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The network that works
Career Hotline
first person
Dr. Alok Saklani, Director, Apeejay School of Management
OFFICE MANTRA
prUDENT student
news board
course watch
Management tip
Happiness @ work
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The network that works
While The Social Network is creating ripples in the world of cinema and social networking has become a vital part of the lives of millions of people all over the globe, it is the more serious professional networking that is fast becoming popular among the workforce in India.
Gaining popularity
While the tone, tenor and intent of social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut remain informal and casual, the professional networking through sites like Linkedin, Apnacircle, Toostep etc entails serious business. Going by the number of professional networking sites that are on the scene and their membership figures, it is quite evident that these have opened a whole new world of opportunities for professionals, entrepreneurs and students.
"These sites provide an excellent tool to business persons to widen their contact base and stay informed about their business and industry", says Yogesh Bansal, CEO of Apnacircle.com, a major career networking site in India that was established in 2007 and has 36 million users at present. "We have members from all across India and abroad. They come from different backgrounds and have different needs and requirements in terms of business and employment. Our aim is to let these individuals reach out to a wide set of contacts to find new prospects and opportunities that suit them the best. This might include getting a job, finding a business associate or looking at business collaborations and so on. We give them connections and a common platform to network," adds Bansal whose venture has earned a profit of half a million euros last year. Linkedin, the other site popular with professionals in India, registered a 100 per cent increase in the subscriber base in India last year. A whopping 80 million plus subscribers are currently using Linkedin to stay in touch with others in their respective fields. Net CV
The presence on these networks is being seen as an important part of a person's CV as recruiters now prefer to confirm a candidate's credentials through these profiles. "In the next four to five years, most of the job boards will become outdated as recruiters will depend more on professional sites to scout for talent. One can see that the trend is gaining ground now as almost 15-20 recruiters join Apnacircle every day", says Bansal. Professional networking frees an individual from extreme dependence on his company in order to establish a professional identity. Blogs, discussion boards, interaction with different communities etc can help one in establishing a reputation which is independent of his role in one particular organisation. "You have a chance to show your various skills in a number of ways on a day-to-day basis, and this increases your chances of furthering your career goals as it is not just a half an hour interview that is going to make an impression on the recruiter. He has the means to see and judge your plus points more correctly", says Bansal. "These sites are one of the most sought after tools today - both for networking and recruitment. It has not only made our job relatively easier but has also improved the quality of hiring. We also use professional networking sites for reference checks. It is a credible way of checking the background, work experience and other details of a candidate", says Manav Bansal, a senior HR executive with a real estate company.
Big chance
Job seekers in Tier II and III cities stand to gain the most from this trend as professional networking has given them a platform to showcase their skills and competence to hirers all over the country. "In the present scenario, growing competition leads to lesser placement opportunities for us - who come from non-metro cities in case we want to settle in one of the metros. But networking sites have sorted these issues to a great extent. Now everyone, specially those from smaller cities like me, can build contacts online and keep a track of openings by keeping employers posted about ourselves along with
Small and medium enterprises can also find business associates to expand their footprint in the country by the effective use of this medium. Kunal Kishore, Director, Value 360 Communication Pvt. Ltd, a Delhi-based PR Agency, says: "Being in the PR field it was very important for us to spread our wings and reach out to non-metro cities. Today, we have associates from smaller cities like Chandigarh, Indore, Bhopal and Lucknow etc. It did not require a great deal of effort and cost to find them. The credit for this goes to some of the networking sites which nowadays have made it accessible for people like me to find business associates and opportunities online with just a click of a button and some search. Professional media sites are of great help. It did not only save my time but provided me with multiple options that helped me choose an appropriate associate." Though there are many hardcore votaries of this medium, the question remains whether these sites actually help the users or are just all smoke and no fire. One has to be very particular in selecting the contacts and in posting content on these sites as these can make or break one's career. "The effectiveness depends completely on the efficient use of these sites. A user has to have a proactive approach to move ahead", says Yogesh Bansal. "There are a host of user-friendly features that we keep on adding as per the changing needs of the users, and one has to be able to exploit the full potential of these to enjoy the full benefit of networking", he adds. The 'glocal' (global as well as local) content adds to the appeal of these portals. "Our aim is now to widen our user base and reach out to a small entrepreneur or a person looking for a job close his home", says Bansal. In spite of the ever increasing popularity of these sites, a lot of ground still needs to be covered to utilise the full potential of this medium. A vast majority of the subscribers be they individuals or companies, still don't know how to use these effectively, but surely the future is bright and professional networking is there to stay for a long time to come.
