Board exams
Steer clear of stress
Usha Albuquerque

Barely three weeks to go and jitters are in top gear. For most students awaiting the Class XII Board exams this is possibly their first major exam milestone — reason enough for many to feel extreme unease. There is enormous pressure on students to perform well in exams, to meet parental and societal expectations, to excel in competitive exams, and to get admission to prestigious institutions.

In recent years the examination system has driven many a good student to the brink of despair. Higher and higher assessment levels that eliminate all but the top achievers are putting unrealistic demands on young minds. With increasing numbers competing for limited seats in the better known and recognised institutions, those who are unable to cope, or slacken in their studies in any way feel the pressure of competition. And as the competition gets more fierce, and the bar for admission rises, stress levels rise — not just for students, but also for parents.

Even for the most intelligent and hard working, exams are stressful and challenging. But employing some tried and tested techniques can make the next couple of weeks less stressful, and more productive.

1.Start with a positive mind and be confident of your goals. If you have been regular in studies over the year, you don’t need to worry too much. Exams are opportunities to demonstrate a well-prepared assimilation of the material you have learnt in school. Also be realistic about your capabilities and expectations. Not everyone can get a 90 per cent or make it to the top institutions or courses. If you have been remiss in your studies, do not expect miracles. A clear understanding of your abilities and achievements can help you direct your energies towards attainable goals, instead of dissipating it with undue stress.

2.This last month should be spent in revision of the syllabus and testing yourself through answering sample papers. One way to do this is to divide the whole syllabus of each subject into several sections and spend three days to study each section thoroughly. On the fourth day sit and do one sample paper. This will enable you to revise the entire syllabus as well as test yourself through the sample papers. You must treat the sample papers as the real final papers and complete them in 3 hours flat without any stoppages or distractions.

3.Time management is of the essence. Prepare a time-table covering all the required study materials and the testable materials. Identify difficult chapters, mark specific topics that you missed out or which trouble you the most and find its solution either online or through any expert teachers. Pick out the relevant points, take notes and spend some extra time on this. You also have to make sure that you have buffer days, should you be unable to complete the material as scheduled. Your time-table should also include meal times, relaxation periods, exercise and sleep. And don’t be over ambitious. Make a realistic schedule. Trying to do too much will only make you frustrated and more anxious. You must also give yourself break when you can relax with a favourite book, movie or TV show. Make sure you also maintain an exercise regimen, as physical exercise is known to enhance study performance.

4.Get help if required. Teachers are the best guides for help before examinations. They have seen so many other students through this difficult period and know the problems they have to encounter. School and class teachers usually make themselves available to their students. They know the students best, and can help them handle their stress, and retain their motivations. If the anxiety is acute professional help may be taken. There are also several helplines that you can call during this period.

5.Parents can play a major supportive role to help their children during this period. To start with, they should create an environment suitable for study. A separate part of the house where the students can have peace and quiet is essential; limited number of distractions, while also ensuring that there are sufficient relaxations periods. Be patient and understanding, as children have a tendency to be moody and irritable under pressure. Be tolerant and sensitive and try to help the child manage his/her emotions through talking it over with you. Often they just need the reassurance of your love and support irrespective of the results of the examinations. Most important however, is for parents and teachers not to transfer their anxieties onto their children, nor to burden them with unrealistic expectations. There is also unnecessary hype created by the media which puts an unnecessary burden of expectations even for a regular well prepared student.

6. Take proper care of your health during the preparation period and examination time. Writing a paper for three hours needs a high level of concentration and stamina and that is only possible if you are healthy and fit. Eat healthy food and maintain a proper diet. Some breathing exercises are also highly recommended. Learn to do regular deep breathing — this will come in very handy if you should get a sudden panic attack during the examination. If you have been a night owl all these months, it is time to get back to the daytime schedule. Remember that your exams will be held, most often in the morning hours, 10am to 1 pm, and these are the hours you have to be at peak performance. If your body has got used to working at nights and sleeping in the day, your body will perform accordingly. You will be most sleepy, at the time you need to be the most alert. So, for the last month before exams, study during the day and get your 7-8 hours of sleep at the same time every night. In this way, you can re-set your body clock and ensure that your body and mind are well synchronized.

