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field in focus: fine arts
hiring scene
in conversation
International Business
course cruising
bookshelf
Happiness @ work
newsboard
scholarship roundup
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Designer’s touch
The design industry broadly falls into four major categories: Fashion and Apparel Design, Interior, furniture and lifestyle Design, Product Design, and Graphic and media Design. Fashion and apparel design, in itself, covers a variety of occupations, from those in textiles and finished garments to accessories, leather, footwear, jewellery, etc. The greater part of the industry, however, concentrates on the fabrication and marketing of high-volume production of affordable garments to suit the tastes of large numbers of people. Moreover, even in the exclusive realm of haute couture, fashion is a business rather than an art form. Costume designing for theatre and films is another area that is gaining a lot of recognition today. Other areas include fashion communication, fashion merchandising and management, image and brand management, and fashion stylist. Interior, furniture and lifestyle accessory design: Interior design is the design of an interior space that is created by the structure and the building itself. This area encompasses planning space and furnishing the interiors whether they be private homes, public buildings, or commercial establishments such as offices, hotels, and showrooms, including their renovation and redesign. The recent real estate boom has brought into focus the need not only for attractive and exotic structures, buildings, and innovative urban complexes, but also for professionally designed interior spaces Moreover, as buildings and materials get more complex technologically and regulations and standards more demanding, interior design is becoming increasingly specialised. Interior designers can now specialise in: office buildings and commercial complexes, healthcare and hospital design, hospitality, shopping malls, theatre, exhibition and set design. Other areas in this field include furniture design creating furniture for mass production or developing custom pieces of furniture or related products such as furniture accessories, lighting equipment, for specific areas of an interior space. Today lifestyle accessories like giftware, glassware, silverware and other lifestyle products have been transformed from mere utility based products to a fashion statement, integrating aesthetics values with practicality. Product Design: This area deals with developing and designing of any product from an aeroplane or automobile to toys, home appliances, electronic and electrical products and recreational equipment. It involves the study of the technical aspects of the product, and the creation and working of a design along with engineering specialists. Often, product designers have to redesign a given product to make it look aesthetically more appealing, as well as more functional. Automobile designers are product designers involved in the development of the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of all vehicles, whether cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. Product designers may also choose to specialise in areas such as ceramic design and glass
design. Graphic design: A graphic designer is a commercial artist who provides creative solutions to communication problems for the promotion of products, services or ideas enhanced through visual communication. Graphic designers work with print, pictures and patterns. They lay out text and pictures for books and magazines, advertisements, posters, sales brochures, product packaging, and also design the graphics for television programmes, credit and title sequences of films, video animations and cartoons, outdoor media like hoardings, kiosks, stationery, and so on. Animation and web designing, mobile apps design, and game design are other aspects of Graphic design that have excellent prospects.
Getting in
Intrinsic talent is a major pre-requisite for all creative fields. While there are many successful designers who have had no formal training, training hones a natural talent or flair for designing. There are any number of institutes offering short and long-term courses in all fields of design. By far the best in the country is the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad which offers a wide range of design courses including product, video, toy, ceramic and many others at under-graduate and post-graduate level at campuses in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Gandinagar. Among the most sought after Fashion Design schools is the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in New Delhi, and its branches in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Gandhinagar and Hyderabad. NIFT offers professional programmes at the graduate and under-graduate level in fashion design, fashion marketing, garment manufacturing technology, accessory design and textile design, as well as knitwear and leather design and technology. Some other well reputed design institutes include: Srishti School of Art , Design & Technology, Bangalore; Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi and Jaipur; IILM School of Design, Gurgaon; IDC, at IIT Mumbai; IICD, Jaipur, and several others. You can generally apply for the diploma / degree courses in design after Plus II in any subject, if you have an interest in the subject and general creative abilities. Some basic problem-solving skills and creative communication are also useful. Students getting into a design fields should also be familiar with computer graphics and the various design software available. Admission to most courses is through a written-cum-drawing Design Aptitude Test. Design is definitely one of the more sought after professions with almost every field of work requiring a designer's touch. Consumerism has led to the rising demand for designers and there is no dearth of work for them. As market competition increases, new products are being released almost every day, and need to be well designed and attractive enough to catch the eye of the consumer, while also fulfilling a functional use. There is, therefore, a growing demand for designers being felt in almost every sphere of human activity and designers can take their pick according to their aptitude and preference. So if you have a good imagination, love working with colours, shapes and ideas, have an intrinsic artistic talent, are curious and interested in the social environment around you, you can start by designing your own career in any of the colourful fields of design. — The writer is Director, Careers Smart, Pvt Ltd, New Delhi
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Fashion styling
Luxury brand management
There is an upsurge of shopping interest in luxury brands like Longines, Valentino, Dior and Ferragamo, Mont Blanc and many others, catering to those with high disposable incomes. According to Forbes magazine, India has the fastest-growing population of millionaires in the world and so premium merchandise and services ranging from designer dresses and handmade jewelry to watches and accessories, custom cars, premium vacation resorts and exotic real estate are today on offer for those who can afford to pay the price. Luxury brand manager, therefore, has to understand the value and tradition of a brand as much as manage the clientele who need to feel the requirement for such a product. The work involves organising fashion shows, special events, and other public relations efforts directed towards keeping the brand popular while retaining its exclusivity, and the selection of celebrities and pop icons who convey the desired image and can endorse the brand.