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Career Hotline
Take SAT twice
Q. I am preparing to do bachelors in economics from USA. How many times should I take the SAT? I am in Class X at present.
— Zoravar Singh
It depends on many factors. However, there are a few underlying principles at work here. You should not take the test only once unless you do amazingly well your first time. It is unlikely that you will do amazingly well on your first real SAT, as the pressure of taking the test, nervousness, and a relative lack of experience all contribute to make your first test the hardest. Even if we assume that nervousness, pressure, and your lack of experience the first time won't affect your performance, your odds are still only 1/2 or 1/3 (depending on how many times you end up taking the test) of getting your best scores on each of the three sections, in the first attempt. This means the overall odds of getting your best total score the first time are either 1/8 or 1/27 (again, depending on whether you take the test a total of two or three times). These aren't good odds, and can be further compounded by nervousness, pressure, and your lack of experience if you are taking the SAT first time. In nutshell, you almost certainly won't take the SAT only once. This wonderful situation can occur from time to time, but it's unlikely. Since you need to prepare yourself for what will probably happen, as opposed to what you hope will happen, do plan on taking the SAT at least twice.
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Technical writing
Q. I am interested in becoming a technical writer. Are there are any institutions where one can pursue a formal qualification in technical writing?
— Reema Ahluwalia
Most entrants tend to pick up the skills through on-job training. However, the knowledge of DTP tools (Pagemaker etc), development tools (RoboHelp) and web tools (HTML and XML coding is a definite advantage for an online environment. Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (www.scdl.net) offers a Certificate Course in Instructional Des (1-yr) Short-term courses in technical writing are also offered by the University of Pune, Department of Journalism, (one-month certificate), University of Cochin and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Society for Technical Communication (India Chapter) organises training and networking activities in this field. They also have a regular newsletter "Indus" which carries articles on technical communication, particularly in the Indian context. Details: www.stc-india.org. Technical writers in India have joined hands to form TWIN (Technical Writers of India), an association that provides a platform to share their experiences and exchange information. Details: www.twin-india.com The Writers Block (www.twb.in) offers several courses that incorporate face-to-face classes and online and computer-based training. Also check out the following: n TechnoPoint,
Bangalore.
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Joining police force
Q. I have given my BA second year examinations. I want to become an SSP rank police officer. What is the process for it?
— Nitin Mehrotra The Civil Services exam, which is held at various test centres across the country, comprises three stages: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam and personal interview. You have to clear all the three stages and secure a good rank at the same time to make it to this service. For the IPS you will also have to clear an additional physical test. UPSC has recently announced a change in the pattern of the Civil Services prelims exam. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the new pattern and syllabus. Eligibility: Bachelor's degree. Age: 21-30 years as on August 01, of the year in which you take the exam. For complete details, log on to www.upsc.gov.in. On the completion of training after joining the IPS, you will be appointed as an Assistant Commissioner of Police or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in a sub division comprising of three or four police stations. Each state and union territory of India has its own separate police force. After that, based on your experience and track record, you will rise to the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Inspector General of Police (IGP), Additional Director General of Police (Addl. DGP), and finally, the Director General of Police (DGP), who is the head of the police force in each state. The DGP represents the highest rung in the police hierarchy.
