Jobs in Pakistan, Jobs in Middle East

Interview appears to be equally challenging for every job seeker. It is very important that instead of taking an interview as a tough job, one must be able to undergo this process with complete ease and smooth flow.

As experts say, “Practice makes a man perfect”. This ideology of practicing is very helpful for giving a superb interview. Practicing for an interview actually refers to the development of questions and answers by the interviewee himself. One must go on devising questions of every kind associated to the job area and as soon as the questions are developed, the answers to the devised questions must also be provided by the interviewee himself.

However the questions to be asked in an interview can never be predicted, but a complete confidence upon the grasped knowledge and past experiences can make a huge difference in the interview. The preparation therefore cannot be enough to get all the questions being answered the perfect way. The interviewee needs to answer each and every question by being his own way and in his own style.

The skill set however possessed by an individual needs to be clearly understood and well known by the interviewee himself. Moreover the selection of right job is also very important for giving a superb interview.

The detailed and copied answers are usually not preferred in a superb interview. How ever short and point related answers are usually preferred. The interviewee needs to be quick enough to understand the mood of the interviewer. If this is done, the level of confidence can get greatly groomed.

Moreover, in order to give a superb interview, one must not LIE at all. Speak clearly what you don’t know and what you have no idea about. If punctuality, truthfulness and confidence BUT not the overconfidence are adapted as a practice during the interview, it becomes absolutely easy to give a Superb Interview!

Competition in the job market is getting tougher with every passing day — even the MBAs are finding it difficult to get the job of their choice right after completing their education. When competition gets tougher, job seekers are required to work harder in socialising and making contacts at the professional front, plus flexibility in work attitude helps a lot in increasing your chances in finding a job of your dream. Here are a few suggestions; following them you can be able to win the tough job seeking competition.

Come out of your comfort zone

Be open to switch your field — let’s say you are a computer science graduate and after many efforts you are still not able to find any reasonable job, then you are required to look for the options! Explore in yourself which other talents you possess besides being an expert in computing — may be you are a very good writer, or have excellent communication skills in English — you may mention these qualities in your resume and it will surely enhance your chances in finding a good job.

Don’t sit idle

Even if you haven’t found a regular full time job yet, it does not mean you can sit idle at home! The gap in your resume will leave a bad impression on the employer. Get yourself engaged in some freelance assignments, internship or any part-time job so that the period in which you have been looking for a full time job, does not go waste and you can also mention your work details that you performed during your struggle time.

Don’t wait for the job advertisement

Don’t wait for a company of your choice to place an advertisement for a job — simply start sending your resume to all those companies in which you are interested to work. It will make the employer realise that you are a ‘proactive’ person and it will increase your chance in getting a job.

Networking is important

Let all people you know aware of this fact that you are in search of a job — let them know about your qualifications, previous experiences (if any), other qualities, professional and extracurricular certifications. Be active in the virtual world too, make contacts on networking websites and don’t let the online contacts confined to your computer only — try to meet your online friends over a lunch or dinner party because a face-to-face meeting is always much more influential than an online chat.

By following these tips, you can surely get an edge in the tough employment market and have the job of your dreams.

Many employees in Pakistan complain about a very common problem at workplaces these days i.e. they are being assigned tasks that are not part of their job description. The problem here is genuine; in fact the reality is that many employers, in the name of multi-tasking, look for candidates who could work at different positions when needed. Employees would be asked to do tasks that are not part of their job, for instance, a candidate who is hired as an SEO would be asked to post jobs, make calls, listen to customers, prepare administrative documents and also perform as a personal secretary of his boss. Due to present economic recession and the unemployment resulting from it job seekers are forced to accept any offer they could start earning with, many employers take advantage of the helplessness of candidates and exploit the situation to their own benefit.

It is certainly not appropriate for the employer to ask his employee to do tasks that are not included in his job description. However, keeping in mind the present tough economic conditions, it is not advisable for the employee to leave his job straight away. This issue is not a new one and it can be handled in various ways depending upon the scope of the problem that needs to be understood first. You could be facing any one of these two scenarios:

1. You were hired as an HR manager but your boss often asks you to take his car and get it washed, get his check cashed or pick up his clothes from the dry cleaner. If that is the case then you are definitely a victim but you still must not consider leaving the job immediately. The best way to handle this problem is to politely tell your boss that you won’t be able to do these tasks for one or another reason. When you do this once or twice, your boss will understand that you are here for official work and not his personal tasks. As soon as he understands, he will not ask you do his personal tasks anymore.

2. The second scenario could be that you are asked to do a task that one of your colleagues was unable to do. In such a case you should not feel bad, rather take it as an opportunity to impress your employer and secure a promotion for yourself. Such additional tasks prove your worth, capabilities and determination to your boss on one hand and are a favor to your colleagues that would be returned to you when needed. Therefore, accept these tasks with a big heart.

