RAMAYANA AS TOLD BY BILLGATES (RAMA RAMA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )

LAN LAN ago, in the SYSTEM of I/O-dhya, there ruled a PROCESSOR named
DOS-rat. Once he EXCUTED a great sacrifice PROGRAM after which his
queens gave an OUTPUT of four SUNS - RAM, LSI-man,BUG-rat, and
SED-rughana.



RAM the eldest was a MICROCHIP with excellent MEMORY. His
brothers,however, were only PERIPHERAL ICS.



Once when RAM was only 16MB, he married princess C-ta. 12 years passed
and DOS-rat decided to INSTALL RAM as his successor.



However, queen CIE/CAE, who was once offered a boon by DOS-rat for a
life saving HELP COMMAND, took this opportunity atthe instigation of
her BIOSed maid, and insisted that her son BUG-rat be installed and
that RAM be BOOTED to the forest for 14 years.
At this cruel and unexpected demand, a SURGE passed thru DOS-rat and
due to FATAL ERROR he collapsed, power-less. RAM agreed to LOG INTO
forest and C-ta insisted to LOGIN with him. LSI-man was also resolved
on LOGGING IN with his brother.



The forest was the dwelling of SPARC-nakha, the TRANSISTOR of
RAW-wan,PROCESSOR of LAN-ka. Attracted by RAM's stature, sheproposed
that he marry her. RAM politely denied. Perceiving C-ta to be the
SOURCE CODE for her distress, she hastened to kill her. Weeping
SPARC-nakha fled to LAN-ka, where RAW-wan,moved by
TRANSISTOR's plight, approached his uncle MAR-icha.



MAR-icha REPROGRAMMED himself into the form of a golden stag and drew
RAM deep into the forest. Finally, tired of chase, RAM shot the deer,
who, with his last breath, cried out desperately for LSI-man in RAM's
voice. Fooled by this VIRTUAL RAM's SOUND, C-ta urged LSI-man to his
brother's aid. Catching the opportunity, RAW-wan DELINKED C-ta from
her LIBRARY and changed her ROOT DIRECTORY (or HOME PAGE) to LAN-ka.




INTERVAL




RAM and LSI-man started LINEAR SEARCHING for the missing C-ta all over
the forest.They made friendship with the SYSTEM
ADMINI STRATOR of forest SU-greev and his powerful co-processor
Ha-NEUMAN. SU-greev agreed to help RAM.



SU-greev ordered his PROGRAMMERS to use powerful BINARY & BOOLEAN
SEARCH techniques to FIND the missing C-ta. His
PROGRAMMERS SEARCHED all around the INTER-NETworked forests. Many
tried to EXCITE the birds and animals not to forget the WEBWLERS
(Insects) and tried to INFO SEEK something about C-ta. Some of them
even shouted YAHOO but they all ended up with NOT FOUND MESSAGES.



Several other SERACH techniques proved useless.
Ha-NEUMAN devised a RISCy TECHNOLOGY and used it to cross the seas at
an astonishing CLOCK SPEED. Soon Ha-NEUMAN DOWNLOADED himself into
LAN-ka. After doing some local SEARCH, he found C-ta weeping under a
TREE STRUCTURE. Ha-NEUMAN used a LOGIN ID (ring) to identify himself
to C-ta. After DECRYPTING the KEY, C-ta believed in him and asked him
to send a STATUS_OK MESSAGE to RAM. Meanwhile all the raakshasa BUGS
around C-ta captured Ha-NEUMAN and tried to DELETE him using
pyro-techniques. But Ha-NEUMAN managed to spread chaos by using the
VIRUS 'FIRE'. Ha-NEUMAN happily pressed ESCAPE from LAN-ka and
conveyed all the STATUS MESSAGES to RAM and SU-greev.



RAW-wan decided to take the all powerful RAM head-on
and prepared for the battle One of the RAW-wan's SUN almost DELETED
RAM and LSI-man with a powerful brahma-astra. But Ha-NEUMAN resorted
to some ACTIVE-X gradients and REBOOTED RAM and LSI-man. RAM used the
SOURCE CODE secrets of RAW-wan and once for all wiped out RAW-wan's
presence on earth.



