February 23, 2011

How to Write Great Résumés

Friends,
 I came across this article on the web sometime back and thought that it would be very much usefull. Please go through it;

Experience



As a general rule, include your work experience of the last 10 years and avoid work period gaps whenever possible. Experience older than 10 years is usually too remote and outdated—especially given how fast and relentlessly IT and relevant skill sets constantly evolve.






Include any work experience you have had, whether you were paid for it or not. If you completed the work as an intern, volunteer, or teacher’s assistant, include that information if it is relevant to the job for which you are applying. To properly list your experience, you should include three components, your employer, your position, and the time period during which you held that position. For example:

IBM, Database Administrator, June 2001 – present
Database Administrator, IBM, June 2001 – present

If your job title was significantly more impressive than the employer’s name in the industry, list your title ahead of your employer’s name. If your company is as impressive as—or more impressive than—your title, lead with the company name.

If you held different positions within the same company, use the company as a heading and list your positions below. For example:

IBM
Senior Database Administrator, June 1999-present
Database Administrator, June 1998-June 1999
Standing Out From the Crowd: Positioning Your Experience


As much as any other step in your job search, positioning is incredibly important when drafting and perfecting your résumé. As you learned in How to Stand Out From the Crowd, positioning yourself is a five-step process.

1.Take the research you have done about the company for whom you’d like to work and use it to determine what the company needs from you.


2.Take the research and contemplation you have done about yourself and identify the skills that you have that the company needs.


3.By understanding both the company’s needs and the skills and traits you can offer, you can compare the two and determine how you, as a potential employee, can most help the company.


4.Explain and demonstrate to the company’s representatives how your skills will benefit them by citing specific examples of how you’ve applied your skills in the past.


5.Lastly, be sure to show the company how your soft-skills complement and compound your technical skills, making you an even more valuable potential employee.


PAR


A widely used and very good technique for positioning your skills and experience within a résumé is commonly referred to as PAR (Problem, Action and Results). Use the PAR approach when citing past work experiences and accomplishments to explain your value to your potential new employer. PAR statements, in essence, answer the following questions in the following order:

1.Problem – What problem did I solve for my employer?


2.Action – What action did I take to solve the problem for my employer?


3.Results – What were the beneficial results of my action?


Consider using the PAR structure when detailing your prior employment experience. For example, a PAR statement on your résumé would read:

Reduced cost of purchased network systems by over $35,000 by finding and negotiating with alternative suppliers.

Implemented standardized configuration control standard to streamline helpdesk operation and increase calls handled per hour by over 23%.


RECOGNITION AND AWARDS


Make sure your résumé highlights outstanding recognition you have received for past accomplishments. Such recognition and awards might include:

■ CSTE Certifications


■ Customer recognition for an achievement


■ Co-worker recognition for an achievement


■ Manager recognition for an achievement


■ A promotion


■ A company award


■ A productivity bonus


■ Being selected to assume greater, special professional responsibilities


WHO CARES?


To determine if everything you have included in your new résumé is truly relevant, you should review every item on your résumé and ask yourself, “who cares?” Your responses – in the affirmative – will help you with your self-positioning. It will help you to acquire the habit of explaining not only what you did but, just as importantly, why it matters to your potential employer.

For example, the following statement would flunk the Who Cares test and not really position you in the way you want to be positioned:

Implemented standardized configuration control standard.

However, this statement—based on the same work experience and accomplishment—passes the Who Cares test with flying colors:

Implemented standardized configuration control standard to streamline helpdesk operation and increase calls handled per hour by over 23%.

How to Format an IT Résumé


MAKE IT SCANNABLE


In all likelihood, a company is going to scan your résumé when they receive it. To make your résumé easily scannable:

■ Use the document/paper size standard in the country in which you are applying for work (A4 in most of the world and 8.5 x 11 inches in the United States).


■ Use high-quality white paper and avoid paper stock possessing any large or noticeable watermark.


■ Use a highly legible type font—Times New Roman is very popular—in a font size large enough to be easily read without looking like a children’s book—usually 10-12 pts.


■ Avoid italics.


■ Avoid horizontal lines or boxes.


■ Only use boldface and/or all capital letters for headings and make sure letters do not overlap or touch.


■ Place your personal contact information at the top of the résumé.


■ Do not fold the page.


■ Always submit cleanly laser printed originals—not photo copies.


CREATE AN ASCII RÉSUMÉ


If you must submit your résumé electronically, follow the instructions provided by the employer. If you are emailing your résumé as an attachment, first determine what sort of file the recipient requires. In most cases, they will accept PDF documents or popular word processor documents, such as Microsoft Word files.

If you are emailing your résumé as a word processor file, save it so it is compatible with the lowest application version you can to allow for the lowest common denominator in software versions.