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A promising field
Q. Can you tell me something about the work of an agricultural economist? What are the prospects in this field?
— Mansi Singhal Besides land appraisal, crop grading, marketing and sales, an agricultural economist is involved in farm management, co-operative management, farm utilities, custom services, wholesale and retail marketing of agricultural products, priority setting for research, how much to invest, assessment of returns on investment i.e. all those activities that ensure that agricultural productivity grows as planned. Job prospects in this field are promising. There are openings in cooperatives, banking and insurance sector, private firms in the agricultural sector, foreign embassies, NGOs and other donor agencies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Indian Economic Service as also in the field of research and teaching. Although you can specialise in agricultural economics while doing your MA, Economics, separate M.Sc courses in Agri-Economics are also being offered at the following universities: Course: Master of Agri Eco & Bus Mgt Eligibilty: BA (Eco) / BCom (55%) M.Sc Agri (Eco) Course: M.Sc (Agri Mktg / Eco / Extn) Eligibility: BSc (Agri /Horti /Agri Mktg & Co-op), Sericulture /Forestry),
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Computer course for CAs
Q. I want to know about the compulsory computer course which is essential for CA. Is it necessary to get registered for this course? Please guide me.
— Anup Mahajan A. In view of the critical need for computer knowledge, ICAI has designed a computer training programme to help students develop expertise in the use of IT at a fairly advanced level. While studying for PCC you can pursue the 100-hour ITT at various regional councils and branches of the ICAI and other accredited institutions (Fee: Rs 3,500-4,000). You will also receive a set of study modules covering various topics of the programme (i.e. computer fundamentals, operating systems, MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-Power Point, MS-Office Utilities, Data Bases, Accounting package, Computer Aided Audit Techniques, Web Technology, System Security & Maintenance, Visual Basic, Digital Signature and Verification of Electronic Records) The 100-hour ITT course is covered in 20 days at present. In addition, you have to submit a project based on topics learnt during the training. On completing the course you have to clear the final exam. The three-hour online test comprises 200 objective-type questions. For further details, log onto:
www.icai.org.
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Customer is king
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is considered to be an important area of business operation nowadays. CRM is a strategy towards achieving a holistic view of any client or partner engagement. In short, CRM is a combination of marketing and business processes and is a tool for understanding customers. The main purpose of CRM is catering to the customised needs of customers “centrally”. It requires customer-centric business philosophy and culture to support effective marketing, sales and service processes. CRM can be a useful medium to enable effective customer relationship management along with the right leadership and strategy. Today, customers are more powerful than the sellers. Options for customers have increased manifold and companies are finding it difficult to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. Such factors are pushing companies to take a closer look at their customer relationships. Hence, there is a huge requirement for well-equipped and experienced CRM professionals across all sectors. According to various studies, the requirement for CRM professionals will go up by 20 per cent in the next five years in India. In an interview with Arupjyoti Gogoi, Dr. Alok Saklani, Director, Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi, talks about this emerging field of CRM and opportunities for CRM professionals. Excerpts: Q. What exactly does CRM mean in the present day context? A. CRM is basically managing customer relationships in an organised manner. It is the combination of methodologies and tools that help businesses in maintaining relationship with customers. As the number of buyers is increasing, the number of sellers is also increasing. Thus, there is stiff competition in the market. Q. Why is customer relationship management so important to an organisation? A. CRM is a very useful tool for companies to retain customers and to provide value to their needs. This system can make you identify your loyal customers and to track their buying behavior. Every customer has a different buying behavior and companies need to keep a track of their choices and preferences. Actually, acquiring a new customer is more expensive and difficult than retaining an old customer these days. Q. What are the career prospects in this field? A. CRM provides a plethora of opportunities to those having the right skill-set. Each service sector provides excellent career opportunities to CRM professionals. CRM jobs can be found without much difficulty as the demand is very high. For example, professionals can work in marketing profile, customer-care department, CRM module design and development, data analytics, loyalty programme management etc. CRM as a career choice helps students and others to gain an insight into how business processes align with customer relationship management. Q. What are the challenges in this field in India? A. As compared to developed economies, CRM is a new concept in India. Here, CRM is treated like database marketing only. The degree of trust or bonding between the sellers and the customers is very low. We are not exercising CRM properly and according to the norms. Apart from that, there is a shortage of skilled manpower and this can be a threat for this field. More institutions should provide education and training as the demand for professionals in this area is going to increase substantially in the next two to three years.