After the battle, RAM got INSTALLED in I/O-dhya and spreaded his MICRO
SOFT WORKS and other USER FRIENDLY PROGRAMS to all
USERS and every one lived happily everafter

Advice to young programmers

This is the summary of speech Given by Alex Stepenov (Principal Scientist, Adobe Systems) at Adobe India on 30 Nov 2004. )

1. Study , Study and Study
- Never ever think that you have acquired all or most of the knowledge which exists in the world. Almost everybody in US at age of 14 and everybody in India at age of 24 starts thinking that he has acquired all the wisdom and knowledge that he needs. This should be strictly avoided.


- You should be habituated to studies...exactly in the same way as you are habituated to brushing teeth and taking bath every morning. The habit of study must become a 'part of your blood'. And the study should be from both the areas: CS, since it is your profession, and something from non-CS...Something which doesnot relate to your work. This would expand your knowledge in other field too. A regular study, everyday, is extremely essential. It doesnot matter whether you study of 20 minutes of 2 hours, but consistency is a must.


- You should always study basics and fundamentals. There is no point in going for advanced topics. When I was at the age of 24, I wanted to do PhD in program verification, though I was not able to understand anything from that. The basic reason was that my fundamental concepts were not clear. Studying 'Algebraic Geometry' is useless if you donot understand basics in Algebra and Geometry. Also, you should always go back and re-read and re-iterate over the fundamental concepts.


What is the exact definition of 'fundamental'? The stuff which is around for a while and which forms basic part of the concepts can be regarded as more fundamental. Of course, everybody understands what a fundamental means.

- Here are few books which I would strongly recommend that every CS professional should read and understand.
1. i. "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" by Albenson and Sussman

I personally donot like the material present in this book and I do have some objections about it but this is the best book I have ever seen which explains all the concepts in programming in a clear and excellent way.

This book is available online at http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/

1. ii. Introduction to Computer Architecture: by Hennessy and Patterson.

How many of you have shipped the programs by writing them in assembly? A very good understanding of basics of how a computer operates is what every CS professional must have.

H&P Wrote two books on CA. I am talking about their first book, the introductory text for understanding basic aspects of how a computer works.

Even if you feel that you know whatever is written in that book, donot stop reading. It's good to revise basics again and again.

iii. "Fundamentals of Programming" by Donald Knuth.

The core of CS is algorithms and Data structures. Every CS professional must have the 3 volumes of Knuth's Book on programming. It really doesnot matter if you take 30 years of your life to understand what Knuth has written, what is more important is that you read atleast some part of that book everyday without fail.

iv. Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserson and Rivest

This book should be read daily to keep your concepts fresh. This is the best book for fundamental concepts in algorithms.

2. Learn Professional Ethics
- As a CS Professional, you are morally obliged to do a good job. What this means is that you are supposed to do your job not for your manager but for yourself. This is already told in Bhagwatgeeta : Doing duties of your life.
- The direct implication of this is: never ever write a bad code. You don't need to be fastest and run after shipping dates; rather you need to write quality code. Never write junk code. Rewrite it till it is good. Thoroughly test every piece of code that you write. Donot write codes which are "sort of allright". You might not achieve perfection, but atleast your code should be of good quality.
- Let me quote my own example in this context. You might have heard about STL, The Standard Template Library that ships in with C++ compilers. I wrote it 10 years ago, in 1994. While implementing one of the routines in the STL, namely the "search routine", I was a bit lazy and instead of writing a good linear order implementation of KMP which was
difficult to code, I wrote a best quadratic implementation. I knew that I could make the search faster by writing a linear-order implementation, but I was lazy and I did not do that. And, after 10 years of my writing STL, exactly the same implementation is still used inside STL and STL ships with an inefficient quadratic implementation of search routine even today!! You might ask me: why can't you rewrite that? Well...I cannot, because that code is no more my property!! Further, nobody today will be interested in a standalone efficient STL ...people would prefer one which automatically ships out with the compiler itself.
- Moral is, you should have aesthetic beauty built inside you. You should "feel" uneasy on writing bad code and should be eager to rewrite the code till it becomes upto the quality. And to the judge the quality, you need to develop sense regarding which algorithms to use under what circumstances.