Automobile design
The automobile designer is primarily concerned with developing the visual appearance or aesthetics of the vehicle, though they can be involved in the creation of the product concept too. Often, auto designers have to redesign a given product to make it look aesthetically more appealing, as well as more functional. At some of the auto manufacturers headquarters, auto designers are also involved with the design of a new vehicle from scratch, to create a whole new product, while ensuring its utility for consumers. Most car companies and also scooter, motorbike and moped manufacturers have studios where teams of specialists work on drawings, models and the engineering aspects of the vehicle.
Animation film design
Animation and game design implies telling a story through communication design and moving images. In this computer age, animation and multimedia is an essential part of the education and entertainment industries. Integrating video, audio, text and graphic components in an interactive format, multimedia technology's applications are wide-ranging. Today animation and multi-media provides high growth careers in music, publishing, graphic arts, films, television, advertising, corporate communications and gaming. High-end gaming technology is transforming video games not only for children, but for the entertainment industry too.
Toy design
As long as there are babies and children there will be a need for toys and games and therefore toy and games designers. Toy designers come up with ideas and designs for baby-feeding products, educational and fun toys for helping a toddler to understand shape and colour, and developmental aids and games that fit in with the educational requirements of children of all ages. Teenagers require a different set of experiences from their games and these tend to become more adult and now mostly electronic. A designer, therefore, has to keep up with trends in popular culture as tastes in music, television and film also have an influence on the kind of toys and games they want. Today, toys are often made from plastic and other synthetic materials, although wood and other more sustainable products are becoming more widely available.
New media design
The new media is our highway of information and knowledge. New media design aims at understanding these media, and how they impact us, to create better design solutions. New media covers various media such as film, video, animation, but more specifically digital technology for physical or virtual products and processes. With convergence and new interactive technologies being developed every day, specialists in this area are required for the explosion of new devices and the technologies that drive them. New media design also includes mobile application design suitable for those who already have a working knowledge of computers and some design knowledge.
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In fine fettle
Gauri Chhabra
Almost a decade ago, when students used to express an interest in Fine Arts it was viewed as an avocation and not a vocation. Artists could not lead a comfortable life by making art as the nucleus of the career, so it remained at the periphery. However, with creativity and aesthetics entering almost all domains, Fine Arts has become not only an avocation but also a vocation and that too a lucrative one. In a layman’s terminology, Fine Arts include drawing, painting and sculpture; each expansive in itself forking into multiple pathways and inroads. Painting involves designing murals, portraits, sceneries using various types of mediums and on different surfaces. Sculpting is creating statues, monuments by either chiseling stone or carving wood or handling clay. This is a highly involving and time-consuming task. Modern sculptors use materials like reinforced cement, concrete, white bronze or plaster of Paris, all of which give amazing results. The changing face of art
Today artists have stepped out of their own world and brought about a confluence of creativity and commerce popularly called Commercial Art. Art joins hands with commerce and becomes an integral part of today’s business. A relatively new area — commercial art — is the application of different types of art media for commercial purposes such as creating advertisements, billboards, book jackets, window displays, cinema slides, technical catalogues, packaging etc. In case you wish to join this field, you not only need to be a good artist but also be adept in the ‘art’ of marketing and publicity. Some of the changing faces of art are:
Course cursor
There are several courses including Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Fine Arts. For BFA courses, one must have passed the Higher Secondary Examinations or Plus II. It is usually a four to five-year-long course. MFA course is open to BFA graduates. This is a two-year course. Other than these courses there are diploma and certificate courses in various streams of Fine Arts Undergraduation:
The eligibility required for bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts is a Plus II. Usually, the course duration for this course is three to four years in most of the institutes and universities. Foundation and specialisation course are taught in the first and remaining years, respectively. B.A (Fine Arts): Typically, it is a three-year course. It is a discipline which is developed for aesthetics and creativity. Subjects studied in this degree are drawing, painting, figure drawing, portraiture, watercolour, art-making concept development, and art history critique. BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts):
BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) offers a 3/ 4 years integrated course. The first year deals with integrated education in aesthetics, application of design and art, while the rest of the three years are meant for specialisation in niche arts like sculpture, painting, applied arts, history of art, graphic art, visual arts, graphic print making, and commercial arts. BMM, Bachelor of Multimedia: Bachelor of Multimedia is a four-year full-time degree programme offered at Apeejay College of Fine Arts Jalandhar. For admission to this course you must have obtained 45 per cent marks in aggregate in Plus II examination (any stream) from PSEB/CBSE or any other examination recognised as equivalent by the GNDU, Amritsar.
