This is an image taken by a friend at Yjog Jakarta and I borrowed the image as I could not make it to the place.

Shown in the picture is the birth of Buddha.

If I had not mentioned about the place, then, many could easily take it for Indian Art. Just notice the striking resemblances between this image and the images seen in Indian temples.

Even culture is similar. At many places over SE Asia, greeting people with "Folded hands" is common. They eat rice and other vegetables. Traditional houses are similar to Indian dwellings.

I had been to a museum in Jakarta, and there in the displays, I happened to notice the script of Tamil as in Pallava period. The rituals followed are same as what we follow in India.

So much in common, yet so much difference. Difference in the practices of religion, dressing, all came over the time.

If a land as far as Indonesia can have so much in common, Pallavas ruled it during 12th century is a fact, but 12th century is long back, will we not have much in common with our neighbors? Those neighbors with whom we separated only 50 years back. I cant understand why the hatred is being pursued instead of brotherhood?

Personally, I would like to travel to any part in Subcontinent, without visa, safe and happily, visit all the lands where our ancestors dwelled, and make friends with the locals. Is my dream possible to become true? Time has to reveal...

Yahoo! HotJobs

By Todd Anten

http://www.hotjobs.com/htdocs/tools/resumes/Five_Common_Cover_Letter_Mistakes__2003228-1318-us.html

Recruiters read thousands of resumes over their careers. After a while, all those resumes start to blend together.

So how can you, an anonymous job seeker, catch a recruiter's eye? Introduce yourself with an effective cover letter.

Sure, a resume lists all of your achievements, but a resume can't capture your personality, passion or desire for a particular job. A cover letter is the perfect place to let potential employers know you as a person: What you've done, what you can offer and how you express yourself. And there's an added bonus: You can write in full sentences instead of fragments or bullet points.

Many job seekers spend hours crafting each item on their resume. Then they whip out a quick-and-dirty cover letter full of mistakes -- not realizing that a cover letter is just as important as a resume.

One common cover letter goof: Typos and spelling errors. To avoid spelling errors and typos, write your cover letter using a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word. Next, spell-check the document. Then read the document out loud -- you may catch spelling errors the computer missed (such as accidentally writing "jog" instead of "job"). Only after you have double-checked your cover letter should you attach it to your resume and send it off.

Here are some other all-too-common cover letter blunders and how to fix them.

Name That Job

What's one of the first things you should do after greeting the reader of a cover letter?

State exactly which job you're applying for. Include the exact name of the position. If the ad provided a job ID number, then include that too. It's also a good idea to mention where you heard about the opening.

There's a good reason for being so specific: Many recruiters handle hundreds of job openings, so they won't automatically know which one you're gunning for. By reminding them of the specific opening for which you're applying, you'll make it more likely that your resume will be read by the right person. And besides, anything you can do to make a recruiter's job easier will put you on their good side.

The Danger of Form Cover Letters

Do you send the exact same cover letter to every employer, only changing the name of the person to whom you're sending it?

Big mistake.

The point of a cover letter is to make a personal connection with the reader. So to write a successful cover letter, you should tailor it specifically to each company you send it to. For instance, display a knowledge of the company history or write about recent events or projects the company has undertaken. This will show that you have taken the time to research the company before sending in your resume -- and prove that you really want the job.

Don't Repeat Yourself

A common trap that many job seekers fall into when writing a cover letter is to simply regurgitate everything that's in their resume.

But if it's already in your resume, then you're just wasting your breath ... and a chance at the job.

A cover letter should not be a rehash of your resume; instead, it should offer deeper insights into what your resume does NOT say. Provide an in-depth explanation of some of your key achievements at your last job, for instance, and how those accomplishments could help the company. Or tell a story about a tough problem you solved. The point is: The recruiter already has your resume; the cover letter should add to it, not repeat it.

So when writing a cover letter, make sure it elaborates on what's already in your resume or provides some new information.

What Can You Do for Me?

When writing a cover letter, many people discuss why they need the job ...


"I need the money."


"I find the position interesting."


"I've wanted to work for you since I was a kid."


"I need more experience in the industry."


"Since your company is the best in the industry, a job there would help my career."

Here's a newsflash: Companies don't really care about your needs. They're not hiring you to enrich your life or provide you with an income. They're hiring you because they need a job done.

That means your cover letter should focus on the company's needs and how you can fulfill them, not what the company can do for you.

A good way to start: Look at the requirements for the position in the job ad. Then, in your cover letter, discuss point by point how you meet (or even exceed) those requirements. By using the job ad as a guide, you'll show the company how hiring you benefits them and not just you.

One last note: Try to be both confident and humble when discussing what you can offer the company. While you certainly want to appear competent, arrogance can turn off a recruiter. Show enthusiasm and keep a positive attitude, and your cover letter will take you far.

Yahoo! HotJobs

By Todd Anten

(http://www.hotjobs.com/htdocs/tools/resumes/Crossing_Borders_How_to_Convert_a_CV_Into_a_Resume__20021115-1448-us.html)
Getting a job in the United States is not easy. There may be language, cultural and legal barriers which can interfere with non-U.S. job seekers' attempts to find their dream job in America.

To make sure skills and experiences translate, non-U.S. job seekers should convert their CVs into resumes -- the standard for a job search in the United States.

Resumes differ from CVs in some key ways: They are shorter and omit personal information about the candidate, such as date of birth, marital status and religion.

So whether you've been calling it a Lebenslauf (Germany), a Meritförteckning (Sweden), your Bio-data (India) or a Curriculum Vitae (Great Britain), get ready to start writing a resume.

