ABOUT THIS BOOK

This is the second

part my E-Book

Success Key to US
Staffing (Part - II)

I have covered all the

necessary & required
topics about US
Staffing.
SUCCESS KEY TO
US STAFFING Laxminarayana Bupathi
Part 2
Index - Topics Covered in Part - II

1. Boolean Search Strings Page 02

2. Recruitment process Snapshot Page 13
3. US Tax Terms Page 20
4. Concept of Per Diem Page 28
5. Concept of Security Clearance Page 34
6. How to identify Fake profiles Page 39
7. LinkedIn Recruitment Page 48
8. How to be a successful Recruiter Page 54
9. Top 20 Interview Questions Page 59
10. Technical Skills Page 68

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Chapter 1:
Boolean Search Strings

Over View:
Boolean search was invented by English mathematician George Boole in 1847. He laid
out the concept and underlying principles in his seminal work entitled The Mathematical
Analysis of Logic. Since this ground breaking piece, Boolean has been the tool of choice
for virtually all libraries, virtual databases, and search engines.

If I have your attention, then let’s talk about Boolean search in recruitment. Yes, Boolean
search. That thing your high school librarian taught you when you were trying to find
books for your homework assignment. What you might not know about Boolean search
is that it’s still very much in use today across virtually all digital search interfaces. Boolean
search is such a pervasive tool that you may not even realize that you use it on a daily
basis. For example, if you put quotes around a search term in Google, you’re using
Boolean search. Google, in fact, wouldn’t even be here without Boolean search – a large
portion of its search functionality relies on these principles.

Finding the best candidates can take time and effort. After all, there is likely to be a range
of different aspects that you are looking for in your new employee and it can be difficult
to narrow this down in your search. Thankfully, using Boolean search strings enables
you to achieve a more specific search. By combining keywords and phrases within the

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Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT, “speech marks” and (brackets), you are able to limit,
widen or define your search. This means that you’re presented with only the most
relevant candidates. Below, we’ll talk you through the different types of Boolean search
strings you can use to improve your chances of finding the best talent. The tediousness
of sifting through resumes and websites, trying to find a hidden gem of a candidate, is a
scenario that every recruiter can empathize with. And, in recent years, recruitment
technologies that harness artificial intelligence have been added to the mix, at times
creating an extra layer of unneeded complexity and time.

What is Boolean search String?

Simple Definition: String is nothing but a, it is type of search criteria to find out the
resumes from job boards/portals using Boolean key words like “AND”, “OR”, “NOT” and
necessary operators.

Boolean Search Strings Basics

Based on some mathematical theory in which all variables are either ‘true’ or ‘false’,
Boolean search on Google is one of the best sourcing tools for
recruiters. The definition of Boolean search is that it’s a type of search that allows users
to combine keywords with operators such as AND, NOT and OR to produce more
relevant results.

Boolean search: Boolean search is a structured search process that allows the user
to insert words or phrases such as AND, OR, NOT to limit, broaden and define the
search results. By using Boolean search, employers can narrow down the pool of
candidates, they are presented with by specifically looking for what is required in that
role.

How to perform a Boolean search

Boolean searches can be done on any search engine across the Internet using certain
symbols and there is no restriction on how many you use in one search string.

Five elements of Boolean search:

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1. AND: placing AND between search keywords will allow user's results to
include both (or all) of the keywords. The search terms that follow the AND must appear
in the search results.
2. OR: user writes OR when he/she wants to search for something that has the
possibility of including either set of search terms. All combination possibilities will come
up.
3. NOT: when a user dos not want a specific search term to appear in the results,
he/she writes NOT after the preferred search term. This will prevent the terms from
coming up.
4. Quotation marks “”: when users want to search for an exact phrase, they use
quotation marks around that phrase.
5. Parentheses (): placing parentheses allows separation of the terms and
preference to be given to specified ones.

Boolean Search Strings Basics

Based on some mathematical theory in which all variables are either ‘true’ or ‘false’,
Boolean search on Google is one of the best sourcing tools for recruiters. The definition
of Boolean search is that it’s a type of search that allows users to combine keywords
with operators such as AND, NOT and OR to produce more relevant results.

Here are the basic operators for Boolean search strings for recruiters:
AND: When you want to include two (or more) criteria in your search, the operator AND narrows
down your search. For example, a Boolean search string for recruiting Android developers
should include ‘developer AND android’. This will produce results that include both keywords.

Venn diagram of the Boolean AND operator: A

AND B | A ∩ B

OR: The OR operator, on the other hand, allows us to expand our Boolean search results.
People might use different words to say the same thing. OR is particularly useful for synonyms,
like ‘bank OR finance OR financial.’

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Venn diagram of the Boolean OR operator A
OR B | A ∪ B

NOT: The NOT operator excludes unwanted terms from your Google sourcing search. Instead
of NOT, you could also use the minus symbol followed by your unwanted term without leaving
a space (e.g. ‘NOT recruiter’ or ‘-recruiter.’)
Venn diagram of the Boolean NOT operator A
NOT B | A – B

Brackets (): You can use brackets to group multiple search strings and set your priorities. This
will come in handy, as most candidate searches are complex and combine different keywords.
For example, ‘(developer OR designer) AND Java’ indicates that Java knowledge is a must-
have both for developers and designers. But, in a ‘designer OR (developer AND Java)’ search,
Java knowledge is important only for the developers you’re looking for – not the designers.
Venn diagram of Boolean search examples: Brackets to group multiple search strings
(A OR B) AND C | (A∪B) ∩ C

Quotation marks “”
If you want Google to consider the phrase you’re searching for as a complete phrase,
you should put it in quotation marks. For example, leaving a blank space between
‘customer’ and ‘service’ will provide pages that contain both of the words ‘customer’ and
‘service,’ but not necessarily together. You should type “customer service” to get more
relevant results when sourcing passive candidates.
How to find candidate resumes with Boolean search strings?
When sourcing professionals online, social profiles alone may not provide a well-
rounded view of someone’s skills and experience. Sourcing resumes with Boolean
search helps you better evaluate passive candidates. And, if you already have a
candidate in mind, use Boolean search strings to discover their resume on various
platforms.
To begin your search for professionals who have posted their resumes, craft parts of a
generic search string to use in every search. This string should: Exclude irrelevant

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results. When looking for passive candidates, you may often stumble upon pages with
job ads, sample resumes or resume services. All these are irrelevant to your search
(false positives) and can be excluded using the NOT (“-”) operator. Add terms based
on the irrelevant results you get each time.

Expand your search

In a nutshell, Boolean search is a structured search process that uses keywords, or
operators, to limit, broaden, or define the desired search results. The goal is to start
with a broad concept (i.e. recruitment) and refine your search query and the
corresponding results to only the information that is relevant to your needs (i.e.
recruitment managers).

How can I use Boolean search in recruitment?

For our purposes, Boolean search in recruitment relates to using these techniques to
search and filter through resumes, search engines, targeted websites, or ATS
systems to find and shortlist candidates that fit your search parameters.
Boolean search operators can be broken into two levels of complexity: basic functions
and advanced functions. We’ll dig deeper into each shortly. By using and combining
these operators, you can refine or broaden your search results to your needs.
Why use Boolean search in recruitment?
Using Boolean search in recruitment lets you leverage large databases like CRMs,
LinkedIn, indeed, Google, or your own ATS, to perform searches that find relevant
candidates quickly. It’s a massive time saver, and it’s a powerful tool for finding exactly
the candidate profiles you’re looking for.

When sourcing candidates, you will always have a list of required skills and
qualifications that constitute an “ideal” candidate. Often, though, these candidates
can be incredibly difficult to find, especially if they’re not actively looking for new
work. Recruiters can use Boolean search to refine search results in their platform
of choice to narrow in on only the candidates who fit their criteria.

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The benefits of Boolean search for recruiters are numerous:
• Saves time and effort spent manually sifting through stacks of information;
• Optimizes the effectiveness of in-house HR technologies;
• Extends the reach and possibilities of free search platforms and websites;
• Helps find otherwise hidden talent;
• Gives the ability to craft powerful, but customizable, search strings to meet every
job requirement and open position;
• And provides more targeted and relevant search results and candidate pools. As
you probably know, the first step in hiring the perfect fit for a given position is
targeting and sourcing the right candidates. You need to know what your own
requirements are, and what attributes a candidate must have to fill that gap.
Lastly, you need to go out and find candidates who meet those requirements.
Boolean search is a perfect tool for the job, and all you need is the knowledge of
how to use it.

Now that we’ve talked about what the technique is, let’s start building out your Boolean
search string cheat sheet, starting with the operators.

10 Important Boolean search string operators

As mentioned, Boolean operators can be broken into basic and advanced
functionalities. Let’s start with the basics.

Basic Boolean operators

The easiest Boolean search operators to get a handle on are:
1. AND
2. OR
3. NOT
4. BRACKETS ()
5. QUOTATIONS “”
6. ASTERISK *

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Advanced Boolean operators
The four advanced operators we’ll add to this Boolean search string cheat sheet
include:
7. TILDE ~
8. NEAR
9. FILETYPE
10. URL: & SITE:

Let’s take a look at all of the above, and some examples of how you can use them
in recruitment.
1. AND
The AND operator is used when you want to include two or more search criteria.
It’s generally used to narrow search results by adding an extra variable that must
be present in the search result.
For example, if you’re looking for somebody who works in marketing, who also has
manager-level experience, then you may type the following string into your search
engine or ATS.
marketing AND manager

Naturally, the next step here is the OR operator.

2. OR
Using OR in your search string indicates that you want to see multiple entries or
variables in your results. This operator acts to expand your search results to include
a wider range of information.
OR can be used when different words or job titles say the same thing, and can be
used alongside AND to refine your results.
For example, you can use this string to refine your marketing manager search.
marketing AND (manager OR leader)

Again, this logic leads to the next operator: NOT.

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3. NOT
As you probably guessed, NOT is used when you want to exclude specific terms
or requirements.
For example, if you’re looking for a mid-level manager, you’ll want to exclude executive
titles that might be caught up in the above search strings. You can do so like this:
marketing AND (manager OR leader) NOT executive
NOT also works if you use a minus symbol, followed by your term with no space,
like this:
marketing AND (manager OR leader) –executive

4. BRACKETS ()
If your math brain is going off and asking: “wait a minute: how is the search engine
supposed to know which operator takes priority,” then you’re ready to hear about
BRACKETS. Brackets in Boolean search work in a similar way as
the BODMAS principle in math, which dictates which parts of an equation are
calculated in what order.
BRACKET operators are used to specify which parts of the search
take priority over other elements. They specify which sections you want to
emphasize, compare, or exclude.
So, if you’re looking for someone who is a marketing manager OR leader, but not an
executive, your string would look something like this:
marketing AND (manager OR leader) -executive
As your strings get more complex, brackets will become your best friend that keeps
thing organized and logical.

5. QUOTATIONS “”
The next basic Boolean operator – and one you likely use often – is QUOTATIONS.
This operator is used to search for an exact phrase that you’re looking for. This is a
good option if you know exactly what search result you’re hoping to find, and want to
exclude anything that doesn’t include that term. Adding quotes around a single word, or

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multiple words will treat that string as one search term. For example, if you only want to
see people who have Marketing Manager on their resume, and don’t care about any
synonyms, then your string would look like this.
“Marketing manager”
The opposite of QUOTATIONS, which keeps your result sharply focused, is
ASTERISK, which aims to expand your search.

6. ASTERISK *
ASTERISK is used to widen your search to include variations on your keywords or phrases.
Think of this operator as a tool for finding a pool of candidates who use a variety of different
words to describe similar tasks or skills. By placing an ASTERISK next to the root of the word
you’re searching for, the search results will be expanded to include any possible word
containing that beginning.
For example, the search string:
admin* … would bring up results for administrator, administration,
administer, etc.
ASTERISK is a great operator to add onto a search string to find complementary
skills. For example, a marketing manager with administration skills:
“Marketing manager” AND admin*
These 6 basic operators are a powerful introduction to Boolean search in recruitment
and can be used for the majority of your candidate sourcing needs.
But when dealing with larger and more complex databases or search engines, you
may find that these basic operators don’t quite cut it.
The following advanced operators can be added to your Boolean and Google search
strings to get even more refined results for your candidate sourcing.

7. TILDE ~
The TILDE symbol is useful for expanding or reducing your search results,
depending on how you use it. That’s because it includes synonyms of the keyword
that you’re tagging with the TILDE symbol.
For the advanced Boolean operators, we’ll expand our Marketing Manager search

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strings to include specific types of documents you may be looking for on Google that
belong to a candidate.
To find a resume, CV, curriculum vitae, etc. for a Marketing Manager, you might
type the following string:
~CV “marketing manager”
This will include all search results for marketing managers’ resume-type
documents.
Because synonyms of CV might include, for example, job descriptions – which, as a
recruiter, you don’t need to see – you can combine TILDE with your NOT operator as
well.
~CV “marketing manager” –job-description
This Google search string will give you results showing only actual CVs (and their
synonyms) for marketing managers. You can keep layering NOT operators to further
reduce unwanted results.

8. NEAR
NEAR lets you search for specific words or phrases that appear close to each other
in a document, on a web page, or wherever you’re searching.
This is a proximity search operator that will automatically search for results that
include key phrases located 1-10 words apart in the text.
For example, if you want to look for the CV (and synonyms) of Marketing Managers
who have paid advertising credentials, your search string might look like this:
~CV “marketing manager” AND (paid NEAR ad*)
In this string, I’m indicating that a requirement is that the CV should list paid
advertising in some form within the document.
I also included BRACKETS to isolate the NEAR operator, an AND function to indicate
that this marketing manager must also have these skills, and an ASTERISK beside ad
to ensure that I include all possible variations of the terms.

9. FILETYPE
A great tool for finding elusive CV documents on the web is the FILETYPE Boolean

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operator. Often, when you search for candidates on Google or on a social media
platform, you’ll be directed to a web page containing incomplete information. Being
able to quickly find a full CV document on the web – if it exists – is a great way to
quickly see a complete overview of the candidate.
To do this, you can specify the type of file using the FILETYPE operator. For
example, to find PDF documents for marketing managers’ CVs, you could search:
~CV “marketing manager” Filetype: pdf

Use this Boolean operator within your ATS to quickly find complete resume
documents that match your requirements.

10. URL: & SITE:

The last Boolean search operator we’ll cover is the URL: and SITE: functionality.
These operators let you search for skills and experience within a specific website or
URL. This is an incredibly powerful way to quickly scan niche websites where your
target candidates typically congregate.
The key to success with this operator is to know your candidate intimately. You should
understand which sites they go to, the terminology they use, and the skills and
experience they’re likely to have. Armed with this knowledge, you
can search specifically for people you know will have the requirements you’re looking
for.
Let’s say you’re looking for a software developer on LinkedIn who has
experience in FinTech. Your string could look something like: site:linkedin.com
~CV “software developer” AND “fintech”
It’s important to note when using Boolean search for recruitment that the more
operators and layers you add to your strings, the narrower your results will become.
This can, and likely will, exclude candidates that may be qualified for your position. It’s
important to regularly tweak and test your Boolean search strings to ensure that they’re
giving you the most useful results possible. Keep a number of ready-made strings
handy to save time, but also be aware that a qualified candidate may slip through the
cracks.

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Chapter 2:
Recruitment Process

In human resource management, “recruitment” is the process of finding and hiring the
best and most qualified candidate for a job opening, in a timely and cost-effective
manner. It can also be defined as the “process of searching for prospective employees
and stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization”. In simple
words I can say recruitment is nothing but, finding and hiring suitable candidate for the
suitable position. It is one whole process, with a full life cycle, that begins with
identification of the needs of the company with respect to the job, and ends with the
introduction of the employee to the organization. When we speak about the recruitment
process, we immediately think of activities such as the analysis of the requirements of
a specific job, attracting candidates to apply for that job, screening the applicants and
selecting among them, hiring the chosen candidates to become new employees of the
organization, and integrating them into the structure. Obviously, the main reason why
the recruitment process is implemented is to find the persons who are best qualified
for the positions within the company, and who will help them towards attaining
organizational goals. But there are other reasons why a recruitment process is
important. To ensure proper alignment of skill sets to organizational goals. Through
recruitment, organizations make sure that the skill sets of the staff or manpower of the
company remains aligned to its initiatives and goals. In the event that they notice some
positions do not really contribute to the advancement of the organization towards its

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goals, then it can take the proper action to correct this, Page | 5 probably through job
redesign, restructuring of the workforce, or conduct of job enrichment programs. To
ensure effective and efficient recruiting. Effective recruiting means that the person
employed for the job is the best possible candidate for it, with all the required skills,
talents and qualifications of the job. Efficient recruiting, on the other hand, means that
the process has been carried out without incurring a lot of costs on the part of the
organization. By following the process, there is a greater chance that the human
resources department can get the best possible person for the job. Organizations may
carry out their hiring processes their own way, but without a system or set guidelines
in place for its conduct and implementation, there is a risk that the company may incur
more expenses than necessary. The company will also end up wasting its resources if
the wrong or unqualified person was actually hired. Not only will this create problems
for the company in the long run, particularly in the attainment of its goals, but it would
mean that the organization would also have wasted its resources in training an
employee that is not right for the job after all.

