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Careercature
Career Hotline
Hired on campus? Infy is coming to get you
The meltdown
Course chat
Video games could work in class
RJ training launched in Gangtok
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Sound plan
They record & create sounds, lower or raise the pitch & can make you sound like a chipmunk or like Big B! As sound mixing gets a face with Resul Pookutty’s Oscar win, here is more about audio engineering
Training Institutes
AND
the Oscar for best sound mixing goes to Slumdog Millionaire:
Resul Pookutty! What a great day it was for India with three Oscars —
all in the category of music and sound. Along with A.R. Rahman, who won
two golden statuettes for best original song Jai ho and best original
score for the film, Pookutty has done the country proud with his Oscar.
More than that, he has put sound mixing and audio engineering on the
career map and given it its due importance. By recording the varying
sounds — "the soundscape of this very noisy city" of Mumbai,
as he calls it — and mixing it in the manner he did, he was able to
make the film viewer feel like he were actually walking the narrow lanes
of Juhu and Dharavi! In fact, some of Rahman’s success can also be
credited to the sound engineers who work with him on his musical
creations. Be it a movie soundtrack, a music record or live concert,
success largely depends on the sound quality of the final product. Sound
engineers are responsible for this: capturing like a photographer the
sound ambience or musical performance of an artist and recording or
mixing and arranging it so as to bring out the best. With the use of
sophisticated sound equipment, sound or audio engineers — as they are
also called — can record and create sounds, lower or raise your pitch,
make you sound like a chipmunk or like Amitabh Bachchan or bring a
forest or war zone into your home. A sound engineer is someone with
experience and training in the production and manipulation of sound
through mechanical (analog) or digital means. In a recording studio,
the sound engineer records, edits, manipulates and mixes a variety of
sounds, operating mixing consoles, microphones, signal processors, tape
machines, digital audio workstations, sequencing a range of software so
as to produce the kinds of sounds required. Most work in the area of
music production involves dealing with sound for a wide range of
applications, including post-production for video and film, live sound
reinforcement, advertising, multimedia, and broadcasting. Sound
engineering has come a long way from the days when it was recorded on
analog machines and there were only three tracks for recording: one for
lead vocals, the second for melodic instruments and the third for rhythm
and percussion. Nowadays, all sound is recorded digitally using new
technology — with new methods of sound mixing and new software — so
you can have any number of tracks and create almost any kind of sound in
a studio for any purpose. Getting InWHILE many sound engineers
get into this field after working at DJing, or in studios as assistants,
and move up from there learning on the job, to succeed professionally in
this field does require formal training. In this way you will not only
get a better and indepth understanding of the discipline of music, but
also get exposure to the latest equipment, and trends in sound
recording. A background in science with physics and maths is advisable,
as you will be dealing with sound, which is physical energy, and working
on a range of calculations, converting sound waves into electric energy,
calculating a delay time or reverberation of the room and so on. You
have an added advantage if you possess an ear for sound and music, as
well as good knowledge and interest in music. If you are passionate
about music, your sensibilities would be fine-tuned to the music you
listen to, and your understanding of a particular genre of music would
be polished. This would help in better recording of similar music, as
you will understand the best musical arrangement for the song. Some
computer skills are also useful, and to start off, one can get a basic
idea of sound and recording by setting up a small home studio system.
With softwares like Nuendo and Ableton, it is possible to indulge in low
cost home recording. There are specific training institutes for sound
engineering. The Film & Television Institute Of India, Pune and
Chennai, offer sound engineering programmes that are highly sought
after. Resul trained at the Pune Film and Television Institute of India
(FTII). It is reported that he failed the first time he applied for
admission but then returned home to Thiruvananthapuram and read up all
the books he could find on sound engineering! In the next entrance
examination and group discussion, he passed. The Satyajit Ray Film
& Television Institute, Kolkata, Whistling Woods Digital Academy,
Mumbai, and the SAE Institute, Chennai, are other institutes offering
diploma courses in recording arts (audio engineering). Mumbai University
also offers a course on sound engineering, while IIT Kharagpur has an
M.Tech in media and sound engineering. A course in sound engineering would
involve a comprehensive study of all the disciplines influencing the
field, including the mathematics and physics of sound, acoustics, the
business of recording and production, and music. You are exposed to all
kinds of studio equipment and learn about music theory, digital
recording, mixing, post production and so on. Some courses also include
work experience and internships with recording studios.