7.Make sure you arrive for the exam well in time, and that you have all the required material with you, ready and available, if possible, the night before. Do have something to eat before the exam, however queasy you are feeling. It doesn’t need to be a huge amount, but you will function better with fuel inside. Read the exam paper carefully and understand each one clearly before attempting the answer. You have 15 minutes to do this so utilise your time wisely — underline key words and instructions. Tick the questions you intend to answer. Make a rough timetable, allocating equal time to equally weighted questions, and allow for about 10 minutes at the end for a final review.

While answering your paper keep in mind the tips your teachers have given you. Each paper has different sections, so be systematic while answering the questions in each section. Don’t mix up the sections. Three and five marker questions are quite predictable so start with five markers and complete them in 60 minutes. Draw diagrams neatly and label them, they carry a lot of marks. In maths you are allotted one and a half minute for each mark question, so don’t spend more time than that. Answer the easiest question first and save the most difficult one for last.

8.And finally — relax. If you are an anxious kind of person, take long deep breaths every time you feel nervous. Take a couple of deep breaths before you start writing your paper. This will calm you down and rejuvenate you for the task ahead.

Exams do not need to be as dreaded or feared as they have become. They are an inevitable part of life — the means to an end, your career goal. And board exams are just the first of many exams you may need to face. There will always be those who will do better, and those who do worse than you. So start with positive thinking, and focus on your strengths that can lead you to a successful future. Good luck to all Class XII students!

— The writer is Director, Career Smart, New Delhi

CBSE offers pre-examination counselling

The CBSE Pre-Examination counselling for students and parents that started from February 1 will continue up to April 17 offers a platform to students as well as parents to combat exam stress and get professional guidance.

This is the 17th consecutive year that CBSE will provide psychological counselling services to students at the time of preparation as well as during the examinations to overcome exam-related stress.

The CBSE annual counselling is an outreach programme which is carefully designed keeping the heterogeneity of student population and geographical spread. Multiple modes of communication such as telephonic counselling, Question-Answer columns in newspapers and online counselling through CBSE website are used to reach out to more and more examinees during this phase.

Tele counselling

It is offered by trained counselors and Principals from within CBSE-affiliated schools located in and outside India. It is a voluntary, free-of-cost service provided by the participants.

This year 59 Principals, trained counselors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools and a few psychologist will participate in tele­counselling and address exam-related psychological problems of the students. As many as 49 of them are available in India, while 10 are located in Nepal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar, Riyadh), Japan, UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah) and Kuwait.

Centralized Toll Free Access in India

Students can dial a toll free number 1800 11 8004 from any part of the country which will give centralised access to the CBSE helpline. While the general queries will be answered by the operators, students will be connected to the principals or counselors in case of exam-related anxiety or stress.

Counselling for specially abled children

For the fifth year, CBSE has arranged to provide counselling to specially abled children to take care of the needs and anxiety of special children.

Online counselling

Public can also log on to the CBSE website and interact with the Chairman on exam-related issues. The Professor and Director (Academic, Research, Training and Innovation) and Controller of Examinations, CBSE can also be contacted for online counselling on: directoracad.cbse@nic.in, mcsharma2007@rediffmail.com.

CBSE website

Information related to examinations and techniques to cope with exam-related anxiety is also provided at the CBSE website www.cbse.nic.in by accessing icon Helpline.

Colleges&contests

Teen innovators win laurels

Students of two schools from the region won laurels at the TEENOVATORS competition organised by Manipal University recently. Teenovators began in August 2013, with an innovation quotient test held across 15 cities in the country for students in Classes IX to XII. From among 2 lakh entries from 500 schools that took part, 50 teams per city were short listed. Each of them came up with innovations that are of value to society. From among these, six teams were selected to showcase their unique innovations in the run-up to the grand finale. These teams were trained and mentored by experts from GE, LG Soft, IBM, Microsoft and Intel. The team from Air Force School, Hebbal, Bangalore emerged as the winner for their work on converting radio waves into electric energy and took home a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Naryana Junior College, Champapet, Hyderabad, secured second place for innovation to track the sun so as to maximise the solar energy absorbed. The team was given a cash prize of Rs3 lakh. DAV Public School, Rajpura, won consolation prize for its innovation of utilising the energy produced by the movement of trains.

