Qualities MNCs look for in young candidates

In an online chat with Get Ahead readers on March 28, career counsellor and head of PurpleLeap Amit Bansal answered queries on dos and don'ts of writing CVs and offered advice to young graduates on how they can become more employable.

Here's the unedited chat transcript:

Amit Bansal says, Hi everyone, my name is Amit Bansal and I am ready to take your chat.

nottyn asked, hi sir, i will be a graduate in june... should i start applying for jobs right away or wait for my graduation certificate?
Amit Bansal answers,  at 2012-03-28 14:11:54You can start looking up for opportunities however you can apply only once you complete your graduation. You can apply soon after writing your exams and say you are awaiting your results.

prasad asked, Hi sir as a fresher ...as an electronics engineer what prior skills I needed ...
Amit Bansal answers, Apart from the cut off scores which are a basic requirements of various companies you need to prepare your resume and also work on your skills to appear in interviews. Work on communication skills, over all personality development and also practice some mock interviews.

nottyn asked, also, i dont have any work experience...pls advise some dos and donts to mention in my CV...
Amit Bansal answers, You must mention project work or any skill related experience on your resume. It's absolutely okay to not have work experience as a fresher.

Divya asked, Sir, what are the five qualities that an MNC looks for in a young candidate. And more importantly, how can I develop them?
Amit Bansal answers, MNC's usually look at a candidate's domain knowledge, communication skills and ability to work with people. These are basic skills any organization is looking at.

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PrasannaShetty asked, Sir, I have just come back from the US after a degree in engineering. What are the things I must keep in mind before applying for a job
Amit Bansal answers, First thing is you need to identify the companies you would like to apply for. Now based on those profiles create a good resume which will highlight your skills and knowledge which are relevant to that profile. After this you must work on preparing for interviews. Anticipate questions that can arise and think of appropriate examples to substantiate your competencies.

FRESHGUY asked, I am a fresh chemical engineer....what are the chances of job or I should continue to further in MBA?
Amit Bansal answers, You can start with a job right now and maybe after an year of experience do an MBA.

AbhishekMand asked, hello sir, mand this side. i scored 54 percent in Bcom...i graduated in 2011...i have still not found a job...i have uploaded my CV in all sites..naukri, monster...but have not received a single call yet... i dont know what to update in my CV now...can you please tell me what to do?
Amit Bansal answers, Please have someone review your resume. Have you created a generic resume which you are sending for all profile? or are you creating profile specific resume? Please check for language, grammar and format of your resume. Also, it's important to highlight skill related information on resume apart from knowledge specific information.

Nishi asked, It has been three years since i completed my graduation and i want to do an MBA now. but now that my father is retiring, i cannot do it full time. Is it ok if i take a break to study mba. And if that is not possible can you recommend some good courses please
Amit Bansal answers, Most organizations offer executive MBAs. See if your current organization offers that. Otherwise please check for some reputed institutions which offer executive MBAs like Symbiosis pune, Sikkim Manipal. IIMs also offer executive MBA programs.

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Sekhar asked, Amit, Many companies are not considering previous year freshers (Students who came out of college during recession and couldn't get in job due to personal constraints like Marriage etc.,). Do you have any suggestion for such candidates?
Amit Bansal answers, That's true however not all companies follow that trend. If you can convince them about your skills and mention appropriate skills and knowledge on your resume. Please seek help from your seniors to help you prepare a good resume and do take part in all walk-ins. I am sure you will find an opportunity. Good luck.

sabin asked, I am an HR recruiter,we used to see a trend like people changes their first job very quickly.what may be the reason behind this?
Amit Bansal answers, It's always lack of clarity about what exactly they would like to do. Most freshers move because of better salary packages.

Bon asked, Dear Sir, I am now 42, I have been working without any success. I can not stay in one company for more than 2 years (it is always 2 years or less than two years). What could be the reasons and what should I do?
Amit Bansal answers, Two years is a very short duration in any job. By this time you only get to understand the business and processes and only after that you are able to contribute fully to any organization. I would suggest you introspect as to what reasons have made you move jobs all these years. If it's a specific pattern you would know your area of improvement. A lot of time we get bored with what we are doing and move however the right way to deal with this is look for other areas where you can contribute.

SVRAMANA asked, ,Mr Bansal, My son is going join in B.E/B.Tech course this year. In your opinion which branch of engineering will be in demand in job point of view after four years and what is the current trend. Kindly Advise. Thanks
Amit Bansal answers, CS and IT is always a stream where there are many jobs available. However it totally depends on your son as to what is he interested in. B.Tech from IIT means he can make the maximum out aquiring skills and the institution he is studying with.

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santosh2104 asked, I am 32 yrs of age and looking for a career change from sales to clinical research. Could you please suggest if this could be possible? Does companies related to clinical research recruit as freshers?
Amit Bansal answers, It will be an uphill task to make drastic changes in your industry and domain. Have you already taken up a course in clinical research? if you have, the institutions usually offer placement assistance. You can enroll, however you will have to substantiate about this major move to any recruiter.

Shekhar asked, Hello Mr.Bansal Good Afternoon. sir i persuing my MBA from Mumbai university & into my final sem. I was trying hard to find a job before my end of sem. but all in vain. Also the packages are offered are way much low that i was getting before MBA. pls help on how i should move on and approach co.'s etc. pls advice
Amit Bansal answers, Since you have started early, you will definitely achieve success in finding a good profile for yourself. Please be selective while applying. Get your resume reviewed and most importantly be confident about your own capability. Please review the market scenario as far as the package is concerned. Maybe what they are offering is what the current trend is. If not, go ahead and negotiate however before that you will have to prove your candidature to your potential employer.

Amit Bansal says, Thank you all for your questions. I will meet you next time to answer more queries. Thanks.