Educational Board - ICSE or CBSE!

Educational Board - ICSE or CBSE! Home career Educational Board ICSE or CBSE!careerEducational Board ICSE or CBSE!By Aaliya Thahseen - February 21, 201822700Facebook Tumblr Mix VK LINE Viber With the new session about to start in a couple of months and with new childrens ready to go to school, the parents must be sure   what is right for their child! Every parent want their child to get a good education. So, the debate in every household begins with what is the right educational board for their child?There are only two educational board that we have in our country leaving out the state boards â€" ICSE(Indian Council of Secondary Education) and CBSE(Central Board Of Secondary Education). Both these educational boards are very different regarding the academic sectors in India although the subjects taught in both the boards are same. Which Educational Board you should get your child in? Which one is better â€" ICSE or CBSE! We, here are going to layout some of the major differences between these two and leave it ou t to the parents to choose the best one for their child.ICSE Educational Board Contents hide 1 ICSE Educational Board 2 CBSE Educational Board Indian Certificate of Secondary Education(ICSE) came into existence through the University Of Cambridge in India. ICSE is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, which is a private and an all-english medium educational board in India. The syllabus of ICSE is vast and differs from CBSE in terms of its content and volume. There is an ICSE examination towards the end of tenth grade and an ISC examination towards the end of 12th grade. The syllabus followed by the ICSE board is more inclusive and complete when it comes to comprising all the fields with equal importance.Subjects are taught only in English in ICSE and a candidate who is studying in an ICSE affiliated school can only appear for the examinations. Though ICSE is considered harder than CBSE or any other board in our country but the a mount of knowledge an ICSE student gets is immense. Though the knowledge is immense but it may lay extensive burden on a child as he has to study around 13 subjects in sixth or seventh standard as compared to 7-8 subjects to be studied in CBSE.ICSE is not recognised by the Indian government but is recognized all around the globe, mainly foreign universities and schools as compared to CBSE`s recognition only in the sub-continents. A career in English Literature or English language is more suited for an ICSE student. Students from management or humanities sections find the curriculum under the ICSE board more challenging and interesting with more knowledge being gained. The ICSE students till now had a disadvantage when it came to competitive examinations as the syllabus in those would be that of CBSE board and the ICSE students weren’t able to perform well due to that. But recently the Ministry of Education of India has stated that the competitive exams will now be conducted by a c ommittee comprising of equal number of representatives from each educational board. So, the ICSE students are now no longer at a disadvantage.CBSE Educational BoardCentral Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) is the main educational board in India when it comes to school level education. This board of education conducts the All India Senior School Certificate Examination every year for the tenth and twelfth grade students.The CBSE syllabus is very easy as compared to all other boards including the state ones due to lesser number of subjects to be studied by the students and its compact structure. CBSE offers both Hindi and English medium as the medium of instructions as well as private students to give CBSE board examinations unlike ICSE.Instead of studying Physics, Chemistry and Biology as separate subjects in ICSE board, here we have them all under Science as a sole subject and similarly History Civics and Geography fall under the general umbrella of Social Science compared to two separate subjects in ICSE board. The students of CBSE do not have much practical knowledge as compared to those of ICSE due to its curriculum which focuses on application based. The subjects are approached in a theoretical manner and hardly any emphasis is giving to real-life concepts behind the science. The knowledge provided by CBSE board is limited only to the curriculum and does not go beyond it unlike ICSE where knowledge is beyond the curriculum. Students of CBSE have enjoyed their advantage when it comes to giving competitive examinations especially the IIT exams for undergraduate engineering admissions but they would no longer have that advantage from next year onwards.Though both boards have an almost equal number of pros and cons, thus the choice of selecting which educational board their child should be admitted, solely depends on parents and their vision for the future of their child.TAGSicse or cbseicse or cbse or state boardicse or cbse which is toughericse or cbse whi ch one is better

What job offer to choose These tips will help you to make the right decision!

