Promising avenues
Pervin Malhotra gives an analysis of different sectors that will be booming with employment opportunities to help students lined up on the threshold of a career choice to make the right decision

As India's economy continues to witness many new developments, several career avenues are opening up. There's optimism across all sectors. For a student deciding about which career path to take, choices can be confounding but an intelligent appraisal of options and gauging the growth path of each sector will present a clear picture about what future will hold for a particular stream. Students should equip themselves adequately so that they become industry-ready to be picked up for jobs as they pass out from different institutions.

To do that, they should start with the BIG picture: What field would you like to pursue? What, therefore, do you need to do while selecting a college and a course? Work backwards, and you'll see the connection! So whether you are joining IT, engineering, medical, hospitality, humanities, law or any other course, it is very important to know what growth pattern and hiring trends a particular sector is following because this is what will make your choice a prudent one in the long run.

A strong and more-than-anticipated growth in the overall picture of organised employment particularly in sectors such as healthcare, real estate and construction; hospitality and IT and ITES is fuelling the momentum of the Indian economy post slowdown. Industries are high in confidence and the hiring trends clearly signify that the Indian economy and industry sectors are preparing for further growth. Aggressive hiring and increase in salary levels have been the high water marks of the Indian growth story in 2011 so far.

Healthcare

The sector, which reported the largest employment generation in 2010 by generating 260,052 jobs, has emerged as one of the most progressive and largest service sectors in the country. With an expected GDP spend of 8 per cent by 2012 (from a low 5.5 per cent in 2009) it's poised to be the next big sector. So for all those enrolling for medical and allied courses getting good jobs will not be a difficult task. Courses in nursing, pharmacy, optometry, dental hygiene, radiotherapy, biochemistry etc are thus good choices.

Retail

Constituting over 10 per cent of the country's GDP, the retail sector is among the biggest recruiters this year. This young industry has openings for fresh graduates in large numbers (in lakhs), as well as professionals at all levels as it has doubled in the past five years and is projected to touch 20 per cent of GDP by 2020.

The number of malls is likely to increase to 280 by 2012 from the current 190. Five million sq ft of retail space was added in 2010 and approximately 15 million sq ft will get operational in 2011-2012.

The learning phase for the domestic players is over and the growth phase has begun. Many global retailers are also entering the market.

Retail is all about satisfying consumer needs. And consumer preferences are evolving from over-the-counter to touch-and-feel shopping. Job openings in operations, merchandise, marketing, commercial, HR and supply chain are in the offing. There are lots of players in retail, including global giants. And their number is expected to grow. Retail management degree and diploma courses with specialisation in specific areas are ideal choices for those wanting to be a part of this blooming sector.

Hospitality

Hospitality, with a total of 165,700 jobs in 2010 has grown tremendously in the past six months thanks to a combination of factors e.g. increase in foreign tourist arrival, massive investment in hotel infrastructure and the government's open-sky policies. A large number of approvals for new hotels will also result in substantial job creation in the near future. Expect to see a rise in demand for civil engineers, architects, as well as for those trained in hospitality industry operations.

IT & ITES

Despite being hit hard by recession, the IT & ITES sector has bounced back and reported more job creation at 116,700 (compared to 97,000 jobs forecast earlier). Inter-industry shifting of skilled workforce has increased significantly, as a result of growing demand.

The ITES sector is expected to reach $225 billion (Rs 10.26 lakh crore) by 2020.

Sectors like BFSI (Banking, Financial Services & Insurance), Non-Machinery Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment and Education, Training & Consultancy joined the 50,000 plus jobs pack in 2010 and have been hiring fresh talent aggressively in the first two quarters of 2011 also.

The engineering service industry has also seen a tremendous growth, reaching $10 billion (Rs 45,585 crore) mark. A 20 per cent growth rate in the engineering industry will lead to a total demand of around 310,000 employees. Part of this will include employees joining from fields like MBA and accounts, while some will be hired locally onsite.

Civil Aviation

Civil Aviation has grown by 400 per cent in the span of about six-and-a-half years in India. In 10 years India will be the third largest aviation market after the US and China says world aviation industry body International Air Transport Association.

The Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI) sector was the first to feel the adverse impact of recession and economic slowdown and now it's the first to rebound.

