Gajendra Circle of Friends, the IITM Alumni Association in New England organized a panel discussion on Friday, Dec 13 at MIT to present strategies to find job in a down economy. The panel included human resource managers, CEOs of companies and people from recruitment agencies who brought a broad range of experience and expertise to the table. Peter Vicars who was formerly a CEO of Cayman Systems and Premonitia moderated the panel. "We are currently not in a recession but in a depression. Regretfully it seems to be getting deeper. But yet I would say it is not time to be overly worried. Just work hard to find the right opportunity," said Vicars. "While jobs are scarce, there is still targeted hiring going on at many companies."

Puran Dang, President and CEO of Minuteman Technical Service Inc., and a leading member of the Indian American community presented many useful tips. "Evaluate and identify all your talents. While your greatest strength maybe in one area, identify others that may be marketable. Be flexible in your job search," said Dang. "I would like to stress the need for exceptional networking and communication skills. If you lack communication skills, it would be well worth your while to take a course in communication". Dang also recommended identifying and working with a mentor. "Your college Alumni could be really valuable in helping you find a suitable opening" said Dang.

Brian Samolyk, Vice President of Zymac Executive Recruitment asked people to develop a plan and set some personal goals. "When you go for an interview, you must be extremely well prepared. Learn as much as you can about the company. Call friends who work in that space. Call competitors in the space. Spend at least 6-7 hours on research," said Samolyk.

Ibrahim F.Dhilla, Vice President of Engineering at Coriolis Networks stressed the importance of highlighting one's accomplishments over the recent years. "Do not say I was responsible for this or that but rather clearly outline what your accomplishments were and how they impacted the company that you worked for," said Dhilla. He also emphasized the value of a wide range of skill sets. "In this economy, I would prefer a good generalist to a phenomenal specialist."

Jaye Girouard, University Relations Manager at Intel Corporation stressed the need for clarity in both the objective and summary statement. She also recommended establishing phone or email contact with companies that you may want to work for. "Call people from the company whose name you may have seen on publications. You can even send an Email to the President of the company. Even Bill Gates. Even if the President may not reply directly, he will ask someone to read the email and get back to you." Jaye Girourd also spoke about investigating opportunities back in India. "Companies like Intel, IBM and Microsoft are investing highly in India. They seem to think there will be a big market there" said Girourd.

Gregory Koss, President and CEO of Internet Photonics, urged people to not list every Acronym, but rather state accomplishments. Janet Wall, President of the Women's Leadership and Technology consortium also echoed this sentiment.

There were several questions asked of the panelists. Creative suggestions from the panel included trying to do volunteer work or part-time work at companies for some period of time so that they get to see your worth. The panelists also urged people to think of pursuing their other interests or passions if they could afford to do so.

Entrepreneurship was also strongly recommended. "If you have a good idea and the luxury to not work for some time, this would be the time to work on a product that you can have ready by the time the economy comes around" said Dhilla.



Puran Dang recommended getting a local address in the area you are applying for jobs, like say the Silicon Valley so that your application does not get a reject. For those who have jobs but are nervous about their situation, suggestions including trying to be part of the core business of the company and refusing manager positions in favor of a technical position was recommended. The answer to the famous "should I only have a one page resume" was "Write a clear and precise resume. Two to three pages are okay if they list accomplishments. Do not cut out information just to fit into a one-page format" was the answer. "A cover letter will definitely help," added Dhilla. "Honesty is the best exposition of your achievements. Be clear, concise and honest", said Dang.

The panel was extremely well organized. Ranjan Mathew, Jayas Damodaran and other dynamic organizers from the Gajendra Cirle Executive Committee are to be congratulated for this superb event. Some of the panelists have agreed to answer questions that may be directed to them. We encourage you to use the comment section to post any questions that you may have. If you need an email reply, please be sure to include your email address. To learn about the IITM alumni association, please checkout their website at www.gajendracircle.com.

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