Couture and communication
Meha Jayaswal

The field of fashion and public relations is a heady mix of glamour and glitz. With increasing number of fashion weeks and international brands entering India, this field offers exciting career options to youngsters wanting to get a taste of the glamour world and with an aptitude for fashion combined with specialised knowledge of communicating through different media.

Image and credibility are the main factors that drive the business of fashion, worldwide. Fashion brands have now recognised the link between good public relations and successful organisations. So these brands are relying increasingly on PR specialists for advice on strategy, policy of their communications etc. Thus, PR specialists now perform multiple roles in organisational functions such as media, community, consumers, industry, and governmental relations; political campaigns; interest-group representation; conflict mediation; and employee and investor relations.

ROLE

The conventional ways of looking at PR are passé'. PR as a profession is no longer limited to drafting press releases, organising press conferences and smooth talk. It strategically uses events, celebrities, media and occasions — in various permutations, combinations and proportions — as tools to build brand image.

An effective PR specialist must understand the attitudes and concerns of key publics of a brand (community, consumer, employee, public interest groups) to establish and maintain cooperative relationship between them and representatives from media. Many radio or television special reports, newspaper stories, and magazine articles are initiated at the desks of PR specialists. However, the consumers today are more intelligent, exposed and analytical than ever and that has made them more skeptical of advertising campaigns, celebrity endorsements etc. Thus, excessive dependence of PR on media arouses suspicion among various publics. The basic job of PR person in the field of fashion and lifestyle is to find creative ways to keep a company's brand name in the public eye. With media relations being a key aspect of fashion PR, a strong professional relationship of 'trust' with media professionals is pertinent.

SKILLS REQUIRED

Fashion PR specialists have to address communication requirements through a well thought-out strategy. They have to build the reputation of a brand. To manage this role, one must possess:

l Excellent communication skills - spoken and written

l  An ability to interact with a wide range of people both within and outside the organisation

l  Subject knowledge

l  Good listening skills with a high degree of patience

Competition is intense - there are more candidates than the job positions available. The ability to maintain composure during times of high stress, thus, will go a long way for a candidate venturing in this field.

ELIGIBILITY and courses

Minimum qualification required for admission into an undergraduate degree course in product design is Plus II or its equivalent from any recognised board. Most of the institutes running these courses conduct an entrance test.

Duration of courses in Fashion and Lifestyle PR is one year in most institutes and these can be pursued at the undergraduate as well as post-graduate level.

A degree in PR with specialisation in fashion or journalism will give an edge to a person wanting to enter this field. An internship in a fashion publication or a media house is essential to get experience of dealing with media and get a hang of the intricacies of the field.

Scope

It is an exciting and ever evolving profession with new challenges each day. It provides an opportunity to mix and interact with a wide variety of professionals in the fields of fashion and media.

There is a plethora of opportunities lying ahead for students in fashion and lifestyle PR sector, globally as well as in India. With international fashion brands coming to India, the fashion industry is growing fast with increasing number of designers and lifestyle brands.

At the initial stage a fashion PR aspirant can work in fashion and lifestyle divisions of PR agencies. But after a certain period of exposure in this line, they can get good opportunities in fashion houses and several lucrative entrepreneurial (freelancing) opportunities to work for fashion designers, models and film stars. The money is good in this field if one makes the right moves and gets good breaks.

With all its perks and growth opportunities, fashion PR is surely a dream job but it is not a cakewalk. The work involves hard work and erratic timings and frequent brush with crisis. So if you wish to be part of Paris or Milan fashion week's then stay focused and work hard.

The writer is Programme Leader, Fashion and Lifestyle PR, Pearl Academy of Fashion.

Career Hotline
The right aim
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I will be completing my BSc (Maths) this year. Besides a master's in mathematics, can you please tell me if there is any short-term course I could pursue so that I can pursue my postgraduate studies in maths preferably in the US from a good university?

— Nitish Rath

A. The Mathematical Sciences Foundation, Delhi (www.mathscifound.org) offers a Graduate Studies Programme in Mathematics (1-year).