The team comprising Shubham Singh, Bhavay Gudwani, Nagish Bansal, Chetanya Chopra and Puneet Dhir took away a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Holy Angels School, Chandigarh, was awarded consolation prize for the proposal to make cars green through the use of bio-fuels processed from sunflower oil. The team consisted of Awaljot Kaur, Ayushi Malik, Shivika Hans, Srishti Verma and Kanva Singla. They were mentored by Naveen G V, from Intel during the course of the project. The team received a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

The event was presided over by Dr. Ramdas Pai, Chancellor, Manipal University.

Supertech University in Uttarakhand

Supertech University in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand recently. An investment of Rs 750 crore will be done in the first phase of the construction of the university. Located in the foothills of Himalayas in Uttarakhand, on a 47-acre campus, Supertech University will offer programmes in the domains of Architecture and Planning, Earth, Environment and Space Studies, Education, Engineering and Technology, Fashion and Design, Hospitality and Tourism, Languages and Communication, Law and Governance, Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies, Medical and Health Sciences, Natural and Applied Sciences and Public Policy. The university will focus on innovative teaching learning pedagogic approach including Flexible and non conventional course combinations, concept of basket courses and choice-based credit system. — TNS

Career Hotline
Pervin Malhotra email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com...
Career scope for those with a degree in physics

Q. I am in my first year of BSc (Physics). Could you please tell me what job options I will have after completing graduation, and even master’s in this area? How important is mathematics in pursuing a career in this field? Is the work only about research? — Umesh Khattar

A.Physics is concerned with the study of the universe from the smallest to the largest scale, why it is the way it is and how it works. This knowledge is basic to scientific progress.

Besides working in labs, Physicists are involved in designing and producing new instruments — from satellites to measure the properties of planetary atmospheres to record-breaking intense magnetic fields to study condensed matter. In fact, many of our modern conveniences are directly based on the understanding provided by physics. Many techniques used in medical imaging are derived directly from physics instrumentation. Even the World Wide Web was a spin off from the information processing and communications requirement of high-energy particle physics.

As you must have gathered by now, mathematics is the language of physics. Indeed formulating physical theories sometimes requires the development of new mathematical structures. Although physics is a fundamental science it’s also a very practical subject.

While the course demands a good level of mathematical competence, the key requirement here is the ability to formulate a problem in mathematical terms and then extract the physical consequences from the solution.

As a Physicist, you can pursue an enormous variety of careers. Many physicists opt for higher degrees with eventual careers in research labs or universities. The number of PhD students is steadily rising thanks to the generous scholarships and JRFs now offered.

Growth areas that may have a big impact are nanotechnology, quantum computing and molecular biophysics.

Besides an MSc, you can even pursue an MTech in nuclear physics and nanoscience for instance. The field of medicine requires radiological physicists (which can be pursued at BARC). What’s more, Physicists are also employed in the armed forces, especially in the Air Force and Navy.

But you don’t have to end up becoming a physicist.

Physics gives you a robust logical skeptical mind, which is perfect for any kind of business pursuit.

Confusion over the right specialisation

Q.I have completed my BArch with interior branch. Now I want to do MArch but am confused which field to opt for? Please suggest. — Preeti Biswas

A.Catering to the dwelling needs of fellow beings and creating structures that cater to individual needs, an architect is a designer, environmental expert, artist, visualiser and creator rolled into one! Which other field blends art, science and technology and provides you the thrill of translating your dream design on paper into a grand reality?

In the two-year MArch programme, you can choose from the following specialisations: Architectural Conservation, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture & Planning, Sustainable Architecture, and Construction Management.

Your choice of specialisation will depend on a combination of factors. First and foremost is your interest — think of the subjects and assignments you enjoyed and excelled in during your BArch. Also, consider your strengths and temperament and accordingly, your suitability for different specialisation areas. Lastly, understand the kind of work each area entails, its future scope and quantitative and qualitative rewards.