Recruitment Process starts when a client has a job position and need to fill that
position. In this section we’ll review the basic aspects of technical recruiting you’ll want
to understand before you start looking for candidates. Once you’ve mastered these
basics you can then move on to finding the perfect candidate.
Requirements

Source of requirement: we get requirements from Business Development team, Direct

Sales team, Preferred Vendors.

Example: your client is looking for a web developer who should have 3 years of
experience in web development

Technologies like html, Javascript, html etc. The client says that the knowledge in
Javascript is very important because he is going to be only working on creating various
Javascript functions, writing code for client-side validation etc.
It’s fine if you don’t understand what a client-side validation is. You don’t need to know

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the definition of a function either. But there are some important things that you should
know.
Example: You are busy searching in the job boards for a perfect candidate for that big
gig. Suddenly you come across a profile that says that the candidate has 4 years of
experience in Java and has worked in creating web pages using Adobe Dreamweaver.
Is this the right profile for the client’s requirement?
Of course not. Java is not the same as Javascript. There are important distinctions
between the two which your client is specifically looking for. Understanding that the
world of Technical Recruiting is very specific is key. If a client says Javascript, they
mean it.

In one hand you have the criteria of the job you are trying to fill. In the other hand you
have a list of résumé s. Your goal is to match one to the other. You win when the
applicant you chose gets the position and the client benefits from their work. The most
important thing in technical recruiting is to find the talent who perfectly matches the
job’s description.

If the following requirements of a job opening match the experience of a candidate,

give yourself a cookie because you just found a winner!
• Mandatory skills
• Rate/Salary Negotiation
• RTR Confirmation
• Years of relevant experience.
• Location preferences
• Preferred type of employment
• Work authorization
• Educational qualifications.

When a client has listed a skill as mandatory you cannot compromise that skill. Usually,
a job requirement will need the candidate to have multiple skills so it is very important
to go through the candidate’s résumé to make sure that the candidate really possesses
those skills.

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In fact, the candidate should have provided an in-depth explanation about what project
they did that requires the specific skill that the client is requires. Simply having a skill
listed may not be enough for a candidate to be considered.

An important note in years of relevant experience as well. The word ‘relevant’ is there
for a reason. If a client is looking for midlevel Java developer, then the candidate who
has 4 years of total IT experience and 2 years of experience in Java is not the right
candidate! Because, he only has 2 years of relevant experience.

Location is an important factor as well. The United States is a very large country
covering 4 different major time zones. If a job’s location is in Jersey City, New Jersey
then the client may prefer a candidate who is local to New Jersey or the states nearby.
It is ok to consider the candidates who want to relocate, but if a face-to-face interview
with the client is a must, then you need to confirm with the candidate if they are ready
for it.

On the other end of the spectrum, a client may be willing to work with a remote
employee in which case location wont matter, pure skill will be the more important
determinant. As ever, the client’s specification is key.

Types of Requirements
Contract: Contract position come for fixed timeframe or contract plus extension.
Anyone can work on

contract positions irrespective of their work authorization.

Contract to Hire: CTH Position will be initially for fixed timeframe and once that time
frame is over the client offers consultant a permanent position. Only US Citizens,
Green Card Holder, TN Visa Holder are eligible for Fulltime position unless client is
ready to process the H1B.

Fulltime Permanent: Fulltime positions are direct hire positions. Only US Citizens,

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Green Card Holder,

TN Visa Holder are eligible for Fulltime position unless client is ready to process the
H1B.

Understanding the requirement: Understanding the requirement contributes the most

to our success in sourcing the accurate resume.
Sourcing

Job boards: Job Boards are used for both resume searching and requirement posting.
Job boards mainly helps us in sourcing resumes for Contract, CTH and Fulltime
positions.

Vendors/Suppliers: These are the companies who market their own W2’s most of the
time. We usually mass mail these vendors with the requirement and they in turn will
reply with resumes of their consultants.

Internal Database: All the resumes we get from job boards search, vendors, and other
sources will form our internal database for future reference.

References: When we speak to a consultant about a particular requirement and if they

are not interested in that position; on request they will provide the references of their
friend/colleagues for the same position.

Google/Yahoo Groups: Entire world has access to these groups so our chances of
getting a resume will be high. We should identify technology specific groups or location
specific groups and register with those groups and then we can send our requirement.

Technology Forums: Technology forum is the place where consultants will answer
each other queries. We should register and can send requirement, if interested they
will reply back.

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Networking Websites: Networking websites like LinkedIn are also possible source of
recruiting References, Tech Forums, Networking websites are a very good source of
finding passive candidates

Screening
Resume Screening: At this time, you should compare the resume with the requirement
and check whether all the required skills are present in the resume or not. If the
consultant worked on one particular skill which is a must have for the requirement and
failed to mention then we should ask him to update.

Telephonic Screening: We should give a brief of the job description; required skills
etc.… and check with him on the same. While talking to him you should evaluate him
on his communication skill, relevant experience, confidence level, willingness to take
the position.

Technical Evaluation: Should technically evaluate them by asking technical question.

We can get lot of interview question form web.

Submission
Rate Negotiation: The Need of rate negotiation comes in to picture when we have less
rate cap from the client, when we have to maintain minimum/good margin for our
company and when we have to give them the rate they actually deserve (rate
justification)

Formatting: Formatting meaning maintaining uniformity in font, its size, etc… Should
put company Logo on the Header. We use Verdana 10 as standard font and size.

Consultant Details: We collect the following details from consultants

Full Name:
Current Location:
Relocation:

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Availability:
Contact Numbers:
Email:
Work Authorization (Visa):
Visa Validity
SSN (last 4 digits)
Date of Birth (MM/DD):
2 Professional References:

Interview:
Telephonic Interview: Most of the companies will ask for Telephonic interview as
screening and take a decision or may also call for Face to Face to take final decision.

In person interview: Few companies call directly (without telephonic screening) for
Face-to-Face interview which will be first and final round.

Interview over the Bridge (Video Interview): We should encourage interview over the
bridge if possible. By doing so we will get to know interview questions

Offer:
If the client likes the consultant and wants him on board then client will release the
Purchase Order. We in turn will have to prepare Vendor’s Master Services Agreement
or Contractor’s

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Chapter:3
US TAX TERMS

Tax Term plays a very important role in Staffing/Recruitment Industry. A recruiter must
have Tax Term Knowledge because through this he can easily identify in which Tax
Term the candidate is able to do work and who will pay Taxes, Candidate or
Employer/Company. There are 3 TAX Terms which are W2, C2C and 1099.

Let’s have brief knowledge about all the 3 Tax Terms

W2 (Wage and Tax Statement):
Under this Tax Term, if the N number candidates are working under any Company
then that Company or Employer will pay all the Taxes of their employees to Internal
Revenue Service (IRS).
Under this company will pay Federal & State Unemployment Tax, Social Security
Taxes Medicare Taxes.
USC, GC, H1B, TN & EAD comes under this type of employment
Take your example, you are working in ABC Company directly then your company will
pay your all taxes.

C2C (Customer to Customer / Corporation to Corporation):

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C2C is an agreement between two Customers/Corporations and under this Tax Term
your company/corporation is responsible for your Taxes.
Again take your example, you are an employee of ABC or TCS Company (under TCS
payroll) but you are working for XYZ company, so in that case, there will be a C2C
agreement between TCS & XYZ and XYZ is not responsible for you taxes. Only your
company (TCS) will pay all the taxes.
This Tax Term is only for Contract Jobs.
USC, GC, H1B, TN & EAD comes under this type of employment (same as W2).

1099:
Under this Tax Term only candidate is responsible for paying their Taxes.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN W-2 AND 1099 FORMS

Each year, employers must issue W-2s and 1099s to their employees. However, what
is the difference between a W-2 and 1099? If an employer provides the wrong form to
an employee, it could result in potential fines.
To avoid this issue, let’s look at the difference between 1099 and W-2 forms. We’ll also
discuss how to determine which form to use so you can maintain compliance during
year-end processing.

KNOW ABOUT W-2 FORMS

A W-2 form, also known as a Wage and Tax Statement, is a required document that
an employer must send to employees each year. Any business owner engaged in a
trade or business who pays for services performed by an employee must file a Form
W-2 for each employee.
Earnings include non-cash payments of $600 or more for the year (all amounts, if any
income, social security tax, or Medicare tax was withheld). Here are some essential
facts to know about W-2 forms:
• It’s different from a Form W-4, which is used to tell your employer how much tax
to withhold from your paycheck each pay period.
• It usually determines whether a person is getting a refund or making a payment
during tax season.

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Employers must provide their employees with copies of their W-2s by the end of
January each year. From the first paycheck of the year to the final payroll processed,
that information populates Form W-2s. Employees that receive a W-2 are provided an
overview of their earned wages, any taxes withheld, and any deductions taken for
items like retirement contributions or health insurance for that calendar year.

NOTE: Sometimes, the amounts shown on a Form W-2 are different than what is
reflected in a final pay stub for the calendar year. If this is the case, you can utilize a
resource like our W-2 Vs. Final Pay Stub Handout to explain the difference to your
employees.

WHAT IS FORM W-2?

Form W-2 is the tax form used to report wages paid to employees for the year.
Employers must provide a W-2 to each employee and the IRS at the end of each year.
Form W-2 includes information about the tax year, including:
• Taxable Income: How much an employee made and how much of that income was
withheld for federal taxes.
• Social Security and Medicare Income: How was much was withheld for FICA taxes.
• State Income: How much was withheld for state income taxes if any.

An employee then uses the Form W-2 to report their earned wages to the IRS for tax
filing purposes. Employers will also file Copy A of their employees’ W-2s with the IRS,
along with a Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statements, to fulfill their tax
filing obligations.

WHO GETS A FORM W-2?

Any employee who earns at least $600 from an employer is required to receive a Form
W-2 for tax purposes, regardless of the type of worker. Employers are required by law
to file copies of W-2s to the IRS, Social Security Administration (SSA), and state and
local tax authorities, if applicable.
Employers typically begin verifying employee information in October and November to

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prepare for year-end processing and the distribution of W-2s to employees. The type
of information that should be verified includes:
• Social security numbers
• Employee names
• Employee addresses

Once this information has been verified or corrected, employers then prepare to
generate W-2s to distribute in January. If an employer uses a provider that offers
payroll tax compliance services, this process can be as simple as making W-2s
available to employees in an online portal for easy access.
If an individual receives at least $600 from more than one employer, they must file all
Form W-2 received for that calendar year. If an employee only worked for an employer
part of a calendar year, they must file that Form W-2 with the IRS.

REPORTING INCOME FOR EMPLOYEES

Employers are required to withhold income tax and the employee portion of Social
Security and Medicare taxes. Businesses are responsible for paying Social Security,
Medicare, and unemployment (FUTA) taxes on their employees’ wages.

KNOW ABOUT 1099 FORMS

A Form 1099 provides a record that an entity or person other than an individual’s
employer gave or paid them money. There are many types of 1099 forms for everything
from interest and dividends to pensions and payouts from individual retirement
accounts. Here are some essential facts to know about 1099 forms:
• Receiving a 1099 doesn’t necessarily mean taxes are owed on that money.
• Employers must provide copies of Form 1099 to contractors or freelancers by the
end of January each year.
• Employers must file Form 1099 with Form 1096, Annual Summary and Transmittal
of U.S. Information Returns.
• Two of the most common 1099s are the 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC.
• These forms are typically issued to independent contractors or freelancers to report

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 wages paid to them without taxes withheld, like Medicare and Social Security, to
the IRS.

WHAT IS FORM 1099-NEC?

Form 1099-NEC is used to report non-employee compensation (NEC). Beginning in
2020, the IRS now requires employers to use Form 1099-NEC to report any money
paid to individuals who provided work or services but were not employees. Money paid
must be at least $600 in services, rents, prizes or awards, and other income payments.
Common examples of non-employee compensation include fees paid for professional
services like attorneys or accountants and payments made to independent contractors.

NOTE: The due date for filing Form 1099 that includes non-employee compensation
has changed from February 28th to January 31st. Furthermore, the automatic 30-day
extension for forms that include NEC has been eliminated.

WHO GETS A FORM 1099-NEC?

Any independent contractor or freelancer who earns at least $600 from a business that
does not count them as an employee must receive a Form 1099-NEC for tax purposes.
Employers are required by law to file copies of 1099s to the IRS, Social Security
Administration (SSA), and state and local tax authorities, if applicable.
Employers typically begin verifying information in October and November to prepare
for year-end processing and the distribution of 1099s to contractors and freelancers.
The type of information that should be verified includes:
• Social security numbers
• Contractor names
• Contractor addresses

Once this information has been verified or corrected, employers then prepare to
generate 1099s to be distributed in January. If an employer uses a provider that offers
payroll tax compliance services, this process can be as simple as mailing 1099s
directly to contractors for added convenience.

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REPORTING INCOME FOR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS
Employers might need to provide Form 1099-NEC to report what is paid to independent
contractors if it was more than $600 in a tax year. Withholding, Social Security, and
Medicare wages are not reported on a Form 1099-NEC because income taxes are not
withheld for independent contractors. They are responsible for paying their income tax
and self-employment tax. Businesses do not have to file a Form 1099-NEC if an
independent contractor is registered as a C corporation or S corporation.

WHAT IS FORM 1099-MISC?

Form 1099-MISC is used to report miscellaneous income that does not fit into other
1099 categories. Now that Form 1099-NEC is being used to report non-employee
compensation, Form 1099-MISC has been revised, and the box numbers have been
rearranged for reporting certain income:
• Box 7 - Payer made direct sales of $5,000 or more checkbox.
• Box 9 - Crop insurance proceeds are reported here.
• Box 10 - Gross proceeds to an attorney are reported here.
• Box 12 - Section 409A deferrals are reported here.
• Box 14 - Nonqualified deferred compensation income is reported here.
• Boxes 15, 16, and 17 - State taxes withheld, state identification number, and
the amount of income earned in the state are reported in these boxes.

WHO GETS A 1099-MISC?

Form 1099-MISC is provided to each person an employer has paid during the year.
These types of payments include:
• At least $10 in royalties or broker payments in lieu of tax-exempt interest.
• At least $600 income
• Rents
• Prizes and awards
• Other income payments
• Medical and health care payments
• Crop insurance proceeds

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• Cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) you purchase from anyone engaged
in the trade or business of catching fish
• Generally, the cash paid from a notional principal contract to an individual,
partnership, or estate
• Payments to an attorney
• Any fishing boat proceeds

Use Form 1099-MISC to report if an employer made direct sales of at least $5,000 in
consumer products to a buyer for resale anywhere other than a permanent retail
establishment.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 1099 AND A W-2 EMPLOYEE?

There is one key difference between a W-2 form and a 1099. A Form 1099 is issued
to an independent contractor to report their income to the IRS. They pay their taxes
since they are self-employed. A Form W-2 is given to an employee to report their
income and payroll taxes withheld. Therefore, there is a tax difference between 1099
and W-2 forms.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EMPLOYEE AND INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTOR?
Knowing which form to provide at the end of the year depends on whether you’re
classifying your employees and independent contractors correctly. To better
understand this process, let’s look at how the IRS classifies workers. According to the
IRS, an employee is anyone who performs services for you if you can control what will
be done and how it will be done.
For example, if a worker is employed on a full-time basis, requires minimal assistance
due to experience, and their work is subject to a supervisor’s approval, that person is
an employee.
The IRS defines an independent contractor as anyone who offers their services to the
general public. This definition includes doctors, dentists, lawyers, and accountants. If
the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will

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be done or how it will be done, that worker is an independent contractor. However,
distinguishing whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, depends
on each case’s facts.

DETERMINING IF A WORKER IS AN EMPLOYEE OR INDEPENDENT

CONTRACTOR
Accurately classifying employees and contractors is vital for federal tax purposes.
Worker classification impacts how you pay employer taxes and how your employees
pay their federal income tax, social security, and Medicare taxes.
It’s important to remember that no single control factor is used to determine whether a
worker is an employee or an independent contractor. Look at the entire relationship
and consider the degree or extent of the right to direct and control. These control
factors will help you determine the difference between a W-2 and 1099 contractor form.

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Chapter 4:
Concept of Per Diem

At some point throughout your career or job search, you’ve probably come across the
words “per diem” What does per diem mean? What Does Mean by “Per Diem”? Per
diem, a Latin term, literally translates to “per day” or “for each day,” and it’s often used
in the context of jobs, internships, and employment. In business, a per diem generally
refers to an amount of money you receive or may spend per day from your employer.
We’ll outline some of the common uses for the term “per diem” so you understand how
it might be used in different contexts. Federal Per Diem Rate The U.S. General
Services Administration (GSA) has set federal per diem rates for any official
government travel. The federal per diem guidelines may change year to year, but
they’re available on the GSA website (where you can search for GSA federal per diem
rules in different locations). This is the amount of money you may spend on
necessities, such as meals, per day if you are traveling for business. Companies in the
U.S. refer to the GSA’s per diem rate guide to determine per diem rates for various
U.S. cities. Since the cost of living and expenses varies considerably from place to
place, you can expect to have a larger per diem for some cities than others.

For instance, if you’re traveling and need to stay in a hotel in New York City, the per

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diem allowance for this expense will be much. higher than it would be if you were
staying in a hotel in Kentucky since a New York hotel will be more expensive.
• What Does it Mean to Be a Pay Per Diem Employee?
• What does per diem work mean?