Under this programme, you will be first admitted to MSF where you will undergo one year of rigorous training. After successfully completing this year, you will study at the University of Houston's Department of Mathematics or the Department of Physics or the Department of Computer Science from the second year onwards.

Admission to Houston is assured with Full Teaching Assistantships (including tuition fee waiver).

The University of Houston has waived the TOEFL and Subject GRE requirements for students of MSF. You only need to clear the General GRE with a minimum score of 1100 on the Verbal and Mathematical sections.

Tuition fees for this year: Rs 40,000 + service tax. However, generous financial aid is available for the year of study with MSF on a merit cum means basis.

The eighth batch is presently undergoing instruction. 45 students are studying or have completed their study at the University of Houston.

Eligibility: B.A./B.Sc. in Maths/Physics/Computer Science or similar backgrounds.

Admission is on the basis of a test followed by an interview. The test requires a background of basic mathematics.

Luckily for you, admissions for the next session (2011-12) are open. For information on dates, please e-mail: courses.msf@gmail.com 

Can appear for medical entrance

Q. I have done my Class XII with physics, chemistry and biotechnology. Please tell me if I can sit for the AIPMT exam?

— Harleen Giri

A. Yes, students who have opted for biotechnology as an elective subject in place of biology at the Plus II level are now eligible to appear in the All India Pre-Medical Test (AIPMT) for 15 per cent merit positions in government medical colleges in India.

This information was given by the Minister of State for HRD, Dr. D. Purandeswari in the Lok Sabha.

IGNOU courses

Q. Could you please tell me something about the master's programme in education offered by IGNOU?

— Bina Gidwani

A. IGNOU's Master of Arts (Education) Programme is an innovative programme that provides a wide and comprehensive understanding of education covering a variety of areas ranging from understanding the concept of education to understanding how knowledge is generated in education.

The course will help you acquire a higher level of specialisation in a specific aspect of education: Higher Education, Distance Education, Educational Technology and Educational Management.

The objective of the programme is to produce of trained professionals who are knowledgeable in education and its various dimensions. More specifically, it intends to:

l promote understanding and appreciation of knowledge structures and paradigms of education;

l develop professionals for effective participation in different areas of education;

l create a community of scholars adequately equipped to participate in educational discourse.

You must cover 34 credits each year out of the total 68 credits. Dissertation work in year-two carries 10 credits.

Eligibility: A bachelor's degree (any discipline) with/without a degree in Education.

Duration: You can complete the programme in a minimum of two years and in a maximum of five years.

Medium of instruction: English

Fee: Rs 10,000 for the entire programme (in one instalment).

The multi-media instructional mode combines self-instructional print material, audio/video components, assignments, counselling sessions, teleconferencing, interactive radio counselling and dissertation work.

IGNOU's School of Education also offers courses in following four disciplines:

Ph.D. in Education, MA in Distance Education, Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)

PG Diploma in Distance Education, PG Diploma in Higher Education, PG Certificate in Professional Development of Teachers, PG Diploma in School Leadership & Management, Diploma in Primary Education, Certificate in Primary Education, Certificate in Elementary Teacher Education.

The following academic programmes are under development:

M.Phil. in Education, PG Diploma in Educational Technology, and PG Diploma in Educational Management & Administration

Details: www.ignou.ac.in. 

Not a mathematical skill

Q. I am in second year of college and am very keen to join the advertising industry. But I am not very good at maths. Can I still become an Account Executive?

— Shaina Malhotra

A. The client servicing department in a typical ad agency is manned (and womaned) by several Account Executives (AEs), working under an Account Planner Upon receiving a detailed brief from the client, the Account Executive (not to be confused with "accounting") In ad parlance, each client is called an "account") works out a strategy based on the brand's positioning, its USP (unique selling proposition) and its communication objective. This done, the creative and media department are briefed and after considerable brainstorming, a creative strategy is hammered out.