What job offer to choose These tips will help you to make the right decision! Finding the best job for yourself can be really challenging, as there is so much to consider (salary, location, firm`s policy) and think about over each matter. It`s good to have a job offer from the one company you really like, but if you don`t have a certain organization in mind, you may be facing the luxury of dealing with multiple job offers. It`s stated by Margaret Freel (corporate recruiter at TechSmith), that it`s a common problem for experts, but don`t worry about the issue, as here are the most appropriate tips for you. Get all you search information about each job You`ve worked so hard and, let`s face it, you deserve to be choosing between two job offers. And here the ultimate task to complete is to browse the web, monitor all the data available about every organization, digest these points and analyze them from the point of view of your aspirations. Remember your initial goals Take into account that every company benefits in something, so you are not to get lost in all the proposals. The best thing to do this is to create a career priorities list, where you`ll note down you prerogatives starting from the most important and finishing with the least ones. This will help you pick up the best offer. Pay attention on your surrounding If we are speaking about other factors to consider when choosing a job, we may mention working environment. It`s essential to understand that you`ll be working with a certain group of people most of the day, so you best be on the same wavelength with them, share some common interests and feel comfortable in their company, as you`ll be spending a large part of your life with them. Career growth While choosing between two jobs you are to realize that to take a job just for the money might not be the best choice for you, as financial independence can`t make you happy forever.   But the satisfaction from the type of activities you dedicate yourself to can. Moreover, the only way to be gratified with your job is to do it well, which can be obtained through hard work and constant studying that is, growing. So take into consideration career development offered by the company. You can even ask about this issue during the interview, but try not to be too intrusive or assertive, as you` re still a candidate for the position. Work-life balance Make sure that your professional life will not be mixed up with your personal one. Even the most tantalizing vacancy can require the usage of your spare time to complete working tasks. It`s not always good to be a workaholic and work long hours or have less weekends than expected, so discuss such questions with HR manager in order to prevent further problems. Consider the perks The more jobs exist, the more various perks appear, so it`s your responsibility to discover all the data about the advantages offered by each company, compare them and lean towards the best ones for you. Consider which company culture you like Dedicate some time to understanding company`s values and habits and try to find out if they correspond with yours. You can do this by asking direct questions during the interview, analyzing the behavior of a recruiter or chatting with organization`s current and past employees. A company`s culture can determine your mood and performance and it can`t be parleyed, so it should fit you straight away. Make a list of do’s and don’ts of each company The most old-fashioned way, but the most effective one is to make a record of all the advantages and disadvantages, which each company possesses. By visualizing all the pros and cons of every firm, you can pick the most appropriate position. Your negotiation power Do not forget that you`re free to want as much as you can give. Don`t be shy to ask about your career perspectives, negotiate your salary or schedule. It`s you who is taking the job, so it`s better to negotiate all you can from the very beginning. Get a decision time frame It`s not a rare occasion, when a job seeker is offered one job, but leans towards another position, which is not proposed to him/her yet. So the best thing you can do is to negotiate  the time frame needed for you to make a final decision. For instance, you can say that you feel the need to meet with staff at your level or resolve some issues with your previous employment. Be confident, but careful in explaining the reason to be given some extra time, as it may raise doubts in the level of your interest in the job. Trust your gut Don`t underestimate your gut feeling, as deep inside you already know the answer.   You`re just hesitating to finally arrive at a decision of choosing the job thats best for you. This post was contributed by Alice Berg. Alice Berg is a blogger and writer from Bath, UK, and a consultant at SkillRoads, who received master’s degree in Social Work and Applied Social Studies. Now she helps people to find their own way in life, gives career advice and guidance, helps young people to prepare for their careers. You can find Alice on Twitter and Facebook.

Manchester Made Me 3 Month Internship at Unilever University of Manchester Careers Blog

