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Dated June 28, 2006

(Questions answered on career concerns)

What are the important things one should keep in mind for a telephonic interview?

Amit Baijal
Lucknow

Many companies use phone interviews as an initial employment screening technique for a variety of reasons. Since they're generally brief, phone interviews save companies time.

They also serve as a better screening alternative when companies are considering hiring out-of-town (or out-of-province and foreign) candidates.

It is really important to stay calm and positive during interviews. For telephonic interviews, your English grammar and voice projection matter a lot. Preparing for such interviews will make you less tense. You can prepare for such interviews by doing mock runs with friends.

Treat the telephone interview seriously, just as you would a face-to-face interview.

Don't be caught off your guard. Be sure to research the company, study the job description and practice your responses to anticipated questions, just as you would for any other interview.

Have your resume and cover letter in front of you. And also any supporting material that relates to information in your resume and cover letter, like a portfolio of your various projects, or the responsibilities you have handled in your past positions etc.

Jot down a few notes about the critical points you want to discuss with your interviewer. Are there certain skills and experiences you want to emphasise? Do you have certain interests or passions you want your interviewer to know about and understand? Be sure to have all this information with you. Bring them up during the interview, even if it is at the end of the session when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions or anything to add.

Phone interviews can be tricky, especially because you will not be able to read your interviewer's non-verbal cues like facial expression and body language during the session -- a big difference from the typical interview.

But if you prepare well for your phone interview, you do not need these cues. You'll know how you've done well when you are invited to a face-to-face interview where you'll have yet another opportunity to prove you're the best person for the job.

What are the career prospects for CAD/CAM?

Hari S
Via email

The term CAD/CAM implies that an engineer can use the system both for designing a product and for controlling manufacturing processes. CAD/CAM is extensively used in fields such as engineering and architecture.

Industrial designers can now use computer graphics to do work that was previously done with a pencil and paper. There is good scope for candidates who are certified in CAD/CAM.

Lucrative opportunities exist with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in the automobile and consumers products sector, in their design, development and manufacturing divisions. The work could relate to tool rooms, mold design, CNC machine shops, and CAD/CAM consulting.

You can also work with companies that provide consultancy services.

Other options include teaching and training, marketing or setting up an independent consultancy. CAD/CAM is used extensively in various industries ranging from aerospace and automobiles to footwear, furniture and interiors.

What is the basic job profile of a secretary?

Geeta Sai
Via email

Most secretaries/administrators do work such as copy-typing, general word processing, dealing with telephone and e-mail enquiries, creating and maintaining filing systems, keeping diaries and taking appointments for staff.

Depending on the sector, the responsibilities would be using a variety of software packages to produce correspondence and documents and maintaining presentations, spreadsheets and databases.

The responsibilities could also include arranging meetings, taking minutes and keeping notes; invoicing; liaising with members of staff in other departments and external contacts. Other tasks include using shorthand and audio- tapes to produce letters;

organising and storing paperwork, documents and computer-based information.

What are the career prospects for Microbiology?

V Karthick Rao
Chennai

Microbiologists have a wide range of job opportunities in medical research, food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, research institutes and universities.

They also play a vital role in the biotechnology industry, which involves fermentation, recombinant DNA technology and molecular biology. These job opportunities can be best explored after acquisition of a Master's degree, or preferably a doctorate.

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]

AMIT BAIJAL

Lucknow

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