When you accept any additional tasks, do not ask for a salary raise immediately, since it leaves a bad impression on your employer’s mind. He may think that you are more interested in making money than contributing to the company. Apart from that, it’s not the right time to ask for a salary raise since you haven’t proven yourself as yet. Once you perform few additional tasks successfully, you may demand a salary raise from your employer or it may be you that would get a promotion even before you ask for a raise.

However, if you are still unable to continue with such a job you should only leave it after you have secured another job for yourself. You know well, how hard it is to find a job in Pakistan these days when unemployment is on its high. Finally, we hope that our suggestion will be helpful for you in making important decisions of your career.

When searching for a job you will find that most of the jobs require at least a “Bachelor’s degree or equivalent”. So does this mean that if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree you can not apply for that job? Well, not really!

Degree is indeed a requirement for many jobs, but some allow your industry experience to overcome your qualification. Job postings that require a bachelor’s degree “or equivalent” are the ones that you should look for because they do accept your professional experience as an alternative to your lack of education. However, degree is generally mandatory for those fresh candidates who lack relevant professional experience. The word “equivalent” comes into play when your professional experience is such that it could overcome your lack of education.

The requirements for equivalent experience varies from employer to employer but a good thumb rule is to display all your performances, results and accomplishments of your previous work on your resume. Sell your results to the employer if you really want to convince him with your experience. Add proper statements to quantify your short term and long term accomplishments during your previous work. It is even better to give a dollar value against these accomplishments. By putting all these things in your resume you are actually selling your results instead of education.

You should include actual accomplishments of your career. Following are some examples to help you:

Team Lead/Admin: Successfully managed an office team of 100 employees. The Team received “Team of the year award”.

Marketing Manager: increased Company’s revenue by 40% by implementing innovative marketing plan.

Customer Service Manager: Managed the whole department of 50 customer service representatives who successfully handled over 5000 calls per week.

Human Resource Manager: Supervised 30 H.R representatives who interviewed, hired and trained more than 10, 000 employees annually.

Computer Programmer: Designed innovative software for company’s account department that resulted in an 80% increase in the work efficiency.

Bank Manager: Managed 20 potential clients who made investments of more $30 million.

In order to overcome the “degree” obstacle you need to convince the employer by proving to him the benefits in hiring you. Give him examples from your previous work experience, tell him your achievements and accomplishments of previous work, and tell him the benefits you could give to his company. The whole myth behind qualifying for “equivalent experience” is selling your results to the employer.

Many candidates get rejected before they are interviewed because they do not update their resumes. Unfortunately, most of the job seekers are unaware of this mistake. Here are five reasons why updating resume is so important:

1. In today’s world, there is no such thing as job security, so you should always be prepared to grab another opportunity just when it appears. Just imagine if one day your friend comes to you with an exciting new job offer and he asks you to forward your resume now, what will you do if you don’t have your resume updated? You may loose a great opportunity and that is a big loss.

2. As economies change without any warning, big companies and industries too take unexpected turns. It may happen that one bad morning you wake up and find yourself in an industry in complete distress. That’s true, it has happened to many people before and it could happen to you as well. If you keep your resume updated, you will be to tab various opportunities at a time.

3. As financial crisis approach, companies begin to downsize their resources. They start to cut their costs and man power. You could also become a victim of downsizing anytime and then suddenly you will feel the need to update your resume but that stress is not worth taking. However, by keeping your resume updated you could deal with such a situation when needed.

4. Updating your resume could also help you with a better position within your current work place. When your performance and capabilities are reviewed during the annual evaluation, your updated resume would make it clear to your boss that you have been contributing a lot to the company all along.

5. If all of a sudden your family decides to shift to another city or country, how will you manage your job? Now that you are required find a new job in a new place, the need for an updated resume increases even more. Therefore, keeping your resume up to date is just like planning ahead.

Now that you know how important it is to update your resume regularly, we will tell you five ways of how you can update your resume.

1. Ask yourself where you want to see yourself in a few years time and what are your goals? Your resume must reflect your career goals. Replace your objective statement with a focus statement that describes the position title you are aiming at.

2. Mention all the tasks that you have accomplished since your last update. These accomplishments can include short term goals, special projects, tasks or anything beyond.

3. Don’t forget to write down the conferences you have attended since last update, they do matter a lot when it comes to selection. Also add any training sessions or seminars that you have attended.

4. Update your personal information if required. If you have changed your cell number, moved to another city or have another email address, mention it on your resume.

5. Mention any awards or honors that you have received since last update.

You might have heard the famous saying, “I don’t love my job but I am doing it because I have no other choice.” This is the saying of a looser who has surrendered his will power to his weaknesses. We say that a job that you don’t love is no job. Read the following step by step guide to find a job that you will love.