General Résumé Tips


When writing your résumé, you should try to the follow these general rules:

REPLY AS REQUESTED


Read the job description carefully and make sure your skills and experience meet the required qualifications. Our Member Companies complain frequently that they are approached by a vast number of unqualified applicants. If you apply for a job for which you are unqualified, you may hurt your chances of ever being considered for any other job with that firm.

SELL YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS


A strong technical résumé comes down to your skill set. Clearly define your qualifications and skills near the beginning of your résumé, and you’ll have an advantage.


FOLLOW THE RULES


Pay attention to submissions processes, which help companies manage incoming résumés. Some companies require certain résumé formats and others want reference request numbers included in emails. If you do follow a company’s specific résumé submission guidelines or requirements, you may be automatically rejected or receive lower prioritization within the screening process.


DOCUMENT LENGTH


Managers often expect technical résumés from experienced people to be three to five pages in length. The first half of the first page is crucial. This is what someone will see when they open the email or document. For college graduates, one page is still the industry-standard and expected document length.


USE PAR


Do not simply list your job functions—use the PAR approach to show how you helped your employer solve a problem or start a new process, ultimately achieving positive business results.

SELL YOUR “SOFT SKILLS”


Your technical skills will often get you an interview, but your “soft skills”—such as your ability to communicate and work well with others—will help a hiring manager to justify hiring you over any equally technically qualified competitors.

GAPS IN YOUR WORK HISTORY


If you were unemployed for a period, be honest and feel free to explain it. Otherwise, companies will usually sense if you are trying to hide something. Beware, though—some companies are suspicious of candidates with multiple employment history gaps and will question such a candidate’s employability.


PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD. PROOFREAD.


Proofread your résumé at least three times. Read it aloud to yourself. Once you’re satisfied with your résumé, share it with a few trusted friends and colleagues. Have them review it to look for problems with accuracy, readability, and mistakes.


Source

February 11, 2011

CSQA Objective Questions

1.        The statement of an organization's commitment to quality is a......
 a.        Policy
b.       Vision
c.        Mission
d.       Principle
e.        Goal
 
Ans: a
 
2.        Which of the following is not a defect metric?
a.             Location
b.             Cause
c.             Time to fix
d.             Classification
e.             Coverage
f.             All of the above
 
Ans: f
 
3.        Quality improvement programs may require the product itself to be changed.
a.        True        b.   False
 
Ans: b
 
4.        The basis upon which adherence to policies is measured is
a.        Standard
b.       Requirement
c.        Expected result
d.       Value
e.        All of the above
f.         None of the above
 
Ans: a
 
5.        Which of the following does not form a part of a workbench?
a.        Standards
b.       Quality attributes
c.        Quality control
d.       Procedures
e.        Rework
 
Ans: b
 
6.        The focus on the product is highest during
a.        a walkthrough
b.       a checkpoint review 
c.        an inspection
 
Ans: b
 
7.        During  an inspection, inspectors normally make suggestions on correcting the defects found.
a.        True        b.   False
 
Ans: b
 
8.        There are _______ numbers of function types.
a.        2              b.   3        c.   4        d.   5        e.   6
 
Ans: c (as per cbok)
 
9.        The Quality manager will find it difficult to effectively implement the QAI Quality Improvement Process, unless his organization is willing to accept the Quality principles as
a.        The organization’s policy
b.       A challenge
c.        The corporate vision
d.       The organization’s goal
e.        A management philosophy
f.        All of the above 

Ans: f 

10.     Baselines measure the _____________________ change.
a.        Situation prior to
b.       Expectation of benefits of
c.        Effects of
d.       Desirability of
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: a
 
11.     Modifying existing standards to better match the need of a project or environment is
a.        Definition
b.       Standard for a standard
    c.     Tailoring
d.       Customization
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: c
 
12.     Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award  has the following eligibility categories/ dimensions
a.        Approach
b.       Deployment
c.        Results
d.       All of the above
e.        Manufacturing, Service and small businesses
f.         None of the above
 
Ans: e
 
13.     The term “benchmarking” means
a.        Comparing with past data from your organization
b.       Comparing with the results of a market survey
c.        Comparing with the results of a customer survey
d.       None of the above Ans: d 

14.     An example of deployment of a quality approach is:
a.        The degree to which the approach embodies effective evaluation cycles
b.       The appropriate and effective application to all product and service characteristics
c.        The effectiveness of the use of tools, techniques, and methods
d.       The contribution of outcomes and effects to quality improvement
e.        The significance of improvement to the company’s business
 
Ans: c
 
15.     The concept of continuous improvement as applied to quality means:
a.        Employees will continue to get better
b.       Processes will be improved by a lot of small improvements
c.        Processes will be improved through a few large improvements
d.       Improved technology will be added to the process, such as acquiring  CASE tools
e.        The functionality of the products will be enhanced
 
