What Leaders Look for First-Time Job Candidates | Amritkaal Mentors – An Initiative by MentorCloud

Foreign.

Welcome to the Amrit Kal Mentors Launch Day sessions. We have selected January 12, 2025, which happens to be the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, considered as a national mentor of the country. It's also the National Youth Day and Amrit Kal Mentors initiative is to really bring the expertise of some of the best experts from around the world, from within India and outside India to Indian youth. Because India holds a huge demographic dividend.

And it becomes a dividend if you ensure that youth are skilled professionals, leaders with the right values and the right principles. So we started this morning and these sessions will continue, you know, forever. Every, every week we'll have some experts. But today we have curated the set of speakers who really care about you and who bring lots of experience. And right now I have someone who I deeply respect and admire.

Sri Ramesh Vaswani Ji. His number of years of experience is, is pretty much more than any of us in terms of age. I huge respect for Mr. Ramesh. Ramesh Ajit Vaswani Ji is an industry professional based in Delhi with 59 years of experience, 54 of them in India and five years overseas. And I remember those stories of overseas. Very, very inspiring and powerful. And 50 of those years have been at the level of general manager, managing director and executive vice chairman. So you know, truly very high leadership positions. He has been working in and managed companies in manufacturing, refrigeration and automotive, plastics, packaging, consumer durables, FHP motors, industrial and inflexible hoses, software dependent applications, IT hardware, mobile phones, you name it. Amazing. And now we're talking about someone who has been through some of the amazing yet challenging years of India from 1960s. Over the years Ramesh Ji has turned around many Sikh companies, set up new factories and also negotiated many joint venture and technology collaboration agreements around the world. Is widely traveled and led several delegations to government officials to present industry wide issues. Now you know, if all of you here, everything that you are enjoying for the freedom, all of the, you know, industry friendly policies are all because of work by, you know, leaders like Ramesh. Because back in late 60s, early 70s India was, was not what it is today. Ramesh has been and continues to be a member of various committees at cii, PhD Chamber of Commerce, Ficci CIMA and also the Vice chairman of Indo Italian Chamber of commerce and industry. Mr. Vaswani is a mechanical engineer, a gold medalist from my alma mater in IIT Madras and he's also the founder president of the Alumni chapter in Delhi. So he's going to Be sharing with us.

Cracking the code what leaders look for in first time job candidates. I've heard some so many anecdotes when I was talking to Ramesh over the last several months I've known. So.

Ramesh, thank you so much for sparing your time. You're on a vacation in Singapore but you're still, you know, came forward to share your wisdom with our attendees. So over to you.

I will stay off video but I'll be here.

Thank you Ravi. And welcome to all my young friends who have decided to hear me out. And most of all, welcome to my dear friend Krishan Kalra who has taken out the time from his holiday in Bombay to join this session. Thank you Krishan.

So.

How should I start?

You see, you young people are living in a far more dynamic and fast changing world than I did when I started my career.

And you will really wonder what this old fossil can give you and what useful tips can I give you when things are changing so fast.

But let me tell you from whatever little experience I have in industry, in recruiting people, in training people and in developing young talent, the basic principles of.

Management have not changed.

Concepts can be applied across the board irrespective of the nature of the business you're working in. And to my mind.

Although the technology has changed, the principles remain the same. The most effective, efficient use of resources under your command. I call it T4M. T4M. Time, men, materials, machines and money.

So that is the type of.

Resources you will ultimately have to utilize to achieve results when you start working.

My remarks will be somewhat general but more biased towards candidates seeking a job which would make them a team leader in say two to three years in a private corporate sector environment.

Throughout my life I did not work for the government. I did not work for a public sector undertaking. So my experience has been in the private sector. My experience has been in a few owner managed companies which I tried to make professional and which I did. So you will have to excuse me if you listen to some of my experiences which are confined to that limited sector.

Now let's come down to brass tags. How do you prepare for an interview?

I'm sure all of you have done your own reading on this but I want to tell you that when you make a cv, please do not use a standard format available on the net.

