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A WIN(E)SOME DEAL
Course
CHAT
Mass media course for school students
International marketing
Effective skill development
Skills you can't go SOFT on
On CLOUD nine
Staying quiet doesn’t pay always
‘Green’ potential
Happiness @ work
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A WIN(E)SOME DEAL
Brand manager As brand manager for a winery or vineyard, you would be charged with the development of long-term brand growth plans and annual business
plans. You would champion new products through development and work to achieve volume and profit objectives. Brand managers can earn between 80,000 and 100,000
per month. Sommelier If you are interested in becoming a sommelier you may want to attend a sommelier school. Sommelier accreditation programmes are offered at various institutions in India and abroad. They can be part of an art institute, restaurant school, community college, school of hospitality or just a regular university. A Sommelier can earn about Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per month depending on experience and the workplace. Independent wine consultants can earn from Rs 25,000 to even lakhs a month. Cellar worker As a cellar worker, you will get hands-on experience in cellar and harvest operations. You will ensure that wine harvest, cellar and barrel operations comply with all safety and operating procedures. A job in this area requires good people skills and attention to detail. Harvest intern
This entry-level position is great for those just starting out in the wine industry. Being a harvest intern or cellar hand can give you good experience in winemaking. Interns may do: Barrel Work, Fermentation, Fruit Sorting, Lot Monitoring, Sanitation, Vineyard and Lab Analysis, Lab Technician As a lab technician, you would be charged with monitoring musts and wines for quality. You would also perform, evaluate, identify and maintain microbiological tests. In some cases, lab technicians are also responsible for bottling line quality assurance. Other tasks include obtaining samples, performing chemical analyses and instrumental analyses. Tasting room sales Working in the tasting room of a winery, you would be responsible for conducting tastings, managing wine sales and leading consumer and trade tours. Wine sales jobs require excellent customer service skills, as well as a thorough knowledge of wine vintages. Tour Guide Tour guides lead tours at the various estates, vineyards and esteemed wine cellars. Tour guides should be passionate about educating people about the wonders of wine. Vineyard manager Vineyard managers orchestrate a vineyard and farm management plan. In a wine manager job, you would work closely with the winemaker to maximise overall quality. The position may include planning, scheduling, crop load management, harvest coordination and planting. Viticulture instructor Some colleges abroad have teaching vineyards. A viticulture instructor can lead the college's degree programme in viticulture, teach courses on viticulture and develop the teaching vineyard. Wine educator A wine educator conveys to visitors, VIPs, retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers and distributors - in a passionate and intellectually compelling manner - the image, style and values of a certain vineyard. You must possess excellent communication skills, in both writing and speaking, to be a wine educator.
Skills required
To pursue a career in wine industry one requires knowledge about different kinds of drinks and how they are prepared, an aptitude for service and hospitality. Working in wine industry you require specific skills for specific jobs.
Who can join
There are a lot of institutes offering specialised courses in wine technology. Candidates having a degree or diploma in hotel management can also go for this field. A person should be a wine enthusiast to excel in this industry. The writer is the Director, Madhuban Academy of Hospitality Administration and Research , Dehradun
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Career Hotline
Q. In American education, what exactly is GPA, and how is it calculated? We are planning to send our son to the USA after he finishes school.
— Damini Verma At the end of a term, each professor or instructor will evaluate your work and your test results to determine a grade for the course. At most US universities and colleges, you will be given a letter grade with a numerical equivalent. This number will be used, along with your other grades, to determine your Grade Point Average. Grade points are evaluated by first multiplying the number of hours (units, credit, or credit hours) assigned for a course by the numerical value of the grade and then dividing the sum of all grade points by the total number of hours carried. The most common system of numerical value for grades is A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and E or F=0. The values assigned to each letter grade may differ at some schools. There are pre-programmed calculators available on websites like www.usnews.com to help you calculate your GPA in an instant. Students in the US work very hard to maintain an above-average GPA because it caries considerable weight at the time of recruitment as well as for admission to graduate degree programmes. If you receive an "F" or failing mark for a class, no credit will be awarded toward a degree for that class. If the class is required to complete the degree, you have to repeat the class and earn a passing or higher grade.