3. Figure out your Goals
- Always aspire doing bigger things in life

- "Viewing promotion path as your career" is a completely wrong goal. If you are really interested in studying and learning new things, never ever aspire for being a manager. Managers cannot learn and study...they have no time. "Company ladder aspiration" is not what should be important for you.

- You might feel that you want to do certain things which you cannot do till you become a manager. When you become a manager, you will soon realize that now you just cannot do anything!

- You will have a great experience as programmers. But if you care for people and love people, you will never enjoy being a manager...most good managers are reluctant managers. If you see people as people, you cannot survive at management level.

- Always aspire for professional greatness. Our profession is very beautiful because we create abstract models and implement them in reality. There is a big fun in doing that. We have a profession which allows us to do creative things and even gives nice salary for that.

- The three biggest mistakes that people usually make are aiming for money, aiming for promotion and aiming for fame. The moment you get some of these, you aspire for some more...and then there is no end. I donot mean that you shouldnot earn money, but you should understand how much
money would satisfy your needs. Bill Clinton might be the richest person in the world; he is certainly not the happiest. Our lives are far better than his.


- Find your goal, and do best in the job that you have. Understand that what is in your pocket doesnot matter...what is in your brain finally matters. Money and fame donot matter. Knowledge matters.


4. Follow your culture
I have seen the tradition that whatever junk is created in US, it rapidly spreads up in the rest of the world, and India is not an exception for this. This cultural change creates a very strong impact on everybody's life. Habits of watching spicy Bollywood or Hollywood movies and listening to pop songs and all such stupid stuff gets very easily cultivated in people of your age...but believe me, there is nothing great in that. This all just makes you run away from your culture. And there is no wisdom in running away from your culture. Indian culture, which has great Vedas and stories like Mahabharata and Bhagwatgeeta is really great and even Donald Knuth enjoys reading that. You should understand that fundamental things in Indian culture teach you a lot and you should never forget them.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that it's your life...donot waste it on stupid things...develop your tests, and start the fight.

HOW TO CRACK GRE?

First off, you must read SoYouWanna learn the basics of the GRE? before you continue reading this SYW. It'll tell you what the test looks like, how to register, and whether you should even take the test in the first place. But this SYW assumes that you are already positive that you're gonna take the GRE, that you know the basic structure, and that you just want some sparkling advice about how to get the highest score possible. Well, that's what we're here for, so listen up.

In case you have forgotten what to expect on the GRE, here's a recap. There are three sections:

* Verbal section (30 questions, 30 minutes)
* Quantitative section (28 questions, 45 minutes)
* Analytical section (35 questions, 60 minutes)

The verbal section tests your vocabulary and reading skills, the quantitative section tests your ability to do math, and the analytical section tests your ability to solve logic problems.

There is one surefire way to improve your GRE score: know exactly what's on the test. No, we don't want you to hack into the Educational Testing Service's databank (yet), but we do want you to become so familiar with the types of questions asked, so you won't have to waste any of your precious time reading directions or figuring out how to tackle the questions.

How do you do this? BY TAKING MANY PRACTICE TESTS. Get yourself some practice tests off the GRE web site or buy some software and start getting cozy with the test. Don't worry about the tricks yet . . . just get comfortable with the test as a whole. Take at least 2 full tests before worrying about Step 2.

CAT tricks
Verbal tricks
Mathematics tricks
Analytical tricks

What fun is it to take a test if you can't give yourself a bit of an edge? The sad fact is that very few people even bother trying to crack the GRE, but it's very crack-able (assuming you are not already a crackhead). So below, we provide some great tips for doing well on each section, as well as some general tips for taking the computer-adapted test (CAT).

