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Number crunching & loving it
Career Hotline
Music for mum’s ears
OFFICE Mantra
The meltdown
Office rentals likely to fall
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Number crunching & loving it
Wish to be an economic specialist and advise the government on all economic matters of the country? Well, this is precisely what they do in the Indian Economic Service, writes
Usha Albuquerque. Having said that, read on to know more about the number game IF you enjoy number crunching and economics is your favorite subject, you would do well to look at a career in the Indian Economic Service (IES). At a time when government sector jobs are being preferred to those in private companies, the economic service offers excellent growth prospects. Moreover, in today’s rapidly globalising environment, you could play an important role in major policy decisions of the government. In a lighter vein, you won’t have to burn the midnight oil for the Common Admission Test! IES is a Central Government service involved in economic planning and analysis through state boards, planning commission and other government owned bodies in the country. Apart from the purely economic sectors, its officers are now making crucial contribution towards policy making in social sectors as well. Trained in economic analysis, policy formulation and its implementation, the officers of the IES provide economic advice and economic administration and are involved in implementation of development programmes, besides dealing with other areas such as economic reforms, regulation, price fixation, and monitoring and evaluation. Getting in: You can join the
service through the Indian Economic Services Exam. It is conducted along with the Indian Statistical Services exam by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit Grade IV officers for the Indian Economic Service and Indian Statistical Services (ISS) and is generally held in the month of November. Eligibility: You can apply for the examination if you are between 21 and 30 years of age. The upper age limit is relaxable for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, the physically challenged and certain other categories of candidates. You also require a postgraduate degree in economics/applied economics, business economics/isometrics. If you hold a postgraduate degree in statistics/applied statistics, then you are eligible to apply for the ISS. However, you can only apply for one of these services. Selection: The selection process consists of a written examination followed by a personal interview for those who qualify in the written exam. The written examination covers 6 papers and carries a maximum of 1,000 marks. For the IES, papers are: general economics I, II and III and Indian economics, apart from English and general
studies.
Each paper is of three hours duration, of the conventional essay type, set only in English and must be answered only in English. The general studies paper covers a wide area of knowledge including current affairs, history of India, Indian polity, geography and science. The general English paper includes an essay in English and is designed to test your understanding and working knowledge of English. The economics papers, however, test your knowledge of economics at the master’s degree level. Interview: Those who clear the written examination are called by the commission for an interview that aims to assess the suitability of a candidate for the service. It may include questions on current events as well as modern currents of thought and ideas as expected of a well-educated youth. You will be expected to be particularly conversant with Indian problems in the field of economics. Basically, if you are looking for a career in the economic service you need to have more than a general interest in politics and social affairs. You must be able to make an intelligent analysis of national and international events. Strong analytical skills, a balanced judgment, scrupulous attention to detail, ability to explain and analyse complex research findings and an ability to work both independently and as a team is important for successful adjustment in the service. Once selected, you will start as an assistant director in the service and over the years your career can take you up to additional secretary-level in the Government of India. Postings in the service can include those in the Planning Commission, Labour Bureau, Central Electricity Authority, as economic advisers to many ministries, Forward Market Commission, Tariff Commission, Planning Board, National Sample Survey and other allied offices where specialists in economics are required. You could also go on deputation to different agencies of the United Nations and other international organisations. Officers of the IES have also held senior positions in banks and financial institutions. So, if you are a postgraduate in economics, here is a career that can take you to the highest echelons of authority. That is not all — you may also be able to figure out how to beat the recession! (The writer is a career expert)
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Flight of fancy is ready for take-off Pervin Malhotra
Q. I will complete Class 12 (PCM) soon. I want to become an aircraft maintenance engineer. Please tell me the process and suggest the names of some institutions. — Jagdish Vohra A. The aviation sector is growing at a rapid pace. New sophisticated aircraft are being deployed and more air routes are being opened. The open sky policy has encouraged new operators to launch their airlines and feeder lines are becoming viable. Besides our large network of domestic airlines several international airlines now operate through India.