Agriculture Extension

Recognising that agriculture extension services is the weakest link in transferring technology and techniques to farmers, the Centre has decided to recruit, in the next one year, more than 2100 farm graduates dedicated to extension services across the country.

The workers, whose job primarily would be to integrate research and extension activities for farmers in every district, would be attached to the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), a society of stakeholders in each district working towards sustainable agricultural development.

Their key job is to spread awareness and facilitate soil testing facility to check the nutrient deficiency in a farmer's field.

Animation

Animation, gaming and visual effects industry has clocked over 20 per cent growth Despite the bleak economic environment, the animation, gaming and visual effects industry has witnessed a growth rate of over 20 per cent in India. India's animation industry is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 22 per cent to reach $1 billion by 2012.

The gaming industry is expected to grow 49 per cent to reach $830 million by 2012.

India is seen as a leading destination for high-end, skill-based activities. As a result, there is a significant increase in co-production of animation films, involving Indian studios across the value chain.

Increased availability of latest games at affordable prices has made gaming an attractive industry. Indian companies are focussing on improving quality and creating original IP. This offers huge scope for licensing and merchandising revenues.

This important sunrise industry has moved away from a contract-basis model to co-creation model.

Telecommunication

With over 526.18 million GSM cellular subscribers (November 2010), India's telecom sector could emerge as one of the big employers. Today every third person has a mobile and by 2020 every employed Indian will possess one. And with broadband coming in, one can imagine the scope and possibilities in this sector - both in the areas of technology, content and sales.

Green technology

Green technology and clean energy will be a high-priority, high-visibility sector in 2011. Given the global attention that this area attracts and India's environmental stewardship shaping global climate discussions and outcomes, "Green Economy" careers are hotting up! Green jobs present opportunities across a host of areas - from agriculture to manufacturing, from research and development to administration, consulting and finance. With the market for clean energy products and services in India poised to potentially grow to more than $ 2.11 billion per year, those who set their sights on this nascent sector can expect to reap handsome rewards.

Education

India is currently witnessing an unprecedented boom in the education sector, especially in private education. What's fuelling the boom? Here's the answer - India has nearly 14 crore students in primary schools; yet there is an estimate shortage of two lakh schools. And the boom is not just limited to primary education. Secondary education, vocational training and professional training are all sitting on the back of a surging bull. And with everyone from corporate biggies to freshly-minted entrepreneurs wanting a slice of the education pie, it is raining opportunities - in teaching, in technology-driven learning management systems, in developing educational content and learning methodologies.

So, keep your focus on the goal while maintaining a broad peripheral vision. And if you follow this strategy with determination, one day before too long, without even knowing it, the chance of realising your most spectacular dreams will come and gently tap you on the shoulder and whisper... let's go. And you'll be ready.

Career Hotline
Fashion a bright future
Pervin Malhotra

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? — Umang Tiwari

A. The fashion industry in India is on an all-time high, with the women's apparel market leading the growth trend. Other high-growth categories include innerwear, kidswear, plus-size apparel, work-wear, industrial textiles and home textiles.

While the domestic market itself is huge, exports are also booming. 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. The "India" label now signifies good quality and high fashion. We're now even giving the Chinese tough competition.

A bevy of international fashion houses have their presence in India and many international designers are working in tandem with Indian designers who are renowned for their flair and attention to detail. Those that produce traditional garments are singled out for their ornate craftsmanship.

So the opportunities are tremendous regardless of whether you're working with an export house, a design studio, a retail outlet or running your own show (your own label/outlet).

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 to deliver the buyer's specific style requirements. You will monitor the team's output to ensure that compliance with the technical specifications and quality parameters.

You'll 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'll 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 readymade garments is booming, and you could supply your own line of fashion wear 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.

MoU with US varsities

Sharda University, Noida, has entered into an international collaboration with two universities in USA viz. Barry University, Florida (USA) and Moscow Academy of Finance and Law, Mexico (USA) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

As part of this MoU, the university will offer students in India various interesting scholarly and cultural student exchange programmes. The university’s international division aims at developing scientific, technological and academic co-operation through the implementation of scientific projects and programmes in the fields of business, humanities and science and technology. As part of the MOU with Barry University, Sharda University will provide the undergraduate students a reciprocal exchange programme where participating students will be studying one term at the host institution.