Post Graduation
After Post Graduation
Career prospects
Art has come out of the four walls of being a solitary pursuit and has entered almost all domains like art studios, advertising companies, publishing houses, fashion houses and the like. If you wish to go in for variety and flexibility you can chose to be a freelance artist. You can also foray into teaching, direction, photography, television, clothing and fashion, as art director for magazines, on-line services, software companies, publishing houses, manufacturers, advertising, promotion and product design. Today, art has spread its wings everywhere. In every piece of art in a newspaper, magazine, book, poster, and leaflet there’s a graphic artist. Here too, there are inroads. You can put the magazines together, draw the cartoons and graphics, develop visual aids like logos and designs for commercial houses or create illustrations for books and magazines in a publishing house, design websites, animate graphics, paint murals, paint faces, do anything under the sun. And you are no more solitary… there is a team with you. If you care to widen the canvas, you can foray into photography, landscape design, interior design, shop-window design, framing, and textile and clothing design. All these platforms would make your creative juices ooze and flow besides bringing lucre for you. By the time you know you would have made a vocation out of your avocation — a vocation that draws you into the realm of multinational companies along with the coveted job titles and fancy salaries. So, don’t curb your creative aptitude, just let your creative juices… and create a career compass of their
own…
— The writer is a Ludhiana-based career consultant
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Is developmental com a good option?
Pervin Malhotra
A. Simply put, Development Communication is communication targeted at bringing about social change. Development Communication covers a very broad spectrum and is equally applicable to the more traditional fields (agriculture, health and hygiene, nutrition, education, etc) as to newer areas such as citizen empowerment, gender rights, governance, urban and rural development, environment, etc. Development Communication studies, therefore, will train students to apply theories of development, media and communication, combined with an understanding of the prevailing social-economic, cultural and political scenario to design effective social campaigns…not to be confused with “social media” campaigns. A course in Development Communication equips you to become a skilled planner, manager, designer or implementer within the realm of the development sector. You will find employment prospects in government departments as well as non-governmental sector – International aid agencies, NGOs, Advertising agencies, Private sector organisation, advocacy groups, etc. Courses in this field are offered at several institutes and universities. The typical eligibility requirement for admission is a bachelor’s degree (in any area). Selection is on the basis of a written exam and an interview. Some of the prominent places courses are offered at:
Scope of philosophy honours course
A. While certainly an interesting subject that deals with fundamental questions related to ethics, metaphysics (nature of reality, knowledge, morality, and beliefs), politics and law, science and enquiry, etc, the careers that follow directly from a course in Philosophy are primarily limited to those in academia, research, and writing. However, this doesn’t mean that those who study the subject are stuck in dead-end, hopeless situation. As a course, philosophy forces to you to think, to question and analyse, it improves your skills in reasoning, logical thinking, critical analysis and reading and writing. These are the skills that can be applied to wide gamut of areas and are especially invaluable in fields such as management, administration and politics, to law, media and writing. Courses in these areas can be pursued at the post-graduate level where the skills acquired in your bachelor-level philosophy course will not only help with the entrances and the course, but also when it comes to practical work later on.
BBA vs IIM-I
(IPM)
A. First of all congrats on your excellent performance — both in the board exams and the IIM-I entrance. You sure are facing a tough decision. However, in the stress of the decision, do take a minute to smile and pat yourself on the back. Here’s my take on it: If you’re quite clear that post your bachelor’s degree (BBA, BMS, BCom, etc), you will definitely pursue an MBA, then opting for IIM Indore’s Integrated Programme in Management makes sense. Why? One, you’re assured of an IIM qualification and all that it enables and represents. Two, you’ll also complete your studies earlier — two to three years on average. If you opt for the BBA, you’ll have contend with cracking the CAT at the 99th percentile and above! The competition level at the CAT entrance is, to my mind, more intense than that for the BBA at Symbiosis or BMS of Delhi University or IIM Indore’s programme (you’ll be competing with engineers, CAs, Eco, BCom and BBA students from across the country). At that point you may well get into an IIM (better or similarly-ranked) or you may not, at least in your first attempt. Then you add the time and effort devoted to the second or third attempt. If there’s any doubt in your mind regarding an MBA or you wish to pursue it from a leading university abroad, then the BBA programme may be the way to go. This route will also allow you the opportunity to choose to work for a few years, test the waters, discover for yourself your interest and suitability for a particular specialisation – Marketing, Finance, Operations, etc. The saving grace of the dilemma that you find yourself in is that neither is a bad or wrong decision. Just look around you and you’ll find plenty of folks willing to give an arm and a leg to get into either course!
email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com
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smart strategy: handling promotion Ragini Gulati
As a consequence before taking the plunge take some time to understand the new role. Focus on knowing your staff, defining duties and implementing procedures. Also be prepared to handle peers who have suddenly turned into subordinates. They may need time to accept changes in the way things are done as well as your relationship with them. With some careful planning, one can lay the right groundwork for becoming a successful manager. Understand new role
The foremost step on getting a promotion is to understand the new duties. Schedule a meeting with the immediate supervisor to know their expectations from you. Find out how they envisage your contribution to the organisation’s vision for the next few years. Gain clarity on key problems that require instant attention and risks that may arise eventually. Enquire about resources that shall be made available to facilitate your transition. Be specific on the kinds of support you would require during the course of work. Also ask the boss just how much authority you have rather than finding out by hit and trial method. Shying away from asking questions will not only lead to frustration but also failure.