People who recruit are fed up of reading that standard format which makes you say much more than what you are actually capable of. So my suggestion to you would be that you make a CV which is talks straight about you and not in flowery language. Use simple language. Talk about yourself. Talk a little about your family background and about your education, your favorite subjects, your hobbies, your extra co curricular interests, blah, blah. That is my first advice.

And I would say that you should start preparing for an interview at least a year ahead of finishing your studies. I say this because during that year you should try to identify the work area which sets a fire in your belly. What is it that you would like to do? In which area would you like to work?

This can also be done with the help of some senior members of your family, people who have already had some work experience, or senior friends who may have already joined work. Take inputs from as many people as possible to.

Sort of focus your thinking in this area.

Then I would add that you should identify some of the target companies in which you would like to work.

I'm sure you people interact with so many friends, so many family members who are working in different companies. You read about companies, you should. If you are not, you should read a daily newspaper. You should try and read a financial paper like the Economic Times or the Business Standard. You should start reading a business magazine like Business Today or Business World. Because even though you may not be able to digest much of what is written there, as you begin to interact with these publications, you will pick up vibrations about what is happening in the world around you in India.

Another. Another thought which I personally subscribe to is that initially the company you choose to work in should be as close to your hometown as possible.

I say this because.

You will feel more at home. You will not be thrown into the swimming pool before you have learned to swim. And perhaps your parents will also be more comfortable if you are somewhere nearby.

Incidentally, this also helps in stopping the reckless migration which is happening in our country today. From certain from all over the country to certain restricted urban areas where industry has grown and where everybody gets attracted like bees to honey. You just go there, you start searching for a job. I want to go to Delhi, I want to go to Bombay. I want to go to Madras, Calcutta, Chennai, whatever. Try and. Let's try and work against that trend. Because the more the people who work in local areas, the greater the progress of that local area. I mean, this is an idealistic thought, but do give it a thought.

Yes, sir. Yes?

Can you move your laptop a little bit closer so we have the full full view?

Is it better? More, more, more.

And we will edit this. Ah, there you go.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Is it okay?

Sorry, you went on mute.

It's good now. It's good now. Thank you.

Okay, so I was saying that every college today has a placement department.

Work with the placement department closely to identify the places where you would like to apply for a job and take their assistance to clarify your doubts and set you in the right direction.

And when you do decide and when you are called for an interview, you must read about the company you are going to for an interview, the products of that company, the history of that company, and about the competition for that company. Go a little better informed and well informed about the environment in which you are going for an interview.

Be prepared for a short and crisp answer to a standard question which may be asked in the interview. Tell us something about yourself.

Here. You should cover your education.

Your other interests, your family background and your aspirations.

I've said this a little earlier while I started my talk, but I'm repeating this because this first question may in itself form an impression on the interview board. So think about it. What is it you're going to say if asked this question?

Another thing which you must prepare before you go for an interview is to have basic IT skills. I'm sure all of you do. Yet I think it is important that you should know how to work in Microsoft Office, in the iOS, Apple operating system.

Android, etc. Because it will be very helpful when you start your career.

Maintaining a daily diary is a good habit.

I know many of us youngsters in today's times. Many of you hesitate to write anything in hand. I would strongly recommend that you should write every day something in your own handwriting. And a daily diary is a good.

Idea to start with.

In this. If you cannot maintain a daily diary, then on a notebook or a PC.

Or a desktop, whatever, you should talk about the main activities for the day.

Learnings you may have from any of the activities or interactions during the day, and any questions which come to your mind, jot down those questions and as you go along seek answers to those questions which can be always answered in subsequent days.

So you will notice that what I'm talking about is not rocket science. I'm just trying to give you a few simple tips which I hope will be helpful when you go for your first job interview.

The company to which you apply may ask you to submit a short note, a handwritten essay on why you think you are suitable for the job you have applied for.

Now, this essay is extremely important. Many companies insist that you write it in your own hand.