Jack of all trades
Q. I want to do something exciting and different. I have a feeling I'll be good at public relations as I love talking to people and I've heard that PR is a glamorous field. Am I thinking on the right lines?
— Yana Choudhry Character and integrity are also necessary because a PRO is the voice of conscience within the organisation. There's never a dull moment in a PR person's life so be prepared for a stressful, chaotic work schedule trying to meet deadlines. And let me warn you: PR is definitely not for someone who prefers a regular 9-5 job. A graduate with a broad understanding of social, cultural, economic and political issues is the base requirement. In addition, a professional degree or diploma in PR, Journalism or Mass Communication is now almost mandatory. Contrary to the somewhat simplistic notion that most people carry in their heads about it being nothing but 'wining and dining' and liaison work, both PR and Corporate Communication is a planned deliberate activity and serious business. It calls for meticulous research of the client's profile, the market, and its competition. Only then can you evolve a focused and effective action plan. And that's not where it ends. You must follow this with a periodic image audit to ensure that the desired goal is achieved. As a senior PR pro aptly says `PR is not propaganda or spin advertising. Advertising is a great image-building medium. But PR is a great credibility-building medium. A PR professional's job is to promote an organisation's image, communicate information about its activities and ensure that correct information is disseminated to the right people. You'll help organisations smartly manage their relations with stakeholders - investors, customers, government, employees, future employees, and the general public at large. Interning with a PR firm will introduce you to the business of public relations and offer you an opportunity to be involved in daily account activities, while learning broader strategies. As member of a designated account team, you'll acquire "hands-on" PR experience, gain exposure to areas such as: media relations, developing websites and press material, harnessing social media, video production, special event and press conference planning, internal strategy sessions, and new business research.
Try armed forces
Q. Although I scored 82% in Class XII, I did not get a good AIEEE rank. Moreover, my parents couldn’t afford to pay the high fees charged by private engineering colleges. I have taken admission in 1st year BSc but I am feeling very depressed. Is there any low-cost option available to me? — Kabeer Rai
A. Yes there is! The Indian Army recruits male students below 19½ who have passed Plus II exam with an aggregate of 70 per cent in PCM through the Technical Entry Scheme. After four years of Basic Military Training you will be allotted Permanent/Short Service Commission (14 yr) in the rank of a Lieutenant. This will be followed by a year of technical training. At the end of your training you will also receive a degree in engineering. The entire cost of training including boarding, lodging, books etc is borne by the Army. Not just that, you will receive a a generous monthly stipend as in the case of NDA cadets after (3-years of training) The notification for the recruitment to the next course which commences in July 2011 is out. Details: www.joinindianarmy.nic.in Incidentally, similar Technical Entry schemes are also offered by the Indian Navy and Indian Air force.
Automation engineering A versatile
field
Q. I couldn't get a seat in computer engineering course, but managed to get one in automation engineering in a reputed college. I don't have any idea about this field. I would be very grateful if you could tell me something about it?
— Jasbeer Kaura A. Only a few other careers are as versatile as that of an automation engineer. It's innovative, future orientated and, to a great extent, independent of the country's prevailing economic situation. Automation engineering is a cross-discipline that requires knowledge of both hardware as well as software development and its applications. In the past, automation engineering was mainly understood as control engineering. However this picture has changed since the onset of computer engineering. Besides the gamut of industrial production, today automation engineering also covers areas as diverse as environmental protection and engineering, traffic engineering, agriculture, building engineering, and biomedical engineering. In fact, it has now become difficult to imagine life without automation engineering. An automation engineer combines the knowledge of a computer scientist, a hardware developer, a control engineer, an automotive power engineer, and a communication engineer. Leading your team right from the production stage to the realisation of complex tasks can give you a wonderful sense of achievement.