Ask for training
Subsequent to understanding the role, request human resource for training. Promotion is more or less like starting a new job since it is accompanied with unfamiliar challenges. Make a list of your strengths and what you need to focus on improving within your new role. Speak to your reporting manager on developing management skills like problem solving, leadership and motivation. Explore options for formal training both within the organisation as well as outside. For example the research programmes and seminars being offered in the areas you want to improve upon. Another option is to participate in short courses to learn the basic management skills. Whilst training doesn’t make a leader, it can definitely help in team management.
Know your team
Once the announcement has been made, establish dialogue with each member of the team. Reach out individually to all those who shall now be directly or indirectly reporting to you. Let them know what your goals are for the department and how they will be measured. Make an effort to understand each person’s profile, their feelings about the job and things they would like to see changed. Encourage them to speak up on their expectations from you in your role as a manager. However, avoid making any decisions or promises in the heat of the moment that are unrealistic. Most importantly be clear on the amount of authority you will delegate to the team members.
Learn to delegate
One of the biggest mistakes that new managers make is the failure to delegate. They continue to function as an individual contributor by doing everything themselves. However, an important aspect of being a supervisor is getting work done through others. The key is to identify tasks that can be delegated to team members in accordance with their strengths. As a consequence take time to understand the preferences and working patterns of each member. Make sure to explain the purpose, desired outcome and turnaround whilst assigning a responsibility. Offer support and guidance to overcome obstacles which may arise. Delegation will not only allow you to share your work load but also give the team an opportunity to grow.
Make slow changes
Whilst it is tempting to change things that seem wrong, hold yourself back. Spend some time to observe the environment before turning everything upside down. Make an effort to uncover reasons behind the existing policies and procedures. Take notes on how the team handles work and jot down ideas for potential improvement. Also consider the inputs of your reporting manager as well as the team members. Eventually, implement initiatives one at a time to see what works and what doesn’t. Reflect on your initial assumptions and modify your approach when the results are not as anticipated. Irrespective of the circumstances, make sure to bring about changes in a slow and deliberate manner.
Seek a mentor
The transition from an individual performer to a manager is not an easy one. Enlist the help of an experienced supervisor who has successfully made this journey. Pick a person whom you consider reliable and trustworthy enough to listen too. In addition to seeking their advice, run your ideas through them before putting into action. A mentor’s skills, expertise and knowledge can guide you in your new role. Some organisations even offer formal mentoring programmes to their employees. However, in the absence of such a programme, informally approach the person you truly admire. Also network with achievers and establish personal relationships with them. Having a solid support system will lay the foundation for your continued success.
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hiring scene
With just two per cent y-o-y increase in hiring, the India Inc.’s hiring sentiment has remained cautious in June, according to the Naukri Job Speak Index
The job speak index is 7 per cent lower in June’ 13 when compared to May’ 13. Delhi-NCR has emerged as the major hiring hub with 21 per cent rise in hiring in June ’13 when compared to June’12. For most of the sectors, the hiring figures have been slightly sluggish on a month on month basis. However on a y-o-y basis, ITES sector created the maximum jobs with 47 per cent increase in the index value in June’13 followed by Healthcare, Banking and IT with 14, 5 and 3 per cent rise in values. Commenting on the hiring scene in the country Hitesh Oberoi, MD and CEO Info Edge (India) Ltd said, “The macroeconomic environment is still not very robust and the pattern of job creation in this quarter has been quite symbolic of caution and vigilance taking cues from the weakened global economic parameters. However, across industries and functions, hiring should stay resilient over a longer term. Sustainable growth will take time to settle into place.” — TNS
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Room to grow
Khushwant S. Gill Things were looking not too bright for Asha, the new-hire in the company. It has been two months since she had joined the company, and her manager is worried because the initial potential shown by her in the interviews and in her work has not panned out. It is as if she is unable to keep up with the pace of the office. Then there is the problem of communication — she is increasingly withdrawn and given to terse one-word replies. The manager knows that he has to do something, but he is swamped with work and just doesn’t have the time to focus on and mentor an individual employee. This scenario is increasingly common at the workplace today. Degrees don’t seem to carry the weight that they once did, as our colleges and universities are churning out graduates with sub-par analytical, creative and communication skills. We’ve long bemoaned our unimaginative and moribund higher education system, but now the chickens are finally coming home to roost. Of course, in the scenario above, Asha is not entirely to blame. The onus rests equally on the time-pressed manager who finds himself unable to mentor the new hire. At a macro level, the three biggest worldwide HR challenges are retaining and rewarding the best employees, developing the next generation of corporate leaders and creating a corporate culture that attracts the best employees to organisations. For various reasons around the world, the pool of working-age and qualified people, as a percentage of the total population, is getting smaller. In China this is due to the one-child policy and in the West due to the aging generation of baby boomers. In India, where the demographic situation is reversed, the paucity of a qualified workforce results from the dismal output of most of our colleges and universities. It is a well-known fact that besides the top institutions in various fields, most others are churning out graduates who find it tough to fit into the ‘employable’ category. This generation is fast becoming “the lost one”. And this bodes ill for our industry and economy, not to mention the ticking time-bomb it represents for society. Coming back to Asha’s case, all was not lost for her as her company’s HR policies could address just such a situation. Her company is implementing a lifelong learning vision by tailoring career paths and organisational goals into one harmonious tapestry. And how is this done? The company puts time and resources into building inclusive, shared and sustainable cultures. Regular and periodic employee training programmes — in domain skills and soft skills — target new and seasoned employees alike. All this allows employees to feel more a part of the workplace and enable them to make empowered decisions. This investment in the employees’ growth has the added benefit of making the organisation not only more desirable to future employees, but to its customers too. So, for Asha, her manager and her company, things are looking up. She is learning to work more closely with her co-workers and realising that flexibility and adaptation are the keys to a successful career. Her manager devotes more time now to monitoring the growth of his employees as that is inextricably linked with his and the company's growth. It's an upbeat ending to a short tale, but one that can happily be duplicated by companies and individuals adopting a shared and inclusive outlook. Because it's not only about how much you know, but about how much you can grow.