CAT tricks

As you are well aware, you'll be taking the GRE on a computer. This computer version is called the CAT, and here are some tips for killing the kitty:

* The 10 first questions of each section are the most important ones. Why? Because as you know, the GRE adapts itself to your answers, so if you get the first question wrong, your next question will be easier. The test proceeds as such, pinpointing your score. But if you get the first ten questions wrong, you'll have to answer a whole bunch of questions correctly to dig yourself out of the hole. Did we just lose you? Then think of it this way: the tougher questions are worth more points, so you get a better score by answering the hard questions correctly. But the only way to get to the hard questions is to get the first few questions right. Yes, it's a bit confusing, but all that matters is that you should devote about half of your time to the first 10 questions.
* There is no penalty for guessing. That's right. None. Not even an Indian burn or a pile driver. So NEVER leave a question blank. Flip a coin, spin a bottle, ask a Ouija board, pray for divine intervention, but you must guess. Besides, you can't skip questions either, so you might as well take a guess. Below, we'll give you some tips for effective guessing on each section.

Verbal tricks

The verbal section is one of the toughest sections to handle, because it's so based on whether you know the definitions of words or not. But there are little tricks that can help you out.

* First and foremost, PRACTICE these questions over and over. You can get your hands on practice GREs at bookstores, so buy the book and PRACTICE. Sometimes the same words (or variants of them) pop up on multiple tests.
* Study vocabulary words that commonly appear on the GRE. Many preparation booklets have lists of these words, but you can also buy GRE study cards here and here.
* For the ANALOGIES:

The most important thing to do with analogy questions is to turn the relationship between the two words into a sentence. Write that sentence down on your scratch paper so you don't forget it.

Some of the most common relationships to look for are: part to whole, cause to effect, person to occupation, word to definition, and synonyms.

* For the ANTONYMS:

Antonyms can be tough because you have no context to work from; either you know the word or you don't. If you get a word you don't know, first try to pick the word apart. If part of the word looks familiar (for instance, it starts with "bio"), then use that information to try to guess at an answer ("bio" means "life," so the right answer will have something to do with "lack of life").

Second, try to get a sense of the mood of the word. Even if you don't know what the word means, you can often tell if it's "good" or "bad." So if you have a gut feeling that the word, whatever it means, is a "good" thing, then it's opposite should sound "bad."

* For the SENTENCE COMPLETIONS:

Before you look at the possible answers, try to fill in the sentence with your own word. It'll make it easier to go through the answers.

Use the context of the sentence. If the sentence implies that you're looking for a "good" word, then your answer should be a "good" word. The context can tell you tons about the sentence. For instance, you should look for buzzwords like "nevertheless," "although," and "moreover," which can give you clues.

If the sentence has two blanks, then make sure that BOTH words fit nicely.

* For the READING COMPREHENSION:

Read the passage as carefully as you can, no matter how boring it is. They make it boring on purpose, to get you off your rhythm.

Read ALL of the choices before you pick an answer.

The best way to prepare for the reading comprehension section is pure PRACTICE.

Mathematics tricks

In order to ace the math section, you merely have to brush up on very specific math skills: algebra, fractions, percentages, geometry, and data analysis (reading graphs). We're not going to re-teach you algebra, so you gotta bone up on that stuff on your own. A study book would REALLY come in hand for re-familiarizing yourself with these concepts.

* Use the process of elimination. Often times, you don't need to do any work when you can merely eliminate the wrong answers. For instance, what if you're presented with the question "What is 326 multiplied by 458?"

A) 149,303
B) 149,305
C) 149,308
D) 149,311
E) 149,313

You don't even need to bother doing the math. An even number multiplied by an even number ALWAYS has an even result. 326 and 458 are both even, and the only even choice is C) 149,308. So answer C and move on. Don't even bother doing the work.

* Use your scratch paper. The drawings on the computer screen will be all out of proportion, and doing math these kinds of math problems in your head is impossible (unless you're Rain Man or Good Will Hunting). So make use of the scratch paper you're given, and feel free to recopy diagrams or charts.


