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Bracing up for a bright future
Up, close & personal with
Helping the hapless, professionally
Career Hotline
PCBM in class XII Tough but doable
OFFICE Mantra
Reach out
Fortnightly Quiz-336
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Bracing up for a bright future
WHO doesn’t want to look good? Think of the many film stars and how they start to look better and better with the perfect smile and jawline! Models, film stars, TV hopefuls, MBA aspirants and the boys and girls next door are always looking at ways and means to improve their looks.
With the premium given to good looks, any impSerfection is unacceptable. While make-up and trick photography can help, often, more permanent solutions are required. Good looks invariably start with the perfect smile! A smile lights up the world, makes it a better place to live in and is more in demand now than ever. But how many of us start life with a perfect set of even white teeth? This is where you require the expertise of a dentist who can enhance the appearance of your teeth and make necessary adjustments and alignments. Such a person is an orthodontist -- a dentist specialising in correcting and straightening teeth both for health and cosmetic reasons. Orthodontics is the branch of dentistry concerned with the growth of the face and the proper alignment of teeth and jaws. They correct deformities of children's teeth by mechanical devices or preventive treatment. The orthodontist will align the teeth with respect to the surrounding soft tissues using braces or other orthopedic appliances to allow for growth modification in children, or jaw surgery in adults. The orthodontist can use several appliances for this purpose including a range of functional appliances, headgear, and facemasks. These "orthopedic appliances" greatly influence the development of a child’s profile and help them with improved functioning of the teeth and better appearance. Some orthodontists also design and fabricate the appliances to realign teeth and jaws to produce and maintain normal function and to improve appearance Orthodontics is not always for aesthetic purposes. There are various other reasons that urge an individual to consult an orthodontist. Technically, teeth help bite and chew more efficiently. Crowding of teeth is often the reason why children require orthodontic treatment, stemming in part from a modern western lifestyle, or because of a smaller jaw, without a related reduction in the number of teeth occupying it. Bridge to success
IN order to become a orthodontist, you will need to complete two years of post-graduation after obtaining a bachelor's degree in dentistry (BDS). The BDS degree programme is a four-year course followed by a year of rotating internship. The academic programme includes several subjects common to the MBBS course as also dental surgery, orthodontics, oral pathology and so on. Initial practical work is taught using dummies and only later are actual patients called in. The Dental Council of India registers those who have completed BDS to practice dentistry. The postgraduate course (MDS) is of a further two-years duration and orthodontistry is one of the several specialisations much in demand today. While there are over a hundred dental colleges offering specialisation in orthodontistry, most have barely two-three seats in this
specialisation. While there are several other specialisations after
BDS, such as periodontists (care of gums and their diseases), operative dentistry (root canal jobs, fillings and cosmetic surgery), prosthodontics (making of artificial teeth, particularly artificial dentures for the old and injured), and several others, orthodontics remains a popular area of specialisation as its use and need is widespread.
Getting started MOST trained orthodontic specialists begin their careers working in a dental hospital where they would be required to handle all sorts of cases. This could be either in a general hospital, as part of the government medical corps, or with one of the services such as the railways, or the defence services. Most orthodontists who join private practice begin as an assistant or associate with an experienced private practitioner, develop the practise and become a partner after several years of experience. It is also advisable to gain some experience in a hospital or as the assistant of an experienced dentist before venturing out on one’s own. There are also excellent employment opportunities for orthodontic specialists in the teaching departments of dental colleges. Often this involves working in hospitals for practical experience, too. The job growth for orthodontists is expected to grow faster as there are many more who can afford the treatment today than ever before. So, if you are thinking of a medical career, here is one that does not require the long arduous years of study that MD/MS does, will not call you out for duty in the middle of the night, is more glamorous than most other medical fields, and can help keep people smiling! (The writer is a career expert)
Course of action
EDWARD Angle was the first orthodontist — the first dentist to limit his practice to orthodontics only. He is considered the Father of Modern Orthodontics. Here are some postgraduate institutions offering orthodontics:
n Armed Forces Medical College, Pune
Toolbox
ANY field of dentistry is hard work and requires advanced scientific and clinical knowledge as much as craftsmanship and skill. It also involves long hours on one’s feet, often dealing with fussy, frightened or exacting patients. So, those who get into this profession need to have great reserves of patience and stamina and the power of concentration, as for all medical professions. In addition, orthodontists need good psychomotor skills, an understanding of orthodontic procedures and ethics and of the specialised orthodontic equipment they will use.