— The writer is an organisational identity and personnel development consultant
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Skilling students through virtual classrooms
Technology is fast changing the face of the education system in our country. While online education doesn’t need an introduction anymore, it is the virtual classroom that is the new concept that the students are fast exploring now. Cloud campuses and virtual classrooms offer an opportunity to students even in the remote areas to get the best education experience. The Direct-to-Desktop concept launched by education provider and skill training group Talentedge recently is one such endeavour. Aditya Malik, CEO of the company talks about the new service and how it is going to enrich the learning and skills training experience. Excerpts: How successful has the use of latest technology been in delivering education in a country like India? India is slowly waking up to the benefits of online courses and virtual classrooms. In our vast country there is a tremendous scope for these as by using these concepts we can increase the reach of education to a very large number of students and those even in the remotest parts of the country can get exposure to the latest instructional techniques. Learning actually involves education, exposure and experience and in India till now the stress has solely been on the education part. Exposure and experience have largely been ignored in institutions and colleges and this has led to a lack of employability skills in a large number of college pass outs. Thus there is a need for courses that give sufficient exposure of best of faculty as well as curriculum to students. How is the Direct-to-desktop programme going to be different from the online courses? Over time it has been noticed that students lose focus and motivation in online courses after sometime. Along with this there is very less interaction. The direct to desktop programme is flexible like the online courses and interactive like virtual classrooms so the students will get the best of both worlds. It is a live education service which students can avail of on their desktop. All that is needed is a PC and a home broadband connection. It involves interactive training in which students can get lessons from renowned faculty from all over the world in the comfort of their home. The assessment is also online and virtual labs take care of the practical part of instruction. Like for management courses we have virtual labs and there are live case studies that students can take up. What type of courses are you offering through this module? To begin with a couple of certificate courses in management and IT have been launched. ACCA, the largest CA body in the world is launching programmes in this module. Certifications are from premium colleges and are recognised globally. Who can join these courses? Our target group is generally the final year students or fresher having 0 to 10 years of work experience. What is the duration of different courses and how much do these cost? Duration of coursesmay range between 24 hours of teaching and 50 to 60 hours of teaching. as for the cost factor, these are very affordable considering the fact that the students don’t need to step out of their homes to get world class education. The courses may cost as little as Rs 7,000 for an IT course of 40-hour duration to Rs 70,000 for a year-long course We plan to reach at least 15,000 students by the end of this year and plan to open 15 to 18 centres in the region. — As told to Geetu Vaid
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Trained professionals needed to change the game
Challenges
For employment, there is no dearth of candidates particularly in the field of HR, Finance, Marketing, IT & Engineering and the supply is more than the demand whereas there is a real shortage of professionals from Foreign Trade, International Business segment. According to UGC data of the students enrolled for various streams in 2010-11, surprisingly there is no mention of higher education specifically in the field of International Business. Our education system till graduation level does not provide much knowledge and awareness on International Trade, Export- Import Business inspite of the fact that Export-Import Sector is the backbone of Indian economy and is an integral part of the growth of two-way trade. As such it becomes imperative that the students at the middle of their career path irrespective of their streams must atleast know the basics, Do’s and Don’ts of the export-import business.