Options in linguistics
Q. I have done a certificate course in phonetics and am interested in lingusitics. What are the career options that I can explore?
— Geeta Rajshekhar A. Linguistics investigates the cognitive and social aspects of human language. The field is divided into areas that focus on aspects of the linguistic signal, such as syntax (the study of the rules that govern the structure of sentences), semantics (the study of meaning), morphology (the study of the structure of words), phonetics (the study of speech sounds) and phonology (the study of the abstract sound system of a particular language). Courses in linguistics give you an insight into the structure and function of natural languages as a system of cognition and communication. You will also be exposed to other disciplines such as economics, sociology, history, and philosophy that will widen your horizon and equip you with basic quantitative and analytical skills. Students of linguistics have a range of career options open to them ranging from academics and research in social sciences to journalism and language training.
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Course
CHAT
The School of Social Sciences at the University of Northampton (UK) has launched its MA in International Relations course. This one-year full-time MA programme is especially designed for those with an inter-disciplinary background who wish to fully comprehend core issues and approaches within International Relations post 9/11. International Relations is a vital and dynamic field of intellectual inquiry that offers an interdisciplinary exploration of human interaction.
The course offers an opportunity to graduates to develop their understanding of international affairs both theoretically and through their own or others' experience. It will develop critical awareness, conceptual understanding, sound research methods, and originality in the application of knowledge. The purpose of this new postgraduate programme in International Relations (IR) is to foster within students a global perspective and encourage a multicultural awareness of contemporary problems. International Relations course provides an opportunity to engage with and adapt to changing international, national and regional realities. It will provide students with an appropriate set of intellectual skills to enable more informed and effective participation in an 'ever-changing' global context. The goal is to provide a rigorous and intellectually challenging foundation in approaches to the study and practice of international relations while developing an understanding and sensitivity to key issues in diverse areas of the modern world. The students willing to apply for the course should possess a first or second class honours degree. The programme will commence on September 24, 2012 and candidates are recommended to apply as early as possible. The fee for international students for the session 2012-2013 is £9,500. Application form can be downloaded from http://www.northampton.ac.uk /info/20171/international-students/72/international-students-how-to-apply. — TNS
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Mass media course for school students
The CBSE is all set to introduce mass communication as one of elective subjects in the upcoming academic session. Like all other courses, the subject will be introduced in all the 61 senior secondary schools in Chandigarh for students of Class XI and XII.
The course was introduced in CBSE-affiliated schools in Delhi and Mumbai in 2011. In view of the growing popularity of mass media across the country, the board has decided to launch the course in other cities, including Chandigarh. The other vocational courses, already introduced in Chandigarh schools include fashion designing, textile designing, IT, beauty culture and automobile engineering. As per the Board’s framework, the students will primarily be trained in creative writing and basic communication skills. In addition, the students will also be encouraged to bring out newsletters regularly. However, directions for recruitment of faculty members for mass media teaching are yet to be issued by the Board.