Now, if this essay is not neatly written, if it has scratches, it has additions, it has alterations, it gives a Poor impression of the clarity in your mind. So before you sit down to write anything, think carefully before you start writing and then write it in a clear, unblemished handwriting.

Yes, in spite of our education system having got diversified into many, many Indian languages.

There is still no doubt that proficiency in English, both written and spoken, can be very helpful. But it is not the only criteria.

Based on which companies recruit. One has recruited over one's lifetime many bright students who spoke only one language, let us say Hindi or had a broken English. No problems at all. Please do not get an inferiority complex if you are not very fluent in English, but if you can take a course in simple written and spoken English, it can be very helpful.

So now coming to the interview.

A candidate should present himself.

At an interview as a pleasant person.

Walk in with a smile.

Exude confidence.

Sit when asked to.

And during the interview, listen carefully before you jump into an answer.

Think a little before you answer. Do not rush into a quick answer. And when you are answering, look straight at the person, into a person's eyes who has asked you the question.

Do not.

Try to be shifty because the moment you try to look away, people get the feeling that you are not being honest, you are not being transparent. Look straight into the eye of the person who has asked you the question and then as you answer, look around at the other people on the other side and come back to the person who has asked you the question.

Be reasonably good in general knowledge.

And particularly about your city, your state and the country.

Be totally transparent.

If necessary, do not hesitate to say, sorry, but I do not know the answer to that question. This is far more appreciated than you are trying to give an answer about which you are not confident.

Be prepared to answer questions like favorite subject.

Favorite hobby or hobbies, favorite sports.

Extracurricular activities.

And then be further prepared.

For the interviewer to deep dive into any of your favorite areas.

So please do not skim the surface of any of your favorite areas which I have mentioned. Before you go for the interview, please read about it a little more, please think about it a little more, gain as much knowledge as possible and then you are ready for the deep dive. Also.

Another very popular question in interviews for first time job candidates is what is the biggest challenge you have faced in your life.

And how did you face it?

How did you handle it? Now this is a very typical question which can be asked, so be prepared. Each one of us growing up have faced challenges. They may be simple challenges, but at that age when you faced it, it was a huge challenge. So look back upon the past, jot down some of the challenges which you face and how you came out of that situation.

Another favorite question is what are your strengths and weaknesses?

Now here again, I would suggest that you should jot down.

Each of your strengths and your weaknesses very honestly, very clearly.

And what are you doing to overcome your weaknesses?

All these questions give the interviewer an impression about your sincerity of purpose, that you are thinking about things which matter to you, that you are not just floating through life. You have a rudder. You are trying to move in a particular direction by utilizing your own rudder.

Another question which can be asked is about leadership experience of your life. Anytime you have been a team leader.

And if so, how did you execute that role?

You may have been a house captain, you may have been a prefect, you may have been a part of a football team or a badminton team. So think about those days and conceptualize and bring some good answers to the table.

An interviewer may also ask you what would you like to be doing two years from now.

Or five years from now?

So please think a little ahead. Think for tomorrow, day after, what are your aspirations? What would you like to be doing? And have a good answer.

My next advice to you would be that for the first five years of your career, look for an aim for learning as opposed to earning.

Because those initial years are best utilized to learn as much as possible. Earning will come undoubtedly if you have learned well from practical experience.

As they say, if you learn the ropes, climbing up is easy.

So look for companies which have a good reputation for training.

There is no substitute to training to be able to move ahead and execute responsibilities in a career.

So please look for companies which are reputed for good training.

Well.

I would say that.

People who have had a good training.

Tend to rise much faster than people who have rushed into just getting on with a job.

So when you join a company.

Try to learn as much as possible from your seniors, from your colleagues in the department, and have an interface with the departments which interact with your department on a day to day basis.

That is a very fast way of learning because when you begin to understand how the interfacing department works and what inputs it gives to you and what inputs it takes from you, you begin to understand how the wheels of an organization actually move.

