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ICING ON THE CAKE
Fashion
Forecasting
Career
Hotline
Perfect exit
POSITIVE ANGER
Career
tracks
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Happiness @ work
News
Board
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ICING ON THE CAKE
Job markets today are competitive. Even though recession is over, job markets are yet to return to their pristine form. The so called specialisations like IT, MBA, MCA etc have been rendered the status of generic courses. That means even if one has one of these degrees there is no surety that one would get a plum job. So what is the way out? The answer may lie in professional certifications. These certifications ramp up the mundane knowledge that one has acquired during academic years with the latest goings on in the relevant field. These certifications give a person a competitive edge over the others. “If you consider your professional degree as a nice cake, then these professional certifications are like the attractive icing that enhance the appeal and value of the cake and fetch much better rewards”, explains J.D Lakhanpal, a certified financial planner. These certifications are being offered across various streams and apart from sprucing up the technical knowledge, these make for a more relevant CV in the job market.
The various types of certifications in different sectors include:
Life insurance
Various certifications are being offered by the Insurance Institute of India (III), which give specific insight about life insurance as well as non-life insurance industry. “Some life insurance companies have made it mandatory for a person to have these certifications in order to be a member of the training faculty in the company”, says Tanveer Noor, a former Regional Training Manger with a life insurance company. The various certifications are: Licentiate: This is the first stage and it has three papers, all conducted by III. These give an insight basically about the fundamentals of the insurance industry. It also tells about risk management and the distribution model of insurance in India. Associate: One can only become an associate if one has cleared licentiate. In this stage six subjects have to be cleared and it gives knowledge about the underwriting practices and legal aspects related to insurance Fellowship: One needs to clear six papers in order to become a ‘fellow’, but apart from that one must be an ‘associate’ if one has to apply for fellowship. It gives one knowledge about the mathematical basis of life insurance as well as knowledge about group insurance and retirement benefit schemes. Certification for ‘Actuarial Sciences’ in life insurance: An actuary is an expert who applies mathematical and statistical methods for assessment of financial and other risks relating to scientific valuation of financial products in the field of Insurance. To become an actuary one has to clear 15 exams conducted by the Actuarial Society of India.
Securities market
Mutual fund distributors certification exam: This exam is conducted by SEBI. Any person employed or engaged in the sale and distribution of mutual funds has to undertake this exam. Earlier, it was optional but now it is mandatory to clear this exam. This exam deals only with the sales of mutual funds. “My customer assessment capability as well as understanding of the mutual fund concept increased manifold after clearing this exam and it had a cascading effect on my income levels also”, says Vikas Batra, Director, Stock-Mart. Currency derivative certification exam: It tells about the basics of currency markets, especially the exchange traded currency futures markets. It helps in understanding the trading, clearing and settlement mechanisms related to Currency Futures markets and basic investment strategies that use currency futures products. Interest rate derivative certification exam: This exam seeks to create a common minimum knowledge benchmark for persons working in the interest rate derivatives market segment, in order to enable a better understanding of fixed income securities markets and interest rate derivative products, regulations and risks associated with the products and the exchange mechanisms of clearing and settlement. Securities operations and risk management certification exam: It helps in understanding the Indian securities market, the different products traded and the various market participants and the respective roles they play in the Indian securities market as well as the regulatory framework and the role of SEBI. Depository operations certification exam: It creates a common minimum knowledge benchmark for associated persons engaged or employed by a registered depository participant in (a) dealing or interacting with clients, (b) dealing with securities of clients, (c) handling redressal of investor grievances, (d) internal control or risk management. Certified personal financial planner exam: The certification aims to enhance the quality of financial advisory and related services in the financial services industry. It is also ideal for students who wish to pursue a career in investment advisory and financial planning. It helps a candidate in understanding the basics of financial advisory, steps in the advisory process, making and implementation of financial plan as well as to understand how to evaluate different products, their suitability and how the recommendation of the same can impact investment risks, returns and strategies in a personal finance environment for investors and prospective investors in the market. “It is one of the most prestigious examinations in the financial sector and after clearing it either a plum posting awaits or one can get into individual consulting”, says Amandeep Chopra a Chandigarh-based Chartered Accountant.