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International marketing
International marketing includes all aspects of the development, execution, distribution and sale of products and services in the global marketplace. Workers in the international sector are responsible for conducting extensive market research to analyse and apply to the future success of a company. International marketing involves international finance, inter-cultural communication, opportunities for traveling abroad and adaptations to ethnic and language differences. The primary responsibilities of an international marketing professional may include communicating with international clients, preparing marketing plans and policies, executing guidelines in accordance with other departments and analyzing past and present trends. Educational requirement International marketing professionals require a university education, generally needing at least a bachelor's degree in business or economics. Marketing degree programmes prepare students with the critical-thinking skills to identify, analyse and provide solutions to business problems. There is an emphasis on the practice of marketing and application of marketing principles in a foreign market. A working knowledge of at least one language other than English is a common requirement in several universities. Many educational programmes also require an international immersion programme to expand students' understanding of the global marketplace and prepare them to engage in international commerce. Upon graduation, international marketing majors are able to work either in agencies or companies in which the main focus is on the international sale and distribution of the company's brand, product or lines. International marketing professionals are expected to stay current with the trends of international business and to recognise situations where they can potentially create business opportunities. Course details International business and international marketing is taught as part of MBA curriculum at B-Schools across the country. A number of universities also offer Masters in International Business (MIB). Thus the first aim of a student should be to get admission to an MBA course. The admission into the MBA course is held on the basis of a written test, group discussion and personal interview. Separate tests are conducted by different institutes like CAT by IIMs, MAT by All India Management Association, XAT by Xavier Institutes etc. Besides, there are Executive MBA programmes offered by some institutes which require a minimum level of experience. Career prospects An MBA postgraduate in international business can seek employment in public and private sector organisations. There are wide varieties of job opportunities for these people in banks, financial institutions, securities firms, investment companies, export/ import companies and international business consultancy. However, most of MBA (International Business) postgraduates are absorbed by international marketing departments of companies engaged in exports like multinational manufacturers such as automobile companies, electronics and computer companies and consumer durables manufacturers. As most of the international trade is conducted through port and aviation, these professionals can work in airlines, cargo and global shipping companies. Foreign direct investment and economic development agencies also require these professionals. Moreover, they can also join travel, tourism and hospitality sector. Other career options available to MBA (International Business) postgraduates include setting up a consultancy firm. Remuneration Starting salaries in this field vary depending on the industry being marketed. A fresh postgraduate in International Business Management from a reputed institute is usually recruited as a Management Trainee and the salary offered ranges between Rs.5 to 12 lakh per annum. However, class B Business school pass-outs may get a lower salary to start with. — The writer is faculty member at Jagan Institute of Management and Studies, New Delhi
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Effective skill development
There is a huge mismatch between number of jobs available and the availability of skilled talent. 500 million to be skilled by 2022 - is a huge mandate and cannot be accomplished by various stakeholders individually.
As India wakes up to the urgent need of skilled workers, efforts are being made to hasten the initiatives in the field of skills development and vocational training. According to a Planning Commission report, at present, only 10 per cent of the workforce in the country has some form of skill training (2% with formal training and 8% with informal training). This is extremely low when compared with countries like Korea (96%), Germany (75%), Japan (80%), and the United Kingdom (68%). The skill-demand gap as highlighted in the India Labour Report of 2009: around 13 million new entrants join the workforce every year, but the existing formal vocational training capacity has been accessed by only 1.3 per cent of these-or less than 0.2 million people. The mismatch is primarily due to the fact that 90 per cent of employment opportunities require vocational skills but 90 per cent of our colleges/schools rely just on text book knowledge in terms of solutions towards education and employability. The answer to address challenges for skill development lies in recognising