Upon clearing the internal exams (Section A & B), the DGCA will issue you an AME license, which is considered at par with a BE/B.Tech in aeronautical engineering from an Indian university. The minimum eligibility for enrolling for this programme is a pass in Class 10. If you have cleared 10+2 (PCM), you are directly eligible for Section A. Age limit: 23 years (at times, the upper age limit is relaxed for engineering diploma-holders in any branch of engineering (50% marks) and science graduates. Many flying clubs have training institutes attached to them. However, only few of them offer training on heavy aircraft and jet engines as most make do with small aircraft and piston engines. So, do check whether the institute you are enrolling in has the necessary aircraft, engines, library and modern teaching aids, etc. Also, make sure the institute is listed on the DGCA website (www.dgca.nic.in). On completion of Year 1 (two semesters) of the three-year training programme, you can take the basic Paper I of the AME License Exam, followed by Paper II at the end of Year 2 and Paper III on airframe/engine/DR compass on completion of the fifth semester (2.5 years). Clearing these three papers at the earliest will fetch you the Basic Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Certificate (BAMEC) from DGCA that will make you eligible for a job in the aviation industry. That leaves you with Paper IV in your specific area of competence, which will fetch you the coveted AME License. The course typically covers 18 topics: Flight aerodynamics, workshop technology, metallurgy/electricity, electronics/jet engineering, etc. as applied to aircraft maintenance. Training in the maintenance of sophisticated appliances such as radio equipment, compass systems, gyroscopic instruments, aviation direction finder, radial and line engines is also incorporated in the course. Alternatively, you can opt for a BE/B.Tech in aeronautical engineering from a regular engineering college. While these courses include instruction on maintenance of the aircraft and its components, the emphasis is more on the design and development of commercial and military aircraft.
D.Pharm will open many doors
Q. I am in Class 12 and want to know about some courses of one or two year after which I will be able to get job. Due to weak financial situation, it is necessary for me to get job. Is it right to do diploma in pharmacy?
— Girish Pushkarna
The two-year diploma in pharmacy (D.Pharm) course is offered by a large number of pharmacy colleges across the country. However, make sure you only enrol in a college recognised by the Pharmacy Council of India (www.pci.nic.in). The minimum eligibility for D.Pharm is an intermediate with biology, physics, chemistry or mathematics, physics, chemistry. Armed with your diploma, you will also have the option of working in a hospital pharmacy or a retail medical store as a chemist or as a sales representative for wholesale dealers and pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. You can also work in firms involved in repacking drugs and chemicals or in medical transcription. D.Pharm being the minimum qualification required for obtaining a dispensing license for operating a chemist shop, you can also open your own shop once you have the necessary finances. After completing your D.Pharm, you can also seek lateral entry into Year 2 of a four-year B.Pharm degree course, should you wish to further augment your qualifications.
What an idea! You’ll meet the aim in six-ten yrs
Q. I am student of Class 12, non-medical. I want to know about the eligibility to become a professor of physics. What should I do for it and how much time it
take?
— Laxman Vaid
It is also now mandatory to qualify the UGC/CSIR-NET exam for the post of lecturer. NET can be taken after you complete your M.Sc (or M.Phil). However, Ph.D degree holders are exempted from taking the NET provided their research is undertaken as per the new guidelines (e.g. they are admitted on the basis of an entrance test among others). Incidentally, we now have integrated five-year M.Sc courses straight after Class 12 and similarly, integrated M.Sc-PH.D courses after B.Sc in some universities. In all, it will take you anywhere from six-ten years, depending on whether or not you go for a Ph.D and how long you take to complete it.