Per diem work is one way to refer to a career opportunity that’s not being offered as a
fulltime job. If you’re a per diem employee, that means you’ve signed on to work for a
specific set of work hours at a specific level of pay without committing to a long-term,
full-time job. If you’re looking for a job, you may notice employers listing per diem
positions that pay by the shift or by the day — particularly within industries where
temporary work is common or where work is often needed on. short notice or on an
as-needed basis. In the field of education, for example, a substitute teacher might be
labeled a per diem employee, because this is a position that usually needs to be filled
urgently and by the day.

Another example is the healthcare industry, where workers are sometimes employed
based on the need of the hospital or facility at a given time. Contractors tend to operate
with a per diem arrangement as well; some days their work may be exceptionally
difficult, and other days it may feel a bit slower, but regardless, they are paid a fixed
amount for a shift of day of work. Per diem work may be a great option for you if you’re
not ready to commit to a long-term, full-time job and if you generally have a flexible
schedule that allows you to dictate your own hours on short notice. If you like the. idea
of working on an as-needed basis, which might be great if you’re looking to make some
extra cash, this kind of employment might be a great fit for you. It’s probably not the
best choice for you if you’re keen on finding a stable job that offers benefits, paid time
off, and lots of room for growth.

Per Diem as It Relates to Allowance or Reimbursement If you’re a full-time employee,

that doesn’t necessarily mean the words “per diem” will never apply to you. In addition
to referring to a type of work commitment, the term per diem is also used in reference
to employees’ expenses or an allowance they might get. In some jobs, employees

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might have a set amount of money they’re allowed to spend per day on meals and
other expenses like . lodging, particularly when they travel often and incur a cost as a
result of their work. If you frequently have lunch meetings with clients, you might also
be given an allowance for covering the meal. Oftentimes employees will be given a
reimbursement form so that they can provide details on their travel expenses (if you’re
asked to drive somewhere for work, for instance, your company might give you mileage
reimbursement or travel reimbursement if you take a cab, train, or even a plane for a
work-related function). Travel Ever heard of travel expenses or travel per diem — or
travel expenses per diem? Your company may have a travel expense reimbursement
policy for business travel. plans — and employee travel expenses are just what the
sound like. Let’s say you’re taking a business trip to another city. Your boss might tell
you to save your receipts so that you can later track your work-related travel expenses
and submit an expense report for reimbursement on costs like airfare,
accommodations, taxis, public transportation, or even meals. You might be asked to
fill out a specific travel expense template or a travel expense form to keep your info
organized. Travel expense reports can be particularly appropriate for certain kinds of
jobs. Let’s say you’re a flight attendant and you often have long layovers in a city, or
your return flight is postponed until the next day. Maybe you have a meal allowance of
$50 per day that you travel, or your employer might tell you your per diem allowance
for lodging on a given work trip is $100 per night.

Example:
Lodging allowance: $100/night
Meal allowance: $50/day
Length of trip: 3 days
Details: Day 1: Hotel, $100; Breakfast: $10; Lunch: $15; Dinner: $23
Day 2: Hotel, $100; Breakfast: $15; Lunch: $110; Dinner: $25
Day 3: Hotel, $100; Breakfast: $7; Lunch: $10; Dinner: $20
Total allowed reimbursement: $750
Total reimbursement: $734

If you travel for work frequently, the per diem rate or cost-of-living allowance might

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change depending on what city you’re in, as your expenses for travel per diem in one
city might unavoidably be much higher than your rate per diem in another city. In some
occupations where unusually long hours are regularly expected, employees might
have a per diem meal allowance or reimbursement capabilities for their travel expense
home (if they work late) on any ordinary day. Again, if you’re in a position where you’re
sometimes or regularly offered a per diem allowance, make sure to save your receipts
and be diligent about submitting expense reports so that you’ll be reimbursed! Per
Diem for Contractors When you work in contract staffing, you place workers with your
clients’ businesses constantly. Sometimes, your clients are in a different locality than
the contract workers. To accommodate the employees, you might provide a per diem
employment agreement.

What is per diem for contractors?

Per diem for contractors Per diem is Latin for “per day” or “for each day.” Think of per
diem as a daily stipend you give employees to go toward necessities. As the employer
of record, you can choose to provide per diem for contractors. Employers often choose
to pay a per diem rate to an employee on business travel instead of reimbursing them
for the actual cost of expenses incurred.

What does per diem cover?

Per diem covers lodging (apartment, hotel), meals, and incidental expenses (fees and
tips given to baggage carriers, hotel staff, porters, and staff on ships). It does not cover
transportation expenses like car rental or airfare. Transportation expenses are
normally handled as an actual expense. The employee receives reimbursement. Who
qualifies for per diem? To qualify for full per diem, the contractor must maintain two
residences during the contract assignment. In addition to their primary residence, the
contractor must have a qualifying secondary residence. Staying with a friend or family
member does not qualify as a secondary residence. Meals and Incidental Expenses
(M&IE) only. In some situations, the contractor only receives per diem for M&IE.
Generally speaking, a contractor will be entitled to M&IE when their work duties require
them to be outside of the general area of their home longer than an ordinary workday.
For example, the M&IE portion only would be paid if: The client provides the lodging

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or reimburses the contractor directly for lodging The contractor does not expect lodging
expenses to be incurred but will be away from their tax home longer than a standard
workday (i.e., staying with family members) If the standard workday is consistently
exceeded and it would be unreasonable to have the contractor return to their tax home
(isolated cases).

How long does per diem last?

Contractor per diem cannot be given for more than 12 continuous months on the same
contract assignment. If the contractor is still on the same contract assignment after 12
months, the per diem rate should be discontinued. However, the rate for expenses can
be added to the contractor’s taxable income when the 12-month time frame is up.
Contractor per diem rates The IRS per diem rates for contractors depends on the
method you use. There are two different substantiation methods used to calculate per
diem rates: High-low method. Federal per diem rate method High-low method With the
high-low method, the IRS sets a standard, or “low,” daily rate that applies to most
localities and a “high” rate for large cities that generally have a higher cost of living.
For example, cities like Boston, New York City, and San Francisco use the high rate.
The rates change annually. The current per diem rate for any high-cost locality is $282,
and of that amount $68 is designated for meals. For other localities within the
Continental United States (CONUS), the per diem rate is $189 with $57 going toward
meals. Federal per diem rate method Federal per diem rates change based on the
locality the contractor is sent to.

The U.S. General Services Administration publishes the rates. They also offer a great
tool that lets you find current per diem rates of any city and state in CONUS. The rates
for lodging might change per month. The 2017 standard rate is $142, with $51 going
toward meals and incidental expenses. If your city or county is not listed on the GSA
per diem rate page, you must use this standard rate. On the first and last day of the
employee’s travel, you only pay 75% of the standard rate. Since rates differ depending
on locality, make sure you do your research. For example, the per diem rate for
lodging, meals, and incidentals in September 2017 is $375 in New York City, New York
and $157 in El Paso, Texas.

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For more information on per diem rates, Is per diem taxable for contractors?
Is per diem taxable for contractors? The per diem reimbursement is not subject to
payroll tax withholdings and is not reported as income on the employee’s W-2 if the
following two conditions are met: The rate paid to the employees does not exceed the
IRS approved maximum rates The employee provides an expense report (business
purpose, date and place, receipts) Per diem rates are taxable if any of the following
take place: The employee does not file an expense report The expense report does
not include the date, time, place, amount, and business purpose of the expense . You
give the employee a flat rate and don’t require an expense report You pay the
employee more than the standard federal rate You can pay contract workers above
the federal rate, but the amount that exceeds the federal threshold needs to be
included in their taxable income. Common myth about per diem Many believe per diem
can be given even if the contractor is permanently relocating their family to the new
work location. In this situation, the contractor would not be entitled to per diem because
they are not paying for two different residences. If a contractor receives full per diem
when they shouldn’t, it opens you, your client’s company, and the contractor up to IRS
scrutiny and audits. Educate your clients and contractors on per diem. Client requests
Your client can request that a candidate is reimbursed using the actual expense
method instead of receiving a per diem rate. If that happens, you (or your back-office
solutions provider) would request a traditional expense form with receipts for expenses
incurred by the contractor. Clients can also handle expenses directly with the
contractor. You would not need to reimburse expenses in the contractor’s pay or
provide per diem.

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Chapter 5:
Security Clearance

A security clearance is a determination by the United States Government that a person

or company is eligible for access to classified information; A security clearance is a
status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information (state or
organizational secrets) or to restricted areas, after completion of a thorough
background check. The term "Security Clearance" is also sometimes used in private
organizations that have a formal process to vet employees for access to sensitive
information. A clearance by itself is normally not sufficient to gain access; the
organization must also determine that the cleared individual needs to know specific
information. No one is supposed to be granted automatic access to classified
information solely because of rank, position, or a security clearance.

Types of Security Clearances

Positions in the federal government are classified in three ways:
• Non-sensitive positions
• Public trust positions
• National security positions

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Each of these positions requires some form of background investigation, which may
vary depending on the necessary level of clearance for a position. For lower levels of
security clearances, background investigations typically rely entirely on automated
checks of an applicant’s history. For a secret clearance in a national security position,
the investigation requires agents to interview people who have lived or worked with the
applicant at some point in the last seven years (or more)

Security Levels
Security clearances can be issued by many United States of America government
agencies, including the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of State (DOS),
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Energy (DoE), the
Department of Justice (DoJ), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Central
Intelligence Agency (CIA). DoD issues more than 80% of all clearances.

There are three levels of DoD security clearances:

TOP SECRET – Will be applied to information in which the unauthorized disclosure
could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national
security.

SECRET – Will be applied to information in which the unauthorized disclosure could

reasonably be expected to cause serious damage to the national security.

CONFIDENTIAL – Will be applied to information in which the unauthorized disclosure

could reasonably be expected to cause damage to the national security.

TYPES OF SECURITY CLEARANCES:

The scope of investigative work needed to grant a security clearance depends on the
level of clearance being requested. There are three basic levels of security
classification:

CONFIDENTIAL: This refers to material, which, if improperly disclosed, could be

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reasonably expected to cause some measurable damage to the national security. The
vast majority of military personnel are given this very basic level of clearance. This
level needs to be reinvestigated every fifteen years*

SECRET: The unauthorized disclosure of secret information could be expected to

cause serious damage to the national security. This level is reinvestigated every ten
years.

TOP SECRET: Individuals with this clearance have access to information or material
that could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security if
it was released without authorization. This level needs to be reinvestigated every five
years.

Top Secret Sensitive Compartmentalized Information (SCI)

Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI)

Despite the common misconception, a public trust position is not a security clearance,
and is not the same as the confidential designation. Certain positions which require
access to sensitive information, but not information which is classified, must obtain this
designation through a background check. Public Trust Positions can either be
moderate-risk or high-risk. Information "above Top Secret" is either Sensitive
Compartmented Information (SCI) orspecial access program(SAP) which are phrases
used by media. It is not truly "above" Top Secret, since there is no clearance higher
than Top Secret. SCI information may be either Secret or Top Secret, but in either case
it has additional controls on dissemination beyond those associated with the
classification level alone. In order to gain SCI Access, one would need to have a Single
Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). Compartments of information are identified
by code words. This is one means by which the "need to know" principle is formally
and automatically enforced. In order to have access to material in a particular SCI
"compartment", the person must first have the clearance level for the material. The SCI
designation is an add-on, not a special clearance level. Someone cleared at the
SECRET level for some compartment X cannot see material in compartment X that is

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classified TOP SECRET. But the reverse is not true: a person cleared for TOP
SECRET with access to X material can also access SECRET material in compartment
X. The codeword flags for SECRET and TOP SECRET material in every compartment
are different, and each codeword is classified at the level it protects (the SECRET
codeword for a compartment is itself classified SECRET, etc.)

As long as the holder of a clearance is sponsored, the clearance remains active. If the
holder loses sponsorship, the holder is eligible for re-employment with the same
clearance for up to 24 months without reinvestigation, after which an update
investigation is required.
A Periodic Reinvestigation is typically required every five years for Top Secret and ten
years for Secret/Confidential, depending upon the agency. Access to a compartment
of information lasts only as long as the person's need to have access to a given
category of information.
Unclassified (U) is a valid security description, especially when indicating unclassified
information within a document classified at a higher level.

For example, the title of a Secret report is often unclassified, and must be marked as
such. Material that is classified as Unclassified // For Official Use Only (U//FOUO) is
considered between Unclassified and Confidential and may deal with employee data.
For access to information at a given classification level, individuals must have been
granted access by the sponsoring government organization at that or a higher
classification level, and have a need to know the information. The government also
supports access to SCI and SAPs in which access is determined by need-to-know.
These accesses require increased investigative requirements before access is
granted.

Additionally, the United States Department of Energy issues two levels of security
clearances:

Q Clearance – Allows access to Classified information up to and including TOP

SECRET data with the special designation: Restricted Data (TS//RD) and special Q-

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Cleared "security" areas.

L Clearance – Allows access to Classified information up to and including SECRET

data with the special designation: Formerly Restricted Data (S//FRD) and special L-
Cleared "limited" areas.

WHO CAN GET A SECURITY CLEARANCE?

Any person who is employed by an organization that is sending, receiving, or
developing information that the government has deemed as important to National
security will need to obtain a security clearance. Currently, there are more than
500,000 background investigations pending for security clearance approval. When an
individual is going through the process for clearance, it may take up to a year before a
determination is made. This makes a military candidate who already has clearance
even more appealing to a hiring company. If the company hires a person who will need
to gain a clearance, they may wait over a year before the person is eligible to work on
the project for which they were hired. This is a lot of lost time and money to a company.
If they can identify a person who has the necessary clearances, such as a candidate
with a military background, that person immediately becomes more valuable.

HOW DO YOU GET A SECURITY CLEARANCE?

There are three main phases to receiving a security clearance:
1. The first phase is the application process. This involves verification of U.S.
citizenship, fingerprinting and completion of the Personnel Security Questionnaire (SF-
86).
2. The second phase involves the actual investigation of your background. Most of the
background check is conducted by the Defense Security Service (DSS).
3. The final phase is the adjudication phase. The results from the investigative phase
are reviewed. The information that has been gathered is evaluated based on thirteen
factors determined by the Department of Defense (DoD). Some examples of areas
they consider are; allegiance to the United States, criminal and personal conduct, and
substance abuse or mental disorders. Clearance is granted or denied following this
evaluation process.

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Chapter 6:
How to Identify Fake
Profiles in Recruitment?

This is a very important question for the current staffing industry. I am sharing some
helpful information to identify fake profiles. With candidates becoming smarter in faking
profiles, organisations need to identify these imposters right at the recruitment stage.
A good background check is the best way to detect misleading or fake information,
which will also save the company's hiring cost. The information that candidates most
often falsify in their resumes includes employment history, education records and
salary details. There could also be exaggerated claims and accomplishments
mentioned. .Key things one could consider while screening resumes Fabricated
Education Credentials: Fake candidates tend to skip educational qualifications or try
to hide year of passing out. His/her highest academic qualification generally falls in the
category of showing fake/more experience than he really possesses. Many
universities/institutions as well as organisations provide fake degree/diploma/
certifications/experience letters. So one can judge the authenticity by keeping a check

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on such institutions mentioned on resumes. Scant Employment History: Some people
provide negligible information in their CVs, such as, 6 years work experience in IT
sector (not mentioning the roles/positions handled). One can also cross check whether
the company name and location provided by him really match. At times the company
may exist, but not the location and vice-versa. Use of words: A genuine candidate
would explain about himself in the very beginning of his profile and mention his career
objective in own style. Whereas, a fake candidate would use tailor made words in his
profile. A fake resume would be very generic and flowery without giving away any
specific operational details. Social Network: Authenticity could also be checked by
checking the candidate's profiles on social networking sites. This is also gaining
importance as a new way of doing background checks which includes assessing and
comparing people's social media accounts to their resumes. Double Check: The
perfect way to judge a resume will always be having a candid conversation with the
candidate and cross verifying the details on the resume at the screening level.
.Spotting lies in a resume is not a rocket science; all it takes is a little bit of common
sense, attentiveness and an eye for details. A recruiter should also be reasonable and
logical. If there is any doubt or discrepancy in the information shared by the candidate,
give the person an opportunity to explain and also validate it at your end. Finally, trust
your instinct and rely on experience.

How to Identify Fake Candidates via Phone Screening?

Tip 1: Name of the candidate Most of the fake candidates will not mention their full
name in their resume. Forget about the Last name, they will hide their complete first
name itself. For example: If you come across a resume with the candidate’s name
being Kiran. Do not skip it. Ask the candidate about his full name. It would be something
like Kiran Kumar or Kiran Chowdhary. Fake candidates don’t flash their full name in
the CV, since the full name could easily locate a candidate. They would have applied
for a job somewhere and they would have got caught for faking the employment. To
ensure they don’t get caught in those eyes again, they refuse to mention their full
name. In many cases, they even change their mail id and phone number.

Tip 2: Ask the whereabouts of the companies worked Though the candidates normally

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mention their Current & previous companies in the resume, please have a practice to
ask them where they are currently working. At times, you might get interesting
answers. Without memorising their resume properly, certain fakers used to tell their
previous company as the current one. Ask where their company is located. Once they
say it, cross-check if the mentioned location is right in the company’s website. Ask the
candidate to spell their current company’s URL. Even here, you might get some
interesting answers. Somebody working for an .organisation genuinely will not forget
the company’s URL right. But, most of the fake candidates do not even know their
company’s URL.