the need to grow and generate awareness about the skill development and vocational training sector, make it aspirational so that people start looking for it as a preferred option and also making the vocational education mainstream. Following are some of the trends/ best practices that should be used to make the 'Skilling India' mission possible Learn from global best practices and localise them to suit requirements of Indian economy: Explore and replicate the concept of Sector Skill Councils (SSC) as used in UK- their leadership, governance and strategy to create an employee-led demand driven skill ecosystem. Another useful practice could be apprentice system used in Germany - which combines on the job training with theoretical knowledge. Likewise there are successful models from Scotland, Australia that can be localised to suit requirements of the Indian market. Create a talent pool of skill instructors and trainers: Large scale training and scalable interventions will require millions of skill instructors, trainers and assessors without which the entire value chain of skill building would be incomplete. It's the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to create a mechanism whereby we incentivise, reward and recognise the skill instructors who will actually lead the skill revolution from the front. Centum Learning has entered into an alliance with A4e to form Assessors and Training Institutes to create a pipeline of skill instructors required to train millions of people across sectors. Link skill training to employment generation: It is time to reverse the model of first train and then find job. It is actually wastage of training effort, time and other resources when skilled talent is not able to find the job suited to their skills. That's why it is a better strategy to work backwards - first understand industry requirements, get letters of intents from various organisations, mobilise and train candidates accordingly and thereafter provide suitable placements. This way it can be ensured that skill training is utilised properly and candidates are able to find a suitable job after the skills training programme. Collaboration vis-à-vis competition: The opportunity and mandate is so humongous that instead of competing and outdoing each other, companies in the skill building space should collaborate and complement each other to build a demand-driven skilled talent pool for building an employable India. There is enough room for everyone to complement each other strengths. — The writer is CEO, Centum Learning Limited
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On CLOUD nine
Changed job openings provide a glimpse of the new emerging class of professionals and managers who will make IT happen in the years ahead. Here are just a few job titles and descriptions: New profiles Cloud Specialist: This professional will provide expertise, design, engineering, troubleshooting of the cloud environment, collaborate with project managers and engineers to ensure cloud computing best practices are followed and applied. Cloud Computing Architect: Serves a critical role to drive the architect/design and implementation for cloud-based solutions. Drive the architecture/ design and implementation to migrate to a cloud-based PaaS and SaaS product. Interact effectively with CTO, product manager, and engineering managers to drive an optimized solution under known constraints. Mentor the team to adopt development and QA processes or best practices for cloud computing. Provide innovative idea or direction. Systems Engineer: He is member of the system engineering team and supports an initiative to transition [federal agency] services to a cloud computing environment. The job will include developing the agency’s cloud computing strategy, cloud suitability assessment, and 3-5 year cloud computing plan for an environment that is comprised of programs that are safety critical (high RMA, security, and performance levels) and as well as administrative and support. Strong oral and written communication skills are necessary and individual who is self-motivated and eager to research and identify solutions critical to the public. Lead Software Developer: This position is a great opportunity for someone who is motivated by building high business value applications and working with smaller teams to directly influence company growth. The person should put emerging cloud technologies skills to use designing and developing the next generation of software. Lead technological foray into cloud based platforms such as SalesForce.com, Azure, Google, & Amazon. Infrastructure: This is a technical role where you will be working with key clients and prospects helping them architect proper cloud solutions. Prime responsibilities include designing and architecting innovative and practical cloud-based solution for clients; defining and recommending the cloud adoption roadmap for clients; interacting at the client’s CIO/CTO levels and their architecture teams. Cloud Alliance Manager: Focuses on the overall, ongoing management of cloud computing service provider partnerships. Virtualisation and Cloud Computing Subject Matter Expert: Will support cloud computing strategy and roadmap development from a mission and technical perspective, including identification of potential obstacles and solutions regarding the use of cloud computing in a client environment. — The writer is CEO Ace Data Devices Pvt. Ltd.
