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| CAREER GUIDE | Saturday, March 22, 2003, Chandigarh, India |
Time for a career change? QUERY HOTLINE |
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Time
for a career change? A large number of
professionals, who are dragging on with their jobs, still hesitate to
go in for a change because of various factors, the important one being
that they are caught in a dilemma as to whether or not they need a
career change. However, there are examples galore of people who have
reached the pinnacle in their respective fields through a change in
career and ultimately landing a job they were best suited
for. Interestingly, comfort seems too high on the mind of most
professionals. In Chandigarh, for instance, people are generally not
too ambitious and would ideally not think of relocating themselves,
says Mr Sandeep Mann, Managing Director, Ekadhiken, a coaching centre. "City
professionals don’t want to go to Delhi, Mumbai or
other mega cities and a large number of them prefer working at places
near to their residences," he adds. A majority of those who do
consider shifting jobs do so only if the hike in salary is 25 per cent
or more. Take the case of Mr Rajesha Adiya of Bangalore who was
working with I2 Technologies India Private Ltd and shifted as a team
leader with the enterprise resource planning (ERP) wing of Baan,
Hyderabad, at Rs 33,000 per month. Similarly, Ms Nidhi Raina, a site
engineer with an architectural firm in Jammu, hopped to Tristar
International, Delhi, as a civil engineer for a fatter pay-packet and
better growth opportunities. Earlier, she had also worked as a lab
demonstrator with the Institute of Engineering and Computer Sciences,
Jammu. However, some professionals would even shift jobs and settle
down for a lesser amount if the profile of the next employer is good.
"Only 30 per cent of the employers can be branded as good",
says Mr Mann, adding that there have been many cases where
professionals have switched jobs for a lower pay-packet to work in a
multi-national company, since the future prospects in such firms are
bright. Though the number of fresh job-seekers looking for guidance is
pretty high, only one in a thousand would seek counselling while
shifting jobs. What are the important factors which need to be
considered during a job change? Ask yourself the following
questions. * Is my job personally satisfying? * Is there ample room
for advancement? *Are my skills/interests/attitude being used
properly in the present job? * Am I dissatisfied with the job or the
field I am working in? * Will a change in environment, motivation or
attitude make me more satisfied in this field? * Is my job offering
me enough challenges? * Am I proud of my work? * Am I being amply
rewarded financially for the efforts I am putting in? These questions
will be able to give you a fair idea about your job satisfaction and
whether or not you need a job change. However, choosing a new career
is no child’s play. You need to mull over the following points
carefully. * How marketable am I in other fields? * Will I need more
education or training for the new field and whether I have the time
and money for it? * Do I have talents/interests which I don't get to
use and which I would like to use in another field? * Can I advance
quickly? * Can I afford to take a risk? Having done this, in order
to give your career search focus, find out your strengths and
weaknesses, and also what is important to you in a career.
Self-assessment is no easy task, but it is essential in preparing for
a rewarding career change. You may pursue your search independently
or with the help of a professional career-counselling centre. Most
experts advise you to use more than one source to ensure a successful
switch. Best of luck! |
QUERY
HOTLINE I would like to become a disc jockey. Could you tell me what the job entails? —
Simran Gill A A DJ is a performing artiste who re-mixes various kinds of music at discotheques, clubs, parties live shows, etc building an ambience, moving the crowd, taking the audience on a musical journey. The art lies in assessing the mood of the audience, putting the music seamlessly together in a perfect blend — the right track at the right time. Although no formal academic qualifications are required to become a successful DJ, it definitely helps to have some technical knowledge of mixing and handling the console along with stage presence. Working with a senior DJ is the best way to learn the ropes. To master the art of blending mood with passion, you must really enjoy all kinds of music. And be innovative enough to experiment with sound effects and invent something different and interesting each time. Keeping up with new trends and sound tracks released internationally is part of the job. Personality, attitude, grooming, hard work and technical savvy are the qualities needed to be a successful DJ. Above all, you must be passionate about music and love interacting with the crowd. You’ve got to be something of a showman - flamboyant, energetic. Despite being a popular career option, there are hardly any professional institutes providing specific training. However, some veteran DJs have opened their own schools to give hands-on training to students to handle all that expensive hi-tech equipment. It certainly helps to be familiar with computer re-mixing, scratching, stutter effects, sampling, set-ups, multi-track recording, audio and light installation equalising and maintenance. You would typically work in discos, clubs, music stores, musical and entertainment events and parties — outdoors or in hotels. Be prepared to work odd hours against your body clock — starting in the late evenings and often running into the wee hours of the morning. The money? Not bad at all. Starting out at a club for Rs 5000-10,000, you can fetch a lot more with some experience — anywhere between Rs 60,000 -70,000 p.m. if you’re good. The celebrity DJs earn in lakhs. And if you start young, your career could span over 15-20 years! Art I am
very good at art and have always dreamt of being a painter. But my
father, who runs a large auditing firm, wants me to be a CA like him.
I am doing B. Com but have no interest in it. However, If I go against
him there will be too much unpleasantness to face. Should I assert
myself or go along with what he says. Is it the practical thing to do?
I am an adopted child and have been brought up with a lot of love and
affection. — A But what
about you? Your future? Your dreams? Your longing for creativity and
meaning in your life? Firstly, you need to take stock of what you’re
afraid of: not wanting to face the risks if he said no. That he may
not love you anymore. That he may think you are ungrateful and not a
dutiful son. Or that you’d be letting the family down. You are
going along with something you don’t want, then putting the blame on
them for doing it. That way, you don’t have to take responsibility.