Analytical tricks

The biggest problem people have with the analytical questions is not that they're hard, but that they take too much TIME. There's an easy way to fix that:

* PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. The only way to improve your speed on the analytical problems is to get used to the kinds of questions they ask.
* When you read the rules to a logic problem, immediately write ALL of the rules down on your scratch paper BEFORE you try to answer any questions. Find the connections between the rules and map it all out, drawing pictures if necessary. It speeds things up enormously.
* Abbreviate things. If they give you the names of colors, people, rivers, whatever, just use the first letter.
* Never assume anything unless you're explicitly told it's so. The analytical section is basically testing if you jump to unfounded assumptions or not. Prove that you're a "not" and follow exactly what the rules tell you to do.

In case you didn't notice, we are huge advocates of practice. Studies conducted by the Educational Testing Services show that the biggest predictor of improvement in GRE scores is practice. So go to it. Here are a few study aids that'll help:

* Start out by practicing without timing yourself. Take all the time you need. After a couple tests, then start practicing with a stopwatch and see which section offers you the most trouble. If you're getting equal scores on the analytical and verbal sections but you keep going overtime on the analytical section, then you know where you need to put in some extra work.
* Invest in a GRE study book. In addition to containing strategies, sample questions with explanations of the answers, and practice exams, another benefit is that many of these books come with a CD so you can practice taking the computer-based GRE. Hooray for Y2K! There are lots of books out there, so finding one won't be a problem, and most books cost about $20-$30, so you'll save lots of money compared to a course. Although it might be beneficial to go to actual bookstore (yes, they still exist) and browse through your choices, you can also pop on over to Amazon.com's Test Prep Central.

The three most popular books are Kaplan's GRE: 1999-2000 Edition, Peterson's GRE Success 2000, and Barron's How To Prepare For The GRE Test. These books feature sample questions and strategies, as well as study plans and a concise and readable presentation of the most important information. However, each book is different and carries different features (for example, the Barron's book has an extensive vocabulary section with high-frequency words and the definition of each one), so be sure to comparison shop for your needs.

Crap. More school. Well, them's the breaks if you wanna up your score. The thing to keep in mind about test preparation courses is that they cannot guarantee you a high score. You still have to do huge amounts of work. But what a preparation course can do is guide you as to how your time can be best spent. The two most popular preparation schools are:

* The Kaplan Test Prep Center. You can get private tutoring or find a class in your area just by typing in your zip code and selecting the test you'll be taking. Prices tend to be steep though, so you should be willing to shell out some major bucks. For example, the tutoring services will run you $3,000 for 30 hours (quick math practice: $100/hr), and the class will cost you $900. Other less expensive options include online courses.
* The Princeton Review Center offers essentially the same service as Kaplan, although they focus more on the small classes (maximum of 8 students) rather than tutoring. The price of the class is about the same (though both centers are constantly offering deals to drive each other into the ground).

In addition to the Kaplan and Princeton Review web sites described above, here are some other web links for GRE strategies:

* 800score.com: GRE - Take a free GRE sample test, download GRE prep software, online books and use online tutoring. GREs are in the new mandatory Computer-Adaptive Test format.
* www.testtutor.com/gre/ - A free online GRE preparation course. Includes tutorials, practice questions, tips, FAQ's and links.

Will you study diligently for months or will you crack open the study guide three days before the test? Will you waltz into the test center and sail through the exam or will you end up with your fist crashing through the computer screen? (Not recommended.) This SYW will put you on the right track to achieving a higher score, but the work ultimately rests on your shoulders.

When you go to take the test, you can't freeze up. Just take a deep breath and realize that you are way more prepared than the 98% of all GRE-takers that never even bothering practicing. You've already got the home court advantage! You're prepared, and you know it.

So without further ado, go forth, diligent student, and study . . . after you finish that ……………….

ALL THE BEST

General Guidelines in Answering Interview QuestionsGeneral Guidelines in Answering Interview Questions

General Guidelines in Answering Interview Questions

Everyone is nervous on interviews. If you simply allow yourself to feel nervous, you'll do much better. Remember also that it's difficult for the interviewer as well.

