Sandeep Goyal's first book, The Dum Dum Bullet: Adventures of a Corporate Soldier, was a delightful read. It chronicles his exploits in the cut-throat world of Indian advertising and his encounters with the glitterati. The Dum Dum, a soft-nosed bullet that balloons rapidly on impact and is lethal 90 per cent of the time, is the adman, entrepreneur and author's analogy for advertising and its deadly power.
In You Are Hired!, co-authored with his 16-year-old daughter, Carol, Mr Goyal is in completely different territory - how to appear for interviews. The ad veteran knows a thing or two about how to break through the clutter; so instead of taking the same route as scores of "how to" books on the subject follow, he has structured the book in a unique way. The first half attempts some true-to-life entrance- to mid-level job interviews; the second half critiques each interview through a voice-of-god format, with interventions in the form of comments, remarks and inputs. And this is where Mr Goyal comes into his own - through his masterly reviews, insights, remarks and tips. They sound credible simply because they come from a man who has worked in the trenches and has hired thousands of professionals.
The best part of the book is its racy style - not surprising, since the gold medallist in English literature says that he can easily write 4,000 to 5,000 words a day. The book contains real-life interviews from a variety of domains such as telecom, private equity, television broadcasting, non-governmental organisations, advertising, even a professional cricket team, and lots more.
Some of the examples in the book will help break stereotypes about job interviews. Not all of them are necessarily subject-focused; some are highly interactive and more in the nature of one-on-one interactions where the focus is on the candidate's aptitude, personality, interests and fitment in the organisation's overall environment. More and more companies are asking questions on cricket, Bollywood and politics - subjects that are not a test of knowledge but an opportunity for tabling opinions.
Some of the interviews stand out for their uniqueness. Take the one for the position of aide-de-camp to the erstwhile Maharani of Udhampur. Saina Tayal, the candidate, asks the interviewer, the Maharani, if she can smoke or wear jeans and whether she would have to lie a lot on behalf of her employer. These are questions that are considered a strict no-no for an interviewee to ask. But Tayal is hired, which goes to show that interviewers these days are much more tolerant. It's not that employers are impressed only with candidates' ability to speak well on casual matters. Tayal has a sound knowledge base too, which is evident from her well-informed response to a sudden question from the Maharani whether she can identify the painting on the wall near the exit door.
Or take Kaku Pasricha's interview. A job aspirant seeking the position of executive producer in Sitara TV, a premier general-entertainment channel, Pasricha's approach is different - right from his video CV to his singing a song from the film Anand and his cartwheeling into the interview. Even here, behind the fun and games, Pasricha comes across as a candidate who has researched well before appearing for the interview. His answers show that actually putting an assessment/critique down on paper is the best way to prepare for an interview. It helps you compose your thoughts, rearrange what you have in mind, and memorise some of what you have put down. It is often said that the most impromptu-sounding answers are the ones that are best rehearsed.
The only failure of the book is that it's a collection of only "smart" interviews - of people who can think on their feet, are knowledgeable and extremely articulate. Not all readers would have those qualities; some may look for examples where people often goof up. After all, handling the hot seat can be one of the most nerve-racking aspects of the job-hunting process. Mr Goyal dismisses that aspect with the three-page-long ingredients of a good CV.
But overall, You Are Hired! is worth its cover price for just one reason: it helps you realise in a story-like format that there are plenty of ways to calm those interview nerves, be prepared and get ready to make the right impression.
YOU ARE HIRED!
Sandeep Goyal and Carol Goyal
Popular Prakashan
254 pages; Rs 250
In You Are Hired!, co-authored with his 16-year-old daughter, Carol, Mr Goyal is in completely different territory - how to appear for interviews. The ad veteran knows a thing or two about how to break through the clutter; so instead of taking the same route as scores of "how to" books on the subject follow, he has structured the book in a unique way. The first half attempts some true-to-life entrance- to mid-level job interviews; the second half critiques each interview through a voice-of-god format, with interventions in the form of comments, remarks and inputs. And this is where Mr Goyal comes into his own - through his masterly reviews, insights, remarks and tips. They sound credible simply because they come from a man who has worked in the trenches and has hired thousands of professionals.
The best part of the book is its racy style - not surprising, since the gold medallist in English literature says that he can easily write 4,000 to 5,000 words a day. The book contains real-life interviews from a variety of domains such as telecom, private equity, television broadcasting, non-governmental organisations, advertising, even a professional cricket team, and lots more.
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Also, Mr Goyal has avoided the temptation to preach even as he provides a considerable degree of detail and information. That's the way it should be, since there are no right answers in a job interview - and there are really no wrong answers, either. That should touch the right chord with the target readership, who could find the book useful as a get-ahead primer. And that's where young Carol must have come in handy as a co-author. A father's experience and his young daughter's insights as an interviewee make for a useful combination.
Some of the examples in the book will help break stereotypes about job interviews. Not all of them are necessarily subject-focused; some are highly interactive and more in the nature of one-on-one interactions where the focus is on the candidate's aptitude, personality, interests and fitment in the organisation's overall environment. More and more companies are asking questions on cricket, Bollywood and politics - subjects that are not a test of knowledge but an opportunity for tabling opinions.
Some of the interviews stand out for their uniqueness. Take the one for the position of aide-de-camp to the erstwhile Maharani of Udhampur. Saina Tayal, the candidate, asks the interviewer, the Maharani, if she can smoke or wear jeans and whether she would have to lie a lot on behalf of her employer. These are questions that are considered a strict no-no for an interviewee to ask. But Tayal is hired, which goes to show that interviewers these days are much more tolerant. It's not that employers are impressed only with candidates' ability to speak well on casual matters. Tayal has a sound knowledge base too, which is evident from her well-informed response to a sudden question from the Maharani whether she can identify the painting on the wall near the exit door.
Or take Kaku Pasricha's interview. A job aspirant seeking the position of executive producer in Sitara TV, a premier general-entertainment channel, Pasricha's approach is different - right from his video CV to his singing a song from the film Anand and his cartwheeling into the interview. Even here, behind the fun and games, Pasricha comes across as a candidate who has researched well before appearing for the interview. His answers show that actually putting an assessment/critique down on paper is the best way to prepare for an interview. It helps you compose your thoughts, rearrange what you have in mind, and memorise some of what you have put down. It is often said that the most impromptu-sounding answers are the ones that are best rehearsed.
The only failure of the book is that it's a collection of only "smart" interviews - of people who can think on their feet, are knowledgeable and extremely articulate. Not all readers would have those qualities; some may look for examples where people often goof up. After all, handling the hot seat can be one of the most nerve-racking aspects of the job-hunting process. Mr Goyal dismisses that aspect with the three-page-long ingredients of a good CV.
But overall, You Are Hired! is worth its cover price for just one reason: it helps you realise in a story-like format that there are plenty of ways to calm those interview nerves, be prepared and get ready to make the right impression.
YOU ARE HIRED!
Sandeep Goyal and Carol Goyal
Popular Prakashan
254 pages; Rs 250