Tip 3: Validate the Entry / Exit dates of the recent 2 employments Beware if a candidate
has worked in two companies as a Contractor under the payroll of the same
Contracting company.
Case: Software Engineer in TCS from Feb 2015 to till date Software Engineer in CTS
from Aug 2013 to Jan 2015 Pay roll company - xyz consultancy In the above case, the
candidate has worked in 2 companies under the payroll of the same Contracting
company. If you crosscheck about their exit date from CTS and entry date in TCS, you
will be surprised to see that the candidate would have joined the day next to his/her
date of exit in TCS. The simple question is how will the contracting company be able
to place a contractor in the next assignment, the very next date of exit from the deputed
organisation. Let’s take a practical example. Even full-time employees in a Big
conglomerate like TCS, they take a buffer time of 1 or 2 weeks to allocate an employee
in the next project. The employee once out of the project will be put in bench for a few
days or even months in some cases, before allocating them in the next project. And
moreover, except for a few big contracting companies like Artech, Magna, Dynpro,
none of the contracting companies have the enough budget or practice to hold the
contractors by holding them in bench. That’s a real good reason to doubt someone’s
candidature.

Tip 4: Timesheet process followed in the Contractual employment Timesheet process

is the name of the attendance process followed in the Contractual employments. If
someone doesn’t even know about the Timesheet process, then he/she is faking. .Well

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established corporates usually have an online tool to track the Timesheet of the
Contractors. From our above case, We can check with the candidate about the name
of the software he/she follow in TCS, in which you enter your timesheet daily. If you
get “Ultimatix” as the answer, then that’s a genuine case. If you don’t get the relevant
answers, then our subject is faking. TCS uses Ultimatix for maintaining the Business
Associate track records. CTS uses a tool called VLC And similarly many Corporates
which have a huge amount of contractors onboard, they will have a software with them
to track the contractors’ workflow. Certain companies do not have any software for
timesheet maintenance, but they will definitely have the Timesheet practice been
followed Manually. So, if a candidate says he/she doesn’t know what a Timesheet
process is, then that’s a clear indicator that our subject is a Fake candidate.

Tip 5: Ask how they got placed in their first employment. Predominantly we are talking
about the ones who are faking with the experiences of 2 to 4 years. So, asking the
aforementioned question is not an absurd question, coz they are still juniors in the
career ladder. If you come across people who work in some 'costly to learn'
technologies as a contractor from the beginning of their career, ask how they got this
job. Normally, companies will not be keen to train the contractors in some of the niche
technologies like Documentum, Filenet, Tibco, Visionplus, etc… If someone claims to
have started their career as a contractor in Technologies similar to the above quoted
ones, and the candidate continues to give irrelevant answers, then that’s another
indicator that our guy is a Fake. .This tip is not applicable for the ones who are been
Contracted by a Training cum Placement company. Coz, those Training cum
Placement firms normally train the candidates in the above mentioned ‘Costly to learn’
technologies and place them in their client locations as Contractors.

Tip 6: Propose a F2F Interview Normally, the fake candidates do not volunteer for a
F2F interview, rather they would want a telephonic interview always. The reason being,
someone else will take up the interview on the candidate’s behalf. Inviting them for F2F
will ruin their entire operating model. Even if they say yes for the F2F interview request,
they never turn up. In case of certain Mega walk-in interviews, instead of the fake
candidates, the proxy ones will appear for the F2F interview directly. When asked to

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submit the photograph before the interview start, they submit the fake candidate’s
photo without hesitation. Coz, they have a confidence that due to heavy crowd at the
premises, the HR coordinators may not compare the submitted photo to that of the
person who is actually attending the interview. The proxy ones will finish off the
interview and the fake ones will join the organization directly. As a HR, one must be
very careful in examining the photograph and the interviewee properly before even the
interview starts.

Tip 7: Search the Company in Job Boards If someone claims that he/she is working as
a Permanent employee is a company which has got no name in the market. Google
the company’s name, you might finds complaints or any fake history registered by
somebody in the past. If not, go to Job boards like Naukri.com, feed the company’s
name in the ‘Employers' tab and set the ‘Active In’ option as ‘All resumes’ and ‘Search’.
Whether you search the ‘Recent 1 year’ or ‘All resumes’, the number of resumes listed
will be the same. Coz, Any fake company will not have a history of more than a year.
The fake contracting companies keep changing their company names regularly and
you will not find the same fake contracting companies’ history for more than a year.

Tip 8: Do a mock call Call the candidate as if you are a fresher. Do not use your English
communication skills here. Coz, you are talking like a fresher who is going to fake
his/her experience. And you have reached him to take his advice for faking your
experience. Well! this has worked out for me a few times.

Tip 9: Offer a Fresher opportunity with an attractive CTC This is like throwing a fishing
needle with an attractive prey to the fish. After all the above examination, still if you are
not convinced that the candidate is a fake. Use this at last. Tell them that you have a
job opportunity for Freshers for a full-time position and you can offer upto 5 Lacs. And
also, probe them if they wanna try it. Normally, the fakes we are targeting are of the
salary range between 3 to 5 Lacs. So, the above offer should be appetising for them,
coz that’s an opportunity to have a good career beginning and a chance for them to
wipe out their fake history. So, the fake ones desperate for a job offer would say a big
‘YES’ to this. That’s it. Our job is done.

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Tip 10: Crosscheck the Education details I’ve come across a case where the candidate
was a B.Sc., graduate with 3 years of experience in ‘Oracle DBA’. I did all the
examinations and had a doubt that he is fake. He revealed himself when I used the
'Tip 9’ of offering a fresher opportunity. Actually, he was a MCA fresher. By hiding his
3 years MCA course, he has brought in 3 years of fake experience. How about that?

Final Tip: Drop the profile If all the above-mentioned metrics are showing positive
results, why risk your time by processing such a candidate. It’s always better to drop
such profiles and look for a better one. If anyone has any other tip than the above listed
ones, feel free to add them in the comments below.

How to Identify Fake Resumes?

1. OPT Students (Foreign Students who complete their Masters in United States and
are eligible for full time work authorization because of Optional Practical Training)
2. H1B Candidates (These folks are either OPTs who are recently converted to H1B
in last 2 years or folks who travelled from offshore with a H1B with 2-3 years of
experience or none. You never know.)

What is the pattern of the fake resume?

1. Resume with no Last Name
2. Resume includes employer’s phone number not the candidate's number
3. A Bachelor’s Degree without year of graduation
4. Resume includes 6-8 years’ of experience with first 3-4 years’ of experience in
offshore and the rest in United States.
5. The offshore companies they put up in the resume are either banks or some
companies with factious names
6. The project timelines are lengthy typically 1.5 to 2 years
7. Roles and responsibilities look very similar in almost all the projects pattern is as
follows in case of a recent H1B or someone with 2-3 years’ experience,
8. Resume includes 9-12 years’ of experience with first 4-5 years’ of experience in
offshore and the rest in United States.

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9. First 2-3 projects look OK but after that the projects follow a very similar pattern

What do they claim when they speak to you?

1. They say they travelled to United States on a L1 or H1BVisa
2. They claim they are currently on H1B or an extension
3. Their availability for a phone call is typically after 2:00 PM Mon to Fri or 9:00 AM to
6:00 PM.
But, if you arrange an interview with short notice they won’t take it because their
PROXY might not be available at the time.
4. They say they can provide references but these references include consultants
working for their employer at a client site or who has some relation with candidate’s
firm.
5. Few claim they started working full time when they were in the 3rd year of their
college, just to make sure the experience adds up to 7- 8 years (as mentioned in
resume).

How to weed out these fake profiles?

• Start with the resume word document properties, check for the name of the author,
if it isn’t candidates’ name then something is fishy
• Look out for typical resume formats and responses mentioned above
• Check their online presence, primarily LinkedIn (this might not work all the time).
Most of the candidates with fake resumes doesn't have any online presence
(Facebook, Linked, Twitter, Instagram)
• Ask the names of the project managers they are currently working for and look up
their names on LinkedIn (This holds good for OPT candidates but not for the recent
H1B candidates)
• Ask for the copy of highest degree
• Ask for candidate's 1-797 copy (when first applied) and make a note of the receipt
number.
• Cross check I-797 status from official website using USCIS Official website .
• Plug in the receipt number to find the date of approval and is fool proof since the

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 information obtained is directly from USCIS.
• Check and Verify I-94 information using https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html
• You need to get the passport copy and the consent from the candidate. This is
again fool proof since the information obtained is directly from Department of
Homeland Security.
• There have been a lot of cases of immigrant workers/students involved in furnishing
fudged I-797 documents. While we still don’t know of a fool proof method to validate
the authenticity of each document we can only cross check I-797 status using:
https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do
• Key in the receipt number to find the date of approval/decision
• Verify I-94 information using: I94 - Official Website -
https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home
• You need to get the passport copy and the consent from the candidate.
• Ensure the candidate’s education is listed on their resume, to include the
college/university name
• Google the candidate (using different combinations of their names and
college/university name, location, their technical skills etc.) and see what comes up
• Look for social media profiles and see if any information regarding their background
comes up – sometimes they don’t mention their Master’s Degree on their resume
(to falsely claim more number of years’ experience) but may have it mentioned on
their Facebook profile.
• This is a fool proof way, since the information obtained is directly from Department
of Homeland Security.
• If you feel a particular document (I 797, Green Card, EAD Card, etc.) the candidate
has furnished is probably fake then request them to take a fresh photograph of that
document and send it to you again.
• Verify Divers License or any photo ID and Finally, cross check dates from each
document.
• Look-up/ask for a LinkedIn profile. If the candidate does not have a LinkedIn profile,
ask for a reason.
• Ask for references from previous jobs, to include the name of the Project

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 Lead/Manager. From here, verify the references on LinkedIn. To verify if the
candidate resume is fake or genuine in US IT Staffing which is mostly the case with
Students who are on OPT/CPT. These are the following hints to verify a resume is
forged or altered for the marketing or getting the project.
• Difference in experience vs Education vs Date of birth
• If its a student resume marketed by companies having a phone number of an
employer picking up the phone is or could be a resume altered profile subjective to
visa status.
• Social & Professional media profiles and identity
• Reference checks on the previous projects
• Payment / Salary slips
• Difference in the documentations (I 797, Green Card, EAD Card, etc.)
• A lot of professionals who are employer dependent needs to market their resumes
through agencies who are their employer so it does not mean any resume coming
from an agency is a fake or altered. Like it is said its most likely happy with
candidates who are students.

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Chapter 7:
LinkedIn Recruitment

Social recruiting is the process of sourcing, attracting, and hiring talent with the aid of
any social media platform. Social media can be instrumental in almost every aspect of
the recruitment process. Here are some recruitment process steps where social
recruiting can be used:

A. Employer branding
B. Job advertising
C. Candidate engagement
D. Sourcing
E. Pre-screening
F. Interviewing
G. Selection
H. Hiring
I. Onboarding

Any step in your recruitment process can be impacted by social recruiting. This, of
course, depends on where you plan to implement it in your hiring pipeline. It can be
applied to as many steps as possible! However, you will want to test different aspects

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and channels in order to find what works best for your company and each specific
situation or job requisition.

Why use social recruiting?

3.2 billion people are active on social media every single day. social media users which
equates to about 42% of the population. Whether you are recruiting globally or locally,
it’s worth it to expand your talent pools. There are platforms dedicated to professional
networking, but the most popular platforms are for entertainment and sharing
conversation. Be part of that conversation! It will get your brand out there. Your target
customers will see your posts.

Here are the benefits of social recruiting, regardless of the strategy and platform(s) you
choose:
1. Visibility increases for your brand;
2. Credibility is bolstered with trustworthy, relatable posts;
3. You are reaching a wider audience;
4. Potential talent can find you on social media;
5. Employee testimonials and behind-the-scenes posts are highlighted;
6. Parts of the recruitment process can be accomplished on social media for free (or
very low cost);
7. Targeting demographics becomes easier;
8. Social media allows for conversation, public and private;
9. It gives you insight into not only potential talent’s professional work.

From employer branding to making the perfect hire, social recruiting is used effectively
by companies around the world. It’s worth a shot to use social media platforms to
enhance certain parts of your recruitment process. If nothing else, it will show potential
candidates and future employees what it’s like to work at your company.

LinkedIn:
Let’s start with the obvious job hub of the social media world: LinkedIn. Not only is
LinkedIn a social media platform for connecting professionals, but it serves as a job

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board at the same time. It’s a double whammy. LinkedIn allows users to post text,
photos, videos, and articles

Pros
• More Professional site suitable for all types of employess and companies
• Tons of active candidates
• Information easy to obtain on profiles
• Regular posts about jobs are free
• Great for circulating field
• specific content
• High traffic
• More than 650M members and
• More than 50M companies represented on LinkedIn
• More than 25M open jobs on LinkedIn Job

Cons
• Passive candidates may not have updated profiles
• People are creating Fake profiles in LinkedIn As well
• LinkedIn Recruiter and boosting job ads are a bit expensive

Steps to social recruiting on LinkedIn

1. Create a LinkedIn account
As mentioned above, this can be a company profile in addition to your own LinkedIn
profile as a recruiter. For each, there are certain steps that need to happen before you
start candidate outreach.

• Building your employer brand on the company profile:

• Post relevant content: Pictures of the team, testimonials, event photos, press
releases, recruitment videos, curated content for inbound recruiting. Make sure
your page information is up to date and reflects your brand;
• Touch base with employees to make sure they are on LinkedIn;Have them like,

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 share, and comment;
• Use a professional photo and header image;
• Add your work experience and education;
• Post pictures, insightful articles, etc.;
• Interact with relevant posts in the field you are in and the field you are recruiting for.
• Don’t start spamming users with InMail messages.

2. Join groups
LinkedIn groups are great for networking as long as you use them sparingly. You can
find groups to join by heading to the left side of the main feed when you log in to
LinkedIn. Find and join groups that are relevant to recruitment, specifically intended
for posting jobs, and for professionals to join that are in the field you are recruiting for.

3. Get insights from competitors

As an employer:
• While you shouldn’t base your LinkedIn recruitment strategy off of what another
company is doing, it doesn’t hurt to look. In fact, your LinkedIn analytics will be quite
telling in this arena. If you head to ‘Analytics’ in your company profile and then click
on ‘Followers’ and scroll to the bottom of the page,
• LinkedIn will give you a list of similar company profiles.
• You will be able to see if your follower range and engagement rate are up to par.

As a recruiter:
• Similarly, you can use your recruiter profile to connect with other recruiters.
• This way, you can see how popular LinkedIn recruiters engage with their audience!
You may also want to reach out to them.
• People like to talk about their successes, so try asking a recruiter in a similar field
how they’ve been effective at hiring their best candidates.
• You just might get some great tips!
• You can also look at their connections and reach out, but be careful to only send
• connection requests to people you know or have something in common with include

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 a note.

4. Tap into employees’ network(s)

If your employees are on LinkedIn, check out their profiles. With your recruiter profile,
connect with them! This will automatically put “2nd” next to your profile when their
connections view it. This means that they are connected to someone that is connected
to you. In other words, you are that much more credible to them!
Further, you can have employees share experiences within the company. They can
also share your job openings to their networks. This will put your posts in front of highly
relevant audiences. If they are connected to your employees, they are more likely to
be interested in the same field. It’s also more likely that these professionals will be
easier to assimilate into the company culture, as they are probably already familiar with
the company and at least one person that works within it.

5. Boolean search - active and passive candidates

For this, you won’t even have to leave the familiar Google search bar. Use Boolean
search techniques that you would use on any other site to search for candidate profiles.
This will bring up profiles relevant to keywords that you are searching for. Keep in mind
that some candidates will be active and some will be passive. People that are actively
searching for a new job can discreetly mark that they are open to new positions without
letting their current employer know. This makes things a bit easier for you!

6. Use InMail (wisely)

You will notice job seekers (or simply LinkedIn users) will complain about unsolicited
InMail messages the most.

7. Give candidates the option to apply via LinkedIn

Potential candidates appreciate when it’s easy to apply. If they’re already on LinkedIn,
give them the option to apply to open positions with your company there. Your talent
acquisition software should have the ability to enable an “Apply with LinkedIn” button.

8. Use talent acquisition software to keep leads organized

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Similarly, your HR tech should allow you to funnel potential candidates into your talent
pools and applicants into job pipelines.

9. Post job ads

LinkedIn’s ads are pay-per-click. Read more about social recruitment ads here.
This means that you only pay when potential talent views your listing. You can set your
budget with a recommendation after completing the job details. You can also choose
to stop when your budget is reached, or continue until you manually close it

10. Cross-check references and experience

Now that you know how to recruit on LinkedIn, you should know how to use LinkedIn
when getting ready to make a hiring decision. Double check their profiles with their
LinkedIn experience. Connect with their references and send them a quick message.

It’s not that you don’t want to trust your candidates, but everyone puts their best foot
forward online and in job interviews! Use LinkedIn as a tool to make sure that their best
foot is accurate and a fit for the job you’re hiring for.