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Skills you can't go SOFT on
You may be working hard and spending many hours in office. But yet your boss is not impressed with your work. You may be working very honestly and may not be demanding any extra payment for your work, but yet you are not appreciated by your boss and your colleagues. In spite of being intelligent and having a good academic background you are not getting any recognition. While on the other hand some of your no-so-intelligent colleagues are always the blue-eyed boys of the boss and walk away with promotions as well as handsome perks. All this foxes you as you are not able to understand your area of weakness. If this is the scenario then it is time to take a reality check and find out what is sapping your chances of growing in your career. Getting that prized promotion always involves some deeper considerations of personality, relationship building and developing broader organisational credibility. Each employee has to struggle for a certain period to understand the workplace environment and ethos in order to move up the career ladder. There are many ways to promote your career in a company. Some of these include: Skills are basically classified into hard and soft skills. Hard skills are the methodologies and strategies applied to complete a given task accurately. Hard skills include the skills of solving complex problems, knowing the theories, understanding the concepts of a subject etc. Such skills are usually taught to students in classroom. But soft skills are the skills that need to be developed and nurtured. Most of the candidates today lack soft skills, which actually prevent them from achieving professional success which is very essential in today's competitive world. Due to cut-throat competition only a limited number of candidates can gain a higher position. Hence in most of the cases it is the soft skills department that defines one's worth as a worker to superiors. Communication skill is an important skill that can affect the career of a candidate. It includes the ability to communicate with the boss and other people in the office. More than the skills of language or grammar, it includes the skills of presentation in your speech. Your speech should be precise and clear. An employee should not shy away from following up with the boss periodically. Always maintain regular interaction with your superior rather than just waiting to be summoned to explain a mistake or a blunder. The lines of communication with the boss should always be open. There are many who are not able to communicate freely even during a meeting with their superior making the boss think that the person is not taking initiative in his/her work. So be prompt in replying and putting forth your viewpoint during meetings and avoid 'beating around the bush' pattern as it often irritates the boss. Many employees lack the skill of time management which may also increase your negative score. When a task is supposed to be completed within a specified period of time, it should be submitted within that period. Time management is the key to professional success. If an employee is not able to complete an assigned task on time due to genuine reasons such as technical problems, then they should immediately report it to their boss and ask for an extension. How you present and conduct yourself in day-to-day work situations is also an important image builder. Shed arrogance and moroseness and show a healthy mix of liveliness and sincerity for your work and superiors and see how your career fortunes change. Another skill that is very essential for an employee is the ability to adapt to the environment. In case of any changes in the company be ready to see the positives and adapt readily rather than trying to resist the change or wanting to remain in your comfort zone. Every office or company adopts different strategies for growth which an employee should understand. Apart from this always trust your own judgment while assessing a situation in the workplace and never be swayed by the thoughts and beliefs of others as what may be right for one person may not be right for you and vice versa. — The writer is Project
Assistant, IIT, Ropar
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Staying quiet doesn’t pay always
"Abusive supervision is highly distressing for employees. Our study shows that the strategies being used by employees to cope with the stress caused by such behaviour do not lead to the most positive outcomes," said Prof. Dana Yagil, who headed the study. Earlier studies have examined the effect of abusive supervision on employee performance, but the new study set out to determine the effect of the different coping strategies on employee well being. The study, which Prof. Yagil conducted with Prof. Hasida Ben-Zur and Inbal Tamir, of the University of Haifa's Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, examined five types of strategies used for coping with the stress factor of abusive treatment: directly communicating with the abusive supervisor to discuss the problems; using forms of ingratiation - i.e., doing favours, using flattery and compliance; seeking support from others; avoiding contact with the supervisor; and what is known as "reframing" - mentally restructuring the abuse in a way that decreases its threat. Participating in the study were 300 employees who were asked to rate the frequency of experiencing abusive behaviour by a supervisor, such as ridicule, invasion of privacy, rudeness and lying. The participants were also asked to rate the frequency of engaging in each of 25 strategies that belong to the five categories. The study found that abusive treatment from a superior was most strongly associated with avoiding contact - disengaging from the supervisor as much as possible and to seeking social support. Abusive supervision was least strongly associated with the strategy of direct communication. However, avoidance and seeking support resulted in the employees' experiencing negative emotions, while communication with the supervisor, which employees do less, was the strategy most strongly related to employees' positive emotions. "It is understandable that employees wish to reduce their contact with an abusive boss to a minimum," said Dr. Yagil. "However, this strategy further increases the employee's stress because it is associated with a sense of weakness and perpetuates their fear of the supervisor." The study has been published in the International Journal of Stress Management (American Psychological Association). —
ANI
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‘Green’ potential
With ‘global warming’ becoming a major concern the world over, the demand for green professionals in India continues to increase, as experts believe that hiring in this segment is likely to grow by up to 60 per cent this year.
