Food processing
Tasting success
Gauri Chhabra

Have you ever wondered how grains from the farm become cornflakes on your breakfast table, how apples and oranges in orchards become squashes and marmalades, how milk becomes cheese or milk powder? Well, all this is the part of the journey of food from farm to fork through the route of food processing.

The changing face

Food processing has evolved substantially over the past few years. Its scope is now much beyond simple food preservation, packaging and transportation, which mainly involved salting, curdling, drying, pickling.

Today, it has entered the flourishing hypermarkets and organised Retail. In the time-crunched society, with working couples, many new items are now a part of its repertoire like ready-to-eat food, beverages, processed and frozen fruit and vegetable products, marine and meat products.

It uses techniques that make food less prone to spoilage. Some of the techniques used are spray drying, freeze drying and the introduction of artificial sweeteners, colourants, and preservatives.

It also includes the establishment of post-harvest infrastructure for processing of various food items like cold storage facilities, food parks, packaging centers, value-added centers, irradiation facilities and modernised abattoir.

The food processing spectrum includes primary and secondary processing, preservation, quality management, packaging and labeling of a variety of products such as fruit and vegetable products, dairy products, fish products, meat and poultry products, confectionery products and food grains.

Course cursor

You can go in for degree, diploma, certificate and short-term programmes to become an expert in this field.

At the degree level, three-year BSc courses in home science/food technology/food science can be pursued after clearing the Plus II with physics, chemistry, and biology as main subjects.

Further, four-year BTech courses in food technology are also conducted, with the same eligibility criteria. One can seek admission in MSc and MTech programmes in food and nutrition, home science, food technology, and biotechnology, at the post graduate level.

Later, food technologists can choose their respective fields of specialisation, namely — sugar, alcohol, bakery, oil, fruits and vegetables, and so on, through PhD programme in food technology, biotechnology, or food preservation.

Some of the courses are:

• Diploma in Food Science Technology
• Diploma in Food Science, Preservation and Management
• BSc Food Technology
• BSc Food Science
• BSc Food and Nutrition
• BSc in Food Preservation
• BTech Food Engineering
• MSc Food Science
• MSc Food Technology
• MSc Food and Fermentation Technology and Food Science

Income avenues

Despite the fact that the food processing industry is at a nascent stage in India, it offers good income avenues to trained professionals.

Moreover, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries has an ambitious plan to set up food parks across the country in every parliamentary constituency so that a real food revolution can be brought about and employment can be generated.

The avenues can be in the field of self- employment, or in food research laboratories, catering companies, food wholesalers, hospitals, and restaurants. Bakers, trimmers, fish cutters, slaughterers, meat packers, food-batch makers, food cooking machine operators, are required in substantial numbers and there is a dearth of all these professionals in a growing food sector in India.

This sector has also opened up a host of income-generating avenues for farmers and rural youth who want to diversify their agricultural activities. Here are some of the avenues that farmers can explore to increase their income:

Agro processing

The food processing industry in India has a very potent market for consumer food, including pasta, breads, cakes, pastries, biscuits, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products. If you are an agriculturist, you can generate extra income by setting up a processing plant that processes your wheat and converts it into flour for bakeries for breads, restaurants and the like.

Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana, runs regular training programmes for farmers on Agro processing. Dr Ashok Kumar, Prof and Head, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, PAU says, “In order to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship among the rural youth and encourage value addition and diversification in farming and farm produce, we run training programmes from Monday to Friday on Agro Processing. The training includes techniques of processing wheat into flour, turmeric into turmeric powder for value addition and increasing the shelf life. The farmers are informed about the training through advertisements in the newspapers and through Krishi Vigyan Kendras”.

When asked about the initial investment required for setting up an Agro Processing Unit he said, “The initial investment depends upon the type of plant and the type of machinery required , whether it is flour milling or rice milling. However, it ranges between Rs 10 lakh to 25 lakh. The expected revenue that can be generated is double to triple of the raw material.”

Dairy product marketing

In the dairy sector, most of the processing is done by the unorganised sector. Though the share of organised sector is less than 15 per cent, it is expected to rise rapidly, especially in the urban areas. You can combine your degree in Food Processing with an MBA and seek a job with the leading giants in dairy products like Nestle, Amul etc.

Fruit & vegetable processing

Among the agriculture commodities, fruits and vegetables are the most perishable. These are available in seasonal surplus and get wasted in large quantities due to the absence of technical know-how, or proper handling, distribution, marketing, and storage and product development for processed food products. The Department of Food technology, PAU, Ludhiana, runs the following short- term training programmes in fruit preservation:

• Home Preservation of Fruits and Vegetables
• Soyabean Processing
• Preparation of Value added products from grains eg pasta and noodles
• Preparation of dairy products

Dr Amarjit Kaur, Head, Department of Food Technology says, “The training on home preservation of fruits and vegetables is imparted twice a year. These help in fostering entrepreneurship skills in rural youth. They are also guided about the loan schemes and government subsidies available for setting up of these plants.