Retail bazaar
With retail business back in boom it makes logical for people to have increased skill set when they join the work force. “Surely these certifications give good impetus to one’s professional growth”, observes Gyanendra Pandey of Shoppers’ Stop. The following are the certifications prevalent in retail industry. Certification in customer service: This certification captures the core customer service duties for a broad range of entry-level through first-line supervisory positions across the sales and service industries. It educates a candidate about the products and services as well as assessment of customer needs. Certification in retail management: The certification captures the core of what retail managers need to know for a broad range of management and supervisory positions. It validates the knowledge of retail managers in merchandising, human resources, operations and financial accountability. Retail business credential: The credential aims to foster deeper industry familiarity among business consulting professionals and others. Candidates who earn the Retail Business Credential can prove their knowledge of core retail operations, terminology, and processes.
Software
certifications
As per a recent IDC study, over 75 per cent of the managers from the software sector believe that certification plays an extremely important role in improvement of performance. According to Navyug Mohnot CEO, QAI, which has trained over 1,40,000 professionals, “The ongoing need for qualified IT personnel in Asia Pacific will fuel major opportunities for IT training and certification in the region and estimates that around 1.5 million IT experts will be needed by 2012”. The various software certifications which one can opt for are: Certification in software testing: Software testing certifications are aligned to evaluate the awareness of software testing principles, knowledge of the testing function, the different types of testing and the techniques and tools which can be used to carry out and manage these testing processes. Software quality assurance certifications: These certifications check the proficiency of individuals in software quality assurance functions. Software process engineering certifications: It aims at developing professionals for process improvement team who can support quality head/process improvement teams to develop software process, track and implement process improvement suggestions and analyse and solve quality problems. Software business analyst certification: The need for improvement and more reliable information transfer calls for software business analyst professionals who can effectively bridge the knowledge and language gap between business and IT communities. It also demonstrates an understanding of business analysis principles and practices suitable for professionals and fresh engineers who are interested in making a career in business analysis.
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Fashion Forecasting
Fashion forecasting is the calculation of mood, behaviour and buying habits of consumers. Forecasting of fashion trends can make or mar the destiny of a garment. It is not a question of classifying your customers by age, geography or income, but of looking into how and why of their purchasing decisions based on their mood, beliefs and the occasion. From street fashion to red carpets, fashion trend consultants are always on the look out for new and exciting innovations. This enthralling field unites creativity, research, and consumer behaviour into a science. Fashion forecasters carry out research to inform designers about consumer trends so that they can ensure their products are suitable for purpose. This is a growing filed and this is partially due to the escalating number of consumer sub-groups that companies want to target - from teens to silver surfers. Landing in one of these thrilling jobs means entering a labyrinth of possibilities. Each area of the fashion forecasting industry holds a wide range of career choices. From searching the streets for trends to reading and interpreting those trends as actual fashion products to writing about, photographing and further interpreting those trends, there are many types of jobs to choose from. Unlike the common perception, fashion forecasting is a lot more scientific than crystal-ball gazing, although intuition does play a part. A trend forecaster's work covers a wide range of areas such as product design and interiors and technology, the day-to-day job involves carrying out research with consumers, designers and architects, visiting trade fairs and exhibitions, and trawling the media. Lots of trends originate from independent, directional designers who are working at the cutting edge. It's the job of a fashion forecaster to pick up on the little things that are likely to enter the mainstream and will be driving trends in two to five years.
Getting in
A good first step is to study fashion and its history. Getting an internship with a company that focuses in the field is also a good idea; a trend forecasting or consulting company would be a great place to start. To succeed in the job one has to be creative and observant and act like a big sponge and soak up everything. But one must also possess analytical skills to digest and synthesise it all, and to be able to explain clearly what it means for the end consumer.
Work profile
A fashion forecaster uses research findings, extensive fashion industry experience, and to some degree, intuition to predict which fashion will be "HOT" one or two years in the future. Most jobs are available in the fashion centres like Paris, Milan, New York city, London, Hong Kong etc.
Prerequisites
A bachelor's degree in Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Textile design or Apparel production is preferred. Training in research and statistical methods is also important. Sufficient experience in the fashion industry, often in product development, marketing, merchandising, or retail is also vital to progress in this field. — The writer is an Associate Professor in the Fashion Design department at Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi.