In general, be upbeat and positive. Never be negative.

Rehearse your answers and time them. Never talk for more than 2 minutes straight.

Don't try to memorize answers word for word. Use the answers shown here as a guide only, and don't be afraid to include your own thoughts and words. To help you remember key concepts, jot down and review a few key words for each answer. Rehearse your answers frequently, and they will come to you naturally in interviews.

As you will read in the accompanying report, the single most important strategy in interviewing, as in all phases of your job search, is what we call: "The Greatest Executive Job Finding Secret." And that is...

Find out what people want, than show them how you can help them get it.

Find out what an employer wants most in his or her ideal candidate, then show how you meet those qualifications.

In other words, you must match your abilities, with the needs of the employer. You must sell what the buyer is buying. To do that, before you know what to emphasize in your answers, you must find out what the buyer is buying... what he is looking for. And the best way to do that is to ask a few questions yourself.

You will see how to bring this off skillfully as you read the first two questions of this report. But regardless of how you accomplish it, you must remember this strategy above all: before blurting out your qualifications, you must get some idea of what the employer wants most. Once you know what he wants, you can then present your qualifications as the perfect “key” that fits the “lock” of that position.

Other important interview strategies:

* Turn weaknesses into strengths (You'll see how to do this in a few moments.)
* Think before you answer. A pause to collect your thoughts is a hallmark of a thoughtful person.


As a daily exercise, practice being more optimistic. For example, try putting a positive spin on events and situations you would normally regard as negative. This is not meant to turn you into a Pollyanna, but to sharpen your selling skills. The best salespeople, as well as the best liked interview candidates, come off as being naturally optimistic, "can do" people. You will dramatically raise your level of attractiveness by daily practicing to be more optimistic.

Be honest...never lie.

Keep an interview diary. Right after each interview note what you did right, what could have gone a little better, and what steps you should take next with this contact. Then take those steps. Don't be like the 95% of humanity who say they will follow up on something, but never do.


About the 64 questions...

You might feel that the answers to the following questions are “canned”, and that they will seldom match up with the exact way you are asked the questions in actual interviews. The questions and answers are designed to be as specific and realistic as possible. But no preparation can anticipate thousands of possible variations on these questions. What's important is that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the main strategies behind each answer. And it will be invaluable to you if you commit to memory a few key words that let you instantly call to mind your best answer to the various questions. If you do this, and follow the principles of successful interviewing presented here, you're going to do very well.
Good luck...and good job-hunting!

Avoid these six common IT interview mistakes

Hi Friends

I have got this nice article. I would like to share with all of you so that it can be helpful to all, This is written by a gentleman from US. Its worth reading it.


Avoid these six common IT interview mistakes

Tip #1: Don't discuss pay too early


As the manager of a software store for 10 years, I can honestly say that questions about pay in the first interview from anyone other than a temporary applicant always bothered me a little. Temp jobs aside, if you are not really out there just for the money, asking this question right out of the gate is going to make any other questions you ask sound conniving and insincere. Unless the subject comes up, don't wade into the issue of the pay in the first interview. You can talk about it after you impress the employer enough for a second interview.

Tip #2: Talk tech to techies only


Feel free to discuss what you know, but remember: If you are talking to a nontechnical manager or human resources representative, you are not going to impress them with talk about life in the trenches. My previous supervisor was totally unimpressed with anything to do with technology. A sure way to put the man to sleep was to begin any story that had to do with computers.

When I interviewed for a previous position, the department manager actually had a technically savvy person participate in the interview to ask and respond to questions she would not understand. When I saw this tactic being used, I knew it was not a time to try to impress with a lot of techno babble.

Answer questions about your work history briefly and keep the tech comments to a minimum until you know the history of the company and the people involved in the hiring process. If you have questions about the technology in use at the site, keep your questions specific and relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Tip #3: Keep your philosophy to yourself


If you hate Bill Gates, Windows XP, and the whole Office Suite, keep it to yourself. Ranting about your tech philosophy can ruin your chances at the position.