Institute watch Quite a number of universities and institutes can be approached for acquiring knowledge in food processing. The major institutes conducting courses and programmes in food processing and related fields are: PAU, Ludhiana Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai Fruit Technology Institute, Lucknow Krish Vishwavidyalaya, Himachal Pradesh National Dairy Research Institute at Karnal and Bangalore

 

Farmers and rural youth should get trained and set up agro-processing units. This would generate employment and also prevent the migration of youth to urban areas besides improving the overall quality of farm produce. — Ashok Kumar, Prof and Head, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, PAU

Career Hotline
How can I overcome my stammering problem?
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I am a science student. Although I’m expecting at least 80 per cent marks, my problem is that I stammer, which causes me great deal of embarrassment. Please guide me, which career I should choose, keeping in mind my this limitation. I’m afraid I’ll lose out at the interview stage itself when applying for jobs. — Anurag Nag

A. Don’t worry, stammering is not a permanent disability. It is largely curable with some medical help and determination on your part. Any job that involves research, or deskwork, should be the best for you to begin with. Once you gain in confidence, you can slowly graduate to activities that involve more interactions with people. Just proceed one step at a time — and you’ll be amazed at the progress you will make. You’re a bright young man with all you faculties intact. Make the most of life and the opportunities it throws up. Don’t let a minor problem like stammering deter you from doing anything you dream to do. Also remember this cardinal truth: People take their cues from you; if you are not embarrassed or self-conscious, no one can possibly make you feel uncomfortable. Try composing your speech in your mind before you speak. You’ll find it helps immensely. “Practice” is the operative word here.

Remember the story of Demosthenes? This determined Athenian youth not only overcame his awful speech impediment but also went on to become one of the greatest orators and statesmen of all time. His modus operandi (not that I recommend it to you): Simple. Running up and down the beach while reciting complex texts over and over again with pebbles stuffed in his mouth! Do consult a good speech therapist to get the right professional tips and advice. Also, sign up for a short course in dramatics, if possible. It may sound daunting at the outset, but will work wonders in terms of boosting your confidence. Try it. You have nothing to lose but your hesitation.

Roadmap for a career in astronomy

Q. I’m a non-medical student. What courses should one pursue after Class XII for a career in astronomy? — Ishan Dhawan

A. There are many different fields of astronomy. So the answer to your question essentially depends upon your own interests.

If you’re interested in experimental astronomy or instrumentation — working with your hands in an instrument-building team, then you may go in for the engineering option.

On the other hand, if you prefer theoretical astronomy or observational astronomy where mathematical ability and physical intuition are essential, you could opt for the science stream in college. Studying physics and maths is critical for pursuing astronomy. As far as the future career options are concerned, especially if you later decide that you don’t want to pursue science, the engineering option may be preferable.

No university in India offers an undergraduate programme specifically in astronomy. However, there are several options at the master’s and PhD levels.

You need a BSc or BTech in physics or engineering subjects to apply for a master’s or Integrated PhD degree programme at one of the reputed institutions. Good programming skills are invaluable in this field.

Should I opt for MBA after MSc?

Q. I am a student of MSc (Physics) final year. Should I go for MBA after this? Which are the good colleges other than the IIMs for MBA? — Kavita Maira

A. I hope you are not turning your back on physics somewhat prematurely. Have you explored options open to you in areas of higher research, defence technology, teaching? If you’re clear that business management is your calling, the skills you’ve developed while studying physics —the ability to research, evaluate and communicate information, will hold you in good stead in any field you may choose to train for — management, engineering, information technology, aviation, and the armed forces.

However, believe it or not, management education (MBA/PGDBM) is NOT the appropriate choice for everyone. While technically, you’re eligible to sit for all the B-school entrance exams like CAT, XAT, SNAP, MAT, NMAT etc, do question your real motives for an MBA — is it money, status, job prospects? If you don't, you can bet that the admission committee definitely will! A well thought-out answer to “why MBA?” must incorporate your academic background, skills and future career goals. While the IIMs are certainly worth aiming for,, the next rung of top 15-20 B-Schools also offer a comparable business education and platform to launch your career.

Email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

Scholarship roundup

Azim Premji Foundation Fellowship

The Azim Premji Foundation is offering a two-year fellowship programme in which the applicants will get to understand and experience the realities of rural government schools. The fellowship includes 22 months of field work based on any one of district institutes, combined with class work to conceptualise the experience.

Eligibility: Applicants should have 2 to 6 years of work experience, with a post-graduate or a professional degree in any discipline.

Details: The fellowship carries a monthly stipend of ~26,000. The Fellows may also be offered employment opportunities in the Foundation, at an appropriate compensation package.

Selection criteria: After submitting the online application, shortlisted candidates will go through a test which will be a combination of multiple choice questions and essay-type questions. The test will have sections that examine candidates on social awareness, passion to contribute to the social sector, good interpersonal skills, openness to learn, and result orientation. Candidates, who clear the written test, will be called for a personal interview.

How to apply: Online.

Deadline: July 28, 2013.