The university will also be implementing exchange programmes for students (graduate and undergraduate courses), faculty and administrative staff in collaboration with the Moscow Academy of Finance and Law.

Collaborative research projects, lectures, symposia, promotion of academic co-operation in fields of mutual interest are in the pipeline as per the MoU signed by the two universities. 

Part of Supply chain

Q. Could you please tell me something about the supply chain business and where a course in supply chain management will lead me? Can I get into the government sector directly? — Pammi Taneja

A. Supply chain management continues to evolve from the basic contract management with suppliers and distributors to a more proactive, strategic process with logistics partners and suppliers to create shareholder value. With many clerical tasks now automated, the purchasing professional is free to work strategically with management.

A course in supply chain management will give you the foundational and advanced knowledge about tackling, resolving, and managing a myriad of complex problems and issues that confront supply chain managers. These complex problems and issues arise within the boundaries of an organisation as well as across organisations, cutting across traditional domains of sourcing, manufacturing and logistics.

In fact, as companies go global, their competitiveness is increasingly dependent on the competitiveness of the whole supply chain.

There are a variety of roles you can look at in the industry such as sales, customer service, key account management, operations, solution and engineering, project management, business excellence (internal audits and processes), IT, real estate, etc

Entry-level positions are available in a variety of industries and businesses, including manufacturing, retail, transportation (air, sea, surface), wholesale distributors, material handling equipment manufactures and dealers, IT and telecommunication companies consulting firms and other service firms.

You could also work with Third Party Logistics (TPL) providers such as DHL, Toll Logistics, Seba Logistics, Expeditors, Shankers, DIESEL etc.

Public warehouses, government/defence institutions don't hire people directly.

On the contrary, at times people migrate from here to the private sector down the line.

Go for top-class institution

Q. I am currently in Class XII (PCM). My parents are suggesting I join a five-year integrated MBA programme. Please tell me if an integrated MBA has the same value as a regular MBA? Should I pursue B.Tech instead? — Girish Banerjee

A. Quite a few institutions do have these courses. But many of them are private enterprises that offer courses of X Y Z foreign universities that are not recognised in India.

While integrated courses are fine, they won't be of much value unless done from a top-notch institution.

So if you don't make it to a reputed one (e.g. IIT Kharagpur's Vinod Gupta School of Management or IIT Mumbai's Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, both of which offer integrated five-year BTech-MBA programmes (Selection: JEE), or BITS Pilani it may be better to do your graduation first.

Incidentally, IIM Indore has just announced the launch of its integrated five-year residential postgraduate programme in management which also sounds like a good bet. The programme integrates a component of international exposure and an internship with a social organisation.

Eligibility: Class XII (60%). Selection: Aptitude Test & Interview

The fee for the first three years is Rs 3 lakh a year and Rs 5 lakh subsequently.

Details: (www.iimidr.ac.in)

Several other universities also offer (Integrated Management programmes for students who have completed Class XII but it would be advisable to work for a while to gain some practical experience and then try for an MBA from a really good B-school that offers excellent teaching and placement facilities.

This would be a far better option than tying yourself down to a mediocre five-year course.

Study in US

Q. Although I tried very hard, I've got a very average score in Class XII. I've always dreamt of studying in the US. Will I be accepted to a college in the US for undergrad programmes with such marks? — Jogi Sabharwal

A. As long as you passed all the required subjects for admission to a college in the US, you can get into an OK college straight out of high school even with not-so-great scores. It also helps to have extra-curricular activities as well.

I suggest you try for a good two-year community college. Besides being considerably less expensive than regular colleges and universities (in CA a college unit is $20, while a 4- year college costs around $360 per unit). And the low cost doesn't imply low quality education either. Moreover, many of them don't even ask for SAT scores. These colleges award associate degrees at the completion of two years of full-time study. You may perhaps be surprised to learn that community colleges enrol almost half of all undergraduates in the US.

A great variety of subjects are offered at these colleges. And once you have a few credits under your belt, you are a transfer student. Then you can go to any college that will accept your college class grades.

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 

Successful NETwork
Yogesh Bansal

Networking is an important tool for career growth and it is very important to carry out networking relationships in the right way. In the tech-driven world more and more professionals now network through webspace. Networking sites provide ample opportunities to young professionals to increase and consolidate their network and add worth to their career competence. There are a number of sites that a person can choose and use for professional networking. It is always important to choose a networking site that provides the professional, the right kind of platform. The first step to enter this world is to create a profile on a professional network and build an online presence to reach out to a wider audience. It is important to know yourself before making castles in air. Discover your strengths and weaknesses and then use these to your advantage. This is an art which helps you to build the "brand you" and market it successfully.