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Up, close & personal with
Q. I am a BA second year student. My subjects are history, social science and political science. I want to become an archaeologist. What do I have to do and how can I manage to get a job in this field?
— Garima Soparkar
A. Most archaeologists work in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its exploration, excavation, epigraphy, pre-history and museum branches (for these jobs, the ASI diploma is a must). Headquartered in Delhi, ASI is involved in the exploration, excavation, conservation, and maintenance of 3,600 centrally protected sites and monuments in India. It is also involved in epigraphic research and chemical preservation of antiquarian remains and the organisation and maintenance of site museums. ASI also publishes site guides, brochures, catalogues, excavation reports, and picture postcards. With divisions in every state, ASI employs a large network of professionals both in the state archaeological departments as well as in the centre. Recruitment is through exams conducted by the UPSC and State Public Service Commissions. The pay scales are as per state/central government scales. A PhD in archaeology is necessary for the higher posts of superintendent of archaeology or senior archaeologist. The ASI also employs those specialising in classical, ancient or medieval languages. Archaeologists also work in the ministry of external affairs in the historical department in the Central Board of Film Censors, Films Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Defence Services, All India Handicrafts Board, ministry of education and with the departments of tourism, ICCR, ICHR, INTACH, National Archives of India. All said and done, a major chunk of openings are to be found in the government. Besides government organisations, there are various other heritage bodies like INTACH and some foreign universities and foundations that are involved in urban conservation or excavations in India that provide employment to archaeologists. Archaeologists can also seek funds to go abroad to join or conduct excavations in their sphere of
specialisation. They can also work as experts or consultants on media-related projects like films or documentaries on archaeological sites and cultures. Private collectors and museums may also require their services. At the postgraduate level, archaeology is offered at more than 25 universities across the country. In the north you can look at the following: n
Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India (GoI), Red Fort Complex, Delhi Course: PG Diploma in Archaeology (2-yrs) Eligibility: Master's degree (ancient / medieval Indian history) / (archaeology / anthropology / Indian classical language / geology with knowledge of Pleistocene age; 55%). Stipend is paid to unemployed students for the period of two years. n
The Delhi Institute of Heritage Research & Management, 18 A, Satsang Vihar Marg, Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi-110067. (affiliated to GGSIPU) Course: Masters in archaeology & heritage management (two years) Eligibility: Bachelors degree (humanities / science) Selection: Entrance test Website: www.dihrm.org n
Barkatullah Vishwavidhyalaya, Bhopal (MP) n
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (UP)an Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (Haryana)
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Helping the hapless, professionally
Q. Due to my interest in social work, I want to work with an NGO. What course I should opt to study? How can I join special groups that work for people affected by natural calamities?
— Lashkar Vaid
A. The best way to become a professional social worker is to pursue a master’s in social work (MSW) degree from a reputed university. The two-year MSW programme combines theory, practice and community service to prepare aspiring social workers like you to work with individuals, families, groups or communities in a variety of human service settings besides instilling a commitment towards address social problems. This inter-disciplinary programme prepares students to actualise the concept of social caring, to demonstrate belief in the intrinsic value of all humankind and to act with conviction in advancing the principles of social justice and development. The course will equip you with the professional foundations to work effectively and competitively in this field. You will gain an understanding of the practice of social work as well as agency and organisational dynamics, policy development, and their impact on clients and workers. While disaster management is taught as part of the course, you could opt for a short-term certificate course in disaster management (six-month) from IGNOU (www.ignou.ac.in) or Nalanda Open University (www.nalandaopenuniversity.com) or U P Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad
(www.uprtou.org.in)
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Career Hotline
Q. I’m in my final year of political science (honours). What are the future prospects after doing MA (with specialisation in international relations) from Jawaharlal Nehru University?