With the flourishing music and film
industry, there is increasing demand for sound engineers. The
entertainment business with stage shows, performing arts in music and
dance, and any number of events has also increased opportunities.
Moreover, with the Oscar wins and the focus on music and sound, this can
only open up the market for talented people. As a career option, sound
engineering is becoming a popular choice, particularly among the
musically-inclined. Several aspiring musicians choose this field so that
they have a better understanding of how to improve the quality of the
albums they produce. Jobs in this field include working as a sound
recordist in a studio or with a film or television company. You can also
specialise in voice and dialogue recording, music and sound mixing and
editing, in sound designing, or as a sound effects editor — creating
different kinds of sounds. You can also work as a free lancer on live
sound on location. Most sound recordists are associated with music,
studio work, light and sound for live concerts, speaker designing as
well. One can get into recording studios for music, jingles, work with
dubbing studios or work on live sound for concerts and the like. Radio
stations have their personal studios where jingles and play music is
composed. One can also work on cruiseliners as their sound and light
technician. Sound engineering is also vital in film mixing, as we have
realised with Resul Pookutty’s Oscar win. Recording and dubbing
voices, catching the ambience of the environment and mixing it together
so that the audience can even hear a whisper in a noisy slum is just
some of the possibilities for a sound engineer. So, if you are
passionate about music but have been wary about taking the plunge, I
hope Rehman and Pookutty’s Oscars will inspire you to let the sound of
music become a possible career choice!
(The writer is a career expert)
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Women on top Pervin Malhotra Q. I am a graduate and dream of joining the paramilitary force. I have heard that some women officers are also sent for UN peacekeeping missions. Is this true? –– Nitin Johar
While a large number of Indian male police officers have served under the United Nations (UN) on peacekeeping missions, there have been only a few isolated cases where Indian women have manned peace efforts in the world’s troubled spots. Even the contingent of 22 police officers that recently left for Kosovo had only two women police officers from Chandigarh. Incidentally, India is one of the top 10 police-contributing countries to UN missions worldwide. The government proposes rectify this gender mismatch by earmarking 30 per cent posts for women to serve in the UN. This is part of UN’s endeavour to induct more women in the peacekeeping effort and is considered pertinent to meet policing needs in the coming years. To serve in the UN peacekeeping force you need to join one of the elite paramilitary forces. Last year, the CRPF sent a 125-member all-woman team led by Commandant Seema Dhundiya for a peacekeeping mission in Liberia. The CRPF is the only paramilitary force in the country with two women battalions while the CISF is training women commandos to provide protection to important women politicians and ministers. The NSG has also recently opened its doors to women Black Cats. For a successful career in the paramilitary forces, you need to be an above-average graduate with a sense of adventure and interest in tough outdoor life. In all the protective services, importance is given to physical fitness, i.e. height, weight, chest measurement, etc. in addition to academic achievements. To qualify for the peacekeeping mission be prepared to undergo rigorous training at the industrial training centre in New Delhi. One of the toughest components of this training programme is mastering the art of shooting five bullets in five seconds. Currently, women personnel are deployed in India's troubled areas like J&K, Ayodhya, Manipur, and Assam. In addition, each Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalion also has a women's component consisting of 96 personnel.