Account Executives innovate and coordinate advertising campaigns. They usually work as part of a team. Their job includes collecting information about the client like the product and the company details, budgeting and the marketing goals. They then have to brief the same to the creative team, media planners and the researchers. It is their job to supervise and coordinate the work of the various production departments so that the campaign proceeds according to the plan. Throughout the project the AE works closely with the client, assisting them with marketing strategies. Personality traits like creative ability, imagination, good communication skills, organisational skills, ability to work under pressure and analytical skills are valuable assets to stay ahead in the highly competitive ad industry.

Preference is given to those with a formal management or advertising qualification at the entry level in the agency's Client Servicing Department.

Go for MBBS

Q. I am in Plus II (medical stream) at present. I want to know whether pursuing an MBBS degree followed by MS and DM would be better or a career in biotech. I am quite confident of my selection in MBBS but I am confused between MBBS and Biotech. I have scored 93% in Class X with 96% marks in science.

— Anisha Goel

A. If you are confident about getting into an MBBS programme, I suggest you go ahead and do so. The biotech / genetic engineering option will remain open even subsequently.

Incidentally, there is also a field called medical biotechnology which is concerned with production and cost-effectiveness of molecular medicine, genomics, gene therapy, stem cell research etc among others. Do 'Google' the term to read up more about it.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Flexi solutions
Geetanjali Atri

If you are tired of working graveyard shifts and think you could perform better during the day, fret not as your company may soon lend an ear to your grievances, following in the footsteps of their competitors.

Four-fifth of the companies in India and 81 per cent of firms globally offer their staff flexible working conditions, related to office hours or location, says a recent study by Regus, a workplace solutions provider.

To contain costs and boost profitability, companies are increasingly following flexible working patterns that give top priority to an employee’s choice of shift timings as well as the place of work.

“Sixty per cent of the businesses globally believe that flexible working practices, whether related to office hours or location, are more cost efficient than fixed office working. This has added to the evident carbon reduction benefits resulting from reduced commuting distances,” says the study.

With technology easing out the barriers of time, speed and distance, companies in India are also allowing their employees to work from home.

“We have fixed office hours but on certain occasions, we do allow our employees to guide the work from home over a telecon. This is to ensure employee welfare as well as support to the office projects,” asserts Raj Sharma, HR Head at Era Group.

Flexible working patterns are also recognised as effective in motivating and rewarding family-oriented employees. Seventy per cent of firms globally consider flexible working to be more family friendly.

“Four out of 10 businesses believe that flexible working improves employee productivity (41 per cent) and a third believe that motivation also increases when flexi-working is allowed,” points the study.

“Higher the comfort levels, better the results and also fewer the chances of errors. If an employee is given a choice in the hours and place of his working his stress and frustration level goes down tremendously.

“Plus, his engagement level would be highly different,” points out Samir Parikh, consultant psychiatrist with Max Healthcare, who also deals with corporate clients during counselling and life-skills training workshops.

Particularly of interest to emerging economies, the study points out that over one fifth of businesses globally (21 per cent) believe that flexible working practices are an asset to them in periods of sudden growth as they allow rapid scalability.

Flexible working also results in reduced overheads and office staff achieving an improved work-life balance.

“That flexible work has become the norm is good news all round. Over 17,000 business respondents were interviewed across 80 countries during February 2011. Respondents of over 1 million business-people worldwide are highly representative of senior managers and owners in businesses across the globe,” says Madhusudan Thakur, Country Head of Regus.

As many as 59 per cent of firms in India say they believe that flexible working costs less than fixed office working. “Flexible working can not be applied to all the departments of the company. As in production or client servicing it is very difficult to opt for it but when opted for other departments like sales and other field jobs it contributes in cutting down the cost to the company,” says Pradeep Gopte, Vice President, HR at a Delhi-based PR firm.

Over eight out of 10 businesses offering flexible working report that their staff has a significantly better work-life balance, improving satisfaction and motivation; almost four in 10 believe that it improves staff productivity, and three in 10 say that it helps them scale rapidly to cope with rapid growth.

At the same time, the survey also finds that trust remains a major hurdle for many companies offering flexible working. 57 per cent of Indian businesses only offer this privilege to senior staff.