Given your specialisation in B rch the most obvious choices would be to look at either Interior Design or Industrial Design.

What I would really recommend is for you work for a year or two first, get a taste of the practical aspect of architecture, explore the future prospects in the different areas, speak to senior architects and veterans in the field and then take a call as to your choice of specialisation.

 Can I do graduation in one year?

Q.Can you please tell me if I can do graduation in one-year from any university as claimed by some advertisers? Are such degrees recognised by the UGC? I am 23. — Kriti Rathod

A.I’m afraid not. According to the recommendations of the (UGC, all one-sitting bachelor’s degree programmes have been discontinued. Hence, such courses and the degrees they claim to confer stand invalid — despite the fact that they still continue to be offered by some unscrupulous advertisers). So enroll for a regular 3-year course either through regular college or through distance learning from a recognised university. Only then will you be eligible to apply for a government job or PG courses.

How can I get into GSI?

Q.I am doing my master’s in Geology and would like to join the Geological Survey of India. Can you please tell me something about the entrance procedure? — Avni Parakh

A.Admission to the Geological Survey of India is through an examination followed by a personality test. The subjects for the exam are General English, Geology Paper I, Geology Paper II, Geology Paper III and Hydrogeology.

As a postgraduate in Geology you are eligible for this examination if you are below 30 years of age.

Those selected are kept on probation for two years.

Incidentally, GSI, which is currently running on half its strength, is finding it difficult to locate new metal and mineral deposits due to lack of trained manpower. As a result, GSI plans to step up its recruitment for the next couple of years.

Though exploration has invited private investment, it remains limited to high-value minerals such as iron ore and bauxite. GSI’s thrust on the other hand, rests on exploring over 50 low-value minerals such as tin and tungsten.

Aggressive exploration of natural resources by private players has led to poaching of geologists, geophysicists and other specialists at higher salaries.

For details of the exam, log on to the UPSC website.

IT aptitude test

Global Talent Development Corporation NIIT Limited will be holding the country’s largest IT Aptitude Test — the 10th National I.T. Aptitude Test (NITAT) — on February 16. This test will enable students and graduates to ascertain their potential and aptitude for a career in the IT industry. ‘NITAT 2014’, will be simultaneously conducted by NIIT, in over 200 cities nationwide.

NITAT aims at fulfilling the need of IT industry by identifying a ready talent pool for immediate absorption by the industry. The test has been designed as an objective type test of reasoning, comprehension, data interpretation skills and behavioural traits. Every student undergoing the test will receive a score-card with their interpretation, along with her/his nationwide and zonal ranking. The assessment is expected to be of particular benefit to graduating students in determining their aptitude for IT careers as well as the IT domain that they should take up.

Students who will appear for NITAT will receive an assessment score card & personalized career counselling from NIIT. NIIT will also award special recognition certificates to the top 30% merit list candidates and encourage their pursuit of a career in IT.

Students can find out the benefits of appearing in the test and register online by logging on to www.niit.com/nitat or by visiting the nearest NIIT centre. — TNS

on boards/chemistry
Master the formulae
Aakash Chaudhary

Chemistry has its challenges for several students who are not comfortable in memorising or cramming as some portions of the syllabus have to be memorised well to be on your tips. Chemistry as a subject is not difficult but is actually very demanding. Some important tips that must be kept in mind while studying topics of chemistry are:

n It is very important to understand each and every topic and the basic concepts; hence you must go through the NCERT book thoroughly.

n Begin your preparation with Physical Chemistry, spend time on solved examples, and thoroughly learn all formulas. Once your basic concepts are clear, try to implement these concepts and procedures by solving NCERT questions. If you get stuck anywhere take help of your teacher and try for similar questions once again. Remember, practice will help you a lot so try to do the questions again and again.

n Inorganic chemistry is more about facts and less about concepts. You can take the advantage of your cramming ability in this section. Before starting the topics see the previous year questions and analyse the area from where the maximum number of questions have been asked. Now prepare a formula chart of important chemicals and minerals and keep revising it everyday.

n For organic chemistry start with NCERT book, but also prepare a bit extra from other relevant books. Write name reactions again and again, conversions are also important and require practice. Do not ignore the structures and IUPAC naming of compounds.

n Referring to model question papers and previous years’ papers will give you an insight in identifying the important and frequently asked questions.

n Practice some model papers within a stipulated time frame.

n You can prepare a formula chart of these topics and keep for revising them as they are quite helpful during board exams.