Here are some ways in which you can market yourself the best way online.

n Most importantly the "brand you" has a face, so upload a professional picture of yours and let people recognise you by face.

n Avoid pasting a photograph or one liner that will jeopardise your image. For example "Hey: m looking for cool job in ABC sector". Respect the designation of the employer or the client you are dealing with. Replace it with: "I look forward to connecting with you/seeking an opportunity with ABC sector".

n Craft a professional headline. E.g.: Economics graduate, seeking a research analyst's position.

n Set keywords that describe your best talents, level of expertise and types of industry experience as they are extremely important.

n Your profile should be well written, informative and focused in terms of expectations.

n Use applications (like: AYOS share and Google presentation) on networking sites to share your projects, PPTs and works etc.

n Enrich your profile with your interactive content. Creating a blog or community is a great way to network among your peers. It is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge to connect with people who share your interest.

n Engage with group, read posts, comment if you have something interesting to say. Post your own questions or topics and connect with members of the group for mutual benefit.

n Import your entire address book from outlook, Gmail, yahoo etc and add them to your network, this will increase your existing network and allow people in your network's network to connect with you.

n Some professional sites like ApnaCircle.com have features like creating your business card etc, so make use of such useful features. You can contact a prospect network by sharing this business card with them.

n It is equally important to solicit recommendations. Reach out to former supervisors, colleagues vendors or friends. Soliciting recommendation ensure a good chance of being picked up by potential clients and employers.

n Last but not the least it is important to update your profile on a regular basis, even if you are not looking for a change in job.

The writer is CEO, ApnaCircle.com

Office Mantra
Deal with desk rage
I.M. Soni

Do you fly off the handle because colleagues annoy or irritate you? Desk rage taints your reputation and creates hurdles in your climb on the promotion ladder.

This irritation inside you makes you 400-volt danger for others who may start maintaining a distance from you. They are scared because you can burst any time, with or without provocation.

You spoil the office atmosphere and suffer from acute discomfort yourself. You fret, fume and fidget in your seat, which lowers your own efficiency. If you are the boss, then your ability to get work done from others is severely impaired.

Rage is an energy-sapping emotion. It causes emotional exhaustion and reduces your mental and physical capacities. While in a fit of anger you cannot think rationally. You may kick, shout, rave and rant out of your cabin or do things, which you would never do otherwise. When anger rushes, it stumbles!

For such a stumbling person, it is easy to say, “I am like that”. This is an easy escape from responsibility. Even if you find it difficult to rein in your temper, this should not be used as excuse for explosions. Fits of ill temper must be controlled or they will control you.

Quick action is needed to deal with the moment when hot feeling surges inside you, scalding words spring to your lips or your hands shake and urge for wrong strong action.

Always remind yourself that anger is only one letter short of danger. So adopt a double-pronged strategy to steer clear of this danger zone. These involve certain short-term and long-term measures. Lets have a look at these:

Short-term resolves

Tarry for a while: Control your urge to retaliate quickly. This leads to a new mental and emotional react pattern. Next time you see red, this strategy will break it. A new pattern will, thus, be established and it will control outbursts in future.

Lower the voice pitch: Anger raises the decibel level of voice. The shriller the voice, the weaker gets your logic. The stronger the anger, the more effusive the torrent of words.

If you reverse the process, anger is dissipated because feeling and action are closely related. When you simulate calmness, you generate that very feeling.

You can work off your anger through some physical activity. Anything energetic will use the surplus energy, which would have been otherwise spent in flashes of temper.

In dealing with office colleagues, the safe way is to sit and scribble a stinker, then push it in the drawer of your table, and next morning tear it to pieces and dustbin it. Let yourself go all hog. The more searing the verbiage, the greater the relief you get.

Long-term resolves

Build up a long-range system of attitude, which makes you progressively less prone to impulsive outbursts and takes you towards composure and calmness. Both must run side-by-side to strengthen you resolve.

Communicate, get opinions of persons who can throw a light on the varied aspects of the problem. This means you get a feel of the other side. There are two sides to a situation. Know both sides.