“It is recognised that a major obstacle to greater economic growth in India is problems with the transport infrastructure and the fact that India’s entrepreneurs and employees waste hours each day in traffic. It is disappointing to still see some companies letting lack of trust hold them back from flexible working for all employees,” adds Thakur. — PTI

Don’t miss the train
With the needs of transporting a nation of I.2 billion people accelerating each year, the Indian Railways is constantly modernising and will need personnel in different branches, writes Usha Albuquerque

The Indian Railways covers the entire country and is the second largest rail system in the world and the largest in Asia. It transports around 6,219 million passengers and 500 million tonnes of freight through a vast network of 7,000 stations every year. Not surprising then that the Railways is one of the largest employers in the world, providing opportunities for a range of professionals from the administrative and financial spheres to engineering, medical, teaching and computers. The Indian Railway Services cover the various functions of this vast enterprise, categorised into two broad areas — Technical and Non-technical Services.

The Non-Technical Services handle transportation and commercial matters, the accounting and finance section of the Railways, the personnel and the security of railway property. These include:

l Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) looks after transportation and commercial matters of the Railways. There are two functional divisions, the commercial division which includes ticket issuing, checking, railway administration and management, etc. and the operations division which controls the movement of trains.

l Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) handles the accounting and finance section of the railways.

l Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) handles all personnel matters including recruitment, promotions, training and staff welfare.

l Railway Protection Service / Railway Protection Force (RPF) is responsible for the security of railway property such as tracks, personnel and equipment etc.

The Technical Services include engineers who look after the installation, and maintenance of diesel locomotives, rolling stock of railway wagons and goods carriages, as also construction and planning of railway tracks, bridges and buildings. These are:

l Indian Railway Service of Engineers (Civil)

l Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers

l Indian Railway Service of Signal and Telecommunication Engineers

l Indian Railway Service of

Mechanical Engineers

In addition there is the Indian Railway Stores Service and the Indian Railway Medical Service. The Railways appoint MBBS as well as specialist doctors in the various railway hospitals and dispensaries all over the country. These doctors are also often called on duty in the trains.

Getting In

You can join the Railways services through the Combined Civil Services Examination of the UPSC held as part of the Indian Civil Service conducted for recruitment to the non-technical posts. Candidates need to have graduation degree in any discipline from a recognised university, and should be aged between 21 and 30 years to appear for this exam.

To apply for the technical services, candidates must possess an engineering degree or its equivalent to qualify in the Combined Engineering Services Examination. This examination is held in early July each year. Other conditions remain the same as for the Indian Civil Services examination.

For recruitment to the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, there is a dual method. Approximately, 50 per cent of the candidates are recruited through the Combined Engineering Services Examination. The remaining 50 per cent are recruited as Special Class Railway Apprentices for which the UPSC conducts a separate competitive examination every year. These candidates in the age group of 17-21 years are selected at the pre-graduate level (Plus II with physics or chemistry and maths) and have to undergo practical and theoretical training imparted by the Railways at the Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, Jamalpur. Those entering this service constitute the top rung of the mechanical wing of the Indian Railways.

One must qualify the Combined Medical Services Examination to enter the Indian Railway Medical Service. The eligibility for entering this service is an MBBS degree, and the upper age limit for the candidates is 30 years.

Railway Recruitment Boards located at different parts of the country also recruit individuals for various positions such as Ticket Collectors, Asst. Station Masters, and Goods Guards etc. Apart from these positions RRBs also recruit teachers, physical instructors, doctors in various departments, nurses and paramedical personnel through countrywide written tests. Recruitment to the railway services, as with all government posts, is open to both male and female candidates.

Training

A career in the Railways begins with some years of probationary training. The IRTS go through three years of training at Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration in Mussourie, zonal training centres and incorporates on-the-job training. Indian Railway Accounts Service officers begin their careers with two years of training at Railway Staff College, Vadodara and National Institute of Financial Management. Similarly, those selected for other services also undergo probationary training as required for each area of work.

The training of new recruits for the Railway Engineering Services is conducted at five centralised training institutes, including the Railway Staff College, Baroda and at the Indian Railway Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Jamalpur and Indian Railway Institute of Civil Engineering (IRICEN), Pune.