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Chapter 8:
How to become a
successful recruiter

Advice for each hiring stage Screen, interview, hire and repeat. That could be the
shortest job description for a recruiter. But a glimpse at a recruiter’s typical agenda
shows that their day-to-day tasks are not as simple as you might think. Here are
recruiters’ top responsibilities broken down by stages of the hiring process, along with
advice on how to be a successful recruiter at each stage:

At the beginning of the hiring process, Meet with the hiring manager
Intake meetings with hiring managers kick off a smooth hiring process. For an effective
recruiter-hiring manager collaboration, make sure you: Agree on qualification criteria.
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves and decide on deal-breakers early on, so that
you’re both on the same page. Communicate regularly. Whether in-person or via email,
communicate during all hiring stages. Keep hiring managers updated on how many
candidates you interviewed, how many you’ve qualified and when candidates’
complete assessments. Be consultative, especially to less experienced hiring

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managers. Offer advice on how to evaluate candidates and make sure they steer clear
of illegal interview questions.

Write job descriptions

A clear job description will attract qualified candidates and reduce the number of non-
qualified applicants. To write a good job description: Use job description templates as
an inspiration. You can customize job duties and requirements based on the scope of
responsibilities of your role. Revisit job ads you’ve published in the past. Update old
job descriptions for the same role and modify them with new tasks and benefits, if they
have changed. Double-check role-specific terms with hiring managers. Buzzwords and
jargon fail to describe what the position is about and may turn candidates off. Instead,
use clear phrasing to help your audience understand the job’s requirements.

Publish job ads

Once your job description is ready, you will need to upload your ad to job boards and
your careers page. To do this, make sure you: Set up accounts with job boards. Enrol
or renew your subscription to job boards and follow necessary guidelines for
publication approval. Make your ads social media-friendly. Customize your job ads for
posting on social media (use less text and more visual aids and link to full job
description.) Use niche recruiting channels. Consider local job boards and industry
specific platforms to narrow down your audience, like Dribble and Stack Overflow.

During the hiring process

Source passive candidates
Proactive candidate sourcing brings you in front of potential hires who mightn’t be
actively looking for a new job opportunity. It can also help you reduce your overall cost
and time to hire. Here are some sourcing tips: Set aside time to source. Book timeslots
in your schedule (e.g. two hours per week) to focus on candidate sourcing. Browse
LinkedIn profiles, search on professional networks and craft personalized recruiting
emails to potential candidates. Diversify your sourcing. Mix up your sourcing channels
depending on the role.

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For example, GitHub is a good place to look for developers, while you can use
Behance to evaluate designers’ portfolios. Invest in software that makes sourcing
easy. Consider tools that help you find potential good fits online and manage
candidates’ profiles all in one place. Looking to find passive candidates fast?
Workable’s all-in-one recruitment software offers an industry-leading candidate
sourcing tool to help build your talent pipeline.

Screen resumes and applications Resume screening can be time-consuming,

especially if you receive many applications for a role. Here’s how to improve your
efficiency with this task: Use knockout questions in your application forms. They’ll help
you eliminate candidates who lack minimum requirements. Set – and stick with – an
‘apply by’ date. Schedule a deadline for applications to be submitted by, and start
reviewing them after that date. This way, you’ll resist the temptation to show favoritism
toward people who applied early in the hiring process. Speed up the hiring process by
using a mobile ATS. Review applications on the go and contact the rest of the hiring
team from anywhere, so you can reach a hiring decision more quickly.

Ask for referrals

Employee referrals help you hire faster and better. Here’s how to make the most out
of your referral system: • Get everyone involved. Send a “Refer a friend” email to all
employees to announce an opening and enable them to upload referred candidates’
profiles directly into your ATS. • Offer incentives. Consider implementing a referral
bonus program to motivate your current employees to recommend qualified
candidates. • Cast a wider net. Don’t limit your search to your existing coworkers. Ask
for referrals from your external network, including clients and former colleagues.

Interview candidates
Interviews are at the core of recruiting. They help you understand if candidates who
are good on paper are also qualified for your open roles. To improve your interviewing
skills: • Come prepared with questions for each stage. Depending on your company
and your role, you may be involved only in the first interview or in more interview
rounds. Make sure you have appropriate interview questions for each stage that will

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help you understand whether your company and the candidate are a good match. •
Set aside extra time to research candidates and schedule interviews. Job interviews
require more time than the actual interview duration. First, you need to schedule the
interviews, then prepare for them by reviewing candidates’ applications and finally,
keep notes and provide feedback to the hiring team after each interview. • Make
interview scheduling easier with email templates. If you find yourself sending similar
emails to candidates to arrange or confirm interviews, use email templates to save
time. Use pre-written messages with attachments when necessary (e.g. directions to
your offices.) Prepare and send job offer letters When the hiring manager and the CEO
have made a hiring decision, it’s time to let the candidate know. Here’s how: • Cover
all the important points. A well-structured job offer email clarifies all employment terms.
Include compensation and benefits, working hours and if applicable, contract length. •
Be prepared for negotiations with candidates. If candidates want to negotiate their
salary in the offer letter, talk to your Finance department to learn about your budget
limit. • Help the hiring manager personalize the offer. If you prefer to have your hiring
manager extend the job offer, help them write the email or advise them on how to share
the good news over the phone.

At the end of the hiring process Contact rejected candidates A rejection email or call
mightn’t be a pleasant task, but it will go a long way towards leaving a good impression
on candidates you might want to consider for future roles. A few pointers to help you
reject candidates with grace: • Customize your rejection emails based on hiring stage.
If you turn down candidates after the screening phase, opt for brief yet polite
messages. For candidates who reached the final stages of your hiring process,
personalize your emails to maintain good relationships. • Respond to requests for
interview feedback. If candidates ask for interview feedback, explain why you didn’t
select them. Stick to jobrelated criteria to avoid legal risks and, if applicable, suggest
staying in touch for more suitable job openings in the future. • Refer back to your
interview notes. Interview scorecards will help you remember candidates’ answers and
overall interview performance. This will come handy if you interview many candidates
on a daily or weekly basis. Help onboard new hires Although the hiring manager and
HR usually do the heavy lifting of onboarding, you can help them transition smoothly

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from candidate to employee.
Here’s how: • Enter the employee’s data into your HRIS. Or, provide new employees’
information (e.g. contact details, starting date, etc.) to the HR team so that they update
internal databases. • Let staff know about the new hire. Send a new hire announcement
email to inform employees about their new colleague. Make sure that the IT team
creates software accounts for the new hire, as needed. Also, contact the Accounting
department so that they add your new hire to payroll.

Schedule a meeting with new hires after their first week and month. Check in to see
how they are adjusting to the role, whether it lined up to their expectations and get
advice on how to improve recruiting processes in the future. Review recruiting metrics
Recruiting KPIs, like time to hire and source of hire, can reveal areas of improvement:
Take a look into metrics two or three times per month. This will help you understand
hiring trends and identify potential issues (e.g. the number of candidates for X role you
evaluate in each stage.) Take action on trends. Simply tracking metrics is not enough.
Interpret and act on data in ways that make sense for your recruiting strategy. For
example, suggest re-adjusting your recruitment budget if you notice that one sourcing
channel brings in more qualified candidates than others. • Consider candidate-related
metrics, too. Online reviews and candidate experience surveys can also prove
insightful. Read what candidates have to say about your hiring process, as their
opinions affect your employer brand. Build talent pipelines Good relationships with past
and potential candidates may help you fill future job openings. Here’s how to build
talent pipelines for your hiring needs: • Never stop networking. Always respond to
potential candidates who reached out to you on social networks with queries about
your job. And, proactively connect with people who might be good fits in the future.
Meet people in person. Network in conferences and job fairs. These events offer you
the chance to meet potential candidates en masse and promote your company. You
could also consider hosting recruitment events when you’re actively hiring. • Create a
talent pool. Keep high-potential candidates who you don’t have an immediate role for
warm. Create a database of past applicants, complete with their profiles and a detailed
history of your interaction, and let them know you’re going to consider them for future
roles. This will come handy when you decide to contact them again.

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Chapter 9:
Top 20 Interview Questions
and Answers

1. Tell me about yourself?

One of the most common questions in an interview is “Tell me about yourself.” Actually,
it is not even a question -- it is an invitation. Your answer to this question is your
opportunity to share with the interviewer whatever you think is important about you in
their hiring decision. More importantly, it is your chance to differentiate yourself from
other candidates. In most cases, the standard questions offer the same opportunity.

2. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Employers don’t necessarily care to hear that you expect to climb the corporate ladder
and be a supervisor. If the job you’re interviewing for is not a supervisor, they probably
are not concerned about your management skills. You can share how you have been
a mentor to others and led projects with little to no supervision. That should indicate
you have leadership potential. Focus on them: In five years, you should have made a
significant impact to the company’s bottom line. Think about how you can achieve this
in the role you are interviewing for. In technology careers, advancing your skills is

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important, too. You should be able to share what areas you want to strengthen in the
near term (but be careful that they are not areas of expertise that the company needs
now).

3. Why should we hire YOU?

This is clearly a differentiation question. What you want to tell them is: they'd be crazy
not to they hire you. Focus on them: You need to only share how you meet almost all
the criteria they seek, and also have two to three additional abilities that they might not
even know they need…yet. They need to know you are a candidate who can not only
meet their needs now, but will also be valuable for where they want to go in the future.
Are they likely to need another skill set as they grow as a company? Or maybe you
have skills that you noticed are in another job description they are looking to fill? You
can help out with those deliverables until they find someone (or be a backup to the
person they hire). Have you been down a path already that they are currently starting?
Having “lessons learned” to offer them is a very strong plus for a job candidate.

4. Why do you want this job?

There should be a heartfelt answer on this one. Your gut should be giving you the
answer. Although, if the reason is about money, location, work schedule, benefits, and
other factors not tied to actual role, you may want to think a little more about your
answer. None of those reasons are important to the hiring manager. Focus on them:
They want to hear that this job is exactly what you’ve been thinking about as a next
step in your career. Of course, the follow-up question they’ll ask is: How so? Be
prepared to answer with your rationale for how this job meets your professional needs
and how you can contribute at your highest potential while in this role. People want to
feel like their work means something. There is nothing wrong with sharing that feeling
in a thoughtful way.

5. How do people describe you?

Here’s another opportunity to differentiate yourself. Everyone claims to be: a hard
worker, good communicator, and team player. But how many are a: problem-solver,
game-changer, leader in the industry? Be creative, and have stories to back it up. The

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interviewer will want to know why someone thinks you are one of these things. Focus
on them: You want to present attributes that make you sound like the go-to guy or gal
wherever you work. Even the standard answers can be taken a step further to be more
valuable: • Yes, they want hard workers, but most likely that’s commonplace at their
office. Maybe you work hard, but also help others work fewer hours (by helping them
do their job better or making their jobs easier). • Good communicators are everywhere.
But this does not mean just speaking well. It includes listening. Do you hear things that
others don’t? Do you understand things quickly? Can you figure out what people are
trying to tell you through other clues (body language, for example)? • Being a good
team player is expected, too. But what does this really mean? Getting along with
everyone? That’s not hard to do if you’re a nice person. Pulling your weight in the
office? Again, expected. What have you done, beyond your job description, that saved
the team from a disaster or helped them make an impossible deadline? Have you won
an award for this?

6. What is your greatest weakness?

I hate the “greatest weakness” question. Everyone knows it’s a trap, and everyone
knows the candidate is going to say something trite (popular example: "I’m a
perfectionist"). Focus on them: Don't pick a weakness that will disqualify you for the
job, but do give a real answer. When you give a real answer, you are being genuine.
You are admitting you have some growth opportunities and are not perfect. But you
can include that you already have a plan to overcome this weakness through training
or practice (or have already started down this road). Some people even insert a little
humour in their answer— “I wish I was better at tennis.” You can, too, if you feel like
the interviewer has a sense of humour. But, be sure to quickly follow with a serious
answer. Showing you have a lighter side is usually a good thing.

7. What is your greatest strength?

Your greatest strength is something they actually need. Don't choose something
irrelevant to the job or the employer, like your skill in Sudoku (unless Sudoku expertise
is a requirement for this job). Focus on them: You have many strengths, but pick the
one they need help with the most. Is it your expertise in a particular skill or technology?

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Is it your ability to turn lowperforming teams into high performers? Share something
that makes them think they need to hire you…right now. If they often outsource or hire
consultants in a key area of your expertise, you're in their sweet spot for candidates.

8. What is your greatest accomplishment or achievement? Consider this question an

invitation to do some bragging about what you have achieved in your career that can
benefit this new employer. By asking this question, the interviewers are inviting you to
share an achievement/accomplishment which provides proof that you are the best
candidate for this job Focus on them: Choose a recent accomplishment, if possible,
that demonstrates your ability to do this job very well. Have several good examples
prepared before the interview. Like your greatest strength, your greatest
accomplishment aligns with something they need. Again, as with strengths, while you
have many accomplishments you could describe, the smartest strategy is to focus on
your recent accomplishments that make it clear you can do their job very well. . Be
truthful and also be very careful about treating this question casually. Advanced
preparation is the smartest strategy. Hopefully, your LinkedIn Profile and your resume
reference this accomplishment or situation in some way.

9. Why do you want to leave your current job?

Obviously, if you say you hate your current boss or company, the interviewer will
naturally believe you will hate them eventually. And, if you say, your current
compensation or role is below your standards, they will again assume the worst.
Although these may be legitimate reasons to leave a job, there must be other reasons,
too. Your current company or department may have become unstable (hopefully the
interviewer’s company is very stable). Your current employer may not be able to offer
you any professional growth (the interviewer’s should be able to do this). Do you see
a pattern here? Highlight a reason that the hiring manager cannot be concerned about.
Of course, if you have an issue that is very important to you that could be a deal-
breaker (like company culture), you can mention it. Just be prepared for them to take
one extreme or . the other. For example, maybe you only want to work for companies
that buy from vendors in your home country. The hiring manager will let you know if
their company does this. And if they don’t, I guess the interview is over

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10. Do YOU have any questions?
My simple advice is: yes, you had better have questions. When I hired people to work
on my teams in the past, I expected interviewees to have questions. This is your
chance to “interview the interviewer.” In essence, to learn about the company, the role,
the corporate culture, the manager’s leadership style, and a host of other important
things. Candidates who are genuinely interested in the opportunity, ask these types of
questions. Those who don’t ask questions give the impression they’re “just kicking the
tires” or not really too concerned about getting the job. It is imperative that you ask
questions that do three things: 1. Show you did some research about the company. 2.
Mention something else (related, but interesting) about you. 3. Will have an interesting
answer or prompt a good discussion. When given the floor to ask questions, you should
realize the interview is not over yet. Good candidates know this is another time to
shine.

11. When can you start?

Be careful about this question for several reasons: It doesn’t mean that you have
“landed the job.” They may be just checking to add that to their notes. You must keep
your guard up until you are in your car and driving away from the interview. If you are
currently employed, you should be honest about the start date and show
professionalism. You should tell them you would have to discuss a transition with your
current company to see if they require a two-week notice (or some other timing). If you
currently have a critical role, your potential new employer would expect a transition
period. If you can start right away (and they know you are not currently employed), you
certainly can say you’re able to start tomorrow. Sense of urgency and excitement about
starting work at the new company is always a good thing.

12. What is your current salary? Answering the Salary Questions: These are scary
questions that need to be answered carefully. Your answers will likely impact any job
offer you may receive. . This question is illegal for an employer to ask in many locations
in the USA (listed here). In addition, asking for your current salary is inappropriate
because that salary is being paid by a different employer for a different job (even if the
job titles are the same) in a different environment (maybe even different geography,

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industry, or size of company). If this question is legal in the employer's location, and
even if it is not legal, be prepared to answer. You can probably dodge the question for
a while by offering your salary expectations (see below) for the job and/or asking for
the typical salary band for this role in their company.

13. What are your salary expectations? This question is the start of the salary
negotiation; in case they decide to make you an offer (unfortunately an offer is not
guaranteed just because they ask). Reality is that salary is on part of the employer's
"compensation package" which may include other items of very high value, like
bonuses, tuition reimbursement, healthcare, paid vacation, and other benefits. Be
prepared by researching what most employers in your location pay for this type of job;
if you can, find out what this employer pays for the job. Conduct your research on sites
like PayScale, Salary.com, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and Google. . When you do answer,
provide a salary range rather than a specific number, and indicate that it is variable
depending on the benefits they offer. Be sure you are comfortable with a salary at the
bottom of this range.

14. Why do you want to work here? Answering Questions About Them: This is a key
indicator of how interested you really are in the employer and the job. The answer to
this question has two aspects: 1. The content 2. Your delivery Focus on them: Content
-- Employers want to know you feel you can fit in at the company quickly. That means
not only deliverables in the job description, but also your fit with the company culture.
You will likely have to do some homework to answer this one. You need to understand
the reasons why others enjoy working there. Is it a great place to advance your skills,
have great challenges to add to your resume, or will it allow you to grow as a
professional? Delivery -- The delivery must be genuine. If a hiring manager feels you’re
just “telling them want they want to hear,” but don’t mean it…well, the interview is over
in their . mind. They want to know this is not just a job and pay check. They want to
hear this is what you want to do and the best place to do it.

15. What do you know about us? This is actually a test. If you know very little, it is an
indication that you are not very serious about working there. Focus on them:

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Candidates who are really excited about the prospect of working there have done their
homework. If you really want to stand out, learn more than what is listed on their web
site. Do some heavy research -- perhaps find some articles on the company that not
many would know about. It may even come up in conversation spontaneously, and
you can show them a copy of the article (I have had this happen to me).