— Vineeta Johar
A. After doing your masters from JNU’s prestigious School of International Studies, you will have the following options: n
You could either opt for teaching political science or international relations at the college or university level (upon qualifying the National Eligibility Test (NET), conducted by the UGC for central/state universities or the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) for state universities). n
The Civil Services in general, and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in particular, is another popular option for students of ‘Pol Science’, as the subject is popularly called. The general studies paper requires considerable knowledge of Indian polity and current affairs. n
If you have a flair for writing, you can also become a political analyst for a newspaper, news-related website or TV. n
In Delhi, you can take up research jobs in organisations such as: - Institute for Defence Studies & Analysis (IDSA), Old JNU Campus, New Mehrauli Road, Delhi - Centre for Policy Research (CPR), Dharma Marg, Chanakyapuri, Delhi - Research & Information Systems for Non-aligned Countries, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, Delhi - Indian Council of World Affairs, Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution (IPCR), India International Centre, Max Mueller Marg, Delhi - Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, Teen Murti House, Delhi
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PCBM in class XII Tough but doable
A. Yes science does get considerably tougher in Class XI & XII. But so what? Many students opt for it! Opting for PCBM is an excellent idea – provided you can manage it. Many of the research fields in biological sciences require math at the higher level, so do fields like biomedical engineering and bioinformatics. Moreover, life is tough. And tough people get going when things get tough, right? So take it as a challenge. Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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Consider this: You have some important commitments to honour and the overall success of your department largely depends on you meeting these commitments. Suppose you run into some serious trouble and are not in a position to deliver, what will you do? If you don’t ask for help, you will be responsible for your department’s fall. But if you do not hesitate to seek help from a competent colleague and set things right within the stipulated time, you will be on sound footing and meet deadlines. Himanshu Chopra, sales manager in an insurance company, says he does not hesitate to ask his colleagues for help when he has to meet the deadlines and there is too much pressure of work. He comfortably tides over the situation, meets the deadline comfortably and when others need help, he readily extends cooperation. This give-and-take works well for Himanshu and his colleagues and keeps his seniors satisfied and happy. Vikas Sachdeva, an executive in the marketing division of a MNC, lives by “cooperation gets cooperation”. He says this give-and-take policy is the best in achieving desired results and meeting deadlines. “Owing to increasing complexities and changes in the corporate world, the reign of the lone authority is over. Work cultures have changed and it is more about teaming and teamwork. Organisations recognise that their success depends on the combined effort of the entire workforce. Corporate goals are now far more hard and tedious than what an individual is capable of achieving all by himself,” he says. It is indeed a must for people to come together and combine their talents and skills in order to achieve all those tall goals and lead the organization on to the success path. Isn’t it right time you shed your inhibitions, hesitations and fears about seeking help? In fact by asking help you can quickly correct your mistakes and attain professional maturity. Don’t worry that you will be labelled incompetent or inefficient if you seek help. It is perfectly human to be imperfect. After all, no one of us is the master of everything. More importantly, seeking help signals that you care for your work and want to make it a success. People will respect you for your commitment to bring success. When in trouble, learn to be honest. Change your thinking — be positive minded. Let not your false pride stand in your way and spoil your chances of success. Seek help and extend help without any hesitation. Promote a work culture that stands firmly on foundations of cooperation and trust. When you empower your teams to become forces of mutual aid and synergy you invariably stand to gain. In this way, you also ensure that your career graph moves only in one direction — upward.
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NEXT time you find yourself in trouble, seek help as quickly as possible. But while doing so, keep in mind the following points:
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Explain problem clearly: The person you are seeking help from will only be able to help if he understands the problem. Explain the issue at hand and the constraints you are facing. If the problem is a result of any errors committed, never hesitate to reveal them. It is always in your best interest to rectify mistakes than to cover them up.
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Make a specific request: Beating about the bush serves no purpose. Learn to be articulate while asking for help. Your colleague will be more likely to comply with your request because a clear request elicits a better response than a vague one. n
Welcome diverse viewpoints: Welcome new ideas from all quarters. Make the best use of the diverse skillsets of your colleagues, subordinates or even superiors. It will broaden your perspective and get you closer to the solution. n
Help others, too: Cooperation is the mainspring of life. If you never help anybody, you cannot expect others to help you. Be willing to share knowledge and extend cooperation to everyone around. When the need arises, it becomes easy for you to ask as well as get help from others.