Lack of proper training
The sad part is that there is a real shortage of professionals in this field as most of the educational institutions, colleges, etc. don’t have any particular course on Foreign Trade or Export Import Management in their curriculum at graduation and PG levels. There are very few colleges and universities that offer a specific course on International Business — the only one being IIFT (Indian Institute Of Foreign Trade) which is a Deemed University and offers a full-fledged PG degree exclusively in Foreign Trade and also provides the multi-dimensional development of students to become successful professionals particularly in the field of Foreign Trade Business and Management. The candidates passing out from IIFT are handpicked from the campus and get handsome pay packages. The lowest average pay scale of the IIFT candidates were to the tune of Rs 12.4 lakh and highest Rs 22 lakh per annum in March 2013 campus placements. There are certain other universities/colleges as well which offer degree/diploma courses in International Business but most of the colleges do not have International Business (IB) course as one of the specialisation in their MBA programmes. From 2010 onwards Exim Enterprises (www.eximchd.com) has been imparting coaching and practical training for export-import, International Trade Business to the interested MBA students, companies executives, manufacturers, traders and other interested individuals etc. The coaching is based on practical experience and covers all aspects of the export-import business prevailing presently and is provided to individuals on one-on-one basis.
Scope
There is a tremendous scope and opportunities for the candidates who pass out with specialisation in International Business - Foreign Trade. The candidates can look for career opportunities with export houses, star export houses, star trading houses, premier trading houses, multi-product groups (non-export houses), automobile companies, MSMEs and MSEs in the field of engineering goods, OEMs suppliers, 100% EOUs, food processing, drug and pharmaceutical industries, wood and brass ware handicraft exporters, gem and jewellery exporters, artificial jewellery exporters, fashion garments and boutique owners and service providers e.g. engineering and design consultancy organisations, architects and interior designing, fashion and textile designing, arts and crafts, etc. Candidates can also start their own ventures by having proper knowledge of the subject and understanding nitti gritties of this business and avail of the various incentives and support as provided by the government at Central and state level to promote export. There is a huge gap in demand and supply in India of professionals in the field of International Trade and this gap is becoming wider day by day, more so because of the government’s FDI policy. A lot of foreign brands have already set shop in India through different routes like franchisee, wholly owned subsidiaries (WOS) or joint ventures (JV) with Indian firms/partners, thereby increasing the employment potential of such candidates who either have experience or have right qualification in International Business- Foreign Trade.
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Fashion entrepreneurship
International College of Fashion (ICF), New Delhi, is inviting applications for admission to undergraduate and PG diploma courses and MBA in fashion entrepreneurship. Course and details: BBA in Fashion Entrepreneurship
Duration: 3-year Industry-integrated programme. Eligibility: Plus II in any discipline from a recognised board with at least 45 per cent marks in Class XII. Candidate waiting for the board results may also apply.
Course and details: MBA in Fashion Entrepreneurship + PGDFE (Post Graduate Diploma in Fashion Entrepreneurship)
Duration: 2-year Industry-integrated programme Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline from a recognised university or an equivalent degree with at least 45 per cent marks in three years. Candidate applying for their final year exams may also apply.
Course and details: Post Graduate Diploma in Fashion Entrepreneurship
Duration: 1 year (10 month classroom + 2 months internship) Eligibility:
The Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent qualification) obtained by the candidate must entail a minimum of 3 years of education after completing Higher Secondary School (10 + 2 or equivalent. How to apply:
Online Deadline: July 31, 2013 Check out: www.icf.edu.in
BSc in Sports Technology
Loughborough University’s (UK) School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering is inviting applications for its undergraduate honours degree programme in sports technology. The course: The three-year course has been devised for students who wish to pursue a career in the expanding sports-related industry. The curriculum covers all the major themes focusing on sports equipment and facilities such as the design of sports equipment, use of materials in equipment design, methods of manufacture, the role of computer aided design, ergonomic aspects in sports equipment design, biomechanics, sports physiology, evaluation and testing of sports equipment and business studies for the sports industry. The students also have the option of choosing a 4-year sandwich course wherein they have the opportunity to pursue a full year of assessed industrial training between the second and third years of academic studies, leading to the additional award of a Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS). Eligibility: Students wishing to apply for the course should achieve an overall Class XII score of 80 per cent Fee: £16,750. How to apply: All applications must be made online through the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS- http://www.ucas.com/). Deadline: July 31, 2013 Check out:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/
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Interview mantra
Adman, entrepreneur, author, Sandeep Goyal and lawyer-in-the-making daughter, Carol Goyal, have joined hands to write a get-ahead primer, You’re Hired!. The book walks its readers through the rights and wrongs of an interview, the varied perspectives of hiring organisations and how best to prepare for the job on offer. It is a simulation of reality-driven interviews, as the Goyals decode the jargon, and mumbo-jumbo, over job interviews for prospective candidates, and outline the expectations of the organisation as well as the aspirant. A thought provoking and informative read, the first half takes you on a ride through real life interviews from varied domains like the telecom industry, the advertising world, a PE fund, a professional cricket team, an NGO and lots more. While the Goyals leave the interpretation of the narrated interviews to the readers in the initial half of the book, they scrutinise each interview in the second half with extensive expert interventions that explain, elaborate and elucidate the interviews to the readers. The book is full of reviews, insights, remarks and tips as the writers also don the ‘critic’ cap during the rewind of the interviews in the latter half of the book. The book is now available for sale on online retail sites like Flipkart, Snapdeal, and Homeshopl8. Fruitful enterprise
You have a job. And an idea for a business. What do you do then?