Anger often sprouts from “I am right”. The more you know about various dimensions, the more you replace red-hot argument with cool, deliberated talk. “I cannot talk with you, is replaced with “Let’s sit and talk it out”.

Expect and accept criticism: You put up hackles because you are ‘attacked’ unfairly. Criticism hurled at you is undeserved, you think. This justifies your burst of temper, you say to yourself.

There are two practical ways of dealing with such situations. First, refrain from instant reaction. Secondly, think. If the criticism is just and deserved, accept it.

Use it as an instrument to chisel you personality. Such criticism often helps in rounding up angularities of personality. Sometimes, even a stray critical remark can spark a change for the better.

If the criticism is frivolous, senseless or prompted from a feeling of ill will or jealousy, you should be mature enough to dustbin it. Give it the treatment it deserves.

Keeping your cool is not as difficult as you think. It is a matter of cultivating the habit of handling a situation. When you get worked up, you are thrown out of gear. You cannot see the wood for trees. Blind spots cloud your thinking.

You become irrational and irritable even with those who are trying to be helpful.

Weigh up the irritant. This is not easy when you are emotionally charged but it becomes manageable when you pour cold water on emotional embers.

You make the situation worse by getting worked up. It is worse for yourself as it is no longer possible for you to deal with the situation. It is worse for the other person because you antagonise him.

The best way to deal with such a situation is to think impersonally. Think how someone from outside will act or react.

Ask yourself. Is it really worth all the fuss? Temper is precious, don’t lose it!

Strong work attitude pays

A new study has revealed that having a good work ethic is more important than skills in securing a first job. Eight in 10 employers rated attitudes to work as important when recruiting for 'entry level' posts, compared to just 38 per cent who named literacy and numeracy.

The report from the Centre for Social Justice think-tank comes just days after business leaders branded many British youngsters too lazy and ill-educated to compete for jobs.

The report found that poor work attitudes among the long-term jobless were the major barrier to tackle unemployment.

When asked the reason to turn down applicants for unskilled jobs in sectors like catering, manufacturing and retailing, 62 per cent of employers cited "poor work attitude and ethic".

"A key message this report highlights is that for many who feel that work is beyond reach, employers do not agree," the Daily Mail quoted CSJ executive director Gavin Poole as saying.

"For those entering the workplace, often for the first time, attitude and personal responsibility are regarded much higher than qualifications," added Poole. — ANI

Course chat
Bachelor of Planning course

A four-year Bachelor of Planning course to train urban planning professionals to serve the changing needs of the urban development market, is being offered at the School of Urban Management at Amity University, Noida. The course is interdisciplinary and international in nature, where students and faculty will engage in empowered production of knowledge. It will consider science, social science, engineering and humanities perspectives as complementary blends in understanding the planning and governance of urban and rural scapes, their publics and protest, housing and community spaces and infrastructures and environments.

According to the McKenzie report (2010) on India's urbanization around 3,000-4,000 planners are needed per year to address changing patterns and pace of Indian urbanisation. In comparison, there are only 400 planners being produced per year in India. Thus there is a huge gap between demand and supply for professional planners.

Bachelors of Planning course aims to equip students with a critical understanding of issues that concern urban and regional planning, management and development. It will impart practical knowledge required to identify planning problems and solutions, build values and attitudes of planners, and skills to formulate, evaluate and implement urban planning policies at the national, regional, urban, rural and local scales. This programme will create professionals, both doers and thinkers, who can work in a variety of capacities in university positions, town planning authorities, research NGOs, consulting organizations, international development agencies etc. After getting their degree, they can earn around Rs 30,000 per month and more, especially with a Masters degree.

The broad themes that the undergraduate course will follow include creation of city Development Plans or Masters Plans, Urban Infrastructure Development Plans, Environment and Development Planning (climate change, Environment Impact Assessment, Disaster Management), Housing and Community Development, GIS and Spatial planning, Transportation and Traffic Planning and Accountability and Non-Profit Management, along with hands-on planning studios in India and Amity's campuses abroad.

The mode of education in this undergraduate course is both lecture oriented as well as practical studios exercises. The course is open for students who have passed Plus II exam from a recognised board and secured not less than 55 per cent marks in aggregate with mathematics as a subject.