And at the end of the every day, please jot down your unfinished tasks for the day and also what you plan to do the next day.

If you do. If you get into that habit, it can be very helpful in accelerating your growth in any environment.

So Ravi, I Think I've shared most of the basic thoughts of what I would look for in a first time job candidate. And I'll be very happy if you want to add something and of course to listen to any questions which the young audience may have.

Perfect. Thank you so much. I was thinking, can you tell a story? I remember you were saying some early stories of when you were hiring people. Any stories come to mind that would be sort of useful for the young audience?

And then.

The simplicity with which you talked about preparing for the interview. As simple as tell me about yourself. Most people say, I am Ravi Gundlapalli, I am a fourth year BTech student, means nothing. So I think everybody on the call today and the session should think about this response, write it, practice it, and so that it covers all the elements that Ramesh mentioned. So any stories that you can share, some of the hiring that you did and.

The.

I'm just. I'm just trying to think.

You see.

I hired once a graduate engineer trainee.

Who I thought was a very good shop floor engineer.

But very rapidly I realized that he was much more than a shop floor engineer.

That he had. He was able to handle people very well.

He was able to understand problems fast and had a much higher capability than the job for which he had been hired.

So I immediately discussed with the HR department that in addition to the job that he's doing, can we give him something more to do?

So we discussed with the departmental head in which he was working.

And the departmental head identified that within his department there was some particular problem area which could not be addressed by the people who are fighting daily fires. Because, you know, in every department there is a certain target to be achieved, there are certain tasks to be performed, something to be done before the end of the day. And so everybody is busy fighting fires.

Whereas there are certain areas which require attention but which get neglected. So we gave to this young engineer a project.

We defined the project and then we asked him to take time out from his routine task. And the departmental head made it possible for him to take time out from his routine tasks and.

Work around, go deep into the records of the department, the data, the process, and make a project report on that problem area.

When this young man made that project report, very interestingly, certain things came out.

Simple things like, you know, changing a procedure or changing the process of approval of a particular.

Receiving inspection area. So.

That project helped the departmental head to be debug, when I say debug, remove the bottleneck which otherwise would have just remained and was affecting the efficiency of the department.

So that's one story I can immediately recall.

I also. Sorry.

Go on, go on, go on, please.

No, no. The other thing which I think I shared with you was a concept I learned from my first chairman.

When I started hiring people.

He said that.

Once you have hired a person.

It becomes your responsibility to make him successful.

In the job for which you have hired him.

So all you young people, when you get hired, please interact freely and frankly with your supervisor. If you are not able to perform any part of your task because the company hires you not to fire you.

At the time of hiring, the company needs you. Now. It is up to you to identify your weak areas and take help from your supervisor to strengthen yourself in those areas. So my chairman told me that there is no employee.

No, sorry. He told me that when you look at the performance of anybody in the team, you must understand.

That he is.

Improvable.

And or rejectable.

There is no such thing employee who is tolerable.

So either he's improvable or he's rejectable. But before you decide to reject him, it is your responsibility to improve him.

So that is why I made the point that every employee, a new employee in an organization, must not feel diffident about discussing his weaknesses with a supervisor. And then it is the supervisor's responsibility to help him to improve. At the end of the day, if after being given few chances to improve and all inputs to improve, if he still does not, well, sorry, he is rejectable.

Love it.

Because ultimately, you know, I think we, at least in the western world today there is this mass hiring and then lot of layoffs. And I find it very, very troublesome. That means the companies are not doing a good enough job to do the right hires to with the right planning. So I think your chairman's sort of, you know, advice is that if you have hired somebody with all the due diligence, then it's your responsibility as much as the employees to make it work, right? So because you're dealing with people, not a machine. A machine can be plugged in and plugged off, but not a human being. So excellent advice. We have some very, very good questions coming up. In an interview, people always ask, do you have any questions for us? So I know many people get stumped by that. Any thoughts on at the end of the interview when they say, hey, candidate, do you have any questions? What kind of questions do you think.