Tips for Entry
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Career Hotline Pervin Malhotra
— Minal Khatri
But as a thumb-rule, a regular full-time MBA from a reputed B-school offers far better job prospects by way of overall exposure and on-campus recruitment. MBA courses offered through distance learning are ok for working professionals to upgrade their qualifications for better career prospects, particularly those working in the government sector. But it certainly is not a wise choice for a fresh graduate like you. Moreover, since no placement facilities are offered for students of part-time or distance learning programmes, you'll have to look for a job using your own initiative. If you can leverage your work experience adequately, well and good; else, you'll find it tough to compete with those with full-time MBA degree. You'll gain in professional knowledge but miss out on classroom interaction, dissection of case studies and the opportunity of networking with your peers, professors and visiting faculty which form an essential core of a regular MBA programme. Management is essentially a practical hands-on discipline rather than a mere academic field of study. So it is better to go for a full-time MBA.
Why study maths
Q. I am studying in Class X and I plan to pursue medicine after Class XII. I want to know why a person like me should study Maths in Plus II along with the other relevant subjects, since I fail to see its relevance. Please enlighten.
— Dipankar Diwan A.
There are several reasons. Firstly, studying maths along with other science subjects, including biology, opens up many career avenues e.g clinical research, biotechnology and bioinformatics, about which you may not be sufficiently aware of now, but which may catch your interest later. Why close their doors prematurely at this point? Secondly, medical research on various health problems is growing partly due to the world's increasingly ageing population. Medical research often involves complex statistical calculations because of which many respected statisticians happen to be doctors. A strong mathematical base helps in statistical calculations. So if you choose to pursue medicine and later opt for medical research, grounding in maths in Plus II will help. Thirdly, according to a recent study by researchers at both Harvard University and University of Virginia, students with the most rigorous high school preparation in maths perform significantly better in college courses in biology, chemistry and physics. And only maths has such an effect. Other sciences such as physics and chemistry, contrary to conventional wisdom, do not have any significant effect on performance in sister sciences. So studying maths is likely to improve your performance in the subjects you will be studying for the medical entrance exams.
Railway exam
Q. I have done Class XII in commerce stream. Now I am doing BCA. Can I take the Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA) Exam?
— Manish Tripathi A. The SCRA exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruiting junior officers in the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers. However, the eligibility is a pass in Plus II (Physics, Chemistry and Maths).
Starting an NGO
Q. Can you please explain the procedure of starting an NGO. Our group of friends is very interested in doing some socially beneficial activity on a regular basis.
— Manisha Bisht A. To start your own NGO, the first thing you need is a team of like-minded people who have interest in the same activities. Legal Status: The NGO should have a legal status i.e. it should be registered as a Society or a Trust or a Company under Section 25. Once you have decided to start an NGO, go to the office of Charity Commissioner/Assistant Charity Commissioner and prepare the bylaws according to the performa. The procedure is as follows: Conduct a meeting of the proposed NGO declaring the objective, and the name of the president, vice-president, treasurer, advisor, member etc. Pass the resolution of forming the NGO and all members must sign on it with the date and the proposed name of the NGO. Thereafter, you must obtain a form from the Charity Commissioner/Assistant Charity Commissioner's Office. According to the performa, you have to submit the following documents:
n
Power of attorney in the name of president/secretary After that, apply to the same office under the Registration of Societies Act, 1860 and the Public Trust Act of your state. You should get your registration certificate and registration number within a month or two. If you want tax exemption then you must apply to the Income Tax department for tax exemption under Section 80(G) as soon as you get your registration number. In case of foreign funding you need to apply for FCRA. Once the procedure is completed, you need to take care of the other important aspects of running the NGO i.e. fundraising, marketing, strategy management, monitoring etc.
Eligibility for UGC exam
Q. I have completed my B.Sc. I want to know if I do M.Sc from IGNOU through distance learning, will I eligible for UGC NET?
— Ritu Giri A. The CSIR-UGC NET Exam is conducted in five areas of science - chemical sciences, earth sciences, life sciences, mathematical sciences and physical sciences. The NET is held twice a year, usually in the months of June and December, the notifications for which appear in March and September. From June 2011 exam, this will be a 200-mark single-paper MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) based test of three hours I have gone through the eligibility conditions and nowhere does it make a distinction between completing your master's level degree from a regular or distance mode. The eligibility criterion states that you should have scored a minimum of 55% (without rounding off) in your master's degree. If you have done so, you'll be eligible for the NET in the subject in which you have done your master's. If the specific subject is not mentioned in the list of subjects above, then you may appear in a related subject.