MBA abroad Q. I had always dreamt of doing my MBA from the US. After working for four years in the telecom sector, I have now got admission to a Top 20 B-school, but the finances seem terribly forbidding. The loan I can get from a bank will cover only a fraction of the total tuition fee (leave aside the boarding & lodging). I am in a total fix, particularly given the current economic scenario. Please advise. –– Revant Sinha A. International B-school applicants like you who are fretting about how they’re going to pay for their MBA can finally rest easy. I just read about this new loan programme for international students in the Businessweek, which should bring you some cheer. Let me reproduce the text for you: “A leading international bank has agreed to create a new pilot $500 million lending programme for international students at 40 B-schools in the US and Europe. The new deal with the bank came about after a number of financial aid administrators realising how impossible it is for international students to borrow money at this point, approached the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), an international association of B-schools and sponsor of the GMAT, asking for help in securing new lenders for their international students. With the help of a key participant who helped broker the deal, GMAC was able to get the financial aid administrators of the B-schools in touch with the bank. The pilot programme will include a number of B-schools that were stranded last fall when loan providers pulled out the no co-signer loan programmes that most international students depended on to fund their education. Most importantly, the pilot will provide students with loans that don’t require them to secure co-signers, a provision that international students have been clamouring for the last few months. Only a handful of schools have signed on, but about 40 schools are likely to participate. So far, the Chicago Booth School of Business and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business are on board. The loans will be available to students for the academic year 2009-10. If the pilot is successful, the bank may allow more B-schools to participate.” Hopefully, this will expand to a much larger group.
You need a new challenge: Take on more responsibility
Q. I am getting very bored and restless in my job, but in the present scenario I’m afraid to speak to my boss about it. I think I’ve learned all that I’m likely to in my current position. Should I start looking for a new job altogether? What do you suggest at a time when most of us just feel grateful to have a job in the current economic slowdown? –– Vikas Batra A. Most of us are good at the jobs we enjoy doing. But at times we reach a point where be become so good that the work comes to us naturally, it ceases to challenge us and no longer allows us to innovate. Our enthusiasm dips and as a result our performance suffers. We feel there’s nothing left to look forward to. It happens. You need to ask yourself a few questions: Do you want to change your line because you are frustrated and find your job boring? Have you discussed your frustration with your boss? It may be a big mistake not to. Many people are afraid do so fearing they'll rock the boat if they talk about augmenting their careers. But talking it over with your immediate or department head may a good first step in getting unstuck. Sometimes, new or more responsible opportunities aren't offered to employees simply because they've never expressed an interest. Don't wait to take the initiative. Offer to take on more responsibilities, ask if you could pitch in with the company’s PR department or a special project team or volunteer to serve as a mentor to new recruits. Taking on additional tasks, and doing them well, is one of the best ways to get noticed — and get your career moving forward. Your contribution will be appreciated, and the organisation will only be glad to expand your current job profile. As you take on more responsibilities and begin to look at your work in the context of the broader picture, you are bound to discover more interesting aspects that will challenge your mind. Read up on new developments in the industry in which your company operates; master the new technology. Think of ways to improve the business, and you’ll have your hands full! Just this afternoon, the senior customer relationship manager of my bank dropped in for a routine visit. Over a chat, I asked her how she got to the position she was in. Here’s what she had to say: “I started out as a secretary in a leading international bank, but realising I had good people skills, I asked to be moved to the customer relationship desk, enjoyed the work, kept honing my skills and kept moving up.” Of course, you can always look for a new and upgraded position somewhere else. But -- as anyone looking for work would tell you – do that only after you’ve exhausted possibilities at your current organisation.
