"" Welcome to my thoughts: 2018

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Answering the Most Common Interview Questions


Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what questions a hiring manager would be asking you in your next job interview?
We can’t read minds, unfortunately, but we’ll give you the next best thing: a list of more than 40 of the most commonly asked interview questions, along with advice for answering them all.
While we don’t recommend having a canned response for every interview question (in fact, please don’t), we do recommend spending some time getting comfortable with what you might be asked, what hiring managers are really looking for in your responses, and what it takes to show that you’re the right person for the job.

Classic Questions

These frequently asked questions touch on the essentials hiring managers want to know about every candidate: who you are, why you’re a fit for the job, and what you’re good at. You may not be asked exactly these questions in exactly these words, but if you have answers in mind for them, you’ll be prepared for just about anything the interviewer throws your way.

1. Tell Me About Yourself.

This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it’s crucial. Here's the deal: Don’t give your complete employment (or personal) history. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Muse writer and MIT career counselor Lily Zhang recommends using a present, past, future formula. Talk a little bit about your current role (including the scope and perhaps one big accomplishment), then give some background as to how you got there and experience you have that’s relevant. Finally, segue into why you want—and would be perfect for—this role.


2. How Did You Hear About This Position?

Another seemingly innocuous interview question, this is actually a perfect opportunity to stand out and show your passion for and connection to the company. For example, if you found out about the gig through a friend or professional contact, name drop that person, then share why you were so excited about it. If you discovered the company through an event or article, share that. Even if you found the listing through a random job board, share what, specifically, caught your eye about the role.

3. Why Do You Want to Work at This Company?

Beware of generic answers! If what you say can apply to a whole slew of other companies, or if your response makes you sound like every other candidate, you’re missing an opportunity to stand out. Zhang recommends one of four strategies: Do your research and point to something that makes the company unique that really appeals to you; talk about how you’ve watched the company grow and change since you first heard of it; focus on the organization’s opportunities for future growth and how you can contribute to it; or share what’s gotten you excited from your interactions with employees so far. Whichever route you choose, make sure to be specific. And if you can’t figure out why you’d want to work at the company you’re interviewing with by the time you’re well into the hiring process? It might be a red flag telling you that this position is not the right fit.

4. Why Do You Want This Job?

Again, companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job, so you should have a great answer about why you want the position. (And if you don’t? You probably should apply elsewhere.) First, identify a couple of key factors that make the role a great fit for you (e.g., “I love customer support because I love the constant human interaction and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem”), then share why you love the company (e.g., “I’ve always been passionate about education, and I think you’re doing great things, so I want to be a part of it”).

5. Why Should We Hire You?

This interview question seems forward (not to mention intimidating!), but if you’re asked it, you’re in luck: There’s no better setup for you to sell yourself and your skills to the hiring manager. Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, but also deliver great results; that you’ll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you’d be a better hire than any of the other candidates.

6. What Are Your Greatest Strengths?

Here’s an opening to talk about something that makes you great—and a great fit for this role. When you’re answering this question, think quality, not quantity. In other words, don’t rattle off a list of adjectives. Instead, pick one or a few (depending on the question) specific qualities that are relevant to this position and illustrate them with examples. Stories are always more memorable than generalizations. And if there’s something you were hoping to mention because it makes you a great candidate, but you haven’t had a chance yet, this would be the perfect time.

7. What Do You Consider to Be Your Weaknesses?

What your interviewer is really trying to do with this question—beyond identifying any major red flags—is to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, “I can’t meet a deadline to save my life” is not an option—but neither is “Nothing! I’m perfect!” Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but you’ve recently volunteered to run meetings to help you get more comfortable when addressing a crowd.

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Sunday, September 23, 2018

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih claims victory


Today people of Maldives has chosen Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (IMS) to be their president for next five year. He is the first island president in recent history, and this is 2nd president who belongs to Maldives Democratic Party (MDP). He competed as United Opposition (UO) Candidate, which means he should form Coalition government.
He and Faisal Naseem(VP) is having very promising pledges. Some of the remarkable items in UO are Judicial Reform, electing and running independent institution in its full meaning, giving breakfast for all school kids, providing free first degree, setting a minimum wage, introducing 6 months maternity leave, and one month paternity leave.
Yes, these changes sound promising but I still believe there are many other areas to be adjusted or look into before introducing HR related changes. I firmly belive employment act needs to be revised to cater these changes. Wide range of consultation with all the industries and stake holders must happen. Employment shock relating these changes needs to be studied very well. I hope the new government will form Ministry of Human Resource with full mandate. Based on the past experience, I firmly believe leading party needs to get enough parliament seats to make their campaign pledges to a reality. If not, 2012 may be the result.

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Sunday, January 28, 2018

Formation of HR Association in Maldives

After very 8 months of challenging battle ground, finally today we were able to register first ever professional HR Association in Maldives. Yes, i am one of the founders, Ahmed Ibrahim from Bank of Maldives, Hussain Afeef from Lux are the other two founders. We discussed the ideas with many other HR Practitioners and academia whom we know, they all agreed to give their full support to us.
I have been having this idea for long period of time but it was just an idea, it had never become a reality. This time Ahmed was the one who came to me with HR Association idea. We were not friends before, but i heard about him when he was working in resort. This time he approached me through a common friend. When he asked about the key people we could be approaching, we discussed about many names such as Ali Saleem, Mohamed Alim, Mohamed Mauroof, Ahmed Farish, Ibrahim Moosa, Aminath Sharly, Mohamed Athif, Ali Najeeb, Ahmed Faiz, Mohamed Gasim, Ismail Shiyar, Hassan Shamaam and of cause Hussain Afeef. Ahmed was already discussed the idea with Afeef and he agreed to sign the paper for registration. Within a week we have submitted the form to Ministry of Home Affairs, and it kept on hold as usual. 
We also discussed keeping the NGO inclusive to all the industries across the Maldives. Since I worked in Tourism all my life, i did not know many HR people working in other industries hut Ahmed is aware of some of the other industries. We were able to get people from Banking and finance, Tourism, Health, Construction, Education, and Telecom. We also gave our priority to include Women participation in HR Association. Ahmed was the one who gave NGO name as Maldives Association of Human Resources Professionals (MAHRP). The logo was also proposed by him. We will propose logo in our general meeting as per NGO rules. Let's hope MAHRP will continue making history in Maldives. 
To me it seems gov doesn't want such NGOs to be formed due to political reasons as these days gov keep stopping many such NGOs. You can read more about the MAHRP from its website


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