overcome my lack of communication skills? Can you list some common communication blunders?
Vamsikrishna
Visakhapatnam
The first and the foremost blunder committed is not being an active listener. From the moment you start talking, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or indirectly. If you are not listening actively, it is your loss.
To be an effective communicator and to get your point across without misunderstanding and confusion, your goal should be to lessen the frequency of barriers at each stage of the process with clear, concise, accurate, well-planned communications.
To establish yourself as an effective communicator, you must first establish credibility. In the business arena, this involves displaying knowledge of the subject, the audience and the context in which the message is delivered.
I recently attended an interview which I thought went very well but they never called back. Where do you think I would have defaulted?
Abhiram V
Bhubaneshwar
Sometimes we do become victims of a general notion that "my interview was terrific and I know the job is mine." What most of the candidates fail to do is to take the advantage of their time in front of an interviewer. In short, they hadn't done their homework. They spent the meeting telling the interviewer all the great things they've done and why they'd make a great employee. There are three reasons why this approach fails:
Interviewers presumably already know your accomplishments because they've read your resume.
Without knowing about the job, you can't convince someone you're the best person for it.
If you don't know about the company, you don't know whether you'd like to work there.
You can use the interview to turn the odds in your favour. For example notice the fixtures, pictures on the wall and other furnishings and use these subtle hints to probe for additional details about the position, company and interviewer. The interview shouldn't be a bragging session but rather a meeting of two professionals sharing ideas.
What are the career prospects for an MBA in International Business?
Mujeeb Kabeer
Hyderabad
A postgraduate course in international business will definitely equip you better as far as your prospects are concerned.
Focusing on the international environment will enhance your understanding of the complexity of conducting business in an interdependent environment. You will find employment with leading consulting firms, exporters, trading companies, educational institutions, transportation agencies, manufacturers, banks, freight forwarders and service companies.
[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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