1. Decide your career

Determine your career by comparing your ambitions with capabilities. Your ambitions should match with your capabilities or else you won’t be able to find a job that you could enjoy.

a) Avoid glamorous goals

Don’t eye at something very big, it may be out of your reach. Remember, a glamorous career could be very competitive. Look for short term achievements that you could enjoy.

b) Create a career growth plan

In order to achieve success throughout your career you should design a career growth plan like where do you want to see yourself after 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

c) Look forward to long-term benefits

In the beginning, if you are offered low-paying jobs don’t ignore them. Take them as your learning and training opportunities.

d) Look for a work that you could enjoy

Whatever you do, it should keep you happy. Look for a job that you could enjoy and not get bored with.

2. Get necessary experience

Every job has its own requirements, and experience is one of these requirements. Whatever job you are applying for you should have the necessary experience to qualify for that position. Therefore, do whatever it takes to gain necessary experience for the position you are targeting.

3. Expand your options

In order to develop your career you should not limit your options to a few selective jobs. Rather you should expand your list of available jobs based on your current experience.

4. Plan out your career

Make a plan for your career development based on realistic goals. Select five jobs that you can competitively interview for right now. List them priority wise based on your education and experience. Select another five jobs that you can qualify for in 5 to 10 years time. Prioritize them giving the highest rank to the one that is most appealing.

5. Just do it

You don’t need to learn any rocket science to follow this whole process. Just decide and get disciplined, believe in yourself and don’t let any doubts to deviate you from your career path. Don’t slow down, send as many resumes as possible, keep it up and running. Don’t get depressed over rejections; you will only loose confidence in yourself. Life doesn’t stop with a few rejections, the race is still on.

Many job seekers fail to understand why they are still unemployed despite all their efforts. They search thoroughly, apply to a number of jobs everyday and update resumes, yet they don’t get a job. So they ask themselves, “What’s wrong with the employers?” Well, the truth is that the problem does not lie in the employers but the jobseekers themselves. Unfortunately, many job seekers are not ready to accept this truth.

You may have been updating your resume regularly but it still could not satisfy a single employer, why? The answer is simple, “it did not contain what employers were looking for.” Here, we will discuss 10 reasons why employers might have rejected you.

1. You tell lies

Your resume might have been rejected because it contained too many lies. The employer dismisses you the moment he learns that you have told a lie in your resume. Even if you manage to deceive your employer today, it will be discovered later in your career.

2. You disrespect your previous employers

You would certainly love to slander your previous boss in his absence but you must not do it in front of your new hiring manager. Talking negatively about your previous employer in front of a hiring manager is considered to be one of the most harmful mistakes that a candidate can commit.

3. You don’t have enough potential

Employers look for candidates who have the required potential to grow with the company. If you don’t show them what they are looking for, they will definitely reject you. Therefore, let them know that you have envisioned a future with a successful career in this company.

4. You don’t explore the company

Another reason why employers might reject you is because you do not know any thing about the company. The employers expect you to ask good questions about the company and job role. Therefore, you must employer the company online or through other possible means.

5. You are not enthusiastic

Many candidates are rejected because they did not show any enthusiasm for that job. Employers don’t want such people to work in their organizations; they rather look for enthusiastic people who are ready to take up the challenge.

6. You are being personal

Telling too much about yourself, your hobbies, your activities and your life in the interview can also cost you the job offer. Your personal information could offend some people or it may be misused by your employer. Therefore, you must not tell anything that is not asked.

7. You only care for money

During the interview you were only concerned about money which made the employer dismiss you. When giving an interview, do not bring the issue of salary until the employer asks you about it. Secondly, if you are currently employed do not lie about your salary because the employer can verify it within no time.

10. You don’t give examples

In order to determine how you can help the company, employers look for specific examples in your resume. If you do not demonstrate your role with specific examples in your resume, you may get rejected.

11. You are not experienced

These days managers don’t have much time to train new employees; therefore they look for experienced candidate who will save their time, effort and money. If you do not have the required experience for a particular job, the employer may reject you right away.

Teamwork is one of the most critical factors behind the success of any company. The power of teamwork is such that it can turn around the whole situation in a matter of few days or weeks. Here, we will discuss some of the most important benefits of Teamwork in a workplace:

1. Teamwork increases the overall performance in work production, problem solving and business growth. Not only this, teamwork also boosts up the morale of the employee and as a result increases the input if managed correctly.

2. Teamwork replaces your weakness with the strength of others. When working in a team if you are lacking somewhere you can get some assistance from your co-workers in that particular area. By doing this you actually tap on their expertise to compliment your weakness with their strengths.

