Five ways to land the perfect job, post-appraisals

Its appraisal season, the time of year when happy and unhappy employees start looking out for job opportunities elsewhere, in search of the next dream job. But here's the time when you need to watch out. A few wrong moves and you could land up in another hopeless situation. So, before you plan to take that big leap, keep in mind these crucial points.

Before you switch, think again
This may sound strange, but is the most essential step. When you join a new job, you bring your 'credibility balance' to zero. So be clear of your gains in that 'dream job' in terms of new learning and growth potential apart from money if you are spending all your credibility balance, says A Sudhakar, executive director, HR , Dabur. Spend time on carefully crafting your resume.

Resume is more about content and less about style. Someone who reads your resume perhaps also reads 100 other resumes. Can you precisely put down what you bring to the table, such as past results or other relevant facts, for that 'dream job'? Your potential employer is not interested in your assessment of your potential in your resume. Spend enough time on this step for your own clarity.

Arm yourself well for the interview
Prepare the 'elevator sales pitch' about yourself. It helps to rehearse that first golden question: 'Tell me about yourself'. This is your opportunity to set the direction of your interview. 'Be absolutely clear about your facts'. Vague answers on academic results, sales figures, productivity numbers is a strict no-no, says Yogesh Patgaonkar, vice president - group HR - RPG Group.

Wear your best self on D-Day
Be yourself. Be it in terms of what you choose to wear or even how you answer. If you pretend to fool someone by being 'smart' in an interview, you will not be able to sustain the pretensions when you get that job. This is the simplest yet most effective method of evaluating the 'suitability' of the job for you.

Ask questions and do your reference checks
Please clarify genuine doubts rather than trying to ask 'intelligent questions'. You will be amazed at how intelligent your stupid questions turn out to be if they are your genuine queries!

It is important that you get your doubts sorted out; the way your questions are answered will also indicate how open the environment will be when you join. Also, make sure you run your reference checks on the job. If you are not comfortable on both these counts, don't take up the job.

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