The admission will be through interview and or exam.

Dr. Asmita Bhardwaj and Dr. Sabir Ali

Smart Strategy
Deft Balancing
Megha Ochani

“Sorry dude I cannot come out tonight, I am flat broke”

This is a common statement that one would get to hear from students, especially from those studying abroad.

Students opting for a degree from a university abroad are generally aware of the expenses incurred in the process — from application, visa, college tuition fee to their accommodation expenses along with other expenses such as airfare, day-to-day maintenance expenses etc.. For many it is very embarassing to ask for more from the already-burdened parents. Thus, it becomes very vital for students to manage their budget prudently. This is an essential survival skill for all those wanting to study abroad. While some parents don’t mind funding infinitely, most of the students studying abroad come from average income families, and for them it is very important to learn the art of managing their budget to lead a well-balanced life.

Different individuals have different spending habits and depending on those one can work on either altering one’s lifestyle i.e. reducing the expenditure or bridging the gap between how much one has and how much one spends by generating a source of income.

Set your limits

One of the most important ways of managing your budget is to set a fixed budget for the month and review it on a week-to-week basis. One of the advantages of having a clear cut budget is that it helps an individual keep a track of the total expenditure and know how much he can spend and adjust accordingly. That way if one spends extra one week then one can alter the expenditure in the following week and avoid being broke. This further helps an individual become more organised.

Part-time jobs

Getting a part-time job is another way of managing expenses in a foreign country. It not only makes an individual more independent financially, but also provides precious work experience.

Exchange rates

Keeping an eye on the exchange rate also helps in managing one’s budget abroad. Being aware of the exchange rate can make one postpone those impulsive buys.

Explore options

Other alternatives for managing one’s budget are opting for cheaper alternatives like rather than staying on campuses, which are usually much more expensive; opt for accommodation off the campus in a nearby area. Shared accommodation can save more money.

Invest, invest

Furthermore, a technique used by many students is that of investing the left over money into some project or putting all the money saved in a fixed deposit in a local bank branch. This helps in setting some spare cash aside and earning interest on it. An added advantage of this is that in times of an emergency one need not falter and use the saved money.

It is important to note that it is different strokes for different folks. Despite the difference it’s crucial that one learns the art of managing one’s budget rather than proclaiming yourself broke and missing out on all the fun.

The writer is consultant with overseas consultancy group, The Chopras 

Right Guidance
Paves Road To Success

With college admissions in full swing, there are hundreds of students for whom entering a college or getting into a new course is like stepping into a dark alley as they are not clear about their career goals and what they want to do in life. The limited vision and perspective of friends, family members and well wishers is of little help for the confused students. Many of them stray into fields that hold no interest to them and cause dissatisfaction and stress later on in life. “Professional career guidance and counselling can help such students and parents as there is huge scope in this field in India”, says Surabhi Dewra, Co-founder and CEO of MeraCareerGuide.com. Surabhi, who is an Electronics Engineer from BITS, Pilani, has made her passion for guidance and counselling her calling, talks about the various aspects of career guidance in India. Excerpts from an interview:

What is the importance of career counselling in the current scenario and who should go in for it?

The shrinking occupational choices for students as they proceed through school years is an educational tragedy in our country. The need for career guidance and counseling is increasingly evident in the mass of data pointing to difficulties in:

n Career decision making

n Unavailability of a mentor at home

n Choosing courses based on herd instinct or random selection process

n Dissatisfaction with chosen careers

n Increasing unemployment

n Saturation of workforce in particular stream

n Students not matching their skills, interest and abilities with the courses/career they opt for

In my view, every student starting from Class VIII should start engaging in career planning and explore his interest and abilities so he/she can decide on a right career path.

What is lacking in career counselling in India?

Career counselling in India is yet to develop fully and there are a number of areas which need to be looked into to make the domain truly effective and beneficial for students and parents. These include:

n Accessibility to counselors/ mentors:

Today most Indian students make career choices without any assistance. Most of them are not sure of their career decisions, be it the graduation level or when they enter the workforce. What they lack is the accessibility to good mentors who could guide them in the right direction. The prominent reason for this may be attributed to our culture where most Indian parents were never taught the contemporary career management skills their children need.

n Annual Career Planning:

Any average Indian family visits their respective eye specialist and dentist on a regular basis. The same should be followed for career planning. They should make career planning as an annual event, which will make an individual confident about his direction and more secure in his career choice.