Remember regular practice, positive attitude, hard work, coming up with solutions to problems and strengthening your weak areas will help you score well in this subject.

— The writer is Director, Aakash Educational Services Ltd 

in news
Aiming high with social entrepreneurship 

The winners of the second edition of Tata Social Enterprise Challenge, hosted by the Tata group in partnership with the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM-C), were announced recently at IIM, Calcutta. The challenge aimed at discovering, encouraging and mentoring the next generation of social entrepreneurs. The top three winners MicroXlabs, Bodhi Health Care and Green Agrevolution Pvt. Ltd, won prize money of ~1.75 lakh, 1.25 lakh and 1 lakh, respectively.

The first prize winners Prabhat Kumar and Prakhar Jain fromMicroXlabs developed a technology to count the blood cells based on upcoming technology of Lab on Chip and MEMS (Micro electro mechanical systems) which miniaturises the instrument with all the reagents pre-loaded in the cartridge, providing ease of use, portability and low cost, making it useful for rural healthcare and also usable at point-of-care.

On their future plans for their social venture, the second prize winners, Abhinav Girdhar and Shrutika Girdhar from Gurgaon said, “We have started Bodhi Health Care taking into account the low literacy levels of the health workers. Complex medical topics have been explained using simple, illustrative videos which connect to the bottom of the pyramid segment and their issues. The concepts are explained in regional languages and with minimum content to be read. ”

The third prize winner Shashank Kumar is from Patna. Commenting on his project, he said, “Green Agrevolution’s entire business model is based on the gap between growers and consumers of food and agriculture sector. On one side they provide support to growers during the production cycle and by doing so they also assure quality production as per the market demand. On the other side, they supply quality products directly to the end users without any intermediaries. Hence buyers get competitive price and high quality as well.”

Tata Social Enterprise Challenge 2013-14 kicked off in October 2013 and invited social entrepreneurs who either had an early stage venture (not older than 3 years) or a promising idea with a plan that could create sustainable social impact in India. There is no restriction on the business model, and it can be for-profit, not-for-profit or even hybrid, but it is necessarily required to demonstrate significant social impact through results or proof of concept. Impact Proposals (detailed Business Plans) were invited in the areas of education, health, agriculture, technology, sanitation, and handicrafts, among others.

This year’s edition attracted over 160 entries from across India, including Assam, Odisha, Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata, among others, and an entry from Bulgaria, showing wide interest in the area of social entrepreneurship. — TNS

Where creativity blooms
A creative bent of mind and some formal training is all that is required to master the art of floral designing

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner one can see floral dispalys all around making one dwell on the career opportunities in this field. The Indian floral industry is growing at a very rapid pace and is thus offering an offbeat career option to those with less formal education also.

Scope

According to industry reports, India’s floriculture industry is likely to cross the Rs 8,000-crore mark by 2015 and is growing at the rate of 30-40 per cent. The Government of India has identified floriculture as a sunrise industry and accorded it 100 per cent export-oriented status. Owing to steady increase in demand floriculture has become one of the important commercial trades in agriculture. Hence commercial floriculture has emerged as a hi-tech activity-taking place under controlled climatic conditions inside greenhouse. Commercial floriculture is becoming important from the export angle.

For those who wish to thrive on this fast-growing sunrise industry, there is a heap of untold opportunities. A combined knowledge of floriculture with management can get you managerial or marketing positions with organisations involved in the processing and marketing of flowers and flowering plants.

Getting in

There are very few institutes that run exclusive courses in this field in India. But mostly students of hospitality courses, event management and interior design have an option to explore floral designing as an add on to their main degree course. There are some private institutes in metros that offer short-term courses (50 hours to three and six month modules) in this field which those with a minimum qualification of Class XII can also join.