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Deft manoeuvres
Preetinder Kaur Workplace can be as explosive as a minefield no matter how comfortable one is or how employee friendly it is. The very fact that so many different personalities are put in close proximity of each other is enough to provide ammunition for fireworks. While everyone may work as a team, the fact is that everyone is concerned and bothered only about his/her own job. There is always a race to form the right impression on the bosses. How your bosses see you determines not only whether you’ll keep your job but also whether you will get a raise or a promotion. Navigating office politics, thus, is not an easy task, and avoiding potentially negative situations should be your first priority. But if you find yourself trapped in a tricky situation in spite of taking all precautions then you should know how to manoeuvre through it with minimal damage to your professional reputation and peace of mind. Here are some tips on how to get out of five of the most common workplace minefields. Caught in a slinging match
Babe in the woods
The last thing in such a scenario is to let your boss get a whiff of your predicament. So make the best of what you have. If there is time then do a thorough research on the topic. Source material from as many sources as you can so that you have some idea of doing the task correctly. If you can’t find any experts on the subject, ask a co-worker for help. But here, too, you have to be sure that your “saviour” is reliable and won’t rat you out. Most of all have confidence in yourself and give it your best shot as there is always a first time for everything.
The mess of messing up
When you make a mistake at work you may feel incompetent or not worthy of the position. But try to remember that everyone makes mistakes, especially on the job. Trying to cover up those errors will only makes things worse. When you make a mistake own it up right away. Apologise to your boss and calmly explain your position and how you will learn from it. Not only does it show maturity, it makes you look responsible, honest, and open to learning new things.
Harassment dilemma
Though blatant harassment should never be tolerated, it is the subtle and hidden hints that cause the maximum trauma as the tormentor can easily get away and even turn the whole thing on you. If you get any such signals then the best strategy is to talk calmly to the person who’s bothering you and ask him to stop the behaviour that is making you uncomfortable. But if the harassment continues, then talk to your supervisors. If they do nothing, or if the harasser is your supervisor, then it’s time to go to HR. It may be an uncomfortable situation, but it’s better than suffering day in and day out.
Scandals and back biting
It does get difficult to navigate through some situations in a workplace, but as long as you keep your cool and remain diplomatic, you should be able to sail through any uncomfortable situation with ease. The writer is Project Assistant, IIT, Ropar
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Don’t let exam stress get to you
Usha Albuquerque The month of March brings dread and anxiety to many students. It is the month of exams – and while Class X CBSE students are relatively relaxed this year, thousands of Class XII students will face the next couple of weeks with some foreboding. Any examination brings with it heightened emotions and pressure. There is a lot of pressure to procure good marks, to get into the next class, to qualify for admissions to college etc. All this causes a lot of stress and there will be few who have not experienced this type of stress. While some enjoy the pressure and perform better, many feel overwhelmed and they can’t concentrate and even go into a state of depression. For many students it is the intense competition of today’s fast-paced world that brings its share of pressure. A large number of students compete for limited seats in a limited number of good institutions. Some students are stressed because parental expectations are unrealistically high. Some others panic because of poor and inadequate preparation. However, some students are able to camouflage the symptoms of stress. But this does not mean that they don’t feel stressed. Some ‘minor’ symptoms, such as continuous headaches or stomach cramps may be early warnings of a student’s inability to cope with stress. Many endlessly compare themselves with their classmates or worry about how their family or friends will react in case they performed badly in the exams. Often parents are also as stressed as their children, and even transfer their feelings of anxiety to their children. Though examination stress is universal, no universally effective stress-reduction techniques exist. We are all different and react to different things differently. So it is important to recognise the causes of stress and deal with them accordingly. How to cope
While too much anxiety can lead to panic, examination stress can be harnessed positively. Getting ‘worked up’ about exams can actually help students to stay alert, attentive, and focused. Parents and teachers play a very vital role in helping students cope with the stress. Parents should help in creating an environment suitable for studying. Be patient and understanding, as children have a tendency to be moody and irritable under pressure. If the anxiety is more acutethen professional help should be sought. It is important for parents to not transfer their anxieties onto their children and burden them with unrealistic expectations. There are certain tips that are worth keeping in mind, in order to cope with examination stress: There will always be those who will do better, and those who will do worse than you. Keep your eyes on your larger career goal – exams are only a means to this end. So start with positive thinking, and focus on your strengths that will lead you to a successful future.