Check out: http://azimpremjifoundation.org/fellowship

Indian Oil Educational Scholarship Scheme

Indian Oil offers Educational Scholarship Scheme to students for pursuing 10+/ITI, Engineering, MBBS & MBA degree level at Indian universities. Indian Oil offers 2600 scholarships for students of 10+/ITI, Engineering, MBBS & MBA Courses on merit-cum-means basis. 2000 scholarships are offered for 10+/ITI students.

Eligibility: Students pursuing full time/regular courses (not correspondence/distance/online mode) in these streams and studying in schools/colleges/institutions/universities recognised by MCI/AICTE/State Education Boards/State Govt. /ICSE/ISC/CBSE/ Central Govt. /Association of Indian universities, shall be eligible to apply for the different streams as under :

-10+/ITI: (For 10+) – Bonafide students (full time / regular) in Class XI/Ist Year of Intermediate course or equivalent course in 2013-14 are eligible to apply. (For ITI) – Bonafide students (full-time/regular) in the 1st year of 2 years ITI course in 2013-14 are eligible to apply.

Engineering & MBBS: Bonafide students (full time/regular) in the first year of Engineering/MBBS degree courses in 2013-14 (minimum 4 years course duration) are eligible to apply.

MBA : Bonafide students (full time/regular) in the first year of 2 years post graduate course in Business Administration/Management in 2013-14 are eligible to apply.

• The marks obtained in the qualifying examination making the students eligible to seek admission in the respective first year of these courses will be considered for selection. Minimum eligibility percentage of marks required for the students of various categories in the qualifying examination.
• Percentage of marks obtained in qualifying examination shall be calculated on total aggregate marks of all subjects. In case of Graduates, percentage of marks obtained shall be calculated on total aggregate of marks of all subjects for all the academic year of graduation.
• Normalization of marks for all courses shall be done by using the percentile method so as to rationalize the variety of marks provided by different Boards and Universities/Institutions.

Check out: www.iocl.com/aboutus/scholarships.aspx

Knight-Mozilla Fellowship

Knight Foundation and Mozilla are offering international fellowship for Open News Project in six news organisations around the world. The Knight-Mozilla Fellowship programme is designed specifically to engage developers, hackers, engineers, technologists, data crunchers and other people who like to code and bring them into the newsroom as Fellows. In 2014, the Fellows will be based with: USA (The New York Times and ProPublica in New York,The Texas Tribune in Austin, Texas), Argentina (La Nacion in Buenos Aires) and a joint fellowship with Ushahidi and Internews Kenya.

Study subject(s): The fellowship is awarded in media and journalism. Fellows work in the open by sharing their code and their discoveries, helping to strengthen and build journalism’s toolbox.

Eligibility: This international programme (with six news partners in three continents) welcomes participants from around the world.

• Applicant need not be a US citizen to participate in the programme.
• Perfect English is not a requirement, however, please be aware that it may be challenging to participate in some aspects of the programme if your English is limited.

career compass: fashion marketers
Stay in fashion
Sharad Mehra

With higher inflows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the single and multi-brand retail scene the number of global brands ready to stake their claim in Indian markets is growing steadily. In this competitive scenario the foreign brands are likely to adopt an aggressive and more robust approach in order to be more visible and saleable among the Indian consumers. This will mean more demand and better opportunities for professionally trained fashion marketers who will play a key role in helping these brands to stand out.

New frontier

Armed with contemporary skills, these experts can not only interpret the needs and tastes of the target consumer group, but also design strategies for various seasons for a greater impact.

Fashion marketing, thus, is the new frontier in India and over the next few years there is going to be substantial demand for professionals with the relevant skills.

Opportunities

Opportunities in the area of Fashion Marketing can be leveraged effectively by enroling into specialised courses that equip students with the desired skill-set and relevant knowledge to grow in their chosen field.

Emerging options in fashion UG Courses Fashion Business Management Fashion Marketing and Retailing Management Luxury Brand Management Branding & Advertising Management Post Graduate Diploma Courses Fashion Marketing Diploma Courses Fashion Media Makeup Fashion Women’s Wear Professional Diploma Courses One Year Professional Diploma in Luxury Brands Fashion & Lifestyle E-commerce

Careers to aim for Brand Manager Product Managers Luxury Marketer Marketing & Sales Managers Store Managers Retail Merchandisers Retail Buyers Visual Merchandisers Customer Services Managers Fashion Promotion Professionals Marketing Consultants for the Lifestyle Industry4 Fashion Merchandising Merchandisers and Product Co-coordinators in Buying Houses Agencies, Export Houses Domestic Brands as well as retail sector

Fashion marketing is the link that contextualises the commercial potential of the external world with creative functions in a fashion business. It connects fashion houses commercially to the markets through the following tools:

• Marketing and creative strategies (including of pricing, promotion and placement).
• Advertising and promotion that establish a niche in consumers’ mind.
• Sales and distribution that establishes the presence of products across outlets.
• Branding strategy to build and communicate a product’s personality.