Fashion future
— Jasneet A.
The fashion industry in India is growing fast. Women's apparel market, with a 12% growth rate, leads the growth trend. Other high-growth categories include innerwear, kidswear, plus-size apparel, work-wear, technical textiles and home textiles. The domestic market is huge and exports are booming. So the opportunities are tremendous regardless of whether you are working with export houses, design studios, retail outlets or running your own show. No longer is the "Made in India" tag looked down upon as a low quality product. India is now everywhere on the global fashion radar. Indian label now signifies good quality and high fashion. We are now even giving the Chinese competition. Lots of foreign fashion houses are making their presence felt in India and many international designers are working in conjunction with Indian designers. Once you've learnt the ropes and worked as a designer for a few years, you can hope to move up to the level of Senior Designer. In this position, you'll lead and instruct a team of designers. You will "direct" their creativity by guiding them to deliver the customer's specific style requirements. You will monitor their output try to ensure that your team complies with the technical specifications and quality parameters. You will analyse global trends while keeping a close eye on the market in general, and the competition in particular, in order to develop new designs. As the Head/Principle Designer, you will plan the entire collection for forecasting next season and oversee production plus organise trade/fashion shows. Having mastered the ropes, you could even consider starting your own export or fabrication business. The retail market for readymades is booming, and you could supply your own line of fashionwear to the domestic market. Or start your own boutique… the possibilities are endless. Then there are other allied options in the fashion business, including Fashion Styling, Fashion Writing, Brand Management, Photography, Style Consulting and Visual Merchandising that you could consider somewhere down the line.
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
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Perfect exit
The notice period norm in employment contract is meant to provide a cushion to an organisation in case of sudden decision of an employee to depart. Immediate replacement of an employee is not an easy task and new recruitment is a time consuming process. It is not uncommon to see a change in the behaviour and attitude of an employee who has submitted his resignation. There are issues regarding commitment to work, absenteeism and not handing over responsibilities properly. It is, therefore, important to be bound by certain rules and regulations to ensure a smooth changeover in an organisation. It is rightly said that “For the sake of the cream, one should not abandon the bread in a huff”. It is absolutely true, as it is in the hands of the employer to promote a positive brand image by handing over the charge to the successor with a positive outlook. It is often seen that employees treat the notice period as a time pass. Also if we see from the other side of the coin, that an employee is asked to leave either due to poor performance or the company is not doing so well, in either situations the employee should not lose hope but try to remain cool and not try to take vengeance against the employer or anybody else in the organisation. In broader sense, a notice period is a good time to figure out future course of action. For those with a passion for work it can turn into a golden period to explore the future path. During the notice period one can keep looking for multiple opportunities so that one can select the best option. But again this search should not be made at the cost of work in one’s present company. It should be kept in mind that it can affect the present employer a lot who has paid you for your work till now. One should keep following points in mind during notice period: n
Adhere to all procedures. Don’t take leave etc. Companies expect you to complete the work in hand and one should not take one’s employer and work for granted. The writer is Project Assistant, IIT Ropar
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POSITIVE ANGER
A professor of Temple University Fox School of Business has challenged the traditional view of workplace anger, suggesting that even intense emotional outbursts can prove beneficial if responded to with compassion. Deanna Geddes, chair of the Fox School’s Human Resource Management Department, argued that more supportive responses by managers and co-workers after displays of deviant anger can promote positive change at work, while punishing or doing nothing does not.
“The trouble with sanctions: Organisational responses to deviant anger displays at work,” co-authored with University of Baltimore’s Lisa T. Stickney, stated that “when companies choose to sanction organisational members expressing deviant anger, these actions may divert attention and resources from correcting the initial, anger-provoking event that triggered the employee’s emotional outburst.” Managers who recognise their potential role in angering an employee “may be motivated to respond more compassionately to help restore a favorable working relationship,” said researchers. If management shows “an active interest in addressing underlying issues that prompted employee anger, perceptions of improved situations increase significantly,” added researchers. “Business codes of conduct are often about what we shouldn’t do as an angry employee in emotional episodes, while few, if any, tend to address our role as observers of emotional episodes,” according to the article. “Such guidelines, if available, could expand to include positive suggestions for those who witness, judge and respond to angry employees — formally or informally. Some of the most transformational conversations come about through expressed anger,” added Geddes. The study has been published in the journal Human Relations.