Manchester Made Me 3 Month Internship at Unilever University of Manchester Careers Blog Sophie and the Lynx Apollo astronaut Application Process If you had asked me at the start of 2nd  year, I wasn’t interested in having an internship, I understood that they were really good to put on your CV but I wanted to spend the summer of 2013 travelling. This all changed when Unilever came and took one of my Marketing lecturers, the graduates giving the lecture were really engaging and the way they spoke about the culture of the company appealed to me. Excited to have found a company I was interested in working for in the future, I started looking at their summer placement scheme as a way to have an early start in the company and I also saw that successful interns would be fast tracked to the assessment centre stage of the Grad Scheme. When I first started the application, I saw it as practice for next year when I was applying to loads of companies for jobs. To be honest it took a really long time and even though the questions were relatively simple, what was challenging was how I was going to answer them and stand out. I knew how important it was to have met each of the core competencies, so I made sure that I used these as ‘buzz words’ throughout my application. The next stage after the application form was the telephone interview, I had never done anything like it before and didn’t know what to expect. I prepared by making loads of notes about things I have done relevant to popular interview questions such as problem solving and leading a team and had these scattered around me when I took the call. I wish I had been prepared for how ‘robotic’ telephone interviews are. I thought it would be all about showing personality like a real interview but it was simply a woman asking questions and making notes of your answer. The final stage was the assessment centre; I went down to Surrey for this and got to see their UK head offices. As soon as I saw the offices my nerves dropped because although completely overwhelmed they were amazing and had things like a Unilever shop and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream stand. This was great because it meant I really relaxed on the day and I think this was really important to my success. Looking back I think I stood out in my application because I was able to pull out really relevant answers to questions through my previous work experience and time at University. I had worked in a bar and this was full of great leadership examples and fit all of the competencies. It was important that I had done so much preparation to be able to remember these examples in the interview. Finally, very clichéd but it was also because I was completely myself throughout the whole process.   Unilever was a great culture fit for me and they recognised that on the assessment centre, if I was pretending to be someone I wasn’t I would have been less relaxed and they would have recognised this. The Placement Over my placement, I was given three objectives: helping the team complete a three year strategy for the company on a global scale, introducing a new performance metric with regards to market share and gross margin and creating my own benchmarking approach.  Very big objectives for someone who had never worked in an office before and who did not understand Excel. My manager was great at being there when I needed help but gave me a lot of autonomy, it seemed the same across the whole organisation, they had invested a lot in recruiting us and this meant they trusted us to do a great job. I really enjoyed the placement, I was getting a generous wage, got to live and work in central London and the social side of work was great. It was also brilliant for my CV, although I got used to the exposure of the work which I was doing I did a lot of things which I know sound impressive on a CV, it will also show companies that I have experience in a corporate environment. The only downside is that I know when I get interviews I will be asked why I would rather work for the company in question rather than Unilever, something which I will have to prepare for well. Following the placement, Unilever have now offered me a job. I feel I had a great advantage having done a summer placement. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you would like to write for the Careers Service Blog, get in touch. We would love to hear your story and share it with students at the University of Manchester. Have a read of our  blog post  or send an email to careers.blog@manchester.ac.uk for more information. All Manchester Made Me Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted internship jobs my story unilever work experience

Key Ways You Can Make Yourself Stand Out from Other Graduates

Key Ways You Can Make Yourself Stand Out from Other Graduates Youve finally done it; youre leaving college. Whether you stay for two years or ten, its now time to find a job. You have the right qualifications for work in your field and an excellent academic record. The problem is, so do most of the other people in your graduating class. Not only do you have them to deal with, but there are graduates from other colleges who will be after the same jobs as you. A huge chunk of you will look the same to recruiters. So how can you make yourself stand out from the crowd? How can you be a cut above everyone else? Try some of these tips to ensure youre not just like all the others. Present Yourself Professionally Youre no longer a student. You are now a professional adult, even if you havent secured your first graduate job yet. As such, you need to start presenting yourself professionally to get noticed. You dont want to look like an inexperienced child waiting for the adults to let you play with them. You need to show that you can be every bit as professional as they are. These days, an online presence is one of the key parts of your professional image. Many recruiters will look you up on LinkedIn, which is also excellent for networking. Its also a great idea to join organizations that lend you credence. There might even be some accreditation you should obtain. Dont Make It All About Academics If employers use a graduate recruitment company, they know they can get someone with the right qualifications. But youre not the only person who meets their criteria in that regard. It isnt all about your grades anymore. The soft skills you possess are just as important for securing a job. In fact, someone with a better degree than you but no ability to fit in with the company culture probably isnt going to beat you. Dont just tell employers about how well you did at college. They also need to know about your communication skills, your ability to work in a team, and more. Network and Market Yourself Networking is important if you want to get yourself seen my recruiters and employers. Joining the right professional organizations will get you off to a good start. Look for networking events in your area so you can meet the people that matter. It might seem old-fashioned to some, but business cards can still be extremely useful. You need to market yourself like any other product. Dont forget to go online too, and make use of social media. Understand What Matters in Your Industry You should try to understand what recruiters in your industry are looking for. For example, in some industries, your cover letter will get barely a glance. However, in others, it could be the difference between getting an interview and having your application tossed in the trash. Try to find some tips from recruiters, employers, and employees in your field. You will face some stiff competition when you start looking for a job. So do your best to make sure you stand out from the crowd. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Do You Really Want a Full-Time Job After 60 - Career Pivot

