Dated January 21, 2004
How do I respond to tricky interview questions such as `How long have you been searching for a job?Why haven't you been able to get a job as yet? Why have you been unemployed for so long?'
RANJIT
Delhi
It is always better to answer this question with, "I just started looking" but this is not always possible, particularly if your resume indicates you've been unemployed for the last six months.
If you can't hide the fact that your job search has been taking awhile, then state that you're being selective about whom you will work for.Of course, stating this might prompt the interviewer to ask, "What offers have you turned down?" which could land you in deep trouble if you haven't actually received any job offers! So, tread carefully.
A bad economy and a stiff job market are good reasons to state that you've been having trouble finding a job. However, be aware that many interviewers might also use this excuse to not employ you!
What are the career prospects for metallurgical engineers?
RANJIT
Cuttack
Metallurgical engineers work in one of the three main branches of metallurgyi.e., extractive or chemical, physical, and mechanical or process. Metallurgical engineers can find employment with industries such as: aerospace, appliances, automotive, computers, communication, construction, electronics, equipment, government laboratories, nuclear, oil and gas, power generation, shipbuilding, universities, and others.4
Opportunities also exist with industries, manufacturing plants, mines, mills, smelters, or manufacturing plants. A doctoral degree is usually required for careers in research and in teaching at the collegiate level. Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Hindustan Copper Ltd, Coal India, major steel plants in India, private concerns etc are potential employers.77 Watts Hall | 2041 College Road
What are psychometric tests and why are they used? What are the strengths and weaknesses of administering the tests?
SRINIVAS CHAUDHRY
Rajamundry
Psychometric literally means measuring the mind and, in one sense, any systematic attempt to assess mental characteristics could come into this category. The term however, is usually used to describe specific tests for personality, intelligence or some kind of attitude measurement. The good and the bad of psychometric tests include:
Strengths:
Psychometry is based upon attempts to measure and express numerically, the characteristics of behaviour in individuals. It is therefore usually seen as an objective and scientific way of describing people and their behaviour. This technique, of course, provides lots of quantitative data, which is easy to analyse statistically. Psychometric tests are usually easy to administer.
Weaknesses:
Constructing valid and reliable tests is very difficult.
Tests can usually be culturally biased, especially intelligence tests.
Most tests can be subjective, in the sense that any test is biased in the direction of the author's view.
Most tests make the assumption that characteristics to be measured are fixed and unchanging, both in relation to time and also in relation to circumstance or situation. Many studies in psychology, especially social psychology, demonstrate that this is not so.
There is the danger that the labelling of an individual as possessing a particular trait or ability will tend to encourage conformity to that trait.
The psychometric approach implies a nomothetic view of people: that is to say, a view that people are capable of being classified and measured.
The opposing view to this would argue that humans are essentially individuals and not susceptible to classification. This is an idiographic view.
The view is frequently taken that the very fact that something is measured makes it exist as a concept. It is often argued that 'intelligence is what intelligence tests measure'. The concept of intelligence might not have existed at all if Binet had not set out to measure it. Intelligence came to be defined in terms of test performance rather than as an entity itself.
What are the career prospects for a tea taster and please list training institutes in India.
SRIDHAR
Tamil Nadu
Tasters are recruited by manufacturing companies, brokers as well as buyers.
In a manufacturing company, the taster detects defects in the production process by looking at the colour and size of the leaves to determine if they have been fermented or dried under fire, and sends them back to the factory to rectify if needed.
They also have to coordinate with gardens, look after import and exports, advise researchers on commercial factors like taste, economic viability and `maturability' of tea etc. In the broker's office, the taster plays an advisory role and informs manufacturers about market trends.
In buying houses, besides ensuring quality, tasters have to know what's happening in both the domestic and international markets.
Many youngsters opt for this profession because of the unusual nature of the work and the high pay.
Assam Agricultural University, Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Jorhat, Assam (B.Sc & M.Sc Agriculture Course); website: http://www.aau.ac.in/index.htm
Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Jnana Bharathi Campus, P.0 Malathalli, Bangalore-560056 Phone :91-80-3211716, E-mail : info@iipmb.com, Website: www.iipmb.com
Dipras Institute of Professional Studies, FE 477, Sector-III, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700091
Darjeeling Tea Research and Management Association, Kadamtala-734433
Assam Darjeeling Tea Research Centre, Kurseong, Darjeeling-734203 (West Bengal).
UPASI Tea Research Institute, Nirar Dam BPO, Valparai-642127 (Tamil Nadu).
Birla Institute of Futuristic Studies, 17A Darga Road, Park Circus, Kolkata-700017.
The Tea Tasters Academy, Coonoor, Nilgiris (Kerala).
Give details regarding the test of spoken English
NARENDRA
Bangalore
The Test of Spoken English (TSE) measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to communicate in English.
The test is approximately for 20 minutes, and includes nine questions.
TSE indicates how your verbal ability or fluency might affect your ability to communicate successfully in an academic or professional environment.
Many North American institutions of higher education, to select international teaching assistants sometimes called ITAs, use TSE scores.
The scores also are used for selecting and certifying health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and veterinarians. English by responding orally under timed conditions to a variety of printed and recorded information.
On the day of the test, a recorded interview will be conducted.
Some of the questions will be printed in the test book, and the time you will have to answer each one is printed in parentheses after the questions.
While most of the questions on the test may not appear to be directly related to your academic or professional field, each question is designed to tell the raters how well you communicate in English.
The test is administered separately at some TOEFL test locations.
The FAQ deals with career concerns addressed to The C&K Management Ltd, PO Box 2178 Secunderabad 500003 0r emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com
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