How can sites like MeraCareerGuide help students and parents?

MeraCareerGuide.Com being India’s only personalised career counseling portal provides access to guidance to students anytime, anywhere. Right from helping an individual to explore and identify careers that match his interest, abilities and personality to connecting him to counselors to provide informed decision, everything pertaining to career counseling is covered here.

Doesn’t counselling need a very personal touch. How do websites counter this lack of personal touch. What methods/strategies you have used to add that human element?

Personal touch is one of the major challenges that we face in our day-to-day operations. MeraCareerGuide.Com has appointed personal career counselors for the age group 13 to 25 years. The students are provided guidance via scientifically designed psychometric career assessment, IVR Telephony and email.

Various counselling packages help one choose on the basis of talk time and validity.

A conversation is established between students and career counselors using click2call telephony. The site takes care of establishing a call between the two parties ensuring all conversations between students and counselors are recorded so that students can refer to these later. Students can follow up over email in future using inbuilt messaging system. So, even the students sitting in the remotest corner can have access to mentorship, guidance and informed choice in a personalised manner.

What scope do you see in this field in the years to come?

At present we are targeting about 50 per cent of Indian population who are below 25 years of age. India boasts of world’s largest school-going population and the prime focus of this population is education. Education being the second largest household expenditure after food bears testimony to the fact that Indians are very focused about providing the right career direction to their children. So there is a lot of scope in this field.

Is career guidance a good career option?

Career guidance is an extremely lucrative career option. Passion and empathy are must required traits for those getting into this field. One can also transfer these skills to the realm of teaching, vocational counseling in school, social work, and coaching.

With education market booming and the need of career counselling services increasing manifold, one can also set up own counselling practices or work with an educational institute.

How did you get attracted to this field and what are your future goals?

I realised that for most students the choice of a career is based on herd instinct and so it was with me when I chose Electrical and Electronics at BITS, Pilani. I never did any sort of self-exploration to make an informed calculated decision. Bit I was fortunate, as studying at BITS gave me ready access to guides. But when we talk about India where a large number of youths do not have the privilege to have access to good mentors, career counselling becomes the need of the hour.

Over the next few years, we plan to reach out to more than 2 lakh students for career counselling services and work with more than 200 schools to help students engage in career planning.

— As told to Geetu Vaid

Campus Placement
JIMS

Over 120 companies visited the campus of Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS), Rohini Sector 5, Delhi, for placement this year and offered lucrative deals to the students of the PG Diploma in Management (PGDM) batch of 2009-2011.

As many as 169 students have been placed so far in prestigious companies such as TCS Ltd., L&T Finance, Reckitt & Benckiser, CRISIL, Thomson Press, Berger Paints, Mudra Communications, Naukri.com, ITC Group etc.

A large number of students have been recruited by nationalised as well as private banks, including State Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, PNB Bank, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, CitiBank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and ING Vysya Bank. The top offers were offered by Oriental Bank of Commerce, TCS and L&T Finance with students receiving annual pay packages of up to Rs 7.6 lakh.

Era Business School

Era Business School, an AICTE approved educational arm of the Rs 4,500 cr infrastructural conglomerate Era Group, announced 100 per cent placement of its students with lucrative employment offers.

The average salary on offer this year has been around Rs 3 lakh per annum. Students have been offered jobs in marketing, finance and human resource.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjiv Marwah, Director, Era Business School said, “I am elated at the overwhelming response received from companies for internship and placement of EBS students. Some of our students have got placement placed one year in advance. Some of the students are evaluating other offers and they shall be given freedom to accept them.”

The present batch of students are currently pursuing summer internship with leading organisations like Bank of Maharashtra, Airport Authority of India, Steel Authority of India, Intercontinental Hotel, ONGC, MMTC, Naukri.com, Tata Motors, Videocon, Era Group, and other leading organisations.

Positive Growth

The gloom of economic crisis on the job market is over. Most people who lost their jobs in 2009 have either been re-hired by their old employers or found new jobs, a survey reveals.

Almost 72 per cent employees whose services were terminated or who resigned between June 2009 and May 2010 have found full-time jobs while 21 per cent started their own ventures and nine per cent found part-time work, according to a survey conducted by MyHiringClub.com, a firm that provides consultancy services to employers and recruitment agencies.