I once interviewed a young man for a retail sales position in a software store. When I asked about his opinion of the then-new Windows 98, the applicant ranted about "the revolution of UNIX" and loosening the grip of Microsoft on the PC market. I am not exaggerating; the man sounded like he was ready to sign on to a paramilitary group. I almost didn't have the heart to tell him my company was a Value Added Reseller for Microsoft.

Chances are, you will work with many people who need your help with one of the Microsoft products, so you don't want to blast the tools you will likely be using and supporting. If you are asked about how you feel about a product, be honest, but don't preach. The interviewer probably just wants to see how you respond to such questions.


Tip #4: Don't climb the advancement ladder in the interview


If you are joining the ranks of a new company, the last thing the interviewer wants to hear is, "How fast can I get out of this job?" Do not ask about opportunities for advancement until the second or third interview. If you are joining a company just to advance into another position, silence is golden. Keep it to yourself unless the interviewer asks or unless it is somehow already known that you'll be advancing quickly. Remember that what you say now can come back to haunt you later. You don't want to brag to someone who might be under your wing after a promotion.

Further, you never know what may happen if you actually get the job. Learn to accept and adapt and, above all, be happy you have a job. Due to downsizing, a former coworker of mine did not move into the network administration position she wanted and was expecting to get. The bitterness fostered by her broken expectations eventually caused her to resign. In the tight job market of the time—similar to the one now—and with her lack of certified qualifications, she ended up seeking work at a local restaurant.

Tip # 5: Avoid the dreaded electronic interruption


Cellular phone and pager etiquette might seem a trivial thing to those that are hooked up, but you can kiss any job opportunity goodbye if you interrupt an interview to take a telephone call, especially if the human resources representative has a low tolerance for personal digital devices. Only if you are exchanging information by invitation should you reveal the fact that you carry a PDA. If you wear it on a belt loop or somewhere that is exposed, lose it, along with any other electrical device hooks and loops, and store them in pocket, purse, or briefcase. If you can't spare the time away from the rest of the world to do an interview, why are you applying for the job?

I have conducted training classes with people who, when asked to turn off their phones and pagers during class, place their devices in silent mode. When giving a lecture to a class or holding a discussion, watching a person being silently buzzed is terribly distracting and also aggravating.

If you think getting rid of electronic communications devices isn't important, just ask any human resources rep who has had a person answer a cellular phone during a job interview. Then ask if the person got the job.

Tip six: Remember to say thank you


Beyond thanking your interviewers for their time as you leave, it's vital that you follow up in written form. If the competition for a position is tight, a follow-up thank you note can mean a lot. If the manager is slow to hire, the arrival of a thank-you note can serve as a reminder about the candidate who's awaiting the manager's next move.

Just after you've completed the interview, take note of anything specific you discussed and make a point of referencing it in your thank you letter. Even a nice greeting card is better than nothing.

It may seem like a small detail, but the experts will tell you that this tried-and-true tactic really makes an impact. A coworker of mine, who successfully worked as a job coach, used to keep a stack of generic notes in her desk. When a participant in her program applied for a job somewhere, she would give the person one of these notes to have them drop in the mail on the way home.

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God bless you all.

Quotes on SUCCESS

Quotes on SUCCESS

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.
~ Helen Keller
~~~~~~~~~~

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
~ Roosevelt
~~~~~~~~~~

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
~ Beverly Sills
~~~~~~~~~~

Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.
~ John Maxwell
~~~~~~~~~~

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
~ Ronald E. Osborn
~~~~~~~~~~

If you aren't making any mistakes, it's a sure sign you're playing it too safe.
~ John Maxwell
~~~~~~~~~~