The writer is a career expert
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Calling success
Technology has opened up a host of career options for youngsters these days and telemarketing is one such field which offers good scope for job seekers as well as for those wanting to set up their own ventures. Telemarketing or Telesales is not some goofy technique or a gimmick. It involves professional use of phone for selling a product or service and is a complete process in itself.
According to Wikipedia, “Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over phone or through a subsequent face-to-face”. Telemarketing is always carried out from a company office (call centre) and an effective telemarketing process often involves two or more calls. The first call determines a customer’s need and the final call motivates him to make a purchase. Charitable organisations, alumni associations, and political parties often use telemarketing to solicit donations. Marketing research companies use telemarketing techniques to survey the prospective or past customers of a client’s business in order to assess market acceptance of or satisfaction with a particular product, service, brand, or company. Public opinion polls are also conducted in a similar manner.
Getting in
The vertical is absolutely flat structured. There are tele-callers, who report to a team leader, who is in a supervisory role. An assistant manager handles four to five team leaders, who further report to the Manager. Fresh graduates can join, with good command over local language as well as English. The resource should have good analytical mind, since at time you need to break the product of competitor also. “While hiring we usually give preference to graduate girls in the age group of 21-26 years, since they are adaptive and the clients are also more receptive to the fairer sex. Resources with good analytical skills are also given preference”, explains Mandeep. Another desirable trait is persistence, as one is expected to call the customer time and again. All major banks like HDFC, ICICI, nationalised banks and even major life insurers like Reliance Life or Bajaj Allianz have their telemarketing services available either directly through them or though their sub-dealer. Freshers have to undergo 21-day training and then demo calls are made by the trainees to judge their suitability.
Economics and work profile
“Telemarketing is a very low cost model and it works on ‘cost to income’, model. In this the cost of one work station is calculated which includes the salary of the employee, her infrastructural usage and is inclusive of the supervisory as well as the management cost”, informs Manjeet Khurana, who has worked in the tele-services department of a private bank. After the cost is calculated then the targets per product are given to the resources, since the profitability of each product is different. For tele-calling a script which is different for each product is given to the tele-callers. If the customers show inclination then the sales are either closed on the phone itself and in some cases a resource is sent to close the deal. For products which require minimum under writing viz. health insurance, motor insurance or fixed deposits, the deal is closed on phone and the conversation is recorded. The recorded conversation is as good as the proposal forms filled and then the recording is transferred on IVR Systems and then a customer can pay for his product through a debit or credit card. But for products like life insurance which are under-written quite heavily, a sales resource is sent to complete the formalities and to deal with certain queries of the client also. “Going by the thumb rule, a centre with 15 tele callers ideally should be able to churn out a business of around Rs 25-30 lakh in a month”, informs Rakesh.
Business model
In order to start tele marketing services, first of all a call centre has to be registered with TRAI. After the registeration, the hunt for data starts. “Two types of Data are used for tele-marketing processes. First is the ‘captive’ or in-house data and second type is the purchased data, which can cost from .5o paisa per data point to Rs 45 per data point”, tells Rakesh Sharma, who is working in a global tele-networking service. High cost data is normally procured from sites where the customer has made some enquires regarding the type of product he intends to buy and has left his number on the site, like bima.com is one such site from where the data can be purchased. There are different websites for different products, from where the data can be purchased. “After procuring the data, it is then uploaded on NDMC (National do not call registry), site for filtration. Then you get back your data with NDMC rejections on the numbers where you cannot call. After that the process of calling the customer starts”, says Mandeep Boparai, Centre Head, of Edelweiss Networks. Usually out of 100 data points, one gets access to only 40 persons and the hit ratio is about 1.5%. This means that out of 100 about 15 customers actually buy the services offered.