16. How did you find this job? You may have found the opportunity through research
on ideal jobs where you can make the most impact and hope to grow professionally. I
would also hope you looked for companies that you feel meet your standards for
corporate culture, investment in employees, successful business model (or perhaps
giving back to community), and any other aspects you feel are important to you. Make
sure you can go into a little detail on what you found in your research. The “job” may
have found you. In that case, you can say you were contacted by HR or a recruiter
who felt you were a good fit. But don’t leave it there. You should still mention you did
your homework and verified that this is right for you -- as a potential contributor to the
company’s success, and as a good match for what you’re looking for in an employer.

17. Why did you quit your last job? Handling Special Career Situations: This is a tough
one. Typically, you should not quit a job until you have accepted another job. However,
life doesn’t always allow that to happen. Did you quit because you couldn’t spend
enough time looking for your next job? Perhaps the company you worked for was close
to shutting down and you didn’t want to waste valuable time waiting for the last day of
operation. Certainly, there are common reasons that are understood as necessity:
Had to move to a new location for various reasons. Family or health reasons.
Unbearable work conditions (careful here, as already discussed).

18. Why were you fired? The key to answering this question is to keep it short. Don’t
feel the need to expand your answer to include a lot of details. This is another danger
zone. This is not the time for defending yourself with a long story about you being the
victim. If you made a mistake, you are going to have to try to minimize the severity of
the situation. An argument with a boss could be described as a difference in opinion.
Not following orders because your moral compass told you not to could be described

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as “taking the high road.” Just be careful not to cast blame on others. Consider
including a “silver lining.” Did you learn a lot from the experience and now possess
knowledge that will mitigate the chances of this happening again? Laid off is not fired:
If you were part of a layoff, this is different from being fired. It was likely a financial
decision by management, and you were part of a group that was targeted as part of
budget cuts. Layoffs are typically not . personal -- they are just business. Hiring
managers know this (and likely have been involved in one at some point in their
careers).

19. Why were you laid off? Be very careful with this question. It sounds like an invitation
to complain about your previous employer. Interviews are a bad time to trash anyone
-- even the previous employer who eliminated your job. Let the interviewer decide on
their own (if they care) about how badly management performed. Just make a simple
statement about the cause of the layoff (as it was explained to you upon exit), and then
quickly follow with a question about the stability of their company and history with
layoffs.

20. How do you explain your gap in employment? I’ve dedicated a whole article to this
topic (with 5 options to fill that gap). The bottom line is you should make sure to paint
a picture that you were productive, improving yourself, helping family, or something
constructive. Hiring managers don’t want to hear that you felt it was time for a “long-
awaited break from the rat-race.” Or "time to recharge your batteries." The first thought
that will pop into their heads: When is your next break coming? Probably in the middle
of a big project we’re working on. Close by Asking if They Have Any Concerns, You
may not get a chance to address shortcomings in a follow up interview -- it is imperative
to understand what was missing from the discussion while still in the interview. After
you have had a chance to ask your questions, you will want to validate that you are an
ideal candidate for the job. To do this, you should probe into the minds of the
interviewers and see if there are any concerns, they have about you. The key question
to do this can be along the lines of: “After discussing this job, I feel as if I would be a
perfect fit for it. I’m curious to know if there is anything I said or DID NOT say that would
make you believe otherwise.” The answer you get to this question may open the door

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to mentioning something you did not get to talk about during the interview or clarify any
potential misconception over something that was covered.

The Bottom Line You should think hard about how you can differentiate yourself from
others -- every step of the way during the interview. Be memorable in a positive way
even when answering these "boring questions." And, to be well-prepared to give smart
answers to behavioral interview questions, read my article Smart Strategies to Answer
to Behavioral Interview Questions.

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Chapter 10:
Technical Skills Snapshot

Web Technologies – Java

Java, EJB, RMI, Swing, CORBA, Serve lets, JSP, JDBC, Core Java, Struts framework,
Web sphere, Web logic, HTML, XML, Java script, J2EE, J2ME, DOT NET, framework,
LDAP, Internet Security, JVM, Pjava, MIPS, Tibco, Board Design, Ematrix, XSL, XSLT

Web Technologies – Microsoft

VB.NET, ASP.NET, ADO.NET, VC++.NET, C#, COM, DCOM

Testing
Win runner, Load runner, Telecom Testing, White box testing, AIX testing ‘ Test
cases, Test director, Test Suite, Silk Test, Mercury Testing, rational Robo,

Systems Software
C/C++ on Unix/Linux, DSP, Chip level designing, Unix kernel architecture, file system,
memory management, RTOS,L2 support etc

Client Server
VB, VC++, COM, DCOM with RDBMS – Oracle, SQL, Sybase

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Embedded Systems
RTOS, C on UNIX, Networking, Vx works, design and code reviews, QNX, Net kernel,
Psos, IRMK, Firmware, BIOS, Assembly, MPEG DVD, MP3, JPEG, Set Top Box,
DVB, Microprocessors, Microcontrollers, ADA, AVIONICS, D0178B, Industrial
Automation

Mainframes
IBM Mainframe, AS/400, 0s/390, z/OS, OS/400,VAX/VMS Mainframe, COBOL,
CICS, MVS, DB2,IDMSX, IMS, Tandem, Natural ADABAS, Xpeditor, RPG,JCL and
VSAM

Networking
Networking S/W, UNIX System Admin., Windows NT Admin, TCP/IP, SPX, X25,
Network Management – SNMP, CMIP, NMS, LAN/WAN, ATM, MPLS, FR, ISDN,
Routing Protocols – BGP OSPF, RTP, RIP, IPV6, SONET, SDH

ERP / SAP
ERP and SAP Implementations of all modules, SAP-SD/MM/PP, FICO, ABAP4, Basis,
People Soft-HRM, finance Module, BAN, Oracle Manufacturing, CRM-Siebel /Clarify

TELECOM
Switching, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, 3G, Layer-C, RLC, RRC, NodeB, DSP, TDMA,
CDMA, WAP, SS7, ATM. FR, VOIP-SIGTRAN, MGCP, MEGACO, SIP, H.323, 245,
TMN, Signaling, Bluetooth, GPS, Home Networking-JINI, HAVI.

C, UNIX
Device Drivers, X-Motif, Linux, Linux, /NT/VMS, Internalls, kernels, TCL/TK,
Multithreading, Socket programming, Storage Device (Iscsi, SCSI, SAN, Veritas,
Volume Manager, RAID, Fiber Channel, NAS)

VC++
DCOM, ATL, OOAD, XML, WDM, Vxd, WinSDK, WINCE, Palm OS, EPOC, WIN 32,

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API, Device Drivers, X-Windows, Direct X, Active X, NET, C#.

HARDWARE
ASIC, VLSI, FPGA, Verilog, VHDL, XiLINK, Physical Design, CMOS, Design, IC
Design, Place & Route, Synthesis, EDA Tools, FPGA Design, Board Design, PCB
Design, Circuit Design, Mixed Signal, Analog Design

APPLICATION
Oracle 8i, 11i, Oracle DBA, SQL-DBA, PB, Delphi, Data Modeling, Data warehousing,
OLAP, ROLAP, Oracle DBA, VB, ASP, DCOM, NET, C#, Oracle , PL/SQL, Pro*C,

GENERAL
SQA, Quality, Testing /Implementation, Level 4 /Level 5 /ISO /Six Sigma /
Technical writers, architects, Lotus Notes, System Administrator, System
Administrator, UNIX / LINUX, SUN SOLARIS

Brief Information about Technologies & Abbreviations

Brief information on Web Technologies and Abbreviations

Java
An object-oriented programming language that is platform independent (the
same Java program runs on all hardware platforms without modification).
Developed by Sun, Java iswidely used on the Web for both client and server
processing. Modeled after C++, Java added programming enhancements
such as "garbage collection," which automatically frees unused memory. It
was also designed to run in small amounts of memory. The first Web
browsers to run Java were Sun's HotJava and Netscape Navigator 2.0.

EJB
(Enterprise JavaBeans) A software component in Sun's J2EE platform, which
provides a pure Java environment for developing and running distributed

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applications. EJBs are written as software modules that contain the business logic
of the application. They reside in and are executed in a runtime engine called an
"EJB Container," which provides a host of common interfaces and services to the
EJB, including security and transaction support. At the wire level, EJBs look like
CORBA components.

RMI
(Remote Method Invocation) A standard from Sun for distributed objects written in
Java. RMI is a remote procedure call (RPC), which allows Java objects (software
components) stored in the network to be run remotely. Unlike CORBA and DCOM
objects, which can be developed in different languages, RMI is designed for objects
written only in Java.

SWING
A Java toolkit for developing graphical user interfaces (GUIs). It includes elements
such as menus, toolbars and dialog boxes. Swing is written in Java and is thus
platform independent, unlike the Java Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT), which
provides platform- specific code. Swing also has more sophisticated interface
capabilities than AWT and offers such features as tabbed panes and the ability to
change images on buttons. Swing is included in the Java Foundation Classes (JFC)
which are provided in the Java Developers Toolkit (JDK).

SERVELETS
A Java application that runs in a Web server or application server and provides
server-side processing such as accessing a database and e-commerce transactions.
Widely used for Web processing, servlets are designed to handle HTTP requests
(get, post, etc.) and are the standard Java replacement for a variety of other
methods, including CGI scripts, Active Server Pages (ASPs) and proprietary C/C++
plug-ins for specific Web servers (ISAPI, NSAPI).

JSP
(JavaServerPage) An extension to theJava servlettechnology fromSunthat allows

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HTML to be combined with Java on the same page. The Java provides the
processing, and the HTML provides the page layout that will be rendered in the
Web browser

JDBC
(Java DataBase Connectivity) A programming interface that lets Java applications
access a database via the SQL language. Since Java interpreters (Java Virtual
Machines) are available for all major client platforms, this allows a
platformindependent database application to be written. In 1996, JDBC was the first
extension to the Java platform.

STRUTS
A framework for writing Web-based applications in Java that supports the
ModelView- Controller (MVC) architecture. Struts is deployed as JSP pages using
special tags from the Struts tag library, which includes routines for building forms,
HTML rendering, storing and retrieving data and business logic

WEB LOGIC
A software suite from BEA Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (www.beasys.com) that is
used to deploy Web and SOA applications. The core product is BEA WebLogic
Server, a J2EE application server. BEA WebLogic Portal is an an enterprise portal
that offers advanced searching, and BEA WebLogic Integration provides tools for
transforming and routing data from multiple sources. BEA WebLogic Enterprise is
the integrated development environment (IDE) for the WebLogic family

HTML
HyperText Markup Language) The document format used on the Web. Web pages
are built with HTML tags (codes) embedded in the text. HTML defines the page
layout, fonts and graphic elements as well as the hypertext links to other documents
on the Web. Each link contains the URL, or address, of a Web page residing on the
same server or any server worldwide, hence "World Wide" Web.

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XML
(EXtensible Markup Language) An open standard for describing data from the
W3C. It is used for defining data elements on a Web page and business-to-business
documents. XML uses a similar tag structure as HTML; however, whereas HTML
defines how elements are displayed, XML defines what those elements contain.
While HTML uses predefined tags, XML allows tags to be defined by the developer
of the page. Thus, virtually any data items, such as "product," "sales rep" and
"amount due," can be identified, allowing Web pages to function like database
records. By providing a common method for identifying data, XML supports
business-to-business transactions and has become "the" format for electronic data
interchange and Web services

J2EE
(Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition) A platform from Sun for building distributed
enterprise applications. J2EE services are performed in the middle tier between the
user's machine and the enterprise's databases and legacy information systems.
J2EE comprises a specification, reference implementation and set of testing suites.
Its core component is Enterprise JavaBeans (EJBs), followed by JavaServer Pages
(JSPs) and Java servlets and a variety of interfaces for linking to the information
resources in the enterprise.

J2ME
(Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition) A version of Java 2 for cellphones, PDAs and
consumer appliances. J2ME uses the K Virtual Machine (KVM), a specialized Java
interpreter for devices with limited memory. The Connected Limited Device
Configuration (CLDC) provides the programming interface for wireless applications.
The Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) provides support for a graphical
interface, networking and storage.

DOT NET
(.NET) A comprehensive software development platform from Microsoft that was
introduced in 2000 as the company's next generation programming environment.

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Pronounced "dot- net," and widely known as the ".NET Framework," it was designed
to compete with the Java J2EE platform

LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) A protocol used to access a directory listing.
LDAP support is being implemented in Web browsers and e-mail programs, which
can query an LDAP-compliant directory. It is expected that LDAP will provide a
common method for searching e-mail addresses on the Internet, eventually leading
to a global white pages.

LDAP is a sibling protocol to HTTP and FTP and uses the ldap:// prefix in its URL.

JVM
A Java interpreter. The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) is software that converts the
Java intermediate language (bytecode) into machine language and executes it. The
original JVM came from the JavaSoft division of Sun. Subsequently, other vendors
developed their own; for example, the Microsoft Virtual Machine is Microsoft's Java
interpreter. A JVM is incorporated into a Web browser in order to execute Java
applets. A JVM is also installed in a Web server to execute server-side Java
programs. A JVM can also be installed in a client machine to run stand-alone Java
applications

VB.NET
(Visual Basic .NET) An object-oriented programming language from Microsoft. It is
the .NET version of the Visual Basic (VB) programming language. Like all .NET
languages, VB.NET uses the Common Language Runtime (CLR) for program
execution. VB.NET is substantially different from traditional Visual Basic, which has
been the most popular language for developing Windows applications

ASP
(Application Service Provider) An organization that hosts software applications on
its own servers within its own facilities. Customers rent the use of the application

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and access it over the Internet or via a private line connection. Also called a
"commercial service provider." The Web browser, acting as a universal client
interface, has fueled this "on- demand software" market.

ASP.NET
ASP.NET, also known as ASP+, is an enhanced version of ASP for the .NET
platform. It supports executable programs compiled from C#, C++ and other
languages and is not backward compatible with regular ASP code. ASP.NET pages
are always compiled rather than interpreted as are ASP pages

ADO
(ActiveX Data Objects) A programming interface from Microsoft that is designed as
"the" Microsoft standard for data access. First used with Internet Information Server,
ADO is a set of COM objects that provides an interface to OLE DB. The three
primary objects are Connection, Command and Recordset. The Connection object
establishes a connection with a particular database management system (DBMS) or
other data source. It can also send a query to the database. The Command object is
an alternate way of sending a query to the database, and the Recordset object
contains the resulting answer, which is a group of records

ADO.NET
ADO.NET is the .NET version of ADO, which is substantially different from ADO. It
supports XML documents and relies on .NET Data Providers as an interface layer
between the application and the databases.

TESTING WINRUNNER
Comprehensive automated application testing software for Windows from Mercury
Interactive Corporation, Mountain View, CA (www.mercury.com/us). It lets users
compare expected and actual outcomes and provides wizards for automatically
setting up tests. WinRunner also records user interactions and turns them into a
script.

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LOADRUNNER
A load testing tool from Mercury Interactive Corporation, Mountain View, CA
(www.merc- int.com). It simulates thousands of users interacting online in order to
test how well a system stands up under a heavy load.

C#
(C Sharp) An object-oriented programming language from Microsoft and ECMA that
is based on C++ with elements from Visual Basic and Java. Like Java, C# provides
automatic garbage collection, whereas traditional C and C++ do not. C# was created
by Microsoft and also standardized by the European Computer Manufacturers
Association (ECMA). Microsoft designed C# as its flagship programming language
for the .NET environment.

SYSTEMS SOFTWARE C++

An object-oriented version of C that has been widely used to develop enterprise and
commercial applications. Created by Bjarne Stroustrup, C++ became popular
because it combined traditional C programming with object-oriented programming
(OOP) features. Smalltalk and other OOP languages did not provide the familiar
structures of conventional languages such as C and Pascal. Microsoft's Visual C++ is
the most widely used C++ language

UNIX
A multiuser, multitasking operating system that is widely used as the master control
program in workstations and servers. The Open Group holds the trademark for the
UNIX name (spelled in upper case) on behalf of the industry and provides
compliance certification to the UNIX standard

LINUX
Linux is the most popular open source operating system. Its source code is available
free of charge; however, for a fee, Linux is distributed with technical support and
training from commercial vendors such as Red Hat Software (www.redhat.com) and
Novell (www.novell.com). A Linux "distribution" is available as a download or on CD

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or DVD media, which may comprise from a handful to several hundred applications,
tools and utilities. Source code for the Linux kernel as well as the auxiliary programs
may also be included

DSP (Digital Signal Processing)

A category of techniques that analyze signals from
sources such as sound, weather satellites and earthquake monitors. Signals are
converted into digital data and analyzed using various algorithms such as Fast
Fourier Transform.

DCOM
Distributed Component Object Model) Formerly Network OLE, it is Microsoft's
technology for distributed objects. DCOM is based on COM, Microsoft's component
software architecture, which defines the object interfaces. DCOM defines the remote
procedure call that allows those objects to be run remotely over the network. DCOM
began shipping with Windows NT 4.0 and is Microsoft's counterpart to CORBA.