Fret not, B.Ed is more doable
Q. I have done my BA with Hindi and Sanskrit, now I am confused whether I should do MBA or B.Ed. My English is not very good, which is necessary for doing MBA. What is the requirement for B.Ed and what percentage is needed? Also, please tell me when the admission process begins. — Ritika Jain Typically, selection to B.Ed courses is on the basis of an entrance exam. The minimum eligibility for admission is a bachelor’s degree (45-50%). You can start teaching in school and subsequently, give the MBA a shot – a couple of years down the line, after you have improved your communication skills, you may even decide to go for a specialised MBA in education management if you like. If you continue t enjoy teaching, you can do your MA via distance learning side by side, which will enable you to teach senior classes (Class 11-12) as a postgraduate teacher in a higher pay scale. Watch out for the B.Ed notifications that have already started appearing in the papers. Alternatively, log on to the websites of the concerned universities in your state.
Siebel First learn configuration
Q. I am a virtual beginner to Siebel CRM. I have to work in a Siebel development project after three months. So, within the next three months, I have to get myself trained in Siebel. What should be my immediate and long-term learning path in
Siebel?
— Pushpinder Singh
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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Music for mum’s ears
A study has found that children tutored in music involving progressively complex rhythmic, tonal and practical skills display superior reading skills than their peers. Joseph M. Piro and Camilo Ortiz from Long Island University said data from this study would help clarify the role of music study on cognition and shed light on the question of the potential of music to enhance school performance in language and literacy. Piro and Ortiz investigated the hypothesis that children (in two elementary schools) who have received keyboard instruction as part of a music curriculum that becomes progressively difficult over the years, would demonstrate significantly better performance on vocabulary and verbal sequencing than students who did not receive keyboard instruction. Investigators selected second-grade children from two school sites in the same geographic vicinity and with similar demographic characteristics. Those in the intervention school studied piano formally for a period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional intervention programme. Children attending control school received no formal musical training on any instrument and had never taken music lessons. All participants were individually tested to assess their reading skills at the start and close of a school year. Results analysed at the end of the year showed that the music-learning group had better vocabulary and verbal sequencing scores than did the non-music-learning control group.
— IANS
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To shine, stop whining
Negative self-talk can limit you, increase your stress level and adversely affect your
self-concept. So fill your mind with uplifting ideas and comfort yourself when things
go wrong. Remember, lasting accomplishments come when we change our behaviours as well as our thinking, writes
D.C. SHARMA
Psychological studies have revealed that negative self-talk has led many talented workers to the exit door. This inner shouting runs in everyone’s mind all the time but when this is negative, an individual may perceive things to be worse than they actually are. You lose focus, value and worth as your work becomes unsatisfactory. And who would want a team player with these qualities? Negative thoughts can never produce positive results and positive thinking can never bring negative results. Bed work is always the product of bad, negative and inharmonious thoughts. ‘‘Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind and to take root there produces its own blossoming sooner or later into act... Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit,’’ says James Allen, the best selling self-improvement author. Close the door to failure Be your friend SELF-TALK is internal dialogue — the words we use when we talk to ourselves. According to psychologist Dr Shad Helmstetter, our
self-talk reflects and creates our emotional states. You can feel calm or worried, depending on what you tell yourself. Your self-talk can influence your self-esteem, outlook, energy level, performance and relationships. It can even affect your health, determining, for example, how you handle stressful events, or how easily you replace unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones. NEGATIVE self-talk can be curbed if efforts are made in time. The moment it talk tries to take root, replace it with a positive self-talk. Once the process is consciously started, your mood will start to change as you start thinking of a bright future. Positive ideas start multiplying in the conscious as well as the subconscious. The body feels energetic and naturally, his work performance improves for the better. W.R. Gresham, author of Nothing is Impossible says, ‘‘We must think (self-talk) only that which we wish to experience... Success attracts more success while failure attracts more failure.’’ With positive self-talk, you often close the door to failure behind.
Is that you?