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Apeejay signs MoU with Dutch varsities
The Apeejay Institute of Design (AID), New Delhi and Apeejay Stya University (ASU), Haryana recently signed an MoU with three foreign universities. These universities include AKV| St. Joost and Avans University of Applied Sciences, Breda and Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam and University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam, the Netherlands This strategic alliance will enable the universities and the institute to design varied academic arrangements of mutual interest. It will also provide an accreditation of Bachelor and Master Courses using European standards. As per the MoU, the universities and the institute will introduce a string of new programmes and courses to inculcate knowledge about management of design processes, conceptual thinking, design methodology and technology and communication strategies, in the international context. “Indian design is still traditional. This MoU will help us to get better acquainted with Indian art and culture and to be able to develop new ways in design from the perspective of two different cultures,” said Prof Maarten Regouin, who is representing all the four institutions. The Dutch universities will contribute by advising and consulting on educational matters as well as on matters concerning quality assurance, offering workshops and student collaboration projects in New Delhi. They will also extend advice for appointment of Dean of Studies and Manager of Education and Innovation; provide course materials on new courses or study programmes to be offered by the AID/ ASU in the near future and support them to attain their ambition of accomplishing an accreditation for their undergraduate and post-graduate courses as per European standards. International scholarship
Deakin University has invited meritorious students to apply for scholarships of up to A$ 8,000 per year through an international scholarships programme. The scholarships are offered as a tuition-fee reduction per year based on an annual full-time-enrolment of 8 credit points/ units. Scholarships are available for undergraduate and postgraduate courses commencing in 2011 in trisemesters 1, 2 or 3 for the students opting to enroll in courses at: Applications will only be accepted from international students who are eligible study in Australia and have a student ‘s visa. The last date to apply for the scholarship is March 1, 2011.
IndiaCan to train 5 lakh students
Vocational training institute India Can will train five lakh students over the next five years. “We have set a target to train five lakh youth in the country to meet the industry requirement over the next five years. The training imparted by us will help them in obtaining entry-level jobs in the industry”, said Srintah Venkatesh, Head of IndiaCan Education’s vocation business. Venkatesh said IndiaCan has 80 training centres spread across the country. “By the end of this financial year, the number of these training centres will be 100 and by the end of this calendar year, we expect to have over 300 training centres across the country”, Venkatesh said. Some of these centres will be owned by IndiaCan, but most of these will be franchisees of the company. The company also announced its WorkFirst initiative, which will give international-level certification for vocational skills in India. This certification aims to help students get entry-level jobs. Certification under this programme will be provided by UK-based Edexcel. The company simultaneously announced the launch of two short-term courses on sales and retail training. “The duration of these courses will be two months. The course curriculum has been designed on the basis of the industry requirement”, Venkatesh said. — PTI
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Make-up artistry course
Make-up Studio Training Center (MSTC), which is the training arm of world-renowned brand of professional make-up products and accessories Make-Up Studio, has launched India’s first diploma course in make-up artistry — Diploma in Comprehensive Make-Up Artistry (CMA). This course is accredited by ANBOS (a European certification body based in the Netherlands). After the successful completion of the CMA diploma, one can have a flourishing career as a make-up artist in film, television, fashion or professional beauty industry. Students can also have a rewarding career as consultants with cosmetic companies, or work as freelance make-up artists or open their own bridal studios or salons. Students can expect to kick start their career with approximately Rs 15,000 – 20,000 salary after finishing the course. The course duration is 216 clock hours (approximately 40 days) and the programme is divided into three levels. Candidates with Plus II are eligible to get admission to the course and previous industry experience is not a pre-requisite. The deadline for submission of forms is March 1, 2011. Application forms can be downloaded from MSTC’s website www.makeupstudio.in.