Green job is mainly defined as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development, administrative and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality, she said. An environmental professional reviews the direct and indirect impact of products on the ecology and devises strategies to protect the atmosphere, she added. Green jobs can either be white or blue-collar in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, R&D, administration and service activities like IT and finance. With growing demand for green buildings, the real estate sector is likely to emerge as one of the biggest recruiters of green professionals, she said. Elixir has observed a trend of hiring environment professionals in the FMCG and retail sector as well. Echoing the view, executive search firm GlobalHunt Director Sunil Goel said the hiring of green professionals began a decade ago, but paced up 5-6 years back, when many industries faced mandatory regulations to have environment experts and green department to manage waste and hazard. In 2012, he said, hiring will increase by 30-40 per cent for green professionals and this growth is likely to remain consistent for next five years. “With attractive salary packages, interest towards this profession is growing constantly,” he said. Generally, these professionals are hired at all levels and get compensation between Rs 5-7 lakh, depending on experience, he pointed out. Executive search firm Symbiosis Management Consultants CEO Vinay Grover opined that usually these professionals hold masters degree (M.Sc, M.Tech) in Environmental Engineering by IITs, state owned universities and other couple of AICTE approved colleges as well. People with Civil and Chemical Engineering background also become environment professionals, he said. The power, oil and gas, chemical sectors, he said, are the traditional employers for the environmental professionals; however, with the growing concern towards the ecology, the trend is also visible in FMCG and IT. “In India, there aren’t many green professionals available in the market and seeing it as coveted career, more and more people are likely to pursue it as a career option,” he said. —
PTI
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Happiness @ work
In 1918, 14-year-old JRD Tata was travelling with his family from Japan to India by ship Hirano Maru when he spotted a typewriter on the vessel. Immediately, he started practicing the skill which came to use when he, by French law, had to join the regiment Le Saphis for a year. That way, he not only didn’t have to get up early to groom his horse, but also got a clean room and some tips. When Jagadis Chandra Bose returned home from boarding school at the end of the term, he Adi Sankaracharya had had been a sanyasi for more than eight years. During this time, he had read and realised a lot and had defeated many scholars in debate. But when he requested Mandana Mishra for a discourse, Mandana’s wife Saraswati objected, “How can you claim all knowledge? As you took up sanyas at the age of eight, you have no experience of the world.” So, Sankara sought time to complete his education. Leaving his mortal coil in a safe place, his soul entered the body of the dying king of Bengal and brought him to life. Living as a king, Sankara experienced the life of a householder and a king. When he had learnt it all, he returned to his body, debated with Mandana, defeated him and accepted him as his disciple Sureshwaracharya. On the suggestion of a nephew, little Rabi started writing poetry at the age of eight. While he got busy in his schooling, writing, acting, family life, travelling and setting up Shanti Niketan, this skill helped Rabindranath Tagore become the only person to have two national anthems in his name — of India and Bangladesh. As most parents in British India, engineer Chinnaswami Iyer sent his son Subramanian to a school to learn English and arithmetic, but the lad wanted to learn Tamil grammar and classics. While a blind scholar taught him Kamban’s Ramayana, he learnt Tamil grammar on his own. Years later, his patriotic songs, which were sung during satyagrahas, got him the title of Bharati. At the swayamvar of Yashodhara, daughter of Sakyan noble Dandapani, the bride chose Prince Siddhartha of Kapilavastu. But many princes refused to accept the match as Siddhartha, they believed, wasn’t a good warrior. So a test was conducted. Siddhartha not only topped the archery test but also the horse-riding event. He later became renowned as Gautam Buddha. Learn constantly to earn consistently. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan
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2. Which is the first Indian state to deploy a commando unit to protect tigers? 3. Which renowned, brilliant theoretical physicist, who was diagnosed to be suffering from a deadly disease while young, recently celebrated his 70th birthday? 4. Which Nobel Prize winning scientist, considered as founder of modern physics, gave the theory of general relativity? 5. Name the mini four-wheeler designed for intra-city urban transport by Bajaj Auto Limited. 6. Where was a 10-day Kalchakra (wheel of time) ‘puja’ held recently for world peace? 7. Name the system used worldwide by the blind and visually impaired for reading and writing. 8. Which mineral, used in fireproofing, electrical installation, building materials etc, is capable of causing lung cancer? 9. Who has sung the song “Kolaveri Di”? 10. Which country recently won its first Test match against South Africa in South Africa? — Tarun Sharma Winners of quiz 403: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Khushpreet Kaur, class VII-B, Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Sangrur Road, Patiala Cantonment, Pin Code – 147001 Second: Yogesh Avlash, Class IX-B, SD Public School, New Shastri Nagar, Mandi Gobindgarh, Pin Code- 147301, district Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab) Third: Bhavya Sharma, class IX (White), Roll No 10, Model School, near Ambedkar Chowk, Rohtak, Pin Code – 124001 Answers to quiz 403: 1911; Forty; North Korea; 1961; 1984; Vaclav Havel; Parkash Singh Badal; Thyroid gland; Chakra; Never 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
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You may be working hard and spending many hours in office. But yet your boss is not impressed with your work. You may be working very honestly and may not be demanding any extra payment for your work, but yet you are not appreciated by your boss and your colleagues. In spite of being intelligent and having a good academic background you are not getting any recognition. While on the other hand some of your no-so-intelligent colleagues are always the blue-eyed boys of the boss and walk away with promotions as well as handsome perks. All this foxes you as you are not able to understand your area of weakness.
A person who savors wine and is willing to get to the minutest details of its ingredients and flavor can fetch a full-time job in the wine industry. From casual home-based wine tasting parties to finding a career in sales and distribution, opening your own boutique winery, or as a sommelier or wine master at a top hotel or restaurant there is a plenty that this industry has to offer on the career front. Here is a closer look at some of the many career options in the wine industry.
A sommelier is a trained professional with intricate knowledge of various types of wine. At fine restaurants and other high-end establishments, a sommelier is often on hand to answer questions and help patrons select the best wines to pair with their meals. As a sommelier, you should be passionate about guest service, food and wine.
A. Grade-point average (GPA) or ratio is a standard formula used by almost all colleges and universities, particularly in the US for evaluating the overall performance of students.
A. A PR person is a jack-of-all-trades and master of even more. The qualities required of a true PR person are excellent communication skills including the ability to speak and write well, the ability to persuade, oodles of self-confidence, adaptability, an outgoing and extrovert personality, and a cool unflappable temperament and good organisation skills.
In today's global economy, many businesses are looking to expand into an international market, therefore, careers in international business are expected to grow at a faster than normal rate. From banks to manufacturing firms to government agencies, almost all industries have a need for people with a background in international business.
As a result of the shift to cloud, there is growing demand for professionals and managers that are more focused on business development than they are in application development. There is a greater opportunities for enterprise architects, and some offshoots will include cloud architects, cloud capacity planners, cloud service managers and business solutions consultants. Jobs being created may not always bear the term “cloud” in their titles, but cloud will form the core of their job descriptions.
Employees are often unable to cope with stress of abusive treatment at work, as they tend to keep mum and avoid confronting their boss about their obnoxious conduct, a new study has revealed. A study from the University of Haifa stated that employees coping with the stress of abusive treatment prefer to avoid direct communication even though it would be the most effective tactic in terms of emotional wellbeing.
“Companies are today taking steps to become environment-friendly and are hiring green professionals, who can help them reduce energy consumption. The demand for environmental professionals is expected to go up by 55-60 per cent this year, as firms are raising their spending on creating clean technology, reducing emissions and wastage and regulating use of natural resources,” Elixir Consulting Executive Director Kanika Vaswani said.
In an ever-changing professional world, the only guarantee to keeping afloat is to keep learning. There is no knowing when some old skill may become of use.
1. Where is the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, going to set up the world’s largest solar telescope?