Work profile and pay

The range of operations of the Indian Railways is quite diverse and wide. The Indian Railway network now comprises of 16 Zones, each headed by a General Manager. Although, initially, an officer is allocated a specific zone, later on it is a transferable job and one may be posted at any of the 16 zones of the Railways.

As with the other government services, the Railways offer a secure and meaningful career. All the services of the Railways are at par and prospects for promotion are equally good in both the technical and non-technical cadres.

All salary grades for officers of the railways are fixed by the Government of India and follow the pattern of the other civil services. In addition, the personnel are entitled to benefits and facilities such as health care, educational facilities for children, housing facilities, pension, free railway passes and so on.

As in other government jobs, you need to have a good sense of responsibility, an ability to interact and work with all kinds of people, adaptability, discipline, willingness to work according to government hierarchy, and to spend long periods away from home.

With the needs of transporting a nation of I.2 billion people accelerating, Indian Railways is constantly modernising, new routes are being added, high-speed coaches and modern bogies are being brought, new lines are being electrified and operating systems are being computerised. Thus, it will continue to need dedicated people with skills to meet the future challenges. So if you are looking for a career on the move, in more ways than one, hitch your future onto the railway bandwagon.

The writer is a career expert

The intuitive quotient

Ever got a hunch but can't put your finger on why you feel the way you do? Perhaps it's the way a co-worker reacts to your proposal, or a strange feeling that your boss isn't happy with your performance. Not everything can be worked out with a pro and con list. Much of working with people is following your intuition.

And not only do our bodies have a powerful language all of their own, they've got quite a lot to say about what we should do in certain situations. Why not use this to your advantage in your professional career? Check out these intuitive formula-related examples of times when your stomach might sour or your body may get tensed up and learn how to uncover your natural intuitive abilities just by listening to your body's physical cues.

Career Change

Point blank, career change is scary. Chances are, if the sheer amount of "what ifs" haven't left your brain feeling completely noodle-like, your body is most probably screaming many conflicting thoughts, feelings and emotions due to its inability choose a resolution.

The solution

Simplify: Researchers suggest concentrating your thoughts on a single question. Just by concentrating your feelings on a question like, "What do I need right now?" or "What outcome feels best at this time?" you can listen to your body's feedback and get the intuitive information you need to make the decision that's right for you and your career.

In-Office Gossip

Who's dating whom? Whose promotion wasn't deserved? Who's tiptoeing out of the office a little too early each day? You don't have to overhear water cooler chatter to know you're the source of office gossip.

When faced with the nagging feeling that coworkers are getting a little too talkative, nip it in the bud, and do it fast!

How? First, find the source. Then address the gossip. A good way of doing this is to speak about a time when you overheard an untrue statement said about a fellow colleague.

For instance you could say, "Lately, I've been frustrated with the ways you've been talking about other people. I know these statements are false and I don't believe these sortsof conversations promote a friendly work environment."

By confronting the source, you resolve two things: you take the attention away from yourself and you also make your co-workers aware that, if this behaviour was to continue, then everyone is at risk of being a subject of gossip.

Speaking up in a meeting

We all have different meeting personalities. There are some who feel comfortable chiming in whenever and wherever possible and then there are those who over-think their good idea, question, or quandary until it's no longer relevant to the conversation. A quick way of knowing what appropriate meeting speaks is to consult your gut. Most times if it's not hurtful, unproductive or off-topic, it's okay to bring it up in a meeting.

Going to HR

HR personnel are available when things don't feel right in the office. Do you have a bad feeling about one of your co-workers? Has someone been treating you unfairly or do you feel threatened by your current work environment? Take a trip to the HR person.

But how do you know when a gut feeling is warranted and not just indigestion? Your body's physical messages should be "dear and neutral", say researchers. And, they caution never to act on an impulse. For example if you're feeling particularly emotional, it could be fear and not intuition.

An exception to this would be in times of sexual or verbal harassment. If this is happening to you, be sure to contact your HR person as soon as the first offence occurs. If someone is targeting you, they're most certainly targeting others who may not know (or be brave enough) to speak up.