Before embarking on your task, it would be helpful for you to know what your final product should look like. View as many examples of American resumes as possible. For some online examples, click here: http://www.all4resumes.com/guide/sample.html

1. Omit personal information

International CVs often contain personal information about the candidate (e.g., age, religion, ethnic group, marital status).

In the United States, however, it is illegal for any employer to make discriminatory employment decisions based upon:


Age
Sex
Race/National origin
Ethnic group
Religion
Possession of a disability

Depending on the employer's state, it may also be illegal for them to make employment decisions based on:


Sexual orientation
Parental status
Marital status
Political affiliation

Employers are so worried about discrimination lawsuits, that if you explicitly include the above information in your resume, it will likely go directly into the garbage can.

The only information that you should list at the top of your resume is your contact information:


Your name
Your mailing address
Your phone number
Your e-mail address

For example, this might resemble the top of your resume:


John Doe 123 Pine Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (555) 555-5555 E-mail: JohnDoe@yahoo.com

Don't place the word "Resume" at the top as it is sometimes done in European countries. Just start with your name.

2. Know length requirements

CVs are usually rather lengthy, explaining past work experience in detail. Unless you are applying to be a teacher or a scientist (which have their own unique resume standards), follow this rule of thumb: A resume should never be more than one page long. The average employer spends less than 30 seconds reading a resume, so brevity is key.

To shorten your resume:


Use sentence fragments with as few words as possible
Use action verbs
Eliminate articles and pronouns

A CV might have a line that reads:


"As a Project Manager, I was responsible for helping the organization recruit clients. In my first three months, I recruited 250 clients, and I recruited another 200 clients in my second three months. These clients eventually brought the organization $45,000 worth of revenue, making my department the most valuable."

On a resume, it might read:


"Recruited 450 new clients in six months. Total revenue raised: $45,000"

3. Use accepted headings

Resumes consist of separate sections, each of which should provide evidence of your skills and talents. The list below outlines sections that are commonly used, in the order in which it should appear.


Objective: A brief sentence explaining what kind of job you are looking for.


Work Experience: Under this section, the candidate lists jobs the candidate has held, with some impressive details proving job excellence.


Skills: This section may contain important information such as computer knowledge, languages spoken and memberships in professional organizations.


Education: This section should briefly list the candidate's educational history going back as far as an undergraduate degree, listing the institution(s) attended, the degree(s) received and the dates of attendance.

4. Put the most recent information at the top

If the top of a resume doesn't grab recruiters' attention, they'll never get to the bottom. As a result, most resumes are organized in reverse-chronological order - the most recent information is placed at the top of a section and works its way backwards.

5. Use American paper sizes

If you are going to send a resume through the mail, remember that the standard size for an American resume is 8.5 by 11 inches. Use only one side of the paper, with a legible font and margins of at least .75 inches on each side.

6. Spell-check and proofread

Whether or not English is your first language, there is no excuse for having any spelling errors in your resume. So before submitting your resume, be sure to double-check your spelling. Then give your resume to a friend (one who is fluent in English) to give it a second read.

Even native English speakers from abroad should check their spelling using an American-style dictionary, because there are words that are spelled uniquely in the U.S. For example:


"organized" not "organised"


"favorite" not "favourite"


"theater" not "theatre"


"color" not "colour"

Searching for a job in the U.S. can be a daunting experience, but a standard American resume can put you one step closer to your dream.

1. Position title and job description.
Provide your title, plus a detailed explanation of your daily activities and measurable results. Since job titles are often misleading or their function may vary from one company to another, your resume should tell the reader exactly what you’ve done.

2. Clarity dates and places.
Document your work history accurately. Don’t leave the reader guessing where you were employed, or for how long. If you’ve had overlapping jobs, find a way to pull them apart on paper, or eliminate mentioning one to avoid confusion.

3. Details.
Specify some of the more technical, or involved aspects of your past work or education. Have you performed tasks of any complexity, or significance? If so, don’t be shy, give one or two-sentence description.

4. Proportion.
Give appropriate attention to jobs or educational credentials according to their length, or importance to the reader. For example, if you wish to be considered for a position at a bank, don’t write one paragraph describing your current job as a loan officer, followed by three paragraphs about your high school summer job as a lifeguard!

5. Relevancy.
Confine your resume to that which is job-related or clearly demonstrates a pattern of success. For example, nobody really cares that your hobby is spear fishing, or that you weigh 98 kilograms, or that you belong to an activist youth group. Concentrate on the subject matter that addresses the needs of the employer.

6. Explicitness.
Leave nothing to imagination. Don’t assume the resume reader knows, for example, that Hamdard University is in Karachi, or that "C.S." stands for computer science, etc.

7. Length.
You should only fill up a page or two. If you write more than two pages, it becomes evident to the reader that you are unable to organize your thoughts, and that you are trying too hard to make a good impression. If the content of your resume is strong then there is no need for more than two pages.

8. Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation.
Create an error free document that represents the educated person you are (or are striving to be). Always use a spell check program or better yet, consult a professional writer.

9. Readability.
Organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. Avoid writing in a style that is fragmented or long winded.

10. Appearance and Presentation.
Don’t deviate too much from the standard resume format in order to avoid being trashed due to difficulty in reading.

11. Portray yourself as someone who is active and gets things done. Do this by beginning sentences with action verbs.

12. Use headlines.
They really work. Headlines permit the reader to skim through your resume and reach the areas that they are interested in quickly.