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Management tip
There are countless distractions, threats, and roadblocks to getting work done. Good bosses take pride in shielding their people from these annoyances. Here are three ways you can help your employees focus on what matters:
n Show up on time. One of the biggest detractors from work is wasted time. This might be the time that your people spend waiting for you to show up at meetings or to give directions. Being important doesn’t give you the licence to impede productivity. n Stop the intrusions. Set aside time when your employees can think and work, and not be expected to respond right away to voicemail and email. n Let them have good fights. Don’t avoid conflict. Make your people feel safe enough to speak their minds, even to you, so that they have productive and creative disagreements. — Adapted from The Boss as Human Shield by Robert I. Sutton.
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Happiness @ work
After graduating from Calcutta University, Subhas Chandra Bose went to England to appear for the Indian Civil Service examination in which he came fourth. But he said no to a cushy job as he didn’t want to be part of the British bureaucratic machinery. Mirza Ghalib refused to become a teacher of Persian in a government college as he felt it would lead to reduction in his honour. The beautiful Ratna didn’t accede to the advances of her husband Tulsidas who traversed many a mile to reach his in-laws’ place. On being spurned thus, Tulsidas renounced the world and immersed himself into telling the story of Rama to the masses. The Ramacharitmanas was the result of this endeavour. Even while his mother, courtiers and even elder brother Rama said so, Bharat refused to be crowned King of Ayodhya. This act brought him undying fame. Witnessing the tussle between King Indradyumna of Utkal and the Savara chieftain Vishvavasu over an idol of Nilmadhav, Lord Vishnu decided that he, the lord of all, would not become the possession of one. The idol of Nilmadhav disappeared in a sandstorm. Indradyumna and Vishvavasu were later instrumental in setting up the three world-famous idols of siblings Krishna, Balrama and Subhadra at Jagannath Puri. Even while Rama knew there could be no golden deer, he couldn’t say no to Sita’s request. Lakshman, who initially didn’t budge from his guard, also couldn’t say no to Sita’s entreaty to go to the aid of Rama. A simple no would have saved so much trouble. Even while Tansen knew it was life-threatening to perform the Deepak raag, he couldn’t refuse Emperor Akbar. Only after the Emperor fed the poor for 11 days, the singer who suffered high fever for a month made a recovery. In 1939, Albert Einstein’s colleagues asked him to write to US President Roosevelt to speed up the nuclear programme. He couldn’t say no. After the August 6 and August 9, 1945 atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively, the eminent scientist termed his letter as the biggest mistake of his life. Unleash the power of no-ledge for your good.
— Sai R. Vaidyanathan The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com
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Professional
networking sites have given a platform to job seekers and head hunters to get
the right break
Popular sites
The writer is a noted career expert and director, Career Guidance India (CARING). Please send in your queries with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: The Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers
@tribunemail.com 
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is considered to be an important area of business operation nowadays. CRM is a strategy towards achieving a holistic view of any client or partner engagement. In short, CRM is a combination of marketing and business processes and is a tool for understanding customers. The main purpose of CRM is catering to the customised needs of customers “centrally”. It requires customer-centric business philosophy and culture to support effective marketing, sales and service processes.
Workplace can be as explosive as a minefield no matter how comfortable one is or how employee friendly it is. The very fact that so many different personalities are put in close proximity of each other is enough to provide ammunition for fireworks. While everyone may work as a team, the fact is that everyone is concerned and bothered only about his/her own job. There is always a race to form the right impression on the bosses. How your bosses see you determines not only whether you’ll keep your job but also whether you will get a raise or a promotion. Navigating office politics, thus, is not an easy task, and avoiding potentially negative situations should be your first priority.