Crisp, reader-friendly and practical, Entrepreneur 5 pm to 9 am tells how you can become an entrepreneur even if you have a full-time job and are risk-averse. With facts, flowcharts and illustrations, this is a fast and super-useful read-from which the reader will come away with a clear and solid roadmap for converting his idea into a viable enterprise and taking your venture from zero to launch. With case studies, anecdotes and easy-to-follow guidelines, this book tells how one can realise the dream of being an entrepreneur and provides with widely tested and proven methods that dramatically reduce risks of failure; shows how you can make your products a profitable one even before significant investments are made; discusses how you can increase the valuation of your start-up in order to successfully obtain funding; explains how you can align your business goals with wider life goals and leverage your personal strengths; tells you how to launch a start-up that you will enjoy building. Read this book if you’ve ever had an idea that you want to turn into a profitable business endeavour.
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Happiness @ work
In no situation, howsoever hopeless, should one become despondent. Remember if God shuts one door, he opens another.
As the Roman rulers were taking a census, Joseph and Mary had to return to their hometown Bethlehem to register their names. On their arrival in the town, they were unable to find even a single empty room in the inns there. As they came out of the town, Joseph sighted a stable. As Mary was in a delicate condition — pregnant with Jesus — they decided to take shelter there. During a tussle with his brothers, Sangram Singh had lost his right eye. On the run, he found refuge at a rebel Rajput camp headed by Karam Chand. Sangram fell in love with the head’s daughter and wanted to elope with her, but Karam got the whiff of his plans. Luckily for Sangram, Karam agreed to the marriage. As a wedding present, Karam decided to make his son-in-law his successor. Sangram refused and declared that he was Rana Sanga, eldest son of Rana Raimal of Mewar. Sanga returned to the palace with his bride and ascended the throne after his father’s death. In 19th century India, girls were not allowed to study and were married off early. Widows were not permitted to remarry. In this scenario, educationist Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar found himself up against the wall whenever he spoke of these subjects. Many thought he was crazy, friends avoided him and critics wanted him behind bars or killed. Luckily for him, he met John Drinkwater Bethume, law member of the Governor-General’s Council. In May 1849, the duo set up the Bethune School and Hindu Balika Vidyalaya for the uplift of girls. In April 1540, Mughal Emperor Humayun was rendered without a kingdom after a confrontation with Sher Shah at Kanauj. His brothers Kamran, Askari and Hindal rebelled against him. He sought the refuge of Raja Maldev of Marwar but came to know that the Raja had plans to capture him on arrival. So, in bone-chilling winter, he went to Persia and got the help of Shah Tahmasp. 15 years later, he settled his scores with his brothers, defeated Sher Shah’s grandson Sikandar Sur and re-entered Delhi. For winners, no resort is the last. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan The writer can be contacted at
svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com
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Emaad Muzaffer wins World Student Icon Award
Tata Technologies ties up with BITS Pilani
Tata Technologies has inked an agreement with Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, to design and implement specialised educational programmes for skill development of engineering professionals, students and faculty. Tata Technologies would support the existing Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) industry interface programmes, while the latter would run specialised programmes created with expert industry perspective and inputs from Tata Technologies, according to a release. This will lead to specific degrees of BITS through its off-campus Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP), it added. Tata Technologies is the engineering services and manufacturing enterprise IT arm of the Tata Group. As a first step, a select group of employees from Tata Technologies will undergo a specially designed master’s programme (MS) in Automotive Engineering from BITS. The employees enrolled in this programme will attend classes online through virtual classrooms without being dislocated from their work environment. The first batch will start in August 2013. — TNS
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scholarship roundup
Eligibility: Eligibility criteria for college scholarships are listed below:
Details: Scholarship amounts range from INR 5,000 to INR 12,000 per student year. NSF uses uniform eligibility criteria to identify poor but meritorious students across chapters. The scholarship process begins at the chapter level in India with an announcement by the India Chapter Coordinator (ICC). Each India chapter has a volunteer who acts as the ICC, who is responsible for all activities of the chapter – from forming the selection committee, reviewing applications, interviewing applicants and giving the scholarship checks at an awards ceremony. Volunteers who live in the USA and are closely associated with a chapter in India act as liaisons. Duration: North South Foundation supports a student through the entire course of their study as long as they maintain a good academic standard. How to apply: Online. Applicants can also apply by downloading an application form, filling and sending it to the relevant chapter address given in each of the chapter pages. Deadline: October 30, 2013. Check out: http://www.northsouth.org/public/india/scholarships.aspx Scheme for students with disabilities The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC), for and on behalf of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India is inviting applications for scholarships for students with disabilities. Under this scheme, 500 national scholarships will be awarded to pursue higher academic/professional or technical qualification at graduation and above level. Study subject (s): Scholarships are provided to study any available course at universities. Course Level: Scholarships are offered for pursuing higher academic/professional or technical qualification at graduation and above level. Eligibility: Monthly income of the beneficiary/parent or guardian should not be more than Rs 15, 000 from all sources. Family income includes income of parent/guardian. Scholarship holder under this