In order to become a successful fashion marketer, students should opt for specially designed courses that will provide a practical as well as theoretical knowledge base complemented with experience that is relevant and in demand.

Skill set

A well-rounded fashion-marketing professional must have his hands on the pulse of the fashion landscape and possess analytical acumen to interpret the dynamic and constantly evolving environment of domestic and international markets.

A competent fashion marketer possesses the ability to make sensible commercial decisions; has brilliant communication and negotiation skills and is able to anticipate demand before it happens.

Marketing professionals need to use their skills effectively and efficiently to generate value propositions for both the brand and the customer.

Enroling in an integrated fashion marketing course will enable candidates to develop innovative, technical, and managerial skills that are vital in the fast-paced world of fashion, helping them to deal with highly demanding situations, time management, collaboration with key stakeholders, promotional needs and budgets.

With wide range of career avenues in the domain of lifestyle services/products, such as, Product Management, Brand Management, Marketing Consultancy, Sales and Marketing and Retail Management, among many others, the courses in Fashion Marketing offer students with comparatively higher pay job opportunities in the rapidly growing luxury and retail space.

A growing trend of entrepreneurial ventures has also resulted in many students venturing out on their own successfully. — The writer is CEO, Pearl Academy

Course cruising

Management courses

Gurgaon-based International school of Business & Media (ISB&M) invites applications for PG programme in Business Management + Masters in Business Management (PGPBM+MBA) and PG programme in Supply Chain Operation Management (PGP-SCOM).

The course: The two-year courses are aimed at providing students with the knowledge and analytical tools to evaluate and make key strategic decisions in an increasingly complex corporate environment. Offering specialisation in Finance, Human Resource Development and Marketing, the course comprises subjects such as Business Organisation & System, Business Economics (Micro), Personality Development, Business Laws among others.

Eligibility: For (PGPBM+MBA) Bachelor Degree in any discipline. Candidates appearing for final year Bachelor Degree can also apply. For (PGP-SCOM) Candidate Should be Engineering Graduate. Candidates with any one of the score of CAT/XAT/MAT/ATMA/JMET/CMAT will be considered for selection.

Deadline: July 30, 2013

Check out: http://www.isbmmedia.edu.in , www.isbm.ac.in

LLM in Finance Law

The University of Southampton Law School is inviting applications for its one-year LLM in Finance Law programme. This unique programme covers the entire range of financial markets, their regulation and the principal legal issues that will imbue students with knowledge about the finance industry and the skills to work in that field.

The course: The LLM in Finance Law programme is structured so that it begins with the core regulatory principles governing banking and investment, as well as the core legal principles applicable to financial market practice, and then applies those fundamentals to each market segment. There is no previous knowledge of finance required because each module covers both the legal and the commercial basics at the outset.

Eligibility: Students applying for the programme are required to have a bachelor’s degree in law or the international equivalent, but account may also be taken of practical experience within the relevant field of study.

English language requirements are at IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.0 in any component.

Fee: The annual fee for the programme is £13,500.

Deadline: August 15, 2013.

Check out:

www.southampton.ac.uk

Interior designing

Manav Rachna International University (MRIU) Invites applications for B.Sc. Interior Designing Course

Eligibility: 50% marks in aggregate of best 5 subjects in 10+2 in any stream with pass in English.

Selection criteria:

Preference 1: Qualifying MR-NAT 2013

Preference 2: Merit in qualifying examination

Fee: Rs. 1,30,000 per year

Seats: 40

Deadline: September 7, 2013

Check out: www.mriu.edu.in

Radio imaging tech course

Delhi Paramedical & Management Institute, New Delhi, is inviting applications for one-year Diploma in Radio Imaging Technology (DRIT) course for the 2013-2014 session.

Eligibility: Applicants should have passed Class XII examination from CBSE or any other state board in any stream.

Selection criteria: Entrance test

How to apply: Online/off line

Check out: www.dpmiindia.com

Deadline: July 31, 2013

Managing Agri-Business

XLRI, Jamshedpur, has joined hands with iKisan, an Agri Portal promoted by the Nagarjuna Group, to offer a Certificate Programme in Agri-Business Management.

The course: This six-month, online, self-learning programme is designed for both practicing executives and fresh graduates wanting to join this industry to help them prepare for an exciting sales and marketing career within the dynamic and evolving agri-business sector.

The programme offers one-week induction at XLRI, Jamshedpur; 10 courses covering management and technical skills that require about 60 hours of effort from the students on each course; and an independent project wherein a student works on an agri-business sector topic.

Deadline: August 7, 2013

Check out:

www.xlri.ac.in/pgcabm

Smart strategy: how you can boost EI
Play safe on emotional pitch
D. C. Sharma

Though the unwritten rule at all workplaces is to keep emotional outbursts out of the way, these can be witnessed regularly whether it is the tiff over sharing the workload or the responsibility for a mistake or something as petty as loss of office stationery. The very fact so many people with different personalities are thrown together for a substantial number of hours makes workplace a virtual minefield of emotional outbursts.