THE problem with a negative self-talker is that he talks more and works less. He also reacts more than he does. The worrying is nothing but a reaction to some awkward situation at the workplace. A negative self-talker will often be impatient. Negativity looms large even when he is at work. But when his action is well-planned, he finds no hurdles and will work with passion. When one works passionately, worry automatically runs away from his work situation. A negative self-talker often remains involved in his own world. Very often, the suppressed feelings come out bitterly. But the same emotion of anger can be utilised for something better. Put a negative self-talker on the track of positivity and see his work performance improve.
Shun negativity
LEARN to be grateful for whatever one has accomplished. Don’t repent over losses. Instead, learn to thank god for the good achievements. Remember, whatever you focus upon shall expand. Some religious doctrines also teach how to thank the lord for increasing their sources of expenditure. Before you wonder why to thank for expenses, bear in mind that expenses will increase only if income exceeds that limit! It is just a way of focussing on prosperity or on a workplace where more is spent because of higher income. Learn to make your negative self-talk neutral to begin with. First, make the most negative self-talk milder, then push it towards positivism. That way you will minimise the negative effect at first and next you shall start indulging in positive self-talk.
Win-win situation
PEACE of mind and focussed attention comes only to those who indulge in positive self-talk. Such an individual indulges in a humorous dialogue with his colleagues and laughs away the worry even when things may go wrong. With such a bent of mind, courage, confidence and moving on are almost guaranteed! Positive self-talk is a sure sign of good luck and progress and prosperity flock to a workplace that abounds in these qualities.
Change is good
A LITTLE boldness when negative self-talk begins can change the way you think. Basically, negativity originates out of fear. So, being bold and convincing yourself with some positive thought or action can change your mood and temper. Feeling intimidated by colleagues at the workplace? There is nothing to fear if you know how to turn your self-talk into a positive one. The moment you do so, even circumstances will begin to change. My experiences with treating score of puzzled individuals at the workplace has proved
how encouragement is of ample use and benefit to a negative self-talker. It results in a calm mind, paying more attention and 110 per
cent contribution! There is a strong link between thinking and feeling. When a negative self-talker intentionally changes his thinking, feelings automatically change for the better. After all, our feelings and behaviours are the outcome of our inner beliefs. Negative self-talk hits self-esteem and is discouraging. Most important is to curb negative self-talk and turn it into positivity. The sooner it is done, the better. So, get cracking!
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Beating the pink slip blue
Okay, you have been laid off. But it is not the end of the road, writes
“Nothing,” says Manish Sabharwal, chairman and co-founder, Teamlease, a recruitment service provider. Many of the pink slips being handed out today have little to do with individual performance, he says. It is a consequence of the toxic combination of a credit crisis, amplified commodities cycle and so on and can under no circumstance doom one’s career. “A career is not a 100-metre dash but a marathon. A stumble does not mean much in the long run. In fact, you sometimes acquire the sharpest skills when you are going through tough times,” he explains. The best way to deal with a pink slip is to understand that there are alternatives, points out career counsellor Pervin Malhotra. “For instance, one must understand that it has nothing to do with ‘me’. Rather, you are by default part of a bigger scheme of things,” she says. All the more reason you shouldn’t go into a shell. In a competitive job market, you cannot afford to sit back and pity yourself. Says Malhotra, “Start exploring possibilities at once. Take stock of your friends, acquaintances and relatives and get in touch with everyone you know. There is nothing to feel ashamed about. Contacts and references can make a big difference.” Also, she stresses, visit job sites in your sector and check the career section. That way you will have a better idea of what’s happening. Do not be snobbish about things. Just take up anything that comes your way.” Shiv Agrawal, CEO of ABC Consultants, a recruitment services provider, says, “A sudden pink slip is not the end of the road. There are other prospective employees from varied industries looking for talent. With negative economic conditions or a market downtrend, a pink slip is hardly seen as a negative mark against a person. In fact, employees today are only concerned with the skill set that you bring to the table.” Agrawal’s company has an online system for candidates with pink slips where they can send their resumes. “In many cases, we update resumes and then flash the same internally for priority placement efforts. If we are working on the similar position, we approach our client with the resumes of these candidates,” he says. Consultant psychiatrist J. Ram points out that a person’s identity is only partly defined by his or her job description. There are many other things to cherish in life. In