3. Teamwork leads to creative and better solutions. Every one of us has different skills, knowledge and personal characteristics. If all of these features are utilized when working in a team, more ideas can be produced. As more ideas are produced, more creative solutions are generated, this leads to better results.

4. Teamwork increases the level of satisfaction among the employees. One of the major reasons behind the lack of job satisfaction among the employees is that they work alone and get fed up very quickly. However, individuals who work together in a team find success and satisfaction.

5. Teamwork also increases the speed of the work force. A task that is allocated to a single person could take months to accomplish but by simply distributing it to a number of persons you can have it one within days.

6. Teamwork also helps in deciding the best option in less time. We have a list of options when we are trying to figure out which one is the best for us. At times, it makes it so difficult for us to make a choice and we can not move forward. While working in a team, we have team members who help us cut through the options and get on with those that are most likely to achieve our desired goal.

Those who understand the power of teamwork and its importance create an environment for their teams that makes them feel greater and better. Whatever you learn through teamwork helps you throughout your life. Teamwork polishes you to the level of perfection.

Many people pledge to improve their professional careers and review their goals with the aim of achieving them. However, very few of them manage to stick to their aim, the rest forget their goals very quickly. This could be the reason behind your failure as well. Read the following tips very carefully as they could help your improve your professional life.

1. Discover an ideal career

Analyze your current job and compare it with your talent, abilities and needs. Ask yourself these questions: Am I utilizing my professional skills and talent with my current job? Does my job allow me to take the best out of my earning potential? Do I really like this job? If your answer to all these questions is “no” then you should start searching for an ideal career. Review your personality characteristics, mode of work and professional skills and abilities. With this you can start your search and discover an Ideal career.

2. Update your professional skills

If your current job suits you then you definitely need to upgrade your knowledge and professional skills so that you can excel in your field. Get the latest training that would upgrade your industry expertise and in today’s world of internet it is not difficult at all. You will find a number of career training courses online that will enhance your skills and strengthen your resume.

3. Take the necessary input

Your personal analysis is not enough, in order to determine your career you must take the necessary input from your colleagues, team mates, manager and most importantly, your boss. They will tell you things that you had never noticed in your personality. So spare some time to sit with them individually and get their opinions on your performance and skills. This will not only highlight the strong and weak points in your personality but will also boost your confidence and will to advance rapidly in your career.

4. List down your goals

Think about what you want to achieve within a certain period of time, make a list of your goals by prioritizing the most important ones. Your goals should be realistic and attainable.

5. Create an action plan

Now that you know your personality traits and have set your career goals accordingly, the next step is to create an action plan that serves your mission. Write down the necessary steps that need to be taken in order to achieve your goals. Set deadlines against each step and keep your action plan realistic.

Since the use of digital interactive media in continuously growing all over the world, the role of IT and Telecommunication is also increasing. This, in return, has created a lot of opportunities for graduate web developers in Pakistan. Everyone is aware of foreign investment and business outsourcing in Pakistan and this trend is expected to develop even further in the coming years. So there is more good news for talented web developers of Pakistan.

However, the nature of web developer jobs is significantly diverse; a web developer may be required to work as a designer and a programmer at the same time. In fact, these are the basic skills that every graduate web developer is expected to have. Be it government or private, commerce or education web developers work in all sectors of the industry. They create applications for World Wide Web that normally operate a server or web browser.

If you are also one of those graduates who are looking for job in web development industry then read carefully the summary of skills and qualifications required for this job:

Programming languages required for a web developer job

• C#, C++, .NET, and Java for operating the servers.
• Scripting languages such as Perl, JavaScript, Python and traditional Shell.
• PHP programming language.
• Most popular skills for web browsers such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Other technologies such as Oracle, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and XML.

A web developer is required to be familiar with following designing packages

• PhotoShop
• Dreamweaver
• Flash
• Coldfusion
• Fireworks
• Visual Studio
• Eclipse

It is not necessary for a graduate web developer to have a formal degree in IT or Computer Science. It is, however, essential for him to have complete knowledge of basic concepts of a website i.e. ‘front end’ and ‘back end’. To cut short, a web developers needs to know how exactly the technology works in the back end, apart from being aware of the front end side of a web site. Web developers who do have formal degrees in IT or Computer Science (BCS, BSc Computers, and BIT) have strong grasp on subjects such as:

• Web development
• Web Designing
• Multimedia Designing
• Computer programming
• Business information systems
• Digital media development
• Web content management

While these are the basic skills and qualifications, a graduate web developer job also requires some amount formal or informal professional experience. Since you have just graduated and are in search of your first job, the best way to gain experience in web development is to graduate internships or training programs. Also, look for contract positions as they are a good way of gaining experience. Apart from these, you can just start developing small web applications at home and learn about new things through internet.