A very important part of working involves working with people. And this also means “working with their emotions”. Developing emotional intelligence means acknowledging your own emotions as also those of your colleagues, subordinates, and seniors. Every one varies enormously in the way one uses one’s own emotional skills, as also the way one reacts to the emotions of others. These emotional actions and reactions, however, are the yardstick of one’s behaviour and the way of working.

Emotional intelligence, in fact, is a precious gift for an officer and helps in keeping his juniors happy and more productive. But ironically, the higher one climbs the career ladder the more fragile his/her emotional balance gets as for many bosses losing their cool and berating juniors is a way of asserting their authority.

The good news is that emotional intelligence is measurable, diagnosable, and can be improved. But the bad news is that it can’t be ‘grasped and mastered’ in a three-hour lecture or in a two-day seminar! It is practically learnt at one’s workstation. What it requires is real-life situations and continuous coaching and feedback.

Daniel Goleman, the American psychologist who made the concept of emotional intelligence popular, attributed five main elements to it. These include self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

These same five elements can also be used as tools for improving emotional intelligence.

Self-awareness

Once you are aware, you always know how you feel. That way you also feel how you affect the people around you. For that purpose keeping a journal is always helpful. Always remaining aware of your feelings and emotions keeps you under check and you are always on the royal road to success and achievement.

Self-regulation

How does self-regulation work? It simply makes leaders and officers flexible. It adds to their commitment of personal accountability. Then they rarely attack their subordinates. Thus, emotional intelligence adds another feather in a leader’s cap by making him think twice before taking some decision. It helps him practice cool, and do his best.

Motivation

Emotional intelligence also helps employees get motivated to achieve more. It keeps them consistently focused and geared up to work towards their goal. Here, one learns to look at the same job from a fresh perspective. It makes one re-examine why one is doing what, and where one actually stands.

Empathy

Emotional intelligence helps build empathy. As this makes you put yourself in others’ shoes, it turns you into a better leader. Learning to pay attention to your body language you respond to others feelings too.

Social skills

Emotional intelligence makes you more sociable than you otherwise used to be. Developing social skills you manage change in a better way. This makes you even develop exemplary behaviour.

Four faces of EI

Emotional intelligence is , in fact, your actual intelligence. It has four aspects. The first one deals with recognising your emotions. It makes you know what you are feeling and how others are feeling. It also helps to know how your reactions are affecting others. It means to read others’ mind and body language.

The second aspect helps facilitate emotions. Proper brainstorming doesn’t happen unless you are feeling open, upbeat, and expansive. Developing the skill to create appropriate emotions to move people in the right direction is wonderful provided it doesn’t become emotional blackmailing.

Third, to understand emotions we require cognitive skills, language command and sensitivity. When we understand emotional chains we can predict our colleagues’ and juniors’ reactions. Here the boss himself feels that it is his job to keep his staff properly happy and in good cheer.

Fourth, you must know how to manage different emotions. Being able to engage and de-engage employees, inspiring and motivating them, means to manage their emotional intelligence.

Charismatic leaders have the most advanced skill in this fourth aspect of emotional intelligence. But why should you lag behind?

— The writer is a psychologist & motivational career expert

How working moms can work guilt-free
Avoid the guilt trip

A survey by Mother and Baby magazine has revealed that more than half of working mothers feel guilty about leaving their children at home. Fiona Clark says with a few small lifestyle changes these moms can get a better perspective.

Clark, founder of Inspired Mums, a web-portal to coach and inspire women to reach their potential at work, said that mums are often their own worst enemies.

“I regularly see women who love their jobs, but are consumed by guilt because they feel they don’t have a right to be away from their children. They care too much about what others think. They can achieve a better perspective on the balance on their lives through a few small lifestyle changes,” she said. Clark has listed six tips for guilt-free working:

Tips for guilt-free working

Switch off the mobile phone when you’re with your children: Whether you’re building Lego or splashing in the paddling pool — be present. Switch off your phone — even if it’s just for 30 minutes — channel all your energy into being there for your children. Theyll love it. When you’re at work, focus on the task at hand and park any thoughts about your children. You’ll feel calmer and cut out that sinking feeling that you should be somewhere else doing something else.

• Hang out with other working moms: This doesn’t mean you should delete all stay-at-home moms’ numbers from your phone or blank them in the street, but make sure you socialise with working mothers too. They may be having similar guilt pangs, and you can support and encourage each other to feel more positive about your choices.
• What you do is nobody else’s business: Women are experts at making themselves feel bad. They feel guilty at the click of a mouse or the sight of a raised eyebrow. Be confident about your life choices. Don’t feel you have to justify yourself to anyone or make excuses.
• Learn to block out that inner gremlin: Tune in to what your inner gremlin is saying about work. Often I hear people say, “I feel like I’m doing a half-hearted job at work and at home” or “I feel guilty about not being there for every new stage of my child's development.” Turn these negative, energy-sapping thoughts into something positive. Remind yourself of the positives of being back at work.
• Be kind to yourself and rather say: “I’m doing a great job of juggling my various priorities” or “I’m a much better parent when I feel fulfilled in other areas of my life.”
• Be brutal with your to do list: Decide what’s really important to you. Break it down into two or three things you’re going to do today. That means you’ll actually get them done. A list of 500 things will send you straight to the biscuit tin. Certain tasks, like tax returns, can’t be ignored, so either do them and stop thinking about them, or delegate them. Force yourself to identify items that can be scrapped off the list — do you really need to research Christmas presents online in July? If you get more things done, you’ll feel calmer and have more time to spend with your family.
• Be proud of the positive role model you are: Whether you’re working because money is tight or because you love your job or both, you’ve taken control of your life by sorting out childcare, earning money and running a household. Be proud of setting a good example for your children and focus on enjoying your time with your children AND your time at work. — IANS