You would like to be asked, Ramesh, if you are hiring people in your company?

Well, frankly, I would like to be asked questions about the company.

Because even though you may have done some initial reading on the company and you may have picked up some facts and figures, I would like to be asked questions about the company. I would like to be asked about. Sir, can you please tell me how I will be judged? What will be my key performance areas? What will be the yardsticks on which you will judge my performance on the job? I would like to be asked that question because a young man should know before he joins for that particular job how we are going to rate him and his performance on the job. So these are, these are some typical questions. Sometimes a candidate would like to be asked about the. A candidate would like to ask about the leave rules of the company.

About the attendance rules of the company. So whereas all this will be told to him in the induction program, which all good companies have for new joinees, these are very relevant questions which an interviewer would be happy to answer.

Fantastic. Some people are saying, especially now, Ramesh, if there is one, if there is job opening, there are 100, 200, sometimes thousand people applying. So what do you think should be in the resume that catches the recruiter's attention? Like what, what would you look for? I think your initial advice, don't follow a specific format that everybody else is following, is, is a very good one. But any other thoughts as to what do you look for in a resume that. That really catches your attention?

Well, see, I would say that a resume should.

Portray.

It should be in simple language.

Try and make your resume as short and crisp as possible.

You know, this resume that I, I'm a, I'm a great leader. I get, get along with people.

All that has no meaning.

In fact, I'm, I would be very happy to see a resume which says that I'm very fond of physics, but unfortunately I'm not doing well.

So, you know, and honesty.

Of.

Thought should come out in your resume. So a crisp resume, no flowery words, and a resume which I, which if I read, gives me a good, gives me an overall impression of you as a person.

Not only of your educational qualifications or of your marks. You know, I must get some idea of you as a person.

So there's no harm in, in writing a few words about your personal traits.

And about your family background. You know, you're, I mean, what is your father doing, what are your siblings doing? And you know, anything about your school, about your college, your achievements in school, your achievements in college, over and above your marks and grades, you know.

The.

Advice you're giving is in a very counterintuitive because that will, that will make you sort of stand out. Because everybody has a degree, everybody has courses. But even if you see something else that stands out, it also gives some material for the interviewer to say, tell me more about your family, tell me more about your parents, or tell me more about the particular hobby. Because as interviewers, Ramesh, we also want to be able to ask questions that mean something to the, to the candidate, not generic questions.

There's another question that all your advice as to how to prepare for the interview, what to ask in the interview. Are there a couple of things that.

You, as an interviewer that you expect.

People not to do?

What should students and interview interviewees not to do in an interview?

I think I covered that in an indirect way by saying what to do. So obviously the opposite of that is not to do. But let me try and reflect on.

I do not want, I do not like a candidate who gets nervous while sitting in the interview.

Because let me tell you to all my young friends that just because you did not succeed in one interview does not mean you are a failure.

Because in that particular interview, the panel may have found somebody who in their best judgment, seems to be more suitable for the job for which you are what they, for which they are recruiting.

So there is no point in going into an interview with diffidence and with nervousness. I meant, I made a point that when you enter the interview room, you must exude confidence.

And I, I personally feel that in, in an interview, if you feel easy with the interview board, they become easy with you.

And if you have a sense of humor, to my mind, that is one of the best things for, for an interview to proceed in a very smooth manner.

I love young people who have a sense of humor and who can take a joke on themselves.

You know, then.

Excellent. Another question because earlier on you mentioned, you know, what is one of the most challenging situations that you have overcome?

Somebody's asking, is it okay to get personal? How do you answer that question? Really? Because the challenge could be a personal one because they have not worked anywhere, so they don't have a real work challenge yet. So what are your thoughts on answering that question, which actually pretty much every interview are asked about?

Okay, I, when I refer to a challenge, I did not refer to a work challenge. I referred to a challenge in your daily life. It could have been in school, it could have been at home, it could have been with a brother, with a sister. I, I see no harm in your being, getting personal or talking about a personal challenge which you may have faced because in fact it is taken very well by the board, by the interview board. It shows that you are completely open in your thinking. It shows that you are willing to discuss even a personal problem.