scheme will not concurrently hold any other scholarship/stipend. Details: Scholarship of Rs 1000 p.m. for hostelers and Rs 700 p.m. for day scholars studying in professional courses at graduation and above level and Rs 700 p.m. for hostelers and Rs 400 p.m. for day scholars pursuing diploma/certificate level professional courses will be awarded. Course fee reimbursed up to the ceiling of Rs 10, 000 per year. Financial assistance can be given for computer with editing software for blind/deaf graduate and post graduate students pursuing professional courses and for support access software for cerebral palsy students. How to apply: Applicant has to apply online. The applicant has to submit a hard copy of the application duly recommended by the head of the institution. Deadline: August 31, 2013. Check out: http://www.nhfdc.nic.in Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships The government of Canada offers PhD scholarships for Canadian and international students in Canada. The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) programme was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global center of excellence in research and higher learning. Eligibility: To be nominated for a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS), you must:
Details: It is worth $50,000 per year for three years Selection criteria: Candidates are evaluated and selected based on the following criteria:
Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability), as defined by the following qualities:
How to apply: Applications are prepared by the student and submitted to the university by the nominating university’s internal deadline using the ResearchNet application system. Deadline: November 6, 2013. Check out: http://www.vanier.gc.can
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Career Hotline
The dress you wear, the house you live in, the car you drive, the phone you use - all these diverse elements have one thing in common - they all have some basics of design. Furniture, clothes, jewellery, ceramics, interiors, textiles, graphics, mobile applications, TV and film — you name it and design is an integral part of it. Today design translates into providing creative solutions applicable to any sphere of activity. As the economy booms and people have higher incomes and better lifestyles, we look for products and services that are not only functional and serve a need, but also those that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye. No wonder the design industry has expanded and today covers practically every product and service. Moreover the creative business is technology driven, business oriented and highly competitive with a need for people who can provide new ideas, create, produce and market them.
A career in fashion styling involves a good knowledge of fashion with an intrinsic aesthetic sense which enables you to work in fashion shows, advertising and theatre, television and film industry, and with fashion publications and styling agencies for image make-overs.
Harpreet Singh, a student of BFA final year, who took up Fine Arts against the wishes of his family, is upbeat about the changing perceptions about this subject area. '“For first two years, my father was upset that I chose to become an artist. He is a happy man ever since I joined Infosys as a Graphic Designer”.
More and more students are getting placed in the leading advertising companies and print media. Of late the perspective of the students has also changed. Fine Arts is no longer viewed as a peripheral career option. The pro-art wave that started in the metro cities is catching up in Punjab although awareness about the various career options available still needs to be created.
Q. What is the scope of developmental communication in India and which are the colleges where I can do this? What are the requirements for taking up this subject? —
Q. What is the scope of courses like philosophy honours? — 
Q. I have been selected for the five-year IPM course at IIM, Indore and have also got admission in Symbiosis for BBA as well as in BCom. Please guide me whether I should go for the BBA and later give CAT or choose the IIM, Indore option? I had secured 94 per cent marks in Class XII.
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A much-awaited moment in every professional’s life is promotion to the next level. It is the coveted recognition for one’s hardwork, sacrifice and dedication. Whilst the advancement in career is exciting, it is accompanied with challenges. The transition is especially difficult when one becomes a first-time manager. There is a huge difference between contributing as an individual and managing a team. Supervision requires an entirely different skill set and leadership qualities.
India’s share of exports by Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) in its total exports has been estimated at 43 per cent in 2011-12 according to Ministry of MSME and the number of people employed by this sector is around 80 million. As per DGCI&S data, the last three years MSME exports increased by approximately 60 per cent from $ 82,494 million in 2009-10 to $ 1,31,483 million in 2011-12.
The lepers of Calcutta had nowhere to go. So they paid Mother Teresa a visit. “As soon as we are diagnosed with leprosy, our families and villages drive us away,” they told her. So Mother Teresa started a colony called Shanti Nagar where people with leprosy own houses and earn a living by farming, spinning or carpentry.
Emaad Muzaffer, a student of Manav Rachna International School (MRIS) Sector, 46 Gurgaon, won the 'The World Student Icon Award' at Auckland, New Zealand on 6th July 2013. A total of 1800 delegates across 60 countries had participated in the 19th Annual World Leadership Congress for Youth. There were 12 sessions held this year which focused primarily on key economic policies of The United Nations Economic and Social Council. After the semi-final task which centered around 'Renewable Energy and Sustainable Economic Development' 10 delegates were nominated for 'The World Student Icon Award'. Emaad representing India was one of them competing against delegates from Brazil, Tokyo, UAE, Sri Lanka, England, Australia, China, South Africa and Turkey.
North South Foundation (NSF) is offering college scholarships to undergraduate students entering into engineering, medicine or three-year polytechnic (diploma in engineering) at a government college (including seats in Government Aided colleges). NSF also considers BVSc, BSc Ag, B Pharma and Nursing courses. Approximately 1,000 scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and financial need to support a student through the entire course of their study as long as they maintain a good academic standard.