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Animate your dreams
Special mention must be made of the Indian animation industry as it is emerging as one of the most popular content markets and a global hub for outsourced projects. According to the FICCI-KPMG report, the estimated size of the Indian animation industry is around Rs 1,740 crore and is expected to reach Rs 3,900 crore by 2013 with a CAGR of 17.8 per cent. The animation industry reported an over 200 per cent increase in revenues in the past six months, as it saw a dramatic rise in content flowing in. Entertainment giants such as Walt Disney, Sony Pictures and Turner Entertainment, which make television commercials and computer games, are off-shoring content to India. Says Anuj Kacker, global head, Arena Animation, “India has a great potential of talent, the only need of the hour is to groom that talent to international standards. At this juncture, it can be said that conventional career options are slowly taking a backseat. Tremendous career opportunities are opening up in this sector,” he says. There are various professional roles that an animator and multimedia professional plays in different industry segments: n
Graphic designer: He communicates visually using typography and images to present information using multimedia tools and software to create visually attractive page layouts and designs. Photoshop, Illustrator/ Coral Draw, Indesign/ Page Maker/ Quark Express & Flash are popular software. A graphic designer would use a combination of text and graphics to design logos, brochures, newsletters, posters and signs and plays a significant role in publishing houses, television channels and corporate houses. Even apparel and jewellery designing companies need graphic artists. n
Visualiser: The expert generates ideas pertaining to required text and gives a graphical presentation using software like Photoshop, Illustrator and Coral Draw. A visualiser designs magazines, cover pages, ads and newspapers and is very important in print media. n
2D animator: This role includes character design, clean up, doping, modeling, slugging and storyboarding. The animator needs to develop his skills through life drawing, composition, and perspective courses studying proportion, line of action, structure, and basic anatomy. n
3D animator: While a 3D animator is required to do much of the 2D artist’s role, he needs to deal more extensively with modeling, texturing, and lighting in a 3-D environment, often with the use of such software tools and packages such as PhotoShop, SoftImage, Alias/Wavefront, Maya, and Max. Skills in life drawing, concept drawing, composition and character design form an integral part. n
Storyboard artist: He interprets scripts to create storyboards. In layman language, a storyboard refers to the pictorial representation of a script, as in the case of comic strips. This invloves planning shots, visualising the story and maintaining continuity among shots. Cutting, pasting, drawing, quick sketching, perspective and composition, story development and interpretation forms the main job of a storyboard artist. n
Layout artist: This job may be understood as that of laying or setting a stage for the animators to animate their characters and effects. It basically prepares the foundation by rendering backgrounds for each scene or sequence. For this, the artist needs to refer to storyboards. This is done with graphite pencils on punched animation paper and generally serves as a blueprint or underdrawing that has to be rendered in colour by background painters. Interestingly, these layouts do not appear in final production and are required for positioning characters! n
Inbetweener: He helps the animator and assistants to complete the action of a scene. Generally, most animation artists begin their career as an inbetweener. Infact, this serves as the most essetntial step in learning the basics and professional techniques of animation by taking care of transition drawings between two extreme drawings, that is, the key drawings that distill the essence of an animated action. The inbetweens fill in the action between these key drawings. n
CBT developer: Computer-based training (CBT) is a type of education wherein the learner learns by executing special training programmes on a computer. It is especially effective for training people to use computer applications as the programme can be integrated with applications so that students can practice using the application as they learn. The CBTs are often referred to as tutorials. n
Web designer: This role invloves conceptualisation, planning, modeling and execution of electronic media delivery by means of Internet, that is, designing a website or Internet site. These electronic files are stored in the web server through which it can be viewed as web pages. The designer needs to have sound technical knowledge of multimedia software tools like graphics and animation tools, color/font selection, content creation, HTML/XML authoring, interactive items through Flash, JavaScript programming, and the like. n