Do You Really Want a Full-Time Job After 60 - Career Pivot Do You Really Want a Full-Time Job? Copyright: Elnur / 123RF Stock Photo I am over 60 years of age and I do not ever want a full-time job, ever again. Let me be clear, I have no intention to retire, but I want to work on my terms which means I want to work: When I want to work On things, I want to work Only work as hard as I want to work I do not want a full-time job, and surely do not want to work for someone else full-time. The reason I am writing this post is that I have talked to multiple people in the last couple of weeks, who are over 60 years of age and are pursuing what I consider a pipe dream, which dictionary.com defines asanyfantasticnotion,hope,orstory. That pipe dream is a full-time job in a new industry or profession. I am not saying it cannot be done, but I was predicting that the path there would be very difficult and if they attained that full-time job, it would not be as they expected. They were suffering from MSU (Make Stuff Up) disorder. Getting an Associate Degree is Programming After 60 I met a gentleman who was sick and tired of what he was doing. He had worked in manufacturing for 30+ years, single, over 60 years of age, and worried about having enough money to retire. He had taught himself to program 15-20 years ago and really loved it. He planned to go back to school full-time for 2 years, take a student loan, and then get a full-time job working as a programmer. This would mean he would have acquired some significant debt, not contributed to his retirement accounts for 2 years and dipped into savings for living expenses. My questions for him were: What kind of programming would he be specializing in? No one just hires a Java programmer without specialization. Does the area of specialization have legs? Will the area of specialization still be relevant in 2 years? Things are changing so fast that skills that are hot today can be obsolete in 2 years. Listen to the most recent episode What companies or organizations in his area have jobs in the area of specialization? What are the demographics of the employees doing the programming at those companies, and are these people you want to work with? If they mostly hire 25-year-old guys, would you want to work with them as peers? (For most of 60+year-oldsthe answer is no). He could not answer any of the questions. He was going to be 63 or 64 years old when he graduated. I then asked him, at that age, do you really want a full-time job, working as a peer with a bunch of kids (20-35 year-olds), and be working 50-60 hour weeks? He was going to have to think about that, but the answer will probably be, NO! An Alternative Scenario In the Career Pivot Membership community,there is Jim. Jim runs a small to medium size professional association that is highly political. His board of directors drives him crazy with their petty politicsand games. I should also add that Jim is closer to 70 than 65 years of age. Jim wants control of his work life and he does not want to stop working. Jim is very mission-driven, he needs a purpose. Jim is taking an alternative path by starting a portfolio career. He will not have a single full-time job but multiple part-time jobs that he can control. He will be doing the following: Part-time advisor for his local Small Business Development Center, working 3-4 days a week Teaching one class at the local university as an adjunct professor Starting a consulting business working with local municipalities on a variety of issues Turn on his Social Security benefits Does this change scare him? HECK YES! Will he be working harder than before, for less money? HECK YES! Will he feel more fulfilled at the end of the day? HECK YES! Will this stretch him and energize him? HECK YES! It took a good bit of soul searching and a lot of encouragement from the community to make this change. Jim will probably not have another full-time job, and that is fine with him. He will have more control of his own professional destiny. One of the common themes in the community is everyone wants freedom. The full-time job often does not give us the freedom that we crave in the 2nd half of life. The Full-Time Job Fallacy I was born in the 1950’s, raised by parents who told me to get an education and then go to work for a father-like company that would take care of me. I should work there for 30 or 40 years and then retire. Those days are gone. Many of us still crave the security of a full-time job or the security of the regular paycheck. When we reach our 60’s, that progressively makes less and less sense. That full-time job restricts us, prevents us from pursuing the goals that we have delayed because of the obligations of raising our families, taking care of our parents or other societal obligations. I am 62 years old, and I no longer want a full-time job. I want the freedom to control how, when and what I work on. Conclusion I am sitting writing this post in Ajijic, Mexico, on the 16th of August, 2018. It is 11:00 AM and the outside temperature is 71 degrees Fahrenheit. It will get up to 79 degrees today, which is much cooler than the 100 degrees it will reach back in my hometown of Austin, Texas. This temperature is normal for the summer rainy season. I left my last full-time job in January of 2011, and I have not looked back. My wife and I are in the process of moving to Ajijic, Mexico, not because we have to, but because we want to. If I had a full-time job, I would not have the freedom to make this move. You can read more about our journey here. Do you still want that full-time job? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