— ANI
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Guest column Amit Berlia People are constantly asking me what are the key things they can do to enhance their employability. Here are the top five I rattle off: Learn project management
Excel in English
Most of us think that our language skills are 'quite good'. When we request English proficiency levels from our interview candidates, a surprising number check off the 'excellent' box. Unfortunately, this is either a mass misrepresentation, or more likely, an inability to analyze our own capabilities in the proper use of the language. In this day and age where English newspapers are having to accept childish grammatical errors, and marketing rules the business world, an excellent command over English will make you stand out. But, do not take your own word for it, go out, find a course, and see how far you can go. By the way, 'equipment' and 'software' are already in the plural, please stop adding the extra 's'.
Pick up cold calling skills
Successful door-to-door salesmen can skip this paragraph. Most of us never have had to walk up to random strangers on a regular basis trying to convince them to part with their money or change their beliefs. Usually, we have been on the receiving end of these often intruding and awkward conversations. However, learning or at least gaining experience at cold calling can have a dramatic difference in your confidence levels in all aspects of your life, and can make you a much better sales person. When followed in a right way, it teaches you all sorts of crucial skills, the ability to quickly judge other people, the ability to improvise conversation and discern social nuances,, the sheer confidence to walk up to a random person and initiate a conversation, the ability to close deals etc. While your at it, take an improvisation course. I would normally put it as number one, but I cannot seem to find one in India.
Acquire a unique hobby
This is a well documented interview trick. Having a unique and interesting hobby quickly differentiates you from the crowd, gives an opportunity for some non-business related conversation where you are more likely to have an upper hand. Remember, you need to chose a hobby carefully. It must be unique, interesting as well as highlight a positive trait. If you manage to do this then in the parade of 'surfing the internet', 'watching movies', 'reading', 'painting,' ...zzzz..bored yet crowd you will be the king. Warning, do not bluff, the last thing you need is to be called on it. No, I am not going to write suggestions here, because if publicly listed it would defeat the purpose.
Do not plagiarise
This is one of my pet peeves. These days I run paras from most resumes I receive through a simple Internet search. More often than not, I find swaths of content blatantly copied from some site. This is common for unscrupulous resume writing services, and it gives a very poor impression of a candidate. The worst is when I interview multiple candidates for the same job only to find a bunch of resumes that read nearly the same. If you copied some resume content from a website, it is highly likely that other candidates applying for the same position have done so as well. Keep your resume fresh, honest and original, especially the covering letters and you will find that the likelihood of finding a job that actually matches your temperament, personality and goals in life will increase dramatically. The writer is an MBA from Harvard University School of Management and Member Management Board of Apeejay Stya Group
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Career tracks
“There was an advertisement in the newspaper. I applied for it and was called for an interview,” Jinsi recalls. Over the years, fortunes swung with the fluctuating economy. The dissonance began to show more acutely and Jinsi was not satisfied with the work environment he was getting into. “I was getting uncomfortable with this competitiveness. So, with that understanding, I also realised there is a certain personality and character of mine that needed to be addressed,” he said. It was around then the offer from SoS Village came. For former hardware chip designer Anand Dharmaraj, “life is an adventure”. After spending 17 years designing hardware chips, he quit at the age of 40 and started a guided motorcycle tour across the country. His company indiMotard allows people to enjoy the sights and sounds of India on motorbikes. Dharmaraj does not regret his decision. “I found that very little original work happened in India in technology product development. Basically, I was a glorified outsourced worker,” he said. A native of Kerala, Dharmaraj now works out of home and finds the new environment reflecting his style completely. Finding our passion, while it may seem difficult, is not impossible. “We need to pay close attention to ourselves, our minds and the things that catch our attention constantly. But the most difficult thing about passion is to be able to put it in an organised manner