Special effects designer: Known as SPFX or SFX, these are used to realise scenes through use of software that cannot be achieved otherwise by live action. Special Effects artists are in great demand worldwide. A professional needs to know wide range of techniques over and above general multimedia tools. This includes, traditional theatre effects to modern computer graphics imagery (CGI), so as to creat an impressive SFX scene. n
Film editor: Film or video editing is of two types – linear and non-linear. A multimedia professional can take up the role of a film editor by training oneself with video editing tools like Avid, Final Cut Pro, Velocity and ZS4 Video Editor. n
Character designer: This individual designs or creates the character and must have a clear understanding of artistic and technical considerations for practical animation as he works on paper, screen and even sculpts real objects. n
Concept artist: He makes pictorial representations or visuals using natural media or digital drawings. The main focus is to visualise the director’s vision. n
Motion graphic artist: This artist’s role is to create things like titles for movies using a combination of text, image and computer generated content. n
Matte painter: He creates backgrounds that are inserted digitally using programmes like Photoshop or Painter. n
Compositor: This role involves assembling all components forming backgrounds, objects, live-action footage in layers and then manipulation of those layers to create the best visually impressive output. n
Texture and lighting artists: This artist adds a combination of textures and lighting effects to a plain character to give it detail, personality and life-like characteristics. They develop style, mood and setting. Remuneration in these fields will be in the range of Rs 12-20,000 for beginners and can go to Rs 50,000 and above a month depending upon experience. Sky is the limit for entrepreneurs! Once equipped with the right kind of training, an array of opportunities open up. Proper training and effective exposure is all that is needed. (The writer is technical advisor-animation, Arena Animation)
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Fortnightly Quiz-336
1. Who was the first Prime Minister of India to come back to power after completing a full five-year term in office?
C 3.Who took over as South Africa’s President recently? 4.Name the new Prime Minister of Nepal. 5.Who was recently sworn in as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya? 6.When is software giant Microsoft’s next version of operating systems, Windows 7, expected to be available to customers? 7.Which company is the world’s largest computer chip-maker? 8.Which Indian city has the country’s maximum number of diamond-cutting and polishing units? 9.Which company is the world’s largest retailer? 10. Which player of Kings XI Punjab has took hat-trick twice in this year’s IPL cricket tournament? — Tarun Sharma
Winners of quiz 335: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Dixit Jangra, class IX, Janta Public School, V& PO Rabhra, tehsil Gohana, district Sonepat, Pin Code 131301 Second: Ankush, class VII, St Carmel School, Katli, Ropar, Pin Code 140001 Third: Ratan Vir Kaur, class X-B, DAV Senior Secondary School, Mansa, Pin Code 151505 Answers to quiz 335: Article 370; Mexico; African National Congress; “Jaziya”; Lakshmi Mittal; Volkswagon; Injaz; April 22; Ramakant Achrekar; Yuvraj Singh 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. Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place to facilitate the delivery of the prize money. Answers can also be sent at
quiz@tribunemail.com
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WHO doesn’t want to look good? Think of the many film stars and how they start to look better and better with the perfect smile and jawline! Models, film stars, TV hopefuls, MBA aspirants and the boys and girls next door are always looking at ways and means to improve their looks.
With the premium given to good looks, any imperfection is unacceptable. While make-up and trick photography can help, often, more permanent solutions are required.
Q. I am in class IX and have planned to take science in class XI. I like math very much but I love science because I want to become a doctor. Does science in the upper classes get tougher? Can I opt for PCM+B in the 11th?
— Divya Panchali
ARISTOTLE rightly called man a “social animal.” From the day we are born till our death we depend on others for help from time to time be it personal or professional lives. But more often than not, we hesitate in asking for help at the workplace, confusing it as a sign of weakness, feeling shy because we do not want others to think of us as inefficient and incapable. Well, here is news for all you people out there who think this way — asking for help is, perhaps, the biggest feature of strength!
ANIMATION has moved way beyond traditional cartoons for child viewing. The entire media and entertainment industry is using animation techniques profusely in television channels, advertisements, web & Internet, live action movies besides fully animated movies, which is why animation and multimedia holds significant importance as a recession-proof, new age career option.