Mass Media - Good or Bad for You and Your Family

Mass Media - Good or Bad for You and Your Family IS MASS MEDIA GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash Over the years there have been a lot of claims about the medias effect on people.   Grand Theft Auto or Wargames were thought to cause anti-social behavior in teenagers.   The evening news was always bad news.   And the role models the media created were deemed to be unrealistic and the cause of various medial problems in the teens who strived to achieve that level of perfection. So whats the story? If you have kids that live on their iPhone or iPad or are online with their Xbox gaming with people around the world, you may have already had to delve into this already. Whether you have or not, heres an article that touches on the pros and consthe good and bador mass medias impact on you and your family. Article originally published in mastersincommunications.org. IS MASS MEDIA GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? Since the internet, and particularly smartphones, became household commodities, mass medias impact on people and societies has increased exponentially. As you might expect, there is a swinging pendulum of public opinion which often shifts from decrying the ills of this trend to extolling the many virtues of on demand technology. Whether you tend toward the former or latter opinion, its obvious that mass media and social media are having profound effects upon individuals and society as a whole. Many people are concerned about the implications of these effects, and find themselves asking questions like: How is media affecting me? How is mass media impacting the next generation? How do video games change us? How does on-demand media impact health? Is mass media truly important? How do we use mass media and social media well? Is mass media a good thing? Answering these questions can help you to be smart about how you interact with the constant barrage of media being directed at you and your family. So lets think through the implications of mass media together so that we can come to informed conclusions. HOW DOES MASS MEDIA AFFECT YOU? Many are wondering mass media, and  social media in particular, is a good thing or bad thing. Of course, for every type of media, there are a host  mixed opinions, some based on research, some not. Neil Postman was asking these same types of questions over the mass adoption of the television. On the one hand, a positive use of technology and mass media enables people to become informed, collaborate in innovative ways, or stay in touch with friends and family. On the other hand, these same connections can be used for dangerous cyber crime. Social media can help people to feel connected and happy, to connect with old friends and make new ones. However that same social media can lead to depression or anxiety, when life doesnt meet the expectations created by perfectly edited profiles. The internet may be a source of motivational messages, videos, or blog posts that improve your life and increase productivity or healthy living. However, its just as possible that these very messages can prevent you from getting out there and living. These are just a few examples of the vastly different ways media can impact our daily lives. Because mass media affects each person differently, you need to look at your own life to make informed decisions. Where do you fall on the pendulum? How does your use of social media affect your mood, productivity, and sense of well being? If you tend more toward the negative impacts â€" depression, anxiety, inactivity â€" it may be time to limit your media consumption. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON CHILDREN? Television is the best researched area of mass media effect on children. It has the potential to help, and to harm, as is true with most media types. Many negative effects have been recorded, and kids often spend more time watching television than on any other activity. However, if the television time includes educational programming and parent supervision, the power can be harnessed to help with learning and have  positive effects. With this in mind, parents must think critically about  how  their children are consuming television. Are they largely involved in what and how often their children are watching, or is it more of a hands-off experience? This is perhaps even more important to think through now that most television consumption consists of Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming platforms. Making the decision to be diligent about these decisions now will improve childrens interactions with television, and prepare them to interact well with other types of media as they mature. WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF MEDIA ON TEENS? Media often is described as harmful to teens, and while this is certainly true in some circumstances, it can be best understood as having mixed effects. The key is to be aware of how mass media and social networking affect the brain so that you can make intentional decisions about how to use it. Some  positive effects  include: Motor skills are improved by typing, clicking, playing games, and other tech related finger skills. Hand eye coordination or even quick thinking can be helped. Access to mass news media can improve reading skills. Social network activity is theorized to improve writing and socializing skills. Additionally, the content of media stories or social media posts can be useful and meaningful to teens. With platforms like YouTube and Instagram, they have access to peoples stories they might never have heard otherwise. In this way, teens may learn that many others are experiencing similar struggles to their own, giving courage and confidence. However, there are significant negative effects as well. Negative effects  include: Depression or anxiety over body image Normalizing violence Unfettered access to pornography Increased risk of obesity from inactivity Decreased attention to schoolwork Knowing about these potential risks of social and mass media consumption is important for both teens and their parents. In this respect, knowledge really is power, as it will enable both parties to be strategic about the role of media in their lives. Read more about  media communication master’s in communication  options. WHAT ABOUT VIDEO GAMES? Video games are a frequent concern, particularly as technology continues to advance and gaming becomes more and more realistic. Research shows some  mixed effects  from video game use. Though the problem solving and dexterity skills employed can lead to higher intelligence or better motor skills, the violent or other disturbing content in games is of high risk to well being. Its established that seeing violence can desensitize one to its effects. As with other types of media mentioned, its critical that parents exercise caution about what types of games their children play and how often they do so. DOES MASS MEDIA DAMAGE HEALTH? The proliferation of mass media and electronic devices has had profound effects on health. There are numerous physical problems which may arise from this consumption, particularly if left unchecked. The effects of smartphones often first show up as eye strain and neck pain, the inevitable result of constant screen-time and often slumped positions while using these devices. Obesity is a risk if much time is spent in sedentary activity. Some research shows links between mass media consumption and anxiety and depression. There can be a change in happiness, social skills, and peace of mind that is attributed to media and the internet. It is most important to monitor your happiness and health, and correlate them with your own practices so you can make informed decisions for your or your familys well being. Read more about  health communication master’s in communication  options. HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY? There are many  recommendations  for being wise with media consumption. Parents must be familiar with current sites and channels, and the types of content that their children come into contact with. Ask questions and browse with your child. Set clear and appropriate ground rules for young ages, which then build a strong foundation for future responsible use. Make sure to discuss the difference between fantasy and reality with your children. If exposed to gratuitous violence and sexuality, children and teens should know these are fantasy, and not the norm or real life. The dangers of violent and risky behavior should be a topic of conversation. For almost any age from 1- 99, limiting media to a few hours per day is reasonable and enforceable. Discuss education, values, and the intrusion of media regularly with your family. Conclusion There is no definitive answer to whether mass media is good or bad. Research has shown that it can have both positive and negative effects, and often these effects are dependent on how the media is being used and consumed. The solution isnt to totally cut yourself off from all mass media or to wholeheartedly embrace every facet of it. Rather, it must be carefully analyzed and evaluated. If youre a parent, you need to help your children understand both the positives and negatives of things like video games, social media, and streaming television. Unless you plan on moving to an isolated island with no internet connection, this issue isnt going away. The best approach is to tackle it head on, rather than hoping things just work themselves out. Many people are choosing to engage with mass communication head on with  master’s degrees in mass communications. It’s with this progress we are able to understand the effects of mass media and other emerging social channels have on society currently and in the foreseeable future.