Ans: b
 
16.     The activity which includes confirming understanding, brainstorming and testing ideas is a
a.        Code walkthrough
b.       Inspection
c.        Review
d.       Structured walkthrough
 
Ans: c
 
17.     The following  can be considered to measure quality:
a.        Customer satisfaction
b.       Defects
c.        Rework
d.       All of the above
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: d
 
18.     The most common reason for the presence of a large number of bugs in a software product is,
a.        Incompetence of the developer
b.       Incompetence of the tester
c.        Bad requirements
d.       Wrong use of tools and techniques Ans: d 

19.     The following is (are) not part of a data center operations
  1. Capacity planning
  2. I/O control
  3. Scheduling
  4. All of the above
  5. None of the above
 
Ans:
 
20.     The process of securing future processing capability with proper data for future contingencies by duplicating systems procedures and data is
a.        providing a Help Desk
b.       Database Design
c.        Artificial Intelligence
d.       System Backup
e.        All of the above
f.         None of the above

Ans:
 
21.     The objective of TQM is
a.        To improve processes
b.       To improve profitability
c.        All of the above
d.       None of the above

Ans: a

 
22.     System Test Plan will not include
a.        Approach
b.       Pass/Fail criteria
c.        Risks
d.       Suspension and Resumption criteria
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: c
 
23.     The two types of checklists are _______________ and ________________________.
 
24.     The following is NOT a category in MBNQA criteria:
a.        Leadership
b.       HR Focus
c.        Quality Management
d.        Information and Analysis
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: c
 
25.     The following are types of listening are:
a.        Descriptive listening
b.       Compensation listening
c.        Apprehensive listening     
d.       All of the above
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: c
 
26.     Complaints must be resolved within
a.        An hour
b.       Four minutes
c.        A day    
d.       Four hours
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: b
 
27.     Function Point is not a measure of
a.        Effort
b.       complexity
c.        usability
d.       all of the above
e.        size
f.         None of the above
 
Ans:
 
28.     Quality Assurance personnel must not be involved in changing work products.
a.        True        b.   False
 
Ans:
 
29.     The purpose of cost-of -quality computations is to show how much is being spent for the quality control and quality assurance program.
a.        True        b.  False[A2] 
 
Ans: b
 
30.     The method by which release from the requirements of a specific standard may be obtained for a specific situation is a
a.        Tailoring                               
b.       Customization
c.        Force Field Analysis
d.       Waiver
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: d
 
31.     Measures designed to minimize the probability of modification, destruction, or inability to retrieve software or data is
a.        Preventive security
b.       Corrective security
c.        Protective security
d.       None of the above
 
Ans: a
 
32.     In the TCS scenario a Project Leader is a Project Manager
a.        True        b.   False
 
Ans:
 
33.     Quality assurance is a function responsible for
a.        Controlling quality
b.       Managing quality
c.        Inspections
d.       Removal of defects
 
Ans: b
 
34.     The word management in quality assurance describes many different functions, encompassing 
a.        Policy management
b.       Human resources management,  safety control
c.        Component control and management of other resources and daily schedules.
d.       All of the above
e.        None of the above  
Ans: e
 
35.     Malcolm Balridge National Quality Award is an annual award to recognize U.S. companies which excel in
a.        Quality achievement
b.       Quality management
c.        Both of the above
 
Ans: b
 
36.     With defined process in SEI’s process model, organization will achieve the foundation for major and continuing process.
a.        True        b.   False
 
Ans: a
 
37.     Statistical process control help to identify the __________ of process problems which are causing defects.
a.        Root cause
b.       Nature
c.        Person/persons involved 
d.       All of the above
e.        None of the above
 
Ans: b
 
38.     Statistical methods are used to differentiate random variation from
a.        Standards
b.       Assignable variation
c.        Control limits
d.       Specification limits     
 
Ans: c
 
39.     Random causes of process problems can be ___________ eliminated.
a.        Sometimes
b.       Never
c.        Rarely
d.       Always 

 Ans: d 

40.     Complexity measurements are quantitative values accumulated by a pre-determined method for measuring complexity of a
a.        Software engineering process
b.       Software product
c.        Data base
d.       Project team
 
Ans: b
 
41.     Function points provide an objective measure of the application system -------------that can be used to compare different kinds of application systems.
a.        Size
b.       Complexity
c.        Performance
d.       Operation ease
 
Ans: a
 
42.     Which of the following is not relevant in quantifying the amount of information processing function?
a.        External inquiry
b.       Software platform
c.        External output
d.       Logical internal file
e.        External input
f.         External interface file
 
Ans:
 
43.     Function point analysis requires information on hardware and software for the application system.
a.     True        b.   False
 
Ans: b