If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure.
-David Ambrose
~~~~~~~~~~

Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.
~ Charles Lindbergh, Aviation pioneer
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Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top.
~ J.C. Penny
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To bring one's self to a frame of mind and to the proper energy to accomplish things that require plain hard work continuously is the one big battle that everyone has. When this battle is won for all time, then everything is easy.
~ Thomas A. Buckner
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Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.
~ John Wooden
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You must do the very thing you think you cannot do.
~ Eleanor Roosevelt
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Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work.
~ Booker T. Washington
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A competitive world has two possibilities for you: you can lose or, if you want to win, you can change.
~ Lester C. Thurow 
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True success is obeying God.
~ John Maxwell 
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There are three ways to get something done: Do it yourself, employ someone or forbid your children to do it.
~ Monta Crane 
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Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?
~ Frank Scully
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Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.
~ Booker T. Washington
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All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.
~ James Russell Lowell
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The secret of success is consistency of purpose.
~ Benjamin Disraeli
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Doing little things with a strong desire to please God makes them really great.
~ St. Francis De Sales
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I cannot give you a formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure - which is: try to please everybody.
~ Mr. Herbert Bayard Swope
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Listing your personal milestones is like storing a pocketful of sunshine for a rainy day.
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Sometimes our best is simply not enough.... We have to do what is required.
~ Sir Winston Churchill
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Interview Tips

Interview Tips

1. Be on time!
Practise getting to the venue to see how long it will take. Public transport may be useless, the traffic may have been heavy, but however reasonable it won't affect the fact that your chances are reduced if you are late. Always remember - You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Aim to be early - you can always find a nearby cafe/shop/pub to wait in. And if worst comes to worst and you are going to be late, then definitely ring in and let them know.

2. Be Prepared!
Look at the employers' website and learn something about the company before you attend your interview. Feed them the opportunity to talk proudly about something positive you have found.

3. Write down and practice possible questions!
Writing them down and practicing them with someone will make it easier to remember when you get to the interview. Use the third person when talking about the job. Avoid sounding as though you assume the job is yours.

It is fine to ask about the package on offer and accommodation - living in and living out are particularly relevant. Don't forget to find out if the company will guarantee a resort or chalet - many will only allocate you a country. You could also try a fewer more testing questions such as how they differentiate themselves from their competitors or what they think the toughest/hardest part of the job is.

4. What are your weaknesses?
Don't be Spud from Trainspotting! 'None…ah well, ah'm a bit of a perfectionist actually!' Try to find an area of your experience/skill that is currently lacking. An interviewer will appreciate your candour - as long as whatever you disclose can be easily remedied.

5. You never get a second chance to make a first impression!
SMILE! Dress professionally in simple business attire. Just because you are going to be working in a ski resort does not mean you should wear Oakleys and a fleece to your interview. And don't forget that firm handshake and to maintain eye contact - without glaring!

6. Be honest!
There really is no point lying about your background and/or skills. If you get caught, or even manage to get out to resort and then get found out, you can be sure you won't be around for long! Job interviews are about matching needs - if there isn't a good match, then chances are that the job won't work out.

7. Check your CV for possible gaps!
Make sure you know how you are going to explain time gaps on your CV.

8. Talk about specific achievements!
Interviewers like to know how you felt about about a particular success. Some will ask for specific examples of things you've done that you're particularly proud of; how you solved problems; how you learned - and improved - from difficult situations.

9. Don't talk too much!
Spud again - Communication is a two-way thing so give them a chance

10. Prepare a sample menu plan!
If you are applying for a catering job then take along a sample menu plan. By this we mean a starter/main/dessert combination over six days, ideally with a vegetarian option. Think about teh balance of nutrients and how the colours will look on the plate. Our recipe section has a number of favourites.

11. Take a spare photo & CV with you!
Your interviewer won't be expecting it so you will impress them. It also helps them remember you after the interview.

12. Be enthusiastic and positive!
Don't criticize previous employers, particularly within the industry.
Focus on positive achievements and views.

12. Be on time!

And finally, Don't give up!
The fact is that you will not be offered every job however perfect you think you may be for it. Usually it's because the interviewer was completely blind to the talent that stood before them. However, just on the off chance that it was not, feedback from interviews where you have been turned down can be invaluable for improving future results. Ask politely if they can give you any feedback for the future - there's a job out there for you somewhere