Interview horror stories from the employers perspective -

Interview horror stories from the employers perspective - In honor of Halloween, Im rerunning a few horror stories from my blog. Today horror stories from the employers perspective. Stay tuned for some job seeker horror stories, too! This story from Chuck Smith: On the verge of offering the candidate a job, our client checked one last reference. Unable to reach the named “previous manager,” our client called the candidate. In turn, the candidate produced the reference in minutes. Only problem was that the caller ID for the manager was the SAME one the candidate had called from! You got it… the boyfriend impersonated the manager. When our client asked about the name on the caller ID, the boyfriend stammered, stalled and hung up. Needless to say, when our client called the candidate to offer some “good news,” the candidate never called back, ever. Lesson: check references and be wary! This from Orit: We received many resumes, sorted through them and interviewed people. One young woman seemed to be the perfect fit. She was very willing to learn (we knew we would have to train her) and could answer our questions well. She seemed to have the right attitude. After 2 hours of working we realized that she did not know anything technical. She could not even use email or understood any of the terms we talked to her about in our training. Being that we also needed a part-time receptionist, we asked her if she was interested. It was clear to both us and her that there was no way she could perform any of the tasks of a tech support person. She gladly agreed and told us how much she needed a job. 3 days later we fired her in total frustration. The woman could not answer the phone, could not file (she did not seem to know the ABC order.) It was such a waste of time, money and energy. It may not sound like a bad story, but for a small company it was horrifying. The lesson here seems clear â€" integrity is key in a job hunt. Impersonating a reference is not only wrong, it is, for lack of a better word, stupid. While there is even a company that will fake references FOR you, and certainly it is not the first time a candidate has tried to pull the wool over a hiring manager’s eyes, it is such a bad idea and likely to derail your chances for the job. After all, if you had been on the up-and-up all along and were at the point of having references checked, lying probably resulted in handing the job off on a silver platter. As for the inept hire…It is incredible that someone so ill-suited   would have been able to land that job. However, it does point out how important it is to apply for jobs that you are qualified to do! Sometimes, a smooth talker may be able to slide into a totally inappropriate position, but it is more likely for an overqualified person to take a job that does not suit him or her. Even in a tough market, resist the urge to set your sights on something that is not appropriate just because you “really need a job.” In the long run, it probably won’t work out.