Dated June 22, 2005
I've moved from one field of expertise to the other recently. Will this reflect in my career down the lane when I apply for jobs?
Bhargavi
Hyderabad
This is not the case with you alone; many people are changing careers these days based on their own choices or due to corporate downsizing. People today change as many as 5-7 careers during their work life. This can be a great way to explore diversity in your talents and background and make yourself very marketable to future employers.
Job descriptions are no longer linear and employers today want employees to be experts in their fields, while continuing to be a "Jack or Jill-of-all-trades." Also, since many companies try to do more work with less staff, having a diverse background is a plus.
You may want to do some soul searching to determine why the new career is not a "good fit" for you. Is it because you do not like the work? The environment? Or, haven't gained expertise despite spending adequate time? The people who are the happiest and most successful in their careers are those who follow their passion.
If you do not enjoy the work you do, you are wise enough to explore other options. You can make use of the assessment instruments if available to determine where your interests and strengths lie and then look for some career options that will incorporate what you like and are good at doing.
Though there's no mention of any weakness on my résumé, the interviewer asked: "How do you compensate for your weaknesses on the job?" How should I answer the question?
Abid Hussain
Vijayawada
The key to facing your weaknesses is to first be aware of them. If you are unaware or just ignore your weaknesses, you are setting yourself up for disappointment or even failure down the road.
Saying something like, "I'm not as organised as I'd like to be, so what I now do is to use checklists. I've found this a great help," shows that you not only realise you have a failing, but have successfully used a strategy to combat it. Other examples: "I tend to take on too much myself, so I'm trying to delegate more." "I'm impatient with delays, so I'm trying to learn more about the process to anticipate hold-ups in the future." "I think
I may be a workaholic, so I'm reading books on time management."
Don't ever admit to any quality that hampers job performance, such as laziness, procrastination, or lack of concentration.
I do not have a college degree, but do have some college credits. Can I add that to my résumé or just leave the education part out?
Chaitanya
Madurai
Even if you do not have a college degree, you can and should still list your educational background on your résumé. For your college credits you can use a phrase such as the following: Coursework toward (name the type of degree and field of study or major), (__________ hours completed), then list the college or university and the city and state where the school is located. Since you have not completed the degree, you should also list your high school diploma in the following manner: Graduate, __________ High School, City, State.
"Given the investment our company will make in hiring and training you, can you give us a reason to hire you? "How does one respond to this question?
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