DBMS
(Database Management System) Software that controls the organization, storage,
retrieval, security and integrity of data in a database. It accepts requests from the
application and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. The
major DBMS vendors are Oracle, IBM, Microsoft and Sybase. MySQL is a very
popular open source product

ORACLE
(Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA, www.oracle.com) The world's largest
database and application software vendor founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison. The
Oracle database was the first DBMS to incorporate the SQL language and to be
ported to a wide variety of platforms. Oracle also offers a variety of development
tools. In the mid-1990s, Oracle was a major promoter of the network computer,
forming subsidiary Network Computer, Inc. to define the specifications for the
platform. After the turn of the century, the company greatly enhanced its application

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offerings by acquiring PeopleSoft in 2004 and Siebel Systems in 2005

SQL
(Structured Query Language) Pronounced "S-Q-L" or "see-quill," a language used
to interrogate and process data in a relational database. Originally developed by
IBM for its mainframes, all database systems designed for client/server
environments support SQL. SQL commands can be used to interactively work with
a database or can be embedded within a programming language to interface to a
database. Programming extensions to SQL have turned it into a full-blown
database programming language, and all major database management systems
(DBMSs) support the language.

SYBASE
Sybase Inc., Dublin, CA, www.sybase.com) A software company founded in 1984
that specializes in enterprise infrastructure and integration of platforms, databases
and applications. It was originally known for its SQL Server relational DBMS, but
expanded its line in 1995 when it acquired Powersoft, makers of the PowerBuilder
application development software. Sybase product families include databases,
development tools, integration middleware, enterprise portals and mobile and
wireless servers.

MAINFRAMES
AS/400
(Application System/400) The earlier generation and original name of IBM's iSeries
and i5 families of midrange business computers. Introduced in 1988, the AS/400
evolved into the iSeries in 2000 and the i5 in 2004. When first introduced, the AS/400
was considered a "minicomputer."

OS/390
The primary operating system used in IBM mainframes. OS/390 was originally
the MVS/ESA operating system renamed and repackaged in 1996 with an extensive
set of utilities. Although the name MVS is still used to refer to the base control

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program of OS/390, enhancements in usability and workload balancing have
made OS/390 stand apart from its MVS heritage. OS/390 is upward compatible
from MVS/ESA 5.2.2, but downward compatibility is not ensured.

z/OS
A mission critical mainframe operating system that extends OS/390 to IBM's zSeries
eServers. Although in its first release there are few functional enhancements
compared to OS/390 Version 2 Release 10, many more are expected. z/OS, Version
1 Release 1 runs on G5 and G6 Parallel Enterprise Servers, Multiprise 3000 Servers
and supports 64-bit real memory addressing on the z900 (64-bit virtual storage is
expected). On the G5 and G6, z/OS uses 31-bit addressing and is somewhat
restricted. When IBM introduced its zSeries 800 in 2002 for the mid-size market, it
introduced a lower-priced version of z/OS known as "z/OS.e."

OS/400
The operating system for the iSeriesfamily of midrange computers from IBM.
Introduced in 1988 for the AS/400 (renamed iSeries in 2000), the OS/400
communicates with the hardware through the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) layer,
which includes the device drivers. In 2004, OS/400 was renamed i5/OS to coincide
with the eServer i5 models introduced in that same year

COBOL
(COmmon Business Oriented Language) A high-level programming language that
has been the primary business application language on mainframes and minis. It is a
compiled language and was one of the first high-level languages developed.
Officially adopted in 1960, COBOL stemmed from FLOWMATIC, a language
developed in the mid-1950s by Grace Murray Hopper (later Rear Admiral Hopper)
for the UNIVAC I.

COBOL is a very wordy language. Although mathematical expressions can also be

written like other programming languages (see example below), its verbose mode is
very readable for a novice. For example, multiply hourly-rate by hours-worked giving

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grosspay isself- explanatory

CICS
(Customer Information Control System) A TP monitor from IBM that was originally
developed to provide transaction processing for IBM mainframes. It controls the
interaction between applications and users and lets programmers develop screen
displays without detailed knowledge of the terminals used. It provides terminal
routing, password security, transaction logging for error recovery and activity
journals for performance analysis. CICS has also been made available on non-
mainframe platforms including the RS/6000, AS/400 and OS/2-based PCs.
CICS commands are written along with and into the source code of the applications,
typically COBOL, although assembly language, PL/I and RPG are also used. CICS
implements SNA layers 4, 5 and 6.

MVS
(Multiple Virtual Storage) Introduced in 1974, the primary operating system used
with IBM mainframes (the others are VM and DOS/VSE). MVS is a batch
processing-oriented operating system that manages large amounts of memory and
disk space. Online operations are provided with CICS, TSO and other system
software.

DB2
(DATABASE 2) A relational DBMS from IBM that was originally developed for its
mainframes. It is a full-featured SQL language DBMS that has become IBM's major
database product. Known for its industrial strength reliability, IBM has made DB/2
available for all of its own platforms, including OS/2, OS/400, AIX (RS/6000) and
OS/390, as well as for Solaris on Sun systems and HP-UX on HP 9000 workstations
and servers

IDMSX
(Integrated Data Management System EXtended) A database management system
(DBMS) from Fujitsu Services, formerly ICL, that is widely used on its VME

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mainframes. It supports journaling, recovery and locking options. A single IDMSX
database can contain up to a terabyte of data

IMS
Information Management System) An early IBM hierarchical DBMS for IBM
mainframes. IMS was widely implemented throughout the 1970s under MVS and
continues to be used under z/OS. IMS/DB (IMS/DataBase) is the back end database
part, and either IMS/TM (IMS/Transaction Manager) or CICS provides the front end
online interaction. IMS/TM, formerly IMS/DC (IMS/Data Communications), runs each
transaction in its own address space and allows for more precise tuning than CICS,
which runs all transactions in a region. IMS/TM is also used to access DB2
databases, and Java applications can access IMS databases

TANDEM
(Tandem Computers Inc., Cupertino, CA) A former major manufacturer of
faulttolerant computers founded in 1974 by James Treybig and provider of the early
21st century technology for HP's enterprise computing strategy. Tandem was the first
company to address the transaction processing (OLTP) market for online
reservations and financial transfers by providing computers designed from the
ground up for fault-tolerant operation. These computers are used in all the major
banks, stock exchanges, credit card companies and ATM machines in the world.
Tandem's most significant product was its MIPS-based Himalaya series which ran
the NonStop Kernel operating system, compatible with Tandem's Guardian OS. This
platform lives on in the NonStop S-series servers from HP, which acquired Tandem's
technology via Compaq in 2002. Compaq had purchased Tandem in 1997
Xpeditor A family of mainframe testing programs from Compuware. It provides the
programmer with an assortment of debugging tools for TSO, IMS and other mainfram
Applications

RPG
Report Program Generator) One of the first program generators designed for
business reports, introduced in 1964 by IBM. In 1970, RPG II added enhancements

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that made it a mainstay programming language for business applications on IBM's
System/3x midrange computers. RPG III and RPG IV added more enhancements
and have been widely used on the AS/400. RPGLE added the "Integrated Language
Environment (ILE)," which enables C, Java and other modules to be integrated into
the program. Until RPGLE, all processing statements were written in strict columnar
format. The following RPGLE example changes Fahrenheit to Celsius. The A lines
are Data Description Specs (DDS) code. They define a display file and are compiled
Separately

NETWORKING WINDOWS
NT
(Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86
CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows).
Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and
preemptive multitasking. Windows NT was introduced in 1993 as Version 3.1 with
the same user interface as Windows 3.1. In 1996, Version 4.0 switched to the
Windows 95 desktop and changed some of the dialogs

TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) A communications protocol
developed under contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to internetwork
dissimilar systems. Invented by Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn, this de facto Unix
standard is the protocol of the Internet and the global standard for communications.

SPX
(Sequenced Packet EXchange) The transport layer protocol in the NetWare
operating system. Similar to the TCP layer in TCP/IP, it ensures that the entire
message arrives intact. SPX uses NetWare's IPX as its delivery mechanism.
Application programs use SPX to provide client/server and peer-to-peer interaction
between network nodes

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SNMP
(Simple Network Management Protocol) A widely used network monitoring and
control protocol. Data are passed from SNMP agents, which are hardware and/or
software processes reporting activity in each network device (hub, router, bridge,
etc.) to the workstation console used to oversee the network. The agents return
information contained in a MIB (Management Information Base), which is a data
structure that defines what is obtainable from the device and what can be controlled
(turned off, on, etc.). Originating in the Unix community, SNMP has become widely
used on all major platforms.

CMIP
(Common Management Information Protocol) Pronounced "c-mip." A network
monitoring and control standard from ISO. CMOT (CMIP over TCP) is a version that
runs on TCP/IP networks, and CMOL (CMIP over LLC) runs on IEEE 802 LANs
(Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.).

NMS
Also known as NMS, it is an SNMP-based network management software from
Novell for monitoring and controlling NetWare networks. NMS was superseded by
ManageWise.

LAN
(Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a
confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically
running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. The "servers"
hold programs and data that are shared by the clients. Servers come in a wide range
of sizes from Intel-based servers to mainframes. Printers can also be connected to
the network and shared

WAN
(Wide Area Network) A long-distance communications network that covers a wide
geographic area, such as a state or country. The telephone companies deploy WANs

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to service large regional areas or the entire nation. Large enterprises have their own
private WANs to link remote offices, or they use the Internet for connectivity. The
Internet, of course, is the world's largest WAN.

ATM
Asynchronous Transfer Mode) A network technology for both local and wide area
networks (LANs and WANs) that supports realtime voice and video as well as data.
The topology uses switches that establish a logical circuit from end to end, which
guarantees quality of service (QoS). However, unlike telephone switches that
dedicate circuits end to end, unused bandwidth in ATM's logical circuits can be
appropriated when needed. For example, idle bandwidth in a videoconference circuit
can be used to transfer data.

IPv6
(Internet Protocol Version 6) The next generation IP protocol. Started in 1991, the
specification was completed in 1997 by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
IPv6 is backward compatible with and is designed to fix the shortcomings of IPv4,
such as data security and maximum number of user addresses. IPv6 increases the
address space from 32 to 128 bits, providing for an unlimited (for all intents and
purposes) number of networks and systems. It also supports quality of service (QoS)
parameters for realtime audio and video. Originally called "IP Next Generation"
(IPng), IPv6 is expected to slowly replace IPv4, with the two existing side by side for
many years. IPv6 was officially deployed in July 2004 when ICANN added IPv6
records to its DNS root server for the .jp (Japan) and .kr (Korea) country codes.

SONET
(Synchronous Optical NETwork) A fiber-optic transmission system for high-speed
digital traffic. Employed by telephone companies and common carriers, speeds
range from 51 Mbps to 40 Gbps. SONET is an intelligent system that provides
advanced network management and a standard optical interface. Specified in the
Broadband ISDN (B-ISDN) standard, SONET backbones are widely used to
aggregate T1 and T3 lines. The European counterpart to SONET is the Synchronous

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Digital Hierarchy, and the term "SONET/SDH" is widely used when referring to SONE

ERP / SAP
Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all
departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP
implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or
for one customer. ERP modules may be able to interface with an organization's own
software with varying degrees of effort, and, depending on the software, ERP
modules may be alterable via the vendor's proprietary tools as well as proprietary or
standard programming languages.

PeopleSoft HRMS
(PeopleSoft, Inc., Pleasanton, CA, www.peoplesoft.com) A software company that
specializes in enterprise-wide applications for client/server environments. Initially
specializing in human resources, its package offerings today cover the gamut
including financial, distribution, manufacturing and supply chain, plus numerous
vertical markets. All major databases are supported. Its products are known for their
modularity as well as their ease of modification and customization using the
People Tools development system.

TELECOM

GSM
(Global System for Mobile Communications) A digital cellular phone technology
based on TDMA that is the predominant system in Europe, but also used worldwide.
Developed in the 1980s, GSM was first deployed in seven European countries in
1992. It operates in the 900MHz and 1.8GHz bands in Europe and the 1.9GHz PCS
band in the U.S. Based on a circuit-switched system that divides each 200 kHz
channel into eight 25 kHz time slots, GSM defines the entire cellular system, not
just the TDMA air interface.

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GPRS
General Packet Radio Service) An enhancement to the GSM mobile communications
system that supports data packets. GPRS enables continuous flows of IP data
packets over the system for such applications as Web browsing and file transfer.
GPRS differs from GSM's short messaging service (GSM-SMS) which is limited to
messages of 160 bytes in length.

GSM.
3G
(3rd Generation) The current generation of data transmission over a cellular network.
In CDMA networks such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint, EV-DO is the 3G service.
Cingular and other TDMA-based networks support the UMTS technology for 3G,
and GPRS is the 3G data service for Vodaphone and other GSM carriers.

UMTS
(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) The European implementation of
the 3G wireless phone system. UMTS, which is part of IMT-2000, provides service
in the 2GHz band and offers global roaming and personalized features. Designed as
an evolutionary system for GSM network operators, multimedia data rates up to 2
Mbps are expected using WCDMA. In the interim, GPRS and EDGE are 2.5G
technologies that speed up wireless data for GSM users.

TDMA
(Time Division Multiple Access) A satellite and cellular phone technology that
interleaves multiple digital signals onto a single high-speed channel. For cellular,
TDMA triples the capacity of the original analog method (FDMA). It divides each
channel into three subchannels providing service to three users instead of one. The
GSM cellular system is also based on TDMA, but GSM defines the entire network,
not just the air interface.

CDMA
(Code Division Multiple Access) A method for transmitting simultaneous signals over

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a shared portion of the spectrum. The foremost application of CDMA is the digital
cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800MHz band and
1.9GHz PCS band. CDMA phones are noted for their call quality.

WAP
Wireless Application Protocol) A standard for providing cellular phones, pagers and
other handheld devices with secure access to e-mail and text-based Web pages.
Introduced in 1997 by Phone.com (later Openwave Systems), Ericsson, Motorola
and Nokia, WAP provides a complete environment for wireless applications that
includes a wireless counterpart of TCP/IP and a framework for telephony integration
such as call control and phone book access.

SS7
(Signaling System 7) The protocol used in the public switched telephone system
(the "intelligent network" or "advanced intelligent network") for setting up calls
and providing services. SS7 is a separate signaling network that is used in Class 4
and Class 5 voice switches.

VoIP
(Voice Over IP) A telephone service that uses the Internet as a global telephone
network. Many companies, including Vonage, 8x8 and AT&T (CallVantage), typically
offer calling within the country for a fixed fee and a low per-minute charge for
international. Broadband Internet access (cable or DSL) is required, and regular
house phones plug into an analog telephone adapter (ATA) provided by the company
or purchased from a third party.

Linux
A very popular version of the Unix operating system that runs on a variety of
hardware platforms including x86, Itanium, PowerPC and IBM's entire product line.
Linux is widely used as a server OS and is gaining ground in the desktop market.

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Windows NT
(Windows New Technology) A 32-bit operating system from Microsoft for Intel x86
CPUs. NT is the core technology in Windows 2000 and Windows XP (see Windows).
Available in separate client and server versions, it includes built-in networking and
preemptive multitasking. Windows NT was introduced in 1993 as Version 3.1 with
the same user interface as Windows 3.1. In 1996, Version 4.0 switched to the
Windows 95 desktop and changed some of the dialogs (see table below).

VMS
(Virtual Memory System) A multiuser, multitasking, virtual memory operating
system for the VAX series from Digital. VMS applications run on any VAX from the
MicroVAX to the largest unit.

Multithreading
Multitasking within a single program. It allows multiple streams of execution to take
place concurrently within the same program, each stream processing a different
transaction or message. In order for a multithreaded program to achieve true
performance gains, it must be run in a multitasking or multiprocessing
environment, which allows multiple operations to take place.

Storage Device
A peripheral unit that holds data such as disk, tape or flash memory card. For a
summary of all storage technologies,

iSCSI
(Internet SCSI) A protocol that serializes SCSI commands and converts them to
TCP/IP

SAN
(Storage Area Network) A network of storage disks. In large enterprises, a SAN
connects multiple servers to a centralized pool of disk storage. Compared to
managing hundreds of servers, each with their own disks, SANs improve system

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administration. By treating all the company's storage as a single resource, disk
maintenance and routine backups are easier to schedule and control. In some
SANs, the disks themselves can copy data to other disks for backup without any
processing overhead at the host

1. General terms
Programming language
is a language used by programmers to instruct a computer to perform a certain job.
It’s normally a set of instructions that can be used to achieve the desired output of
a computer application written in a certain programming language.

Source code is a set of instructions and statements written by a programmer using

computer programming language. This code is later translated into machine
language (binary code) by a compiler. Source code is the only stage where a
programmer can read and modify a computer program.

Framework is code that is already written and covers low(er) level, generic
functionalities so programmers can selectively change it with additional user-written
code, thus providing application-specific software. A software framework provides a
standard way to build and deploy applications. It consists of many predefined
solutions for common functionalities that are used to help build software applications,
products, solutions on top of it. Using a framework, developers don’t have to write all
the functionalities of the software that they are working on because they are already
implemented in the framework and ready to use them with a single command.
Frameworks can improve developer productivity as well as the quality, reliability
and robustness of new software. Thus, knowledge of frameworks for a specific job
is one of the most important skills of a developer. Examples: Bootstrap, React,
Spring Framework, Rails, Symfony.

Library is a collection of predefined functions or routines that a program can use.

Libraries are particularly valuable for storing frequently used routines because you do
not need to explicitly link them to every program that uses them. Example libraries:

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JQuery, Google Guava, RxJava, d3.js.