This column appears weekly. Please send in your queries, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers
@tribunemail.com
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Hired on campus? Infy is coming to get you
CEO says all 18,000 selected students to join by July, hopes situation will improve by mid-2010
“We have made offers to 18,000 students from different campuses for the 2009-10 batch. They will be joining us in July this year,” company's chief executive officer S. Gopalakrishnan told reporters. “All the offers we have made last year, we have honoured. Once Infosys makes the commitment, we will honour it,” he said. “Right now, we have slowed down on recruitments. We are still recruiting, but only in case of absolute necessity,” he said, when asked about recession and layoffs in IT companies. However, the present 16 weeks training would be extended by another six to eight weeks, he said. The CEO said the situation would become worse if the recession lasted for a longer period. Right now there were very few layoffs in IT companies. Companies are asked to perform better, he said, adding this was not the classical layoff. “But if the situation lasts longer, then all options have to be looked into. It is hoped the situation will improve by mid 2010 and in the worst case by 2014,” he said. Last year, the industry grew by 33 per cent. This year Nasscom has predicted the IT growth to be 10-15 per cent, he said. On the expansion plans, Goplakrishnan said the company was planning to expand its footprint in the Gulf countries, Latin America, Europe, Japan and India. As part of the expansion plans in India, the IT major would open its campus at Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram by May-June this year. About Rs 100 crore has been spent on the first phase of the project, which can accommodate 4,000 persons, he said. Gopalakrishnan said India, one of the fastest growing markets in the world, is a country of vast opportunities. However, there are responsibilities for both the government and educational institutions. “The transition will not be easy.” India will have a demographic advantage unique to the country for the next 30 years, which it can leverage and be a service provider and manufacturing hub to the world. But there are challenges, such as illiteracy, he said. Gopalakrishnan said almost all the reputed colleges abroad are opening campus in India and collaborating with Indian universities.
–– PTI
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FOOD
for THOUGHT
THE next time you hear someone recite verses from the Bhagavad Gita, pay more attention. The wisdom of the ancient Indian scriptures may come in handy in tackling issues from management strategies to corporate governance in today’s highly competitive world of business. Consider this: Motivational gurus and management experts like Deepak Chopra, C.K. Prahalad, Arindam Chaudhuri, Shiv Khera and Mrityunjay B. Athreya are increasingly borrowing from ancient Hindu scriptures to cope with the modern-day business management challenges. “Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, yoga is excellence in action,” said leading management consultant Harish Bijoor. “We preach it as a basic tenet in our sessions — that one can derive a higher state of being in an organisation by achieving excellence in action and be consistent in doing so,” Bijoor said. Krishna may indeed give management guru Philip Kotler — whose strategies on marketing are routinely referred to in classrooms and boardrooms alike — a run for his money, management gurus maintain. “Quite a few business strategies owe their origins to Hindu myths. According to Indian religious texts, ‘swa-dharma’ or self ethics can be used to achieve quality in all the functions of a company,” Bijoor maintained. Agreed Athreya, who took the example of ‘Neelakantha’ Lord Shiva’s epithet, when his throat turned blue after drinking the poison churned up from ocean so that the magic potion of mortality could be partaken by his followers to defeat the demons, or evil. “This act symbolises courage, initiative, willingness, discipline, simplicity and austerity - these are all the qualities that successful business leaders, as also managers, preach,” Athreya, a specialist in Vedic management said. Such myths are relevant more than ever today as businesses the world over have begun to retrench workers and cut down on employee benefits and charity in the wake of the current meltdown, the experts said. “It is the dharma of all organisations to focus more on corporate social responsibility and protect employees’ interests in this hour of crisis. A company should make profits during the good times and help people in bad times,” Athreya said. “Firms should reduce prices, be content with a lower profit margin and eliminate waste.” Quoting Yudhishthira in the Mahabharata, Athreya said: “Every day, people see creatures depart to (god of death) Yama’s abode. Yet, those who remain seek to live forever. This verily is the greatest wonder.” Similarly, he said, people retire every day, jobs are lost, and sometimes it is seen as unavoidable as has been seen during the current economic turmoil. “But the impact of the crisis and the consequent sense of insecurity can be contained if managements become ‘deerghdarshi’ (farsighted), and try to evade the crisis even before it happens.” Ancient wisdom will also help mitigate fears about competition. “A lot of people are bothered about what competition is doing. We too advise managers to look at competition, but in a benign way. Look at them as ethical people, who are just doing their job and you are doing yours,” said Bijoor. Some of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism, the Vedas and the Upanishads, can help in scripting an ideal corporate governance philosophy. “The management should be ‘saatvik’, meaning balanced and orderly. They should take care of their customers and business partners, besides their employees. That is the backbone of any sound corporate governance model,” Athreya said, quoting from these scriptures. Bijoor, however, feels Indian managers are still smitten by western management philosophies. “I routinely quote from texts like the Ramayana in the sessions that I hold for corporates around the world,” he said. “But it is ironical that businesses in countries like Germany and France are adopting the wisdom of Vedas while our people are still besotted with western philosophies.” — IANS