The month of March brings dread and anxiety to many students. It is the month of exams – and while Class X CBSE students are relatively relaxed this year, thousands of Class XII students will face the next couple of weeks with some foreboding. Any examination brings with it heightened emotions and pressure. There is a lot of pressure to procure good marks, to get into the next class, to qualify for admissions to college etc. All this causes a lot of stress and there will be few who have not experienced this type of stress. While some enjoy the pressure and perform better, many feel overwhelmed and they can’t concentrate and even go into a state of depression.
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A. You can take the SAT at least twice.
A. Very few universities in India offer education in technical writing, and online courses can be very expensive. On the Internet you can access mailing lists like TECHWR-L, TechComm, and TWIN that are akin to daily online seminars for Indian writers. There are very few journals or books available for technical writers to hone their skills. It is not mandatory to have a technical background to enter this profession. Though there is better scope for science graduates. Many professionals from the fields of journalism, English and even advertising move to technical writing.
The TWB Fundamental Certification programme
The TWB Online course in Technical Writing (Distance).
Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore
Technowrites Pvt Ltd, Pune
S A international, Ltd, Chennai
TASC consulting Pvt Ltd, Mumbai
Technical Writers of India, Mumbai
A. To become an IPS officer, you need to take the competitive Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
A. Achieving food security has been the overriding goal of our agricultural policy. To achieve this goal, we need not only agricultural scientists but also agricultural economists who can apply the principles of economics to ensure greater productivity in agriculture. The growth in this sector being a result of greater liberalisation and investment, the demand for agricultural economists is on the rise.
Allahabad Agricultural Institute, Allahabad (UP) (www.aaidu.org)
M.Sc Agri Eco (Farm Mgt/ Agri Mktg)
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (UP) www.amu.nic.in
Tamil Nadu Agricutural University, Coimbatore (TN) (www.tnau.ac.in)
University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore (kar) www.uasbng.kar.nic.in
Whether a co-worker is ranting at you about his boss or you get caught right in the middle of a shouting match, the best thing to do is keep your mouth shut. Taking sides in a situation like this can only lead to trouble. If a co-worker is just taking out his frustration, be cautiously empathetic. You never know who is going to be promoted next, and you won’t want to be on the wrong side of your new boss. Similarly, if an argument is raging around you, resist the temptation to join in. Always remember that nobody is absolutely right or wrong in such verbal duels and no one wins in office inter-personal battles.
With the incredible stress levels in some workplaces, emotions can easily run high. Words fly and sometimes we say things we don’t mean. But a tense situation doesn’t need to escalate into an all-out war. When you feel insulted, don’t get upset! Calmly approach the person who is trash talking you and ask them politely to talk through the problem. If they refuse, then explain that trash talking is a form of workplace harassment, and that you’ll have to approach HR if the situation doesn’t improve. Be as diplomatic as possible — there’s no need to upset your co-worker more.
Be prepared, is the best axiom. Preparations for examinations should begin early. Maintain a study schedule and stick to it. Set a realistic number of hours for revision each week. Work through each of the topics in the period up to the exam, leaving a few weeks for final revision. 
Maintain a positive attitude towards exams. 
Be realistic about your capabilities and expectations. 
It is important to complete the revision well in advance so that the immediate hours or day before an exam can be kept purely for last-minute revision. 
Get adequate sleep. 
Eat sensibly and at regular hours and make sure that you get sufficient relaxation – take a break every couple of hours. Taking a walk, running or playing a sport will help you return to studies more refreshed.
After the exam is over, it’s tempting to think about all the answers you gave and if they were good enough. But this will only stress you further. Try to forget about the last exam, and focus on the next one, instead.
Keep things in perspective. Exams aren’t everything and there is no need to be scared of these. Exams are an inevitable part of life and board exams are just the first of many you may need to face on your road to success. 
Deakin’s Warrnambool Campus (A$ 8000 per year),
Deakin’s Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds or Geelong Waterfront Campus (A$ 5000 per year)
Deakin’s Melbourne Campus at Burwood (A$ 3000)
While it is good to be receptive, it may not work at all times. Learn to say no to avoid getting into sticky situations.