that will fit neatly in our lives,” says writer, teacher and management honcho K. Rajeshwari in her book, My Life; My Choice: Mid Life Career Choices. The book, published by Macmillan was released in the capital recently at the India International Centre. Rajeshwari chronicles the lives 10 dare-devils who gave up lucrative professions to listen to their heart. “It requires enormous courage and self-belief to walk away from all of these and say I want to do something else,” the writer, a graduate of IIM-Ahmedabad, said. Says former diplomat-writer and member of parliament Shashi Tharoor, who switched vocations several times in life as a UN official, writer, consultant, minister and a member of the Lok Sabha: “It is important for us to be aware the kind of choices people make in their career can change dramatically in mid-point of their lives.” Releasing the book, Tharoor said a child very much finds himself streamed in a particular direction. According to him, only a very small handful can, at a particular stage of life, reinvent themselves. “I came first in science (in school) and I studied humanities. My parents said do economics. I did history,” Tharoor said of his own choices in life. “After my unsuccessful bid to take over as the secretary general of United Nations — even though Ban Ki-moon wanted me to stay on — I decided to leave. It took me time to decide to take the plunge into politics. Too many remain trapped in what they are doing. Changing careers is not a bad thing,” the MP from Thiruvananthapuram said. “It is actually about finding where your heart belongs,” says C.D. Gopinath, founder of the country’s low cost airline Air Deccan. Writing about his life in the book, Gopinath said he left the Indian army in the 1970s after spending seven fruitful years. “The seventies in India was an era when jobs were scarce, the government followed protectionist policies and the pace of growth very slow. When I quit, I did not even have a plan on what I would do for a living. But among the many other career choices I made, I started India’s largest low cost airline,” Gopinath said. Career transition is stressful, says motivator and co-founder of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Richard Bandler. In the book,“Conservations with Richard Bandler”, the NLP guru advises those in throes of transition to “identify supporters to enlist their help and adjust one’s standards to reduce perfectionism”. A mid-career change may not always bring the best in us.” “But middle age is the time when we reset the agenda for the rest of our lives,” writer Rajeshwari says. — IANS
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT Paramjit Singh
“Is it because we have been trained from the start, to believe that stability and equilibrium are desired?” But is it really so? Is chaos such a dreaded and useless state that it should be abhorred. Maybe not. Chaos and stress , in fact, is the germination point of creativity if we know how to harness it rightly. Let’s consider Nature. There are plenty of examples and signs of imbalance here. It is this imbalance that creates a natural state of tension, which then becomes a productive ground for the conception of a resolution. Nature does not say “Oh my God! something is wrong! Things are changing too fast. I am confused. I am panicking.” It very calmly looks the confusion in the eye, and then resolves to proceed with what it desires to create, i.e. a state of equilibrium. And every time without fail, Nature creates something new, which overshadows the old. Earthquake, tsunami and radiation danger is being faced by Japan at present. There is confusion and chaos. People all over the world are doing their best to help. The bravehearts are fighting to make the area safe for future. The extent of devastation and destruction that has taken place is tremendous. But amazingly, life is on its way back to normalcy and the period of chaos may, in fact, lead to better life standards in the days and months to come. It is evident that all the evolutionary jumps in our natural history had occured after a period of confusion and sometimes of complete chaos. Humans and various species of flora and fauna have tried to survive in almost every possible way, until finally one way became the predominant evolutionary change. Out of the confusion and chaos comes the next direction — the direction of growth. Even in the business and financial world today, we seem to be on the brink of one of such evolutionary jumps. We are trying to survive each day waiting for the next evolutionary jump. This means that uncertainty, confusion and chaos are not always bad. Instead of falling into the trap of negativity and giving in to anxiety and panic, we should become more practical and creative. When confronted with deadlocks and deadends, we should use imagination with such faith and confidence that we can steer the direction of our growth. Who knows, our idea which may have seemed inconsequential to us, may just be that next evolutionary jump waiting to happen.