The writer is Project Assistant, IIT, Ropar

Discouraging women

Gender stereotypes could push women away from entrepreneurship An Indian origin Binghamton University scientist has found that gender stereotypes could discourage women from starting their own businesses. Vishal Gupta, an assistant professor of strategy, believes the way that entrepreneurship is presented, discussed and taught must change —especially for women.

“Pick up any book on entrepreneurship: It’s all about men. Switch on the TV, and when it comes to entrepreneurs, it is Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Where are the women entrepreneurs? They’re not being talked about,” he said. The failure to highlight the work of female entrepreneurs is exacerbated by societal stereotypes that often link entrepreneurship to masculine characteristics. Gupta and colleagues determined that both men and women assimilated to the subtle reminders about social beliefs and entrepreneurship. When men and women were told that entrepreneurship is about male characteristics, men were more interested in entrepreneurship, which shows the power of societal beliefs. — ANI

Ranchi on top

Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi has emerged as the top employment provider among tier-III cities in the last quarter of fiscal 2010-11, said a survey report released last week. According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Ranchi tops with a share of 17.8 per cent followed by Mangalore and Mysore with 13.9 per cent and 12.07 per cent, respectively, out of the total jobs tracked by its study on "New Employment Centre in Tier II and Tier III Cities".

Pune has emerged as the best employment provider in tier-II cities and its top five employment generating sectors comprised IT, ITeS, banking, education and automobile from January to March 2011, the report said.

Releasing the study, Assocham Secretary General D.S. Rawat said: “Among tier-III cities, Ranchi has emerged as the top employment provider....”

In Ranchi, the top five sectors which have created maximum job prospects include energy, construction, metals, electronics and telecom. In case of Mangalore, the top five sectors are engineering, energy, banking, insurance and FMCG. In Mysore, the top five sectors are automobiles, insurance, pharma, manufacturing and education. — IANS

Happiness @ work
Bad habits catch on fast
Gems of ancient wisdom

As a boss, don’t promote bad habits or indiscipline just to become popular. It may not be easy to neutralize these at a later stage.After Rama killed Vaali and made Sugriva the King of Kishkinda, the Vaanara ruler, forgetting his hardships in the jungle and his promise to Rama, began making merry with wine and women during the monsoon months. Rama, who otherwise remained cool, lost his temper and sent Lakshman to wake Sugriva from his stupor.

King Kaushik desired to be a Brahmrishi. But every time he gained some spiritual merit, he lost it due to his impulsiveness. He got into a tussle with sage Vashisht, cursed Vashisht’s sons, lost precious time with nymph Menaka and in fathering Shakuntala and later went to test King Harishchandra. To prevent another failure, he quit the Himalayas and sought the solitude of the east till he became Vishwamitra.

The virtuous Nahusha started off well as the ruler of heaven in Indra’s absence, but he soon fell into evil ways. As soon as his sight fell on Sachi, the beautiful wife of Indra, he began seeking her company. This led to his fall.

He was cursed to turn into a python by sage Agastya for kicking him and had to wait for thousands of years for his deliverance.

Yudhisthira had a weakness for playing dice. First, this led to the humiliation of Draupadi and their banishment for 13 years. Then, Virata, King of Matsya, threw the dice at Yudhisthira’s face when the Pandavas and Panchali were living there incognito in the 13th year of their exile.

Distressed at the carnage during the Mahabharata war, Duryodhana told Drona to capture the eldest Pandava alive so that he could be invited to another game of dice and sent back to the forest again.

As Lakshman was an incarnation of Sheshnag, Vishnu’s 1000-headed cobra, anger sat always at the tip of his hood. He suggested to Rama to take control of the kingdom by force after queen-mother Kaikeyi had ordered his banishment.

He suspected Bharata had come to kill them in the Chitrakoota forest and got ready to kill him. Later, he became very angry when he saw Rama all fired up because of Sugriva inertia in organising search parties for Sita. Taara and Angad, Vaali’s wife and son respectively, managed to pacify the fiery Lakshman.

Remember, bad habits die hard!

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com