DO THE BASICS
Are they prepared? How professionally do they act ? These are the things that set a candidate apart."

Most graduates entering the workforce should be able to create a spreadsheet or connect to a web site, but successful job hunting is less about work experience, education and skills than marketing. It's about how you target, package and ultimately sell your qualifications to a potential employer.

The following tips can help you prepare an effective resume, turn up job leads and excel during interviews.

Needed: Job Objective
Your job objective is the most important section on your resume. It's also the one section that many job seekers purposely omit.

While you may be tempted to leave out an objective or write an all-encompassing one that applies to several functions or positions, consider this reality: A busy decision maker who has a large stack of resumes to review may spend only a few seconds on yours. And often, that person will use a job objective-or the lack of it-as the sole criteria for narrowing the field of applicants.

"We receive so many resumes that it becomes hard to sort through the information," says Mr. Manish Tandon ,REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER PIZZA HUT . "The first thing we'll look for is the job objective."

Many large organizations often have sophisticated applicant-screening processes. At these companies, resumes are entered into a computer database that may sort them solely by job objective. This means that if you're seeking a job in marketing but you fail to include an objective that says so, your resume probably won't make it to a decision maker in the marketing department.

But what if you're applying for jobs in different fields? For example, you're a HR major who wants to either teach or work in a Hotel and Catering College. The best solution is to create a separate resume for each position, with a different objective on each.

Network, Network, Network
Every year, thousands of graduating seniors find jobs through their College' on-campus interview programs. But these positions are just the tip of the iceberg. Many more are located in the "hidden" job market, which consists of opportunities that are never advertised. These are often the best jobs, and to find them you must be proactive and creative when job hunting.

"On-campus interviews and newspaper ads might be obvious avenues to explore, but you really have to dig to get to most of the best jobs," says Mr. Dhingra C E O. PORTFOLIO PLUS . So how do you tap the hidden job market? By researching and networking.

The word "networking" is intimidating to many job seekers who mistakenly attach a negative connotation to the term. But networking is nothing more than building and maintaining a large, diverse group of friends.

You probably already know several people you can contact to help get the word out about your job search. They might include Recruitment Agencies , Professors, your roommate's parents, fraternity brothers or sorority sisters who've already Employed , your family insurance agent-there are likely dozens of people who might be a phone call away from leading you to a job opportunity.

"People change jobs more frequently now than they ever have before," says Mr. Dhingra CEO.
PORTFOLIO PLUS . "That means that the networking opportunities have never been better. It also means that networking is much more important."

Once you're employed, work to stay in touch and maintain your network of contacts & friends . You may want to draw on them again some day when you're ready to change jobs.

Identify and Address Your Weaknesses
Almost without exception, every job applicant has a weakness. It might be a lack of relevant work experience, a marginal grade-point average or an unsuccessful tenure as an officer in a campus organization.

While the easiest way to handle these weaknesses might be to ignore them and hope they don't come up during an interview, a more effective approach is to identify and address them beforehand.

"I'm generally suspicious of a candidate who has never failed," says Mr.Sanjiv Sharma , HR Manager CHOLA SHERATON "I'm more impressed with the person who not only has failed, but shows me he's learned something from the experience."

When preparing for interviews, plan on focusing your discussion on five areas including your personal background, educational background, activities and organizations, work experience and career goals. Think of these areas as funnels for the information you plan to introduce. You'll start talking in broad, general terms
and then zero in on the specific details you want to communicate.

Now you can prepare and rehearse these funnels to over come that fear of Interview.

Research Potential Employers
"Most people research the obvious," says Mr. Rajiv Seth MARRIOT HOTEL, GOA . "Their idea of preparing for an interview is to read some basic information and memorize statistics and numbers."

While such vital statistics as how many people a company employs, how long it's been in business and how much money it earned last year are important, they reveal nothing about a company's market position, its competition or its work atmosphere. These latter details will allow you to have a more engaging and memorable conversation with an interviewer. However, to gain this information, you must do more than read through the annual report in your Campus's placement office.

For instance, if you're researching a Top Class Hotel, its branches and take notes, check out the company's web site and those of its competitors. Search online or visit the library to find articles about the firm in business and trade magazines.

"It isn't always easy to find information," says Mr. Dhingra. "But the person who does already has proven to me both his desire and his problem-solving nature."

Ask Questions That 'Close the Sale'
One of the hardest skills to master is how to courteously ask for what you want, whether it's a referral, an interview or the job itself. You may feel interviewers will perceive these statements as pushy or rude.

These "closing" questions are difficult for even seasoned candidates and you may need to summon all your tact and courage to ask them. However, by doing so, you can flush out any shortcomings others might perceive about your qualifications.

An example of a closing question might be: "Now that you've had an opportunity to review my resume and speak with me, are there any concerns you might have in referring me to someone you know?" Or, "Will you be recommending me for the next round of interviews?"

When asking a closing question, you must be prepared to receive an honest answer and to address any concerns you hear. Again, recognizing your weaknesses and having a game plan for addressing them is key.

"I respect candidates who aren't afraid to ask for what they want, as long as they're not pushy. It takes a special skill to be able to do that," says Mr. Bannerjee, General manager MGM GROUP HOTELS, KOLKATA

Mastering these tips will increase your chances of landing a job that's right for you. However, you won't receive an offer from every employer you meet, even those with jobs that seem perfect for you. Since few employment decisions are personal, simply move on to the next opportunity.

"There are so many bright, capable students graduating today. If a student has done reasonably well in college and proven that he or she has learned to learn, then it really comes down to fit," says Mr. Dhingra. "That's as much about an organization as it is about the person. It's not something a job applicant should take personally.