Because.

Any challenge, when discussed with people to find a solution.

Brings you a solution faster.

Two heads are better than one. I mean, we all know that old saying. So by all means open up fully about any challenge, however small it may have been.

But for you it was a challenge.

Yeah, I'm really glad you explained on that because it's not a work challenge like in my case. You know, I went from when I went to chennai FOR my 11th grade, I went to a whole new city for the first time. Went to a city where I don't speak the local language away from parents. So that was the challenge I talked about when I was interviewing. So I think all the students listening don't think it's a work challenge. They're trying to understand how you responded to the challenge. What was the challenge? How did you respond? Because I am interested in hearing your response to it. Did you freak out and give up or did you find a way to solve the problem? Did you go and seek help? Did you take a course? Or did you do miserably and learn something from it? So it's the response that we are looking for really, not the detail of the actual challenge itself, isn't it?

I. I want to share a story with my young friends of my first day at IIT Madras.

I had a fellow student who also came to IIT Madras along with me and was staying in the allotted a room a few rooms away in the hostel wing. Now he was first rank holder in BSc from a rural place near Udupi in Karnataka. And for him it was the first time time he was coming to a city like you just mentioned in your own case.

So the hostel was a long distance away from the.

Building where we had to go for our lectures. So we were all advised to buy bikes. Bicycles so that you could conveniently go and come back to the hospital for food, etc. Now this innocent young man from a rural area was told by some mischievous person in the at lunchtime that how can you buy a bike? You don't have a license.

So he was totally confused and for him it was a big challenge. How can he, he must get a license before he buys a bike. So he came to me and he was so honest. He said, you know Ramesh, I don't know how can I buy a bike? I'm told I need a License. And you know, I was taken aback by this simplicity and his honesty in discussing his problem. So I explained to him that for a bicycle, no license is required. You just go and buy a bicycle and ride it.

Again.

This is such a simple story, even if your friend were to say this. So I think these kind of situations we all have gone through, it could be a challenge where you missed a flight or missed a bus or. I remember when I was in seventh grade, I was all set to go to an exam. I didn't have a bicycle. I had to walk to school because we come from very modest family and it rained and all my books and my pens and everything got wet. So what do I do? I had to go to the exam. So it is situations like this. So I think, you know, reflect on your, on your life up until now and identify like you know, Rameshji, so beautifully said. Write them down because they won't come to you in the moment. Write them down like he was telling, you know, write a diary. So you have all of these experiences to recall. You know, when asked the next. The another question is, you know, people ask this. I don't know if they, if they ask even today, why should we hire you? People say, why should we hire you? I think every one of you should know the answer. If not, you should find it. So Ramesh, what are your thoughts on that question? Why should we hire you?

I think you should hire me because I have first of all.

Applied for the job.

I consider myself suitable for the job.

I consider myself.

Educationally qualified for the job. And throughout my life I have tried to succeed in whatever I have done.

I have not accepted.

Less than the best performance on my own side. So I, I think I, if given a proper learning environment and support, I should be able to do a damn good job on the assignment which you have in mind for me.

I love. That would be an honest answer.

I would hire you or anyone else that gives such a beautiful answer because the job.

Yeah, I hope people are taking notes.

Now. There are a lot of questions I'll try to summarize and we will try to wrap up in a few minutes about salary expectations. You know, this is something people are asking. How, how do you respond if somebody says what are your expectations? Should. If I give a big number, I may not get it. If I do a small lower number, I think in entry level, does it really matter? To answer this question, no.

See if, if, if an interviewer asks a candidate, what are your salary expectations? I mean, here we are discussing first time Job candidate, first job candidate. My answer to that question would be that, sir.

You must be having a set pattern for recruiting freshers. I'd be very happy to accept whatever is your company policy for fresh graduates.

Because you cannot give an answer to that question with a value. Different companies have different starting salaries at the same level.