Courses with a good job potential
Aruna Singh

With the declaration of academic results students are now looking for clarity on the courses and which colleges to join. While the choice of subjects and stream opted for in Plus II is the main deciding factor in choosing a particular course, the job potential is also a key factor that students look at while deciding about a course. Placement record of the institute and need for professionals in a particular field are the factors that can’t be ignored by students as no one wants to slog for a degree for three to four years only to find out that there are no vacancies in that sector.

Some of the professions and professionlas who are expected to continue to call the shots, at least for the next few decades, include engineers, scientists, managers, doctors, lawyers and civil servants; whereas, the professions which are of generic and unskilled types, and do not require any special expertise may not be that much in demand. However, their are certain lesser known fields about which not enough information is available to students, but these have very good job potential. Paramedical courses are among such courses.

A paramedic is a professional who helps the doctors in specialised areas and facilitates for better diagnosis, treatment and therapy.

“Professionals” who perform a blood test or a therapy and help a doctor for better treatment of the patient and hence make healthcare easy and effective are called Paramedics. They are key players in the healthcare sector. The increase in the number of patients, variety of diseases and growing awareness about medical treatment have also increased demand for paramedical professionals, who are expert technicians or therapists.

According to estimates, the healthcare sector would require a total of 90 lakh trained paramedics by 2020. According to the North American Industry Classification (NAICS), the healthcare industry consists of three main sub-sectors, divided on the basis of types of services provided at each facility. Allied health professions are different from dentistry, optometry, nursing, medicine and pharmacy. One estimate recently reported that allied health professionals make up for almost 60 per cent of the total workforce in the sector.

— The writer is Principal, Delhi Paramedical & Management Institute

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
Put footholds to full use

A successful career is not like a smooth ride on a levelled road, but is akin to a hard climb on a mountain. Winners use the footholds on the hillside to keep moving upwards.

When his father Mughal Emperor Humayun died in Delhi, Akbar was just 13 years old and busy fighting Sikandar Shah in Punjab. Meanwhile, Hindu General Hemu had captured Agra and Delhi and proclaimed himself King Vikramaditya.

In 1556, Hemu’s forces met the Mughal forces led by Akbar’s General Bairam Khan at the Second Battle of Panipat. Hemu’s forces had the upper hand, but a chance arrow hit him in the eye and he lost consciousness. After the win at Panipat, Akbar didn’t look back. Through alliances, marriages and the use of force, he consolidated the Mughal Empire.

Ranjit Singh was just 10 when his father Mahan Singh died. The following year, an attempt was made on his life. As his horse was well trained, it reared up at the right moment. This saved Ranjit Singh. The lucky break was all that Ranjit needed. He killed some of his attackers while the others fled. He kept on winning territories and on Baisakhi in 1801, the 20-year-old was crowned Maharaja of the Punjab.

After winning Bihar and Bengal, Sher Shah came face-to-face with Humayun on the banks of the Ganges in 1540. As Sher Shah knew about Humayun’s rebellious brothers, he waited till they and many officers began deserting Humayun. Without shooting a single arrow, Sher Shah drove Humayun out of India for 15 years and became the Emperor of Hindustan.

Eighteen-year-old Albanian Agnes wanted to go to India as a missionary, but she did’nt know English or any Indian language. So she went to Ireland, 2,500 km away, to learn English for two months. Then, she travelled to India — half a world away — to land at Calcutta. In order to interact with the locals, she learnt Hindi and Bengali and she started wearing a white sari with a blue border. By the time she died, Agnes aka Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity was operating nearly 2,300 institutions worldwide.

After gaining some experience of supplying cotton to Lancashire, Jamsetji Tata bought an oil mill in Mumbai in 1869, converted it into a cotton mill and named it after Princess Alexandra. Two years and a moderate profit later, he sold it and went to England to study the Lancashire cotton industry. After thorough preparation, he opened the Empress Mill in Nagpur on January 1, 1877. Jamsetji devoted his life to four goals: setting up a steel company, a world-class learning institution, a unique hotel and a hydel plant.

In cricketing parlance, winners — knowing that catches win matches — convert half-chances into catches.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Cheating on employers

One third of workers in Australia admit to ‘cheating’ on their employers by fantasising about working somewhere else, a new poll has revealed. The survey, which was conducted on 1,000 Aussie workers by workplace website ‘JobAdvisor’, has found that around 50 percent were “window shopping for a new job.” It was suggested that nearly 10 percent were desperate to leave their current job.