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Happiness @ work
Even while he was elder to Pandu, Kuru prince Dhritrashtra couldn’t ascend the throne as he was blind. “If a king cannot protect himself, how will he protect the realm?” asked the wise Vidura. Later, Dhritrashtra got married to Gandhari who tied a shred on her eyes to give the blind man company. As the duo couldn’t see what their son was up to, Duryodhana never knew how to differentiate between right and wrong. The entire subcontinent had to endure the 18-day Mahabharata war due to Duryodhana’s misdeeds. King Yayati was cursed to premature old age by Shukracharya. He endeavoured to get his youth restored as his desires had not been ‘quenched’. Instead of letting his young son Puru enjoy the pleasures of life, he begged his youth from him. King Harishchandra was childless so he prayed to Varuna, the sea-god, who blessed him with a son Rohit with a promise that the lad would be returned after a year. When the time came, the king couldn’t let go of his son. So the deity suggested that a replacement would suffice. He bought Shunashepa, the second son of Ajigarta, for 100 cows and was ready to sacrifice him when sage Vishwamitra intervened and saved the boy’s life. “A king’s duty is to save his subjects. Why should Shunashepa suffer because you cannot keep your promise?” asked the sage. Instead of giving Bhishma the throne and retiring to the forest, his father King Santanu gave his heart to Satyavati. In order that Santanu got married to Satyavati, Bhishma vowed lifelong celibacy. When Bhishma’s stepbrothers Chitrangada and Vichitravirya died without giving Hastinapur an heir, Satyavati had to get sage Ved Vyas to sire the next generation. Imagine what would happen to the body if the tummy kept all the food for itself. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan
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News Board In a major initiative towards vocational training, VSAT education network Everonn has joined hands with the National Skill Development Corporation’s (NSDC) mission with the launch of International Skills School to skill people from across nine key sectors to make them employable. NSDC is a not-for-profit company set up by the Ministry of Finance as the first PPP initiative with the mandate to skill 150 million people by 2022 in 21 focus sectors. This is part of the government’s overall target to train 500 million people by 2022 to meet the global skills shortage. Everonn’s wholly owned skill development subsidiary, Everonn SKILL development Ltd. has been mandated by NSDC to train 15 million people (10% of NSDC’s overall target of 150 million) by 2022. NSDC will invest 27% as equity in the wholly owned Skill development subsidiary of Everonn Education Ltd. i.e. Everonn Skill development Limited (ESDL) The total investment required for setting up 271 multi skill development centers all across the country would be Rs. 153.76 crore. The NSDC will subscribe to 27% equity in Everonn Skill Development Ltd. (ESDL) for Rs 14.15 crore. In addition, the NSDC would also provide a loan of Rs 101.34 crore to ESDL. ESDL will be investing Rs 38.27 crore, as its contribution in the venture. ESDL will be training 15 million people over the next 12 years through these centres. The average course fee is expected to be approximately Rs 9,000 per person with the course ranging from 30 days to six months in nine sectors — textile and apparel, retail, hospitality, automobile, healthcare, construction, IT and ITES, basic engineering and multimedia. This may translate into an overall revenue generating potential of approximately Rs 14,250 crore over the next 12 years. To begin with, the courses will be offered in states likes Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The training will be imparted through brick and mortar as well as technology-enabled delivery wherever necessary. ESDL & NSDC will assist the needy and deserving candidates in availing bank loan facility. Dilip Chenoy, Managing Director and CEO of NSDC, said: “We are happy to see the movement to impart skills to millions gaining ground. With the involvement of private sector, I am sure we will achieve our goal to upgrade skills to match international standards. The scope is vast and there is enough and more work for education companies. NSDC is a catalyst.” The target beneficiaries for the training, re-skilling and up-skilling are identified primarily from tier II and tier III locations, based on placement assurances which come through industry tie-ups which are already in place across most sectors. The trainees would cover students ranging from those opting for non-formal training, those seeking employment after short-term or specialised courses, industrial worker seeking re-skilling or up skilling, unemployed youth seeking a career at entry level positions, employed industrial workers seeking certification of their skills for vertical or horizontal mobility and even the skill development instructors. In its endeavour to provide trained, certified and readily employable workforce to the industry, ESDL has tied up with NGOs, corporates and trade bodies for training and placements Infosys to hire 32,000 this fiscal