So.

You should have. Nowadays information is available on the net about starting salaries in various companies.

Starting salaries in various training schemes. So as I said earlier in my interview, what is important at the first stage of life, the first few years of life is about learning and not about earning. It is a very, very important principle for your success in life.

I think that that opening line was so, so powerful and I hope every, every young person on the, on the session and even those that watch the recording really keep that in mind. Don't go for that so called package I keep hearing in India when I travel. You know, that that's really not something to focus on in the very first, you know, few years. Like you beautifully said focus on learning. Earning will come. Earning will come, right?

No. And I would like to add another.

Thought which I found successful in my own career.

You know, the grass on the other side always looks greener.

When you're working in a company. Somebody may tempt you for a few hundred rupees extra or a few thousand rupees extra to change over. But I have somehow believed in the concept that a rolling stone gathers no moss.

And I am a strong believer in that concept. By all means, seek change, but do not seek change for the sake of change.

Or for the sake of a couple of thousand rupees extra. Please weigh the pros and cons very carefully before you decide to leave a company in which you have found some traction, in which you feel that you are adding value, and where you have seen some growth.

So I think if you dig your roots into a soil, the chances of bearing fruit are far greater than if you keep uprooting yourself.

Very interesting. There's some questions like if, for example, you finish your graduation and it takes you one to sometimes two years to get your job because of various reasons, it could be family reasons, or it could be that you took some time to actually get an interview. How do you explain that gap between education completion and interview? Any thoughts on that?

You must be honest about the fact that you have not been able to get a suitable job for two years. But the more important point there is what have you done during those two years apart from applying for a job?

So I would say that if it is taking you time to get a suitable assignment. Please utilize those years for picking up some additional skills, doing some part time courses, doing some online courses. But do not just waste your time in chatting with friends and only applying for jobs.

Because that way you will not utilize those gap years fruitfully.

It's very important to, because I say this to some of the mentees that I'm working with. Applying for a job cannot be a job.

Right? Yes, you, yes, you will need to apply. You know, spend enough time, enough amount of time, but also engage in other activities. You know, go be a volunteer in, in a non profit, you know, do some traveling if you can afford, go mentor some children in your neighborhood, teach them mathematics, physics or whatever. So some some way that you are able to demonstrate that you are continuously being of value to things around you. Or maybe you planted a hundred trees. Does not matter. Just looking for a job cannot be a job.

All right, so we're coming to the last minute. Any closing words? Ramesh Ji on I think the simplicity with which you mentioned about preparing for the interview, what should be in the resume, what questions to ask, what not to do, think are very, very valuable. We, we'll share the recording with, with all the attendees. Any, any final words of wisdom, you know, before we wrap up.

I, I don't think I would like to add anything more. I would just like every young student of India to not get enamored of going overseas.

There is no problem if a person gets a very good assignment, wants to go abroad, take up that assignment. Good luck. But I believe that the opportunities to grow today in our own country are opening up manifold.

And.

In every opportunity which is now today available in the country there is a good scope for earning and doing good work for the nation.

I mean as a young man I can share with this audience that I did extremely well in the graduate record examination which got me admission into four of the finest universities in usa. But when I was selected as a senior management trainee in a very large company, at that time it was India's fifth largest company, I decided not to go abroad. And I dedicated my entire life to working within India. Excepting for the five years when I went abroad for an assignment and that was very professionally satisfying.

So.

This is my last word of advice. First of all, exhaust the opportunities available to you within the country. Then if not by all means, go abroad.

Fantastic. Lots of questions. Some people said that your responses are, you know, life changing for them, very, very valuable. So Rameshji, thank you so much. You know, really, really appreciate your words of wisdom. And, you know, we'll definitely share the recording with everybody. But thank you once again. Really appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you, everybody. I'm available through Ravi for any further guidance which I can give. I am available.

Thank you. That's a huge assurance. And enjoy your time in Singapore.

Thank you. Thank you very much.