The survey results also showed that around 40 per cent described themselves as being faithful to their employer and wouldn't leave, however another 25 per cent considered themselves as “players” who would change from one job to the next.

Around 25 per cent described themselves as “gold diggers,” who would go wherever they get the handsome salary, while 13 per cent were commitment-phobes afraid to stay in the same place long-term.

The poll found that about six per cent wanted to work close to home in a family business.

Another five per cent considered themselves “travellers” who were only there for the sake of a visa.

The company’s CEO Justin Babet told the publication that around 25 per cent of people leave their job within the first 12 months, a lot of the time because the expectation wasn’t right upfront or it wasn’t what they thought it would be.

The survey also revealed that while men are more likely to fantasise about working somewhere else, women are more likely to “window shop” for new jobs.

About 20 per cent city workers were described their employer relationship as “on the rocks,” compared to 10 per cent of regional workers.

Those earning over 100,000 dollars a year were also twice as likely to describe themselves as “gold diggers” as those earning less. — ANI

The off-beat course
Wine-tasting

Bordeaux International Wine Institute, France, has launched iWine — a comprehensive wine-tasting course accessible to students and professionals of all levels. The objective of this training programme is to provide students with the technical skills necessary to succeed in wine tasting.

Available as an initial education or vocational training, iWine counts for several classes and is spread out over a four-day period for students and individuals or a two-day period for professionals. It includes olfactory and visual recognitions as well as tastings of several wines and spirits from all around the world.

A final examination comprising multiple choice questions, olfactory tests and blind tasting helps students to evaluate their level of wine tasting knowledge at the end of the course.

Several sessions are already scheduled; the first is starting on July 1st.

To register: www.wine-institute.com

Nail-care courses

Nail Training Academy Bio Sculpture is offering professional courses in nail fashion and care. The courses are based both on theoretical and practical instructions, and a specialised evaluation method to improve knowledge and competency.

The courses include a starters Bio Basics course that is designed for the novice with no prior training. The aim of this nail course is to provide students with extensive knowledge in both the theory and practical application of Manicures and Pedicures. It is designed for beginners with no prior training in beauty or nails.

The Bio Professional course is for the qualified Nail Technician or Beauty Therapist wanting to learn the Bio system

For Professional Course

Eligibility: The candidate should have worked as manicurist/ pedicurist

Fee: Rs 45,000

For starter course

Eligibility: Anyone can join

Fee: Rs 26,000

Opportunity for edupreneurs

International learning solution providing company Pearson has entered into a partnership with innovative funding firm Village Capital to support and invest in education entrepreneurs in India.

Winners of up to $75,000 funding will be selected through peer review by fellow entrepreneurs. The Pearson Affordable Learning Fund, set up last year to invest in low-cost private schools and other affordable educational solutions, will work with Village Capital to offer Indian entrepreneurs a chance to receive seed investment.

Up to 16 start-up companies will participate in workshops this autumn in which they will be offered mentoring advice from other entrepreneurs, investors and professionals. These entrepreneurs will then assess one another against six criteria, with the top two ranking companies receiving up to $75,000 each drawn from $100,000 and $50,000 of capital committed by the Affordable Learning Fund and Village Capital, respectively.

The programme is restricted to ‘Edupreneurs’ operating in India who serve students at the bottom of the pyramid. Seeking market-based solutions to major problems facing education for the poor, Edupreneurs is open to for-profit startup firms, both technology and non-technology companies. Applications will close in mid-August and selected Edupreneurs announced by the end of August. The workshops will begin in late September and run through late November.

Applications and more information can be found at www.affordablelearningfund.com/edupreneurs

Cubicle trends
Hardworking Indians

Indian professionals are more hardworking than their peers globally with many of them dedicating at least one to three hours for work even during holidays, says a survey.

The findings, based on a survey of more than 26,000 executives worldwide by provider of flexible workplaces, Regus, revealed that about 49 per cent of Indian professional spends more time on work, much higher than the global average of 41 per cent.

As per the survey, the top reasons making professionals to work on vacations are the urge to check mails, the boredom of being so free on a holiday, obsession with files, clients and meetings and insecurity about jobs or the uneasiness of leaving behind the workstations.

Individually, 50 per cent of Indian men surveyed prefer to work for around one-three hours every day even when on a holiday as compared to 38 per cent women respondent in the country.

“The dedication men worldwide and especially in India are showing towards their jobs is admirable with a huge percentage of business professionals taking their work away with them,” Regus Regional Vice President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said.

“However, this can also be interpreted as an indication that they feel overstretched or insecure in their jobs and are unable to properly switch off. The effects of work place stress are well documented so it is important that workers carve out some personal time,” he added.

The survey, conducted among 90 nations, said American professionals (56 per cent) are the highest percentage of professionals who are willing to lose 1-3 hours each day during holidays followed by Japan (53 per cent), India (49 per cent), Australia (44 per cent) and the UK (35 per cent).