Robust growth and increasing demand for outsourcing are propelling Infosys Technologies Ltd to hire an estimated 32,000 persons during 2011-12, a senior official of the IT bellwether said recently. “Keeping in view our growth projections and strategy to substantially invest in the future, we plan to hire over 32,000 engineers and skilled employees, including 14,000 laterals,” Infosys’ outgoing HRD head T.V. Mohandas Pai told reporters in Bengaluru. Recovering from the economic meltdown and growing in double digits through the quarters, the global software major hired a whopping 43,120 persons during 010-11 as against the earlier estimates of 25,000, including over 20,000 freshers from campuses, and 27,630 in 2009-10. “Though we have made 26,000 campus offers for this fiscal, we expect about 75-80 per cent of them to join us. Our back-office division (business process outsourcing) will be hiring about 10,000 and attempting to retain as many to reduce attrition, which is on higher side due to surging demand for human capital in the resilient industry,” Pai asserted. The company also plans to hire about 1,000 consultants for specific projects in non-linear verticals during this fiscal and ramp it up with another 1,000 in fiscal 2012-13 if the innovative model works out mutually. “Our hiring of freshers and laterals will be in the ratio of 60:40. Based on our business growth through client acquisition and expansion in emerging markets, we may have to hire a few thousands more during the latter quarters as in the last fiscal,” Pai hinted. With a net addition of 3,041 employees in the fourth quarter (Jan-March), the company’s total headcount has gone up to 130,820 for fiscal 2010-11 from 113,796 in 2009-10, an increase of 15 per cent year-on-year. On annualised basis, attrition increased to 17 per cent or 26,096 in fourth quarter and during FY 2011 from 13.4 per cent or 18,693 in FY 2010 though marginally (0.5 per cent) lower sequentially from third quarter (Oct-Dec). Lateral addition, including several former employees of the company shot up three fold to 15,883 in FY 2011 from 4,895 in FY 2010. “Our net addition doubled to 17,024 during FY 2011 from 8,946 in FY 2010,” Pai added.
— IANS
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Job markets today are competitive. Even though recession is over, job markets are yet to return to their pristine form. The so called specialisations like IT, MBA, MCA etc have been rendered the status of generic courses. That means even if one has one of these degrees there is no surety that one would get a plum job. So what is the way out? The answer may lie in professional certifications. These certifications ramp up the mundane knowledge that one has acquired during academic years with the latest goings on in the relevant field. These certifications give a person a competitive edge over the others.
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There is no denying the fact that awareness about trends and new fashion all over the world has increased manifold in India and fashion weeks have become regular and most-awaited features of the fashion calendar of India. For most youngsters now fashion forecasting jobs have an aura of glamour.
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Pursue a college degree in Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Textile Design, or a related field to begin learning about the fashion and textile industry.
Q. At present I am doing B.Sc. Further I want to MBA through correspondence. But I have come to know that there is no value of this mode of learning. Tell me about this.
A. There are hundreds of institutes that offer MBA through the distance-learning mode.
Q. I am a student of fashion design. After joining a fashion house or garment export firm as a trainee, where can I hope to be in the next five to seven years?
Changing jobs is very much a part and parcel of career growth nowadays. Handing over your resignation at your place of work, however, is not the end of the story as in most of the cases one has to fulfill the norm of completing the notice period before one finally bids adieu to a company. This intervening period presents quite a tricky and delicate situation for the employee as well as the managers. Thus it is important to understand the notice period clause in your employment contract as it will help you spend your last few days in an organisation without much trepidation.
Once a dark art of the construction, IT and engineering world, this has become mainstream with companies investing millions of dollars in adding project management office capabilities. Courses and certifications are beginning to boom, and it is a great time to pick up a skill that is applicable across industries. The value of managed execution has never been higher, and with a practical knowledge of product management you can seriously enhance your team's and your productivity and ability to deliver.
Circumstances and the call of the heart often push career changes in mid-life, forcing professionals to make life-altering decisions. Rakesh Jinsi moved to the non-profit sector as the national director of the SOS Children’s Village in 2009 after spending 32 years in profit-oriented organisations. His tryst with the corporate world began in the 1970s when he joined a leading manufacturing and consulting company with his engineering degree.
Stability, order and equilibrium are the goals of each and every human endeavour, be it personal growth, career success or success of an enterprise. But in spite of this constant endeavour one can’t deny the presence of chaos and confusion all around us. Living in constant flux leads to worries about job, business, savings, wealth etc and is the root cause of stress for many.
The way the ruler is, so is the realm, says the Chanakyaneeti. Chaupat Raja of Andher Nagari had priced every commodity at the same rate in Bharatendu Harishchandra’s play ‘Andher Nagari Chaupat Raja’. And the punishment of any guilt was meted out not on the guilty, but on the one who fitted the noose. Little wonder, no enterprising person stayed there and no excellence was ever produced.