Except that when it comes to your career, you do have a choice. It’s
up to you to shape your life and your career the way you want to. We
are all born with a free will — and nothing can change that fact.
Our free will and our understanding of it are perhaps our greatest
resources. Unfortunately, one of our favourite pastimes is to blame
others, so as to avoid the responsibility. By saying ‘I had no
choice’ (and meaning it), we are simply betraying our human
nature. For one thing, with freedom, comes accountability, with
accountability comes guilt and with guilt comes anxiety. Since freedom
leads to anxiety, it is easier to repress it than to bear it proudly.
The alternative might be unpleasant. But to think free will is always
pleasurable is naive. Not taking time out to reflect about the
choices before you is a costly mistake. I’m sure in time your
father will understand. Perhaps he will even encourage you. Have you
tried talking things over - explaining your aspirations and your point
of view? Just try it.
MCA I am keenly interested in doing MCA
preferably from BITS, Pilani. Please let me know the admission
procedure, whether approved by the AICTE and details about merit and
payment seats. Does BITS offer this course in any other part of the
country?
A BITS, Pilani only offers an
M Sc. Tech (4-yrs) in Information Systems for which the eligibility is
B Sc. in the relevant field. However, BIT, Mesra, Ranchi, offers MCA
F/T (3-yrs) and P/T (41/2-yrs). It is a fully recognised university.
Notification typically appears in January. There are 45 seats in the
F/T course and 30 in the P/T course. Besides the regular SC/ST quota
(221/2 %), 10% seats are reserved for NRIs. Eligibility for
admission is a Bachelor’s degree with 50% agg. with Maths/Stats at
class 12/graduation level plus 3-yrs work experience in a reputed
organisation after graduation for P/T students. Selection is based on
merit in the entrance test conducted at various centres in the
country. The P/T (9 sem) MCA course is offered at BIT, Mesra and its
extension centres
CA I want to be a CA, but I have heard
that it is very difficult to manage it along with graduation. Please
suggest what I should do.
A You can
start training for Chartered Accountancy immediately after 10+2 by
enrolling for the 10-month Foundation Course (now PE-I). According to
the new course pattern, you must clear your Inter (now PE-II) exams
before you can do your ‘articleship’. This way you will save some
time. Although BA/BCom (P) is relatively easy, BCom (H) is more
demanding. But as a commerce student, you get an added advantage: the
BCom syllabus is similar to that of Intermediate and Final CA papers
(although the latter is more advanced). However, if you find it
impossible to balance the CA preparation together with your college
studies, you can defer pursuing the CA course till you have completed
your graduation. With the requisite 50% marks at the Bachelor’s
level, you can directly enrol for the PE-II followed by the ‘Articleship’.
While this may take somewhat longer, it will be less stressful. On
the other hand, the advantage of going the Foundation Course route is
that you get a first-hand feel of what is involved. If you decide that
finance and number crunching are not exactly your cup of chai, nothing
is lost. You can opt for any other profess course at the postgraduate
level. As for the second part of you query, yes the CA course is
tough - going by the large number of students who enrol as compared to
the minuscule number that pass out each year (barely 3-4%). But then
it’s not very different with many of the other top-of-the-line
professional courses either. While some like engineering, medicine or
civil services, MBA are difficult to enter, others like CA, CS, CFA
etc. are difficult to clear. So it all balances out in the end! — Pervin Malhotra,
Director, CARING |
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FORTNIGHTLY QUIZ-178
1. Who was recently elected President of China? 2. Name the missiles
that Iraq has been recently destroying in line with the UN disarmament
demands. 3. Name the world’s oldest oil refinery in Assam that was
recently attacked by militants. 4. Who was recently elected Cuba’s
President for the sixth term, making him the world’s longest ruling
head of government? 5. Which country has the distinction of having
the largest number of Everest climbers? 6. Name the world’s two
top diamond polishing countries. 7. Name the two Indian Americans who
were recently inducted into the prestigious Silicon Valley Engineering
Hall of Fame. 8. Where is India’s first skin bank coming up? 9.
Which state of India has the highest number of job seekers as per the
live register of employment exchanges in the country? 10. Expand
NDDB. 11. Name the coach of Kenya’s cricket team. 12. Who has
been appointed South Africa’s new cricket captain? 13. Which
country has become the first non-Test playing nation to have entered
the cricket World Cup semi finals? 14. Who is the only Australian
bowler to have claimed hat-trick in the cricket World Cup history?
15. Who recently became the quickest Indian to claim 100 wickets in
one-day international cricket? Name.......................Class.......... School
address.......................... Winners of quiz 177: The first
prize by draw of lots goes to Chirag Kansal, XII, Arya Sen Sec School,
near Shivpuri Mohalla, Dhuri-148024. Second: Amit Kumar Birlan, XI-C,
Sainik School Kunjpura, Karnal-132023. Third: Gaurav, VIII, St
Soldier Divine Public School, Sector 16, Panchkula. Answers to quiz
177: Wasim Akram; Chaminda Vaas; Shoaib Akhtar; Canada; John Davison;
Sachin Tendulkar; Sachin Tendulkar; Shane Warne; Ashish Nehra; Glenn
McGrath; Sachin Tendulkar; Australia; Darren Lehmann; Namibia;
Bangladesh. Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the
first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at
the school address. — Tarun Sharma |
Do you find your job fulfilling? Do you think that
your skills are being used to the optimum level? Do you think that
your job reflects your values or is there a conflict? If not, it may
be time for you to change your career.