case you get the pink slip, consider it as an opportunity to rediscover those little things that make life worth living. Here are some more useful tips that will help you to beat the pink slip blues. Don’t panic: It is very easy to get frightened thinking about all your expenses and other related issues that depend on your pay cheque. Then, there is an uncertain future ahead, which can be very stressful. Take some time off to think about your next move. Do not make hasty decisions. Seek the guidance of expert career counsellors, relatives and trusted friends. That can be very helpful. Keep fit: Don’t allow negative emotions and thoughts overcome you. Motivate yourself by seeing the brighter picture of life. The trauma of ‘rejection’ may result in emotional heartache, which could harm your health. So, eat right, sleep right and socialise right. Do some exercise like morning and evening walks. Keep a list of tasks and activities that you want to do, and make sure what you do keeps you in high spirits and elevated feelings. Check up your strengths: Try to get a balanced view of yourself. What are you best at? What skills do you possess? Do you need to acquire new skills? If you don’t balance your limitations against your skills, then the negatives are overpowering you. Begin job-hunting earnestly: The sooner you start looking for another job, the better it is. Update your resume, scan some job sites that offer a lot of information about job openings, visit placement agencies and counsellors and let them apprise about your availability and suitability to work in various companies. Also, clearly indicate the areas, fields and positions that you would be interested in. Search other avenues: If you cherish the industry you have worked in, but want a different type of position, consider working for a related organisation that serves your industry or is collateral to it. Your industry experience and transferable skills are attractive to an employer in an allied profession as they can use your skills and might offer you an attractive position. Be flexible: You might have the skills and experience to run the race but are tired of the pressure, politics etc. If you enjoy what you do but don’t approve of the prevalent cut-throat competition, consider working for a smaller company in your chosen field. Do not be afraid to march forward and start afresh. Losing your job is not the end of the road. Remember, “Life is a mystery that unfolds itself each day.” This may just be the beginning of something that could be more satisfying financially and emotionally than your earlier career. So, move on. Good luck!
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Next 14 months bad for India
About 84 per cent of the chief executive officers polled in the Assocham Business Barometer (ABB) were of the opinion that poor business confidence in India may extend till the middle of the next year. However, about 77 per cent of the 237 CEOs said the growth rebound in India would be faster than the developed economies of the US and Europe. “The key driving factors for end of the slowdown in India include reduction of repo and reverse repo (key RBI rates) infusing liquidity in the markets and fall in inflation providing cushion to the industry in terms of reduced cost,” the chamber said. The industry expects the economic activity to pick momentum after the elections as the stalled projects would resume and fresh budgetary allocations would boost the economy, it said adding that the combined impact of these factors would be felt after the end of 2009-10. The global economic imbalance and tight monetary policy has hit the country’s growth rate severely. “Huge job cuts across various sectors have worsened the situation,” Assocham president Sajjan
Jindal said. The survey further said that the foreign trade scenario is expected to worsen in the coming months despite the depreciating rupee and incentives announced by the government. Around 62 per cent of the industry leaders expect the exports growth rate to remain in the negative zone, as there are bleak chances for the recovery of consumption rate in the US, it said. In January, the country’s exports declined by 15.9 per cent, for the fourth month in a row.
— PTI
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Office rentals likely to fall
HERE is some good news for those running their own offices. The country is facing a situation of major real estate oversupply and is likely to witness “significant falls” in rentals this year. According to a Jones Lang LaSalle’s (JLLS) March Global Market Perspective report, stock of commercial property in major cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, are forecast to expand by 50 per cent in 2009. “Tier I cities in the emerging markets of China and India are facing a situation of major oversupply and also are likely to witness significant falls in rentals this year as vacancy levels climb… “The office stock in Delhi and Mumbai is forecast to expand by some 50 per cent in 2009,” the report said. However, sentiments for the hotel sector are improving for Asian market as a whole, it said. As for markets like Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong, which were heavily exposed to international financial services, landlords are drastically reducing rentals in an attempt to maintain occupancy levels. “In the final quarter of 2008, net effective rentals fell by up to 20 per cent in these three markets, and the first quarter of this year is likely to see even more rapid declines,” it said.