Nearly 46 per cent people who were terminated or resigned from their jobs between June 2009 to May 2010 reported they found new opportunities while 18 per cent people were hired back by their previous employers, it said. "Opportunities are opening up across all industries and job levels, new talent are flowing in and out of industries as employees apply their skills sets to new occupations," said Rajesh Kumar, founder and chief executive of MyHiringClub.com.

The survey said Indian companies are in a better financial position than last year and are gradually increasing staff levels to meet growing market demands. On remuneration, the survey reveals 43 per cent of terminated or resigned employees took a job with less pay, while 23 per cent found a job with more pay than their previous position. — IANS

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
The driver knows the route best

Even if you have all sorts of information about a situation, it is advisable to take the opinion of someone who has hands-down experience or local knowledge about the circumstances.

Rama took the advice of Vibheeshana on how to tackle various Rakshasha warriors as he had grown up and trained with them. Hence, he even knew their weak points.

When sister Shoorpanakha came to Ravana and prodded him to avenge her insult, the ten-headed demon king went to uncle Mareech. This was because Mareech had been flung to the Lankan shore by Rama’s arrow when he had gone along with Subaahu to disrupt Vishwamitra’s yagna some years ago.

After Arjuna had acquired celestial weapons for use against the Kaurava army, Indra said, “Son, as I know what is in store for you, learn music, dance and the art of conducting oneself in female company.” These helped Arjuna disguise himself as Brihannala in the Pandavas’ 13th year of exile.

The driver in ancient times held much importance which can be made out from the fact that he/she was called sarathi (co-passenger). Krishna, Sanjay, Shalya, Arjuna as Brihannala, Madri and Kaikeyi fitted well into the role.

After seeing the carnage at Kalinga, Emperor Ashoka was disturbed. Then he met Nigrodha Kumar, the son of one of his 100 brothers whom he had killed for the throne. The emperor asked the boy who had become a monk at a very tender age, “How can you remain so serene in front of someone who has killed your father?” The boy, wise beyond his age, replied, “My peace is a result of my refuge in the Buddha.” Taking the boy’s advice, Ashoka embraced Buddhism.

As the royal trio from Ayodhya — Rama, Sita and Lakshman — were new to the forest, they sought the help of the sages dwelling for long in the wild to guide them about their stay. They went from Chitrakoot to the Dandaka forest to Panchavati to the Rishyamukh hill on the advice of sages Bharadwaj, Sarabhanga, Suteekshna and Agastya and gandharva Kabanda.

After facing defeat at the hands of the armies of Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughluq at Warangal and his son Muhammad-bin-Tughluq at Kampili and Hoysala, brothers Hakka and Bukka sought the blessing of a holy man — sage Vidyaranya. The seer not only gave them an inconspicuous place near the fort where they could gather and train their men, but also gave them volunteers for their army. The trio then went onto establish the Vijayanagara Empire.

At most times, the driver knows a car better than the engineer. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at

svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Fortnightly Quiz-391
Engineering Marvels

1. Who is known as the founding father of the People’s Republic of China?

2. In which country was the world’s longest sea bridge – 36 km long – opened recently?

3. Who has been elected for a second term as the Secretary-General of the United Nations?

4. To which country does the human rights activist Ansar Burney belong?

5. What is the proposed length of the Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh?

6. What new name has been given to the country’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda following the exit of Japan’s Honda from the firm?

7. When is International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed?

8. Name the ancient wild bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu played during the Pongal celebrations.

9. With which sport is Sebastian Vettel associated?

10. Who recently became the first Serb to win the men’s singles Wimbledon title? 
— Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 390: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Dilip Singh, class XI-A, admission number 2030, SM Nimawat Public School, Fatehpur Shekhatawati, district Sikar, Rajasthan Pin Code – 332301

Second: Hardik, class IV-C, DAV School, BRS Nagar, Ludhiana, Pin Code – 141001

Third: Varun Sharma, class IX, DAV Public School, New Shimla, Pin Code – 171009

Answers to quiz 390: Punjab Mail; June 16; Platinum (75 years); Apa Sherpa (21 times); MV Wisdom; Russia; Twenty seven; Paris; Himachal Pradesh; Haryana

Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address.

Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place on the letter/postcard to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.

Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com