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US loss is India’s gain
Skilled immigrants returning home cite career & quality of life as primary reasons
LOSS of tens of thousands of skilled immigrants to countries like India and China “is an economic catastrophe that will hurt US competitiveness for decades to come”, says Vivek Wadhwa, lead author of a new study done at leading American universities. Wadhwa and his team at Duke, Harvard and Berkeley universities uncovered several trends in their study on the plight of 1,203 skilled immigrants who came to the US from India and China to work or study and returned home. Most returnees originally came to the United States for career and educational opportunities. The majority of returnees cited career and quality of life as primary reasons to return to their home countries. The most common professional factor (86.8 per cent of Chinese and 79 per cent of Indians) motivating workers to return home was the growing demand for their skills in their home countries. Returnees also believed that their home countries provided better career opportunities than they could find in America, Wadhwa says. Most respondents (53.5 per cent of Indian and 60.7 per cent of Chinese) said opportunities to start their own businesses were better in their home countries. They also indicated that they would be likely to start a business in the next five years. Being close to family and friends was a significant consideration in the decision to return home, the study found. Wadhwa says many returnees considered their opportunities to care for ageing parents to be much better in their home countries (89.4 per cent of Indians and 78.8 per cent of Chinese). Most of the Indian and Chinese immigrant subjects who returned to their home countries were relatively young -- in their low-30s -- and were very well educated. Nearly 90 per cent held master's and Ph.D degrees, primarily in management, technology or science. There are no hard numbers available on how many have returned, but anecdotal evidence shows that this is in the tens of thousands. With the economic downturn, Wadhwa says, ''my guess is that we'll have over 1,00,000 Indians and as many Chinese return home over the next three-five years.'' ''This flood of western educated and skilled talent will greatly boost the economies of India and China and strengthen their competitiveness.'' Immigrants historically have provided one of America's greatest competitive advantages. Between 1990 and 2007, the proportion of immigrants in the US labour force increased from 9.3 per cent to 15.7 per cent, and a large and growing proportion of immigrants bring high levels of education and skill to the US. –– Agencies
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Now, a course to counter terrorism
For the first time in the country, Pune college to prepare students to identify
potential threats & take note of suspicious behaviour and people IT may well be the first postgraduate course in counter-terrorism in India. A Pune college run by an NGO that also works in insurgency-hit Jammu and Kashmir will teach students ways to check terrorism, especially in the post-26/11 scenario. Called Sarhad, the NGO will launch the two-year course from the new academic session beginning July this year at the Sarhad College of Arts, Commerce and Science, a government affiliated college it runs in Pune. The course will focus on counter terrorism strategy and will prepare its students to identify potential threats and take note of suspicious behaviour and people. “India has been a victim of terrorism for so many decades and especially after the Mumbai terror attacks last year, it has become very important that we study terrorism and educate people about counter-terrorism strategy,” said Sanjay Nahar, founder of the NGO. “The course has been designed by experts from various fields — legal, administrative, police, academic, security — under the guidance of Aligarh Muslim University’s former vice-chancellor Mahmud-ur-Rahman,” he said. Rahman, a retired officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), had served on various administrative posts in Jammu and Kashmir from 1966 to 1995. “During my tenure in the valley, I have seen terrorism raising its head and spreading like cancer in the valley. It was this experience that helped me in formulating the syllabus,” Rahman, 66, said. “We have failed to tackle the problem of terrorism and now it has gone out of our control. It is high time we sat and understood its root cause so that we can work to control and reduce the menace if we are not able eliminate it,” he added. The 50-seat course is designed for all sections including university graduates, bankers, administrators, journalists, NGOs and police personnel. The NGO has also written to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for accreditation. “The college has also roped in various top senior policemen and army personnel, who have successfully thwarted off terrorist attacks, lawyers, journalists and also some surrendered militants, who will talk about as to how they became terrorists,” said Nahar. There will be visiting faculty from other terror-affected Asian countries -- Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iraq. On the advantage of the course, Nahar said there was no counter-terrorism training or knowledge offered to common people though they become the major victims in any terror attack. “This course will provide them information about terrorism and counter terrorism strategies,” he said.