The survey showed that in the last year, many companies especially the multi-nationals have adopted the policies of flexible working, work from home options among others thereby giving stress free holidays to their employees.

“With growing competition, the companies, these days, are much more concerned about the well being of their staff not only to reduce the attrition rate but to provide best facilities, thereby making the best use of their employees,” it added. — PTI

What causes disenchantment at work

More or less everyone has a grudge or two against their job. A recent study by Dale Carnegie Training showed that nearly 75 per cent of workers are not fully engaged at their jobs.

LinkedIn has brought out some reasons as to why employees may be hating their job, the Huffington Post reported.

• One of the major reasons is that an employee’s friends are having an amazing experience at another company, which makes them envious. The transparency of employee benefits and perks at other companies can sometimes lead them to dream about working elsewhere.
• Another reason could be that the workers believe that he/she is not valued.
• A person also feels dissatisfied with his/her job if they find no room for advancement. Many workers feel stuck in their company, which often leads to job hopping.
• Being paid less than what is deserved also leaves employee disenchanted with their work.
• Rules can also ruin a team, as it becomes frustrating when an employee is not able their own decisions.
• The passion also vanishes sometimes, as there is a huge difference between living to work and working to live.
• One of the primary reasons why people hate their job is that their boss sucks. Poor management can make even the most passionate and well-paid workers hate their job. — ANI

Newsboard
Young pioneers contest

In order to promote a spirit of entrepreneurship among youngsters the National Stock Exchange (NSE) recently carried out an all-India contest — NSEYoung Pioneers — in association with History TV 18. The contest picked up the top four teams that had the most exciting business ideas to offer, before an eminent panel of judges. The finals were held at the NSE office on July 18.

The contest was conducted across 500 schools in the country. Students of classes X, XI and XII presented their business ideas to judges. Each school was allowed one team of two members, who made a 10-minute power point presentation on their business idea, to a panel of judges.

The contest is an initiative by NSE to foster entrepreneurial thinking at the school level and identify potential business leaders of the future. The team comprising Nancy Mishra and S. Dharini from Smt. Narbada Devi J Agarwal Vivekananda Vidyalaya Jr. College from Chennai emerged as the winner of the contest with its plan of an amusement park for senior citizens.

Other winning ideas were a safety band, to ensure women's safety, makeover fashion brands and innovations in mobiles and other gadgets.

Hack India contest

Yahoo! India R&D organised the sixth edition of Yahoo! Hack India on July 13-14 in Hyderabad. Programmers, developers, designers from across the industry, start ups and students from the top tech universities took part in the event which was held outside Bangalore for the first time. As many as 250 hackers, selected after an entry-level coding challenge, participated in the two-day event through a series of technical workshops, followed by a non-stop 24-hour coding Hackathon.

The team of Varun Kumar Nagarajan, Arun Kumar Nagarajan, Raghu Ram and Amit Bharti won the grand prize for their app PlanMan! The team of Mayank Yadav, Abhijit Sinha, Asmita Metrewar and Vikalp Handa won the Most Creative Hack prize for Bachao! an Android app that uses the accelerometer in the Smartphones to track the user's location in event of a car accident and sends an alert to their emergency contacts and the ambulance service.

During this event Yahoo! introduced developers to the popular technologies and tools from the Open Web, including Yahoo!’s YUI, YQL and Mojito,as well as geo-location and Flickr APIs (Application Programmable Interface).

Fortnightly quiz 443

1 .In which year was the telegram service made available to the public in India?

2. Which legendary Bollywood actor, recipient of the country’s highest cinema honour Dada Saheb Phalke award, died recently?

3. Name the Indian-American visionary entrepreneur and acoustics pioneer, famous for making high-quality Bose radio systems and speakers for home users, who died recently.

4. In which country was the world’s largest building, New Century Global Center, opened recently?

5. When is Malala Day observed by the United Nations?

6. Which automaking capital in the United States recently filed for bankruptcy?

7. Which state of the country tops in the highest per capita expenditure?

8. What was Milkha Singh’s position in the 1960 Rome Olympics?

9. Which Indian batsman recently scored 15 runs (two sixes and a four) in the last over to win the Tri-nation ODI series in the West Indies?

10. By how many runs did England beat Australia in the Lord’s Test recently? —Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 442: The first prize by draw of lots goes Mayank Chauhan; Class VII, Silver Bells Public School, Naya Bazaar, Nahan, Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh; Pin Code — 173001

Second: Mehakdeep Kaur; Class VIII; Army Public School Beas; Kapurthala district, Punjab; Pin Code — 144601

Third: Shivang Sharma; Class IX; GMN Public School; GMN College Campus; Staff Road; Ambala Cantt, Pin Code — 133001

Answers to quiz 442: Andy Murray; IRNSS-1A; Himachal Pradesh; Kevin Rudd; C-17 Globemaster III; Third; 150; Discus throw; Parvez Rasool; 100

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

Name……………….………….................................
Class....………….......….…….............................
School address ...........................................