— PTI
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Wish to be an economic specialist and advise the government on all economic matters of the country? Well, this is precisely what they do in the Indian Economic Service, writes
Usha Albuquerque. Having said that, read on to know more about the number game
\The Indian Economic Service is a distinct cadre of Group A service government officers, specifically for economic specialists. It plays a low-key though important role in advising the government on all economic matters concerning the country. With the launching of economic reforms in 1991 and today’s pro-reform era, government policy is increasingly being guided by economic factors where the role of IES officer has become all the more significant. Economists are concerned with the organisation, utilisation and distribution of productive and financial recourses nationally and internationally by studying political, industrial and social relationships. The Indian Economic Service is, therefore, all about selecting and training individuals to provide requisite inputs in all sectors of
economic activity.
As an officer of the Indian Economic Service, you can be posted to major cities, commercial centres, working in the planning boards, departments of institutional finance, commerce, economic affairs, industry, agriculture and stock exchanges. You could also be with the Planning Commission, the National Sample Survey Organisation, Central Statistical Organisation and other such organisations and agencies working in the area of economic policy formulation. With the various upheavals in economic activity taking place nationally as well as globally, much of the work in the service entails handling actual and anticipated changes, which can be both challenging and satisfying. 
To become an AME you need to obtain a licence from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), GoI. The AME (Associate Membership Exam) certification is not a degree but a specialised licensing programme for servicing and maintenance of aircraft and only those institutes approved by the DGCA (www.dgca.nic.in) can impart training in this field to prepare you for the AME exam conducted by the Aeronautical Society of India (www.aesi.org).
A. You have not mentioned what stream you are pursuing in school, so I will confine myself to telling you about D.Pharma.
A. To become a professor of physics, you first need to do B.Sc in physics, then M.Sc followed by M.Phil and Ph.D if you really wish to pursue research in your particular field.
A.
Given that MBA admissions are now more or less over for the next academic session and require considerable preparation to score well enough to get into a decent B-School, a B.Ed may be more doable.
A. There are so many areas in Siebel (configuration, scripting, EAI, EIM). If you want to work within three months, first learn configuration, which will enable you to understand front-end navigation. After that you should go through scripting. This is the best way. For EIM and EAI, you need to understand the functionality of business along with Siebel. 
THERE is one more reason to enroll your children in the neighbourhood music class. Not only will they keep busy, they may excel in reading too! 
I DON’T have the right skill set to do this job. My boss believes I can do the job, but I know I can’t. I wish I could talk as well as Gautam at board meetings. I sound like a dummy. I don’t get the jobs I apply for because people don’t think I am competent, impressive and efficient… 
YOU have been working in the organisation for two years, doing your best to learn to adapt to its work culture and making concerted efforts to get a promotion. One bright Monday morning, as you enter office brimming with ideas for the week, you find something on your table that you had till now only been reading in the newspapers – you have been pink-slipped. You feel used, ditched and wronged. Your whole world seems to crumble away. There are home and car loans to pay, a vacation to Disneyland you promised your kid, a diamond necklace you had ordered for wifey has to be picked up today… Your heart is beginning to skip beats as the gravity of the situation sinks in and you feel pushed to an imaginary dead end. But then, what’s so deadly about a piece of pink paper?
PINK-SLIPPED and looking for a new job or keen to switch jobs? Stay put for the time being. Rather the next 14 months as the Indian economy gets back to recovery with interest rates and lower production costs playing a key role in revival of the sentiment, says an industry survey.