— IANS
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Dutch varsity comes calling
Students will study for two years at Indian learning centres and the final year in Netherlands BRINGING global management education to the doorsteps of Indian students, the Netherlands-based Wittenborg University (WU) is planning to open its learning centres in India in the next few months. While making this announcement, WU director of international projects P.D. Vis said: “We are at the advanced stage of discussions with our Indian partners for setting up our learning centres here. We are likely to open them at Jaipur in Rajasthan and at Amritsar in Punjab.” He said: “Here we will offer three-year bachelor course in business management that will be recognised by WU. The students will study for two years at the learning centre in India and final year at WU in Deventer in the Netherlands.” Presently, WU has its learning centres in Russia, Nepal and Britain and the university is planning to open more centres in India, China, Ukraine and the Philippines under the branch name of Wittenborg Asia. About 100 seats will be offered at each learning centre, said Vis. “The students will get one job-seeking year in the Netherlands after graduation. During this year, they are free to do any sort of work anywhere in the country. If they manage to earn 25,000 euros in one year then they will get a work permit of another five years in Netherlands that further leads to a Schengen visa,” he said. Talking about the fee structure, Vis said: “Yearly tuition fee while studying in Indian campus is 2,100 euros whereas for Netherlands campus the fee is 6,300 euros. We offer plenty of scholarships to our students depending on their caliber.” He said WU is a 20-year-old self-aided university without any support from government and in the last six months, 60 Indian students have enrolled in the Netherlands campus. “Asia is an important market for us as many Nepalese and Indian students are doing extremely well in the Netherlands. Moreover, we will offer every possible assistance to our students in campus placement, as we want to retain the talent trained by us in our own country,” stated Vis.
— Agencies
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Video games could work in class
EDUCATIONAL video games that have been designed keeping in mind certain criteria can be compatible with traditional methods of teaching in the classroom, reveals a new study. According to Pablo Moreno-Ger, lead author of the study from Madrid's Complutense University
(UCM), educational and technological aspects can go together and prove to be effective on educational platforms. Pablo, member of the
e-UCM educational technologies research group, led by Baltasar Fernández Manjón in UCM's Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Department, along with a team of experts believed that including video games that cover a significant number of subjects or areas of knowledge can, possibly, "work best in the area of education". "Video games in virtual educational environments are a complement to traditional teaching for the student," The Science Daily quoted Pablo as telling
SINC. However, it was further revealed that the extensive use of graphical adventure genre (e-Adventure) must bare in mind certain educational and technical hurdles. These include the possibility for evaluation, adaptability and ease of integration that the technology must be able to cover to help in the learning process.
— ANI
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RJ training launched in Gangtok
A professional radio jockeying course has been launched in Gangtok by the state government. Ten unemployed youths would be selected by the Information and Public Relations Department (IPR) and trained for three months. The students would be taught about voice culture, radio script writing, audio production, radio content creation, radio station imaging and marketing, an official said. It is also proposed to organise a week-long orientation training programme on journalism for working journalists and educated unemployed youths of the state in Gangtok from March 16 and at Gyalshing in West District from March 25, the release added.
— PTI
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going places and how! Women officers who already proved their mettle in anti-insurgency and crowd control operations in trouble spots all over India now have the opportunity to play a greater role in international peacekeeping. 
A. Yes it is. Young Indian women are going places and how! Women officers who already proved their mettle in anti-insurgency and crowd control operations in trouble spots all over India now have the opportunity to play a greater role in international peacekeeping. For the first time a circular stating that women should be given first preference has been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs to all law enforcement and security establishments.
STATING that there is a slow down in recruitment, software major Infosys said all 18,000 students selected from various engineering colleges across the country would join it in July this year.