2. Culture
Agile software development
describes a set of values and principles for software development under which
requirements and solutions evolve through collaborative effort of self-organizing
cross-functional teams. It advocates adaptive planning, evolutionary development,
early delivery, and continuous improvement, and it encourages rapid and flexible
response to change.

DevOps
represents a change in IT culture focusing on rapid IT service delivery through the
adoption of agile, lean practices in the context of a system-oriented approach.
DevOps emphasizes people (and culture) and seeks to improve collaboration
between operations and development teams. DevOps implementations utilize
technology — especially automation and monitoring tools that can leverage an
increasingly programmable and dynamic infrastructure from a life cycle
perspective. DevOps core principles are consistent with many of Site Reliability
Engineering (see: SRE) principles and practices. One could view DevOps as a
generalization of several core SRE principles to a wider range of organizations,
management structures, and personnel. One could equivalently view SRE as a
specific implementation of DevOps with some idiosyncratic extensions.
SRE (Site Reliability Engineering)
is a discipline that incorporates aspects of software engineering and applies that to
operations whose goals are to create ultra-scalable and highly reliable software
systems. It encourages product reliability, accountability, and innovation.

3. Roles
Front-End Developer
essentially creates whatever has a digital visual presence with which people
interact (client-side environment). Traditionally, a front-end developer is a person
who is comfortable with both design and coding; in other words someone who is

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comfortable using simple design tools and is able to create website using HTML
code, style it using CSS and make it interactive using JavaScript.

UI designer
or “User Interface” designer, is the one that designs what the application looks like
from the perspective of the user to enable users to interact with the application. UI
designers must understand what front-end developer expects from him and know
how to communicate with him, as well as have design skills.Often this person does
not have to be a programmer at all.

UX designer
or “User Experience” designer is a person who helps create a better experience of
using the application. This person simplifies the visual part of the application and
brings out the features that are used most often. His/her job is to make the
application as easy and useful for the users as possible to increase usability.

Back-End Developer
is involved in the process of combining a server, an application and a database to
solve a problem (server-side environment). This entire process is solidly
entrenched in logic, a network of processes and queries being resolved in split
seconds to give you a certain desired output as a user. They are different from
front-end developers in that the job of a back-end developer is completely free of
any visual design and relies on logical reasoning and software architecture that
aims to deliver a particular output.

Full-Stack Developer
is one who is comfortable working with both back-end and front-end technologies.
A general knowledge of technologies from every section of the development
process is necessary for a front-end developer. This of course means that they will
not be an expert in any one particular field but can rather offer a better overview of
applicational possibilities and capability of bridging the gap between how the
system functions and how it looks and feels for the user.

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MEAN developer
is one who uses JavaScript software stack for building dynamic websites and web
applications. MEAN stack developers are experts in using MongoDB, Express.js,
AngularJS(or Angular), and Node.js.Because all components of MEAN stack support
programs written in JavaScript, MEAN applications can be written in one language
for both server-side and client-side execution environments.
System administrator (SysOp, sysadmin)
is a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration and reliable operation
of computer systems, mostly servers.

4. Programming languages and technologies

Java is a compiled, object-oriented programming language, similar in syntax to C++.

It is intended to let application developers “write once, run anywhere” meaning that
compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for
recompilation.

C is a general-purpose, imperative computer programming language supporting

structured programming, lexical variable scope, and recursion, while a static type
system prevents many unintended operations. C was originally developed by
Dennis Ritchie between 1969 and 1973 at Bell Labs, and used to reimplement the
Unix operating system. It has since become one of the most widely used
programming languages of all time.

C++ (pronounced cee plus plus /ˈsiː plʌs plʌs/) is a general-purpose programming
language. It has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features and
it provides facilities for low-level memory manipulation.

C# (pronounced “C sharp”) is a programming language that is designed for building a

variety of applications that run on the .NET Framework. C# is simple, powerful,
type-safe, and object-oriented.

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Python is one of the most commonly used programming languages (top 3 according
to IEEE Spectrum research). It was first released in 1991 and gained popularity for
being simple to learn, yet powerful in solving problems. The syntax is similar to C++
family yet equipped with a variety of modern solutions.

Visual Basic .NET is a multi-paradigm, object-oriented programming language

implemented on the .NET Framework. Microsoft launched VB.NET in 2002 as the
successor to its original Visual Basic language. Although the “.NET” portion of the
name was dropped in 2005, “Visual Basic [.NET]” is used to refer to all Visual Basic
languages releases since 2002 in order to distinguish between them and the classic
Visual Basic. Along with Visual C#, it is one of the two main languages targeting the
.NET framework.

PHP (recursive acronym for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely-used open

source general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited for web
development and can be embedded into HTML.

JavaScript (also known as JS) is high-level, prototype-based, untyped, dynamic

language. Depending on the environment JavaScript can be interpreted or compiled.
It is a multi-paradigm programming language, supporting object-oriented, imperative
and functional programming styles.

Perl
was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting
language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many
changes and revisions. Perl 6, which began as a redesign of Perl 5 in 2000,
eventually evolved into a separate language. Both languages continue to be
developed independently by different development teams and they liberally borrow
ideas from one another.

Ruby
is a dynamic, reflective, object-oriented, general-purpose programming language. It

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was designed and developed in the mid-1990s by Yukihiro “Matz” Matsumoto in
Japan. According to its creator, Ruby was influenced by Perl, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Ada,
and Lisp.

Swift
is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm compiled programming language developed
by Apple Inc. for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Linux.

R
is an open source programming language and software environment for statistical
computing and graphics. It is widely used among statisticians and data miners for
developing statistical software and data analysis.

Objective-C
is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that adds Smalltalkstyle
messaging to the C programming language. It was the main programming
language used by Apple for the OS X and iOS operating systems, and their
respective application programming interfaces (APIs) Cocoa and Cocoa Touch prior
to the introduction of Swift.

SQL
is the most popular database programming language. Historically, this declarative
programming paradigm has been a key feature for ad-hoc queries run for data
introspection executed by human users directly with SQL (rather than with a UI). In
modern days, SQL is also embedded in other, more general purpose programming
languages like Java in order to access data from central databases.

Scala
is a general-purpose programming language providing support for functional
programming and a strong static type system. Designed to be concise, many of
Scala’s design decisions aimed to address criticisms of Java.

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Android
is the world’s most popular operating system (it’s not a programming language)
dedicated mainly to mobile devices. The source code is developed by Google under
the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Subsequent versions are usually released
annually and are announced at Google I/O conferences.

5. Databases
Database is a collection of information stored and used by the software, organized in
a way that can be easily managed. Traditional databases are organized by fields,
records, and files.

Relational Database
is a database organized with the relational model. Relationships are a logical
connection between different tables established on the basis of interaction among
these tables. All relational databases use SQL (Structured Query Language) to
operate on data (insert, update, load). Looks like a spreadsheet. Examples: Oracle,
MySQL, Postgres, SQL Server.

NoSQL Database
non relational or non SQL database. Unlike relational databases it uses other forms
than tabular data like key-value collections, multi-level structures, graphs, etc.
Such databases are usually chosen for their performance, scalability and flexibility
in schema design.

CAP theorem
states that it is impossible for a distributed data store to simultaneously provide
more than two out of the following three guarantees: consistency (every read
receives the most recent write or an error), availability (every request receives a
non-error response without guarantee that it contains the most recent write) and
partition tolerance (the system continues to operate despite an arbitrary number of
messages being dropped or delayed by the network between nodes). In other
words, CAP theorem states that in the presence of a network partition, one has to

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choose between consistency and availability.

ACID
Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability. A set of properties related to the
database engines guaranteeing after finishing modification data will be consistent.

6. UserInterface
GUI/UI
or “Graphical User Interface”, is a visual part of the software or a website that
allows the user to interact with the application. Every time when you are using an
application you use it by clicking through GUI.

Responsive Design
is responsible for making the interface of the application display well on all possible
devices like phones, PCs or tablets that we use to access it.

CSS
(Cascading Style Sheets) is a method of assigning formatting rules to an HTML page
which allows the content and presentation of a website to be separated. This
separation gives web developers the ability to instantly change the appearance of a
specific HTML element, like position, colors, fonts, etc., throughout an entire website.

Material design
is Google’s conceptual design philosophy that outlines how apps should look and
work. It breaks down everything from animation, style to layout and gives guidance
on patterns, components and usability.

Bootstrap
is a free open-source front-end web framework for designing websites and web
applications. It makes it very easy to create webpages by empowering designers to
select from a large collection of pre-built elements, behaviors, and shortcuts. The
aim is to unify design and allow both non-technical and technical designers to

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improve the quality of their design.

7. Testing

Unit testing
is a software development process in which the smallest testable parts of an
application (called units) are individually and independently checked to see if they
succeed. Most popular libraries are: JUnit, Mocha, NUnit, RSpec.

Integration tests
are a level of software testing where individual units are combined and tested as a
group. These tests are performed in order to expose defects in the interface and in
interactions between integrated components or systems. It occurs after unit
testing and before validation testing.

Acceptance tests
are a level of software testing where a system is tested for acceptability. The
purpose of this test is to evaluate the system’s compliance with business
requirements, user needs, and business processes. Acceptance tests determine if a
system satisfies the acceptance criteria and to enable the user, customers or other
authorized entity to determine whether or not to accept the system.

Performance tests
are a type of software testing that intends to determine how a system performs in
terms of responsiveness and stability under a certain workload (usually under
stress).

8. Development tools and processes

Version control system

is the management of changes to documents, computer programs, large websites,
and other collections of information. Changes are usually identified by number or

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letter code, termed “revision number”, “revision level”, or simply “revision”. For
example, an initial set of files is “revision 1”. When the first change is made, the
resulting set is “revision 2”, and so on. Each revision is associated with a timestamp
and the person making the change. Revisions can be compared, restored, and with
some types of files, merged.

Subversion (svn)
is another popular open source version control system. In contrast to Git, all
developers use one centralized repository.

Git
is a free open-source distributed version control system for tracking changes in
computer files and coordinating work on those files among multiple people. It is
primarily used for source code management in software development, but it can be
used to keep track of changes in any set of files.
Bitbucket is Git and Mercurial repository hosting service owned by Atlassian. Like its
counterparts, it provides several collaboration features such as issue tracking and
wikis.

Automation server (like Jenkins, Bamboo, TeamCity)

helps automate the non-human part of software development process with
continuous integration and facilitating technical aspects of continuous delivery.

Continuous Integration
extension of Trunk Based Development practice, where each integration is verified
by automated tools and tests to give fast feedback and detect errors as fast as
possible.

Continuous Delivery
software engineering approach in which teams produce software in short cycles,
ensuring that it can be reliably released at any time. This means deployment
package is prepared and automatically tested continuously (e.g. once per day) and

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ready to ship to production.

Continuous Deployment
is similar to Continuous Delivery but ends up on the package being deployed to
production instead of just ready to be deployed.

Deployment
pushing new software package version into target environment.

Release
making the version package (features) available to end users.

Deployment Pipeline
defines the sequence of stages to pass until application is rolled-out to production.
By breaking up the deployment lifecycle into stages, you collect increasing
confidence, usually at the cost of extra time. Early stages can find most problems
yielding faster feedback, while later stages provide slower and more thorough
probing. Stages can include building, deploying, testing, archiving, etc.

Ticket /Issue /Incident

is a running report on a particular problem, its status, and other relevant data
within an issue tracking system, They are commonly created in a help desk or call
center environment and almost always have a unique reference number, also
known as case, issue or call log number which is used to allow the user or help staff
to quickly locate, add to or communicate the status of the user’s issue or request.

9. Architecture

Architecture, in information technology (especially computers and more recently

networks) architecture is a term applied to both the process and the outcome of
thinking out and specifying overall structure, logical components, and logical
interrelationships of a computer, its operating system and network.

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API
(Application Programming Interface) – set of definitions, protocols, schemas, tools
and practices to communicate with the application. To developers, API is what
Graphical User Interface is to users. It allows developers (and finally other
applications) to communicate with applications.

REST
(Representational State Transfer) is a set of guidelines for building web services
providing interoperability between remote computers. It is focused on resources
and basic operations (like editing, reading, adding) related to them. Commonly used
to expose public API.

SOAP
Simple Object Access Protocol is a way of exchanging structured information
between computers. Compared to REST it’s more formal, less flexible and requires
schema definition (WSDL).

Monolith
is an architecture style based on running on a single application layer that tends to
bundle all the functionalities needed by the architecture together. To put it simply,
it means being composed all in one piece. Monolithic software is designed to be
self-contained; components of the program are interconnected and
interdependent rather than loosely coupled as is the case with modular software
programs. Furthermore, if any program component must be updated, the whole
application has to be rewritten, whereas in modular applications, any separate
module (such as a microservice) can be changed without affecting other parts of
the program.

Distributed system
is a model in which components located on networked computers communicate
and coordinate their actions by passing messages, appearing to its users as a single
coherent system. The components interact with each other in order to achieve a

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common goal. Three significant characteristics of distributed systems are:
concurrency of components, lack of a global clock, and independent failure of
components.

Service-oriented architecture (SOA)

is a style of software design based on discrete software components (services) that
collectively provide functionalities of larger software architecture. A service is a
discrete unit of functionality that can be accessed remotely and acted upon and
updated independently, such as retrieving a credit card statement online. In this
approach, services are provided to other components by application components,
through a communication protocol over a network. Basic principles of serviceoriented
architecture are independent of vendors, products and technologies. Service-oriented
architecture has been mainly been used and focused on big enterprise scale.

Microservices
a variant of the service-oriented architecture (SOA) architectural style. The idea
behind microservices is that some types of applications become easier to build and
maintain when they are broken down into smaller, composable pieces which work
together. Each component is autonomous, developed separately, and the
application is then simply the sum of its constituent components. This is in
contrast to a traditional, “monolithic” application developed in one piece.
Microservices style is used by many organizations (like Netflix, Uber, Facebook)
today as a game changer to achieve high degree of agility, speed of delivery, and
scale.

10. Infrastructure

Infrastructure refers to the composite hardware, software, network resources and

services required for the existence, operation and management of an enterprise IT
environment. It allows an organization to deliver IT solutions and servicesto its
employees, partners and/or customers and is usually internal to an organization
and deployed within owned facilities.

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Cloud service
is any service made available to users on demand via the Internet from cloud
computing provider’s servers (i.g Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services) as
opposed to being provided from a physical on-premises servers.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

sometimes referred to as “on-demand software”, is a software licensing and
delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally
hosted. SaaS is the most familiar form of cloud service for consumers. SaaS
providers make the application available to users through the Internet, usually a
browser-based interface. SaaS customers can enjoy the software without having to
worry about development, maintenance, support, update, or backups. The
downside, however, is that your software experience is wholly dependent on the
SaaS provider, which is responsible for stability, reporting, billing, and security.
SaaS examples: Gmail, Dropbox, Salesforce, or Netflix.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

is a category of cloud computing services. PaaS functions at a lower level than SaaS,
typically providing a platform on which software can be developed and deployed.
PaaS providers abstract much of the work of dealing with servers and give clients
an environment in which the operating system and server software, as well as the
underlying server hardware and network infrastructure are taken care of, leaving
users free to focus on the business side of scalability, and the application
development of their product or service. It allows customers to develop, run, and
manage applications without the complexity of building and maintaining the
infrastructure typically associated with developing and launching an app. PaaS
makes the development, testing, and deployment of applications quick, simple, and
cost-effective. PaaS examples: Pivotal Cloud Foundry, Heroku.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic cloud-service model offering

computing infrastructure – virtual machines and other resources – as a service to
subscribers. It’s a lower level compared to PaaS. Typically, IaaS provides hardware,

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storage, servers and data center space or network components. It allows to quickly
scale up and down with demand and pay only for what you use. This makes IaaS
well-suited for workloads that are temporary, experimental or change unexpectedly.
IaaS examples: Amazon Web Services and its EC2.

Automation
IT automation is the linking of disparate systems and software in such a way that
they become self-acting or self-regulating.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

also referred to as programmable infrastructure, means writing code (which can be
done using a high level language or any descriptive language) to manage
configurations and automate provisioning of infrastructure in addition to
deployments. IaC is not only about writing scripts, it also involves using tested and
proven software development practices that are already being used in application
development, e.g. version control, testing, small deployments, use of design
patterns etc. In short, this means you write code to provision and manage your
server, in addition to automating processes. It’s an approach to managing IT
infrastructure for the age of cloud, microservices and continuous delivery.

Containers
consist of an entire runtime environment: an application, plus all its dependencies,
libraries and other binaries, and configuration files needed to run it, bundled into
one package. Containers are a solution to the problem of how to get software to
run reliably when moved from one computing environment to another. This could
be from a developer’s laptop to a test environment, from a staging environment
into production, and perhaps from a physical machine in a data center to a virtual
machine in private or public cloud.

Operating system is system software that manages computer hardware and software
resources and provides common services for computer programs. All computer
programs, excluding firmware, require an operating system to function.

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Examples: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux.

Shell is an interface that enables the user to interact with a computer. It provides user
interface for access to an operating system’s services. In general, operating system
shells use either command-line interface (CLI) or graphical user interface (GUI),
depending on a computer’s role and particular operation. The name comes from the
fact that shells are layers around the operating system kernel. Metric measurement
of a particular characteristic of a program’s performance or efficiency.

--------------- End of Part 2 ----------------

Thank You
Laxminarayana Bupathi

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