Some top institutes for this industry abroad are:

* Floral Design Institute, Portland

* American Institute of Floral Design, Maryland

* Flower School, New York

Skill set

Apart from the natural eye and flair for creativity; it is important to undergo training to become a florist. There are no easy steps to become a florist; it requires a lot of hardwork, patience, experience and exposure to meet the demands of the profession. So, passion, creativity and innovativeness are the most important ingredients for achieving success in this field.

Floral designing is an art and for an artist, it is vital to have an eye for colour and design. Apart from educational acumen, the students need to be innovative and be able to explore new designs and have a special interest in honing their skills continuously. Floral designers use their creativity and knowledge of plants and flowers to design and assemble flower arrangements. So, they should have knowledge of different flowers and their maintenance requirements. Also, one should have the ability to explain the ideas to customers. Thus good communication skills are an added advantage.

Pleasant mannerisms and politeness also help in establishing the right rapport with the customers.

Floral designing, thus, is a full fledged career option that includes production, trade and commerce, handling and caring for flowers, merchandising, weddings and events, corporate orders and a lot more.

— With inputs from Meeta Gutgutia, Director, FNP Floral Design School

Jobscape

This un-organised industry is gradually transforming into a more organised and professional one, hence creating more options of high revenue generation today. There are numerous job opportunities for students as this field is unaffected by recession unlike many other industries. The demand is there from different fields. With the Indian wedding industry scaling new heights, floral décor artists are in great demand in India and abroad. Following are some of the professional avenues for a floral artist to explore:

* Event and wedding co-ordination

* Floral and accessory designer

* Trousseau Packing Expert

* Add on career in interiors

* Online Floral portal

* Corporate services

* Wedding florist

* Florist shop

guest column
Changing landscape of B-school education

Business schools around the world are struggling to integrate real world experiences into the curriculum even as they continue to tout their industry-academia interface. At the cutting edge of course are business schools such as the Harvard Business School, which now requires all its students to form real life companies as a team and run them while still in school. Business schools have always faced an existential crisis with the question that whether academic research and experience can truly translate or make up for real life experiences. Most business schools as considered by industry more as a “this is a smart person” rubber stamp rather than a place that transforms a student in their capacity and capability as a business person or entrepreneur. There are, however, a few emerging trends that great business schools are adopting to differentiate their students.

Simulations

The first such trend is simulations. While colleges such as HBS are giving their students thousands of dollars to stat real companies, others (HBS does this as well) are also investing in sophisticated multi week controlled simulations to give students experiences of real world decision making and problems. Teams with little experience can suddenly find themselves in charge of multi-billion corporations with data intensive decisions to be made in product portfolios, marketing strategies and even financial engineering. The simulations are extensive enough to pit teams against each other with weekly results of how their strategies worked out against each other. Discussions and analysis of strategies, tactics and decision making systems real time lead to immediate application of academic theories and research.

Design think

The second is design think. While extremely new to the business school academic system, it is widely adopted by the top universities and companies, such as Stanford, MIT and IBM. The concept of design think is that since everything can be designed, from a policy to a customer experience, everyone is a designer, and if the techniques and knowledge of great design and innovation are taught, people would be better at creating things. The Svrán Open Design Foundation is an example of an organisation in India that is promoting this, with the goal of over the next five years to influence one million people in design think.

For business schools understanding design think is an easy and fundamental technique to understanding and creating great innovation with an established discipline. Already there are consulting companies around the world charging millions of dollars for transforming companies into being able to think from a design think perspective and reap the rewards of being innovative in the dynamic and uncertain marketplace of the 21st century.

Measuring impact

The third trend in management education is the concept of teaching students new methods of measuring success. Historically business schools have published bragging data on the salaries of their exiting classes without trying to measure the long-term impact that their students make on the world.

Increasingly, there is an understanding that students need to think of themselves in terms of impact rather than monetary compensation. Is the student who took a ~5 lakh job with a non-profit working to uplift villages in Naxalite areas more successful than the student who received ~ 50 lakh working for an MNC in the United Kingdom? Is the student who is happily married with two children and earning ~ 20 lakh more successful that the student who now earns ~1 crore but is on her second bitter divorce and is never able to meet her children? By setting up measures of success in particular ways; business schools, students and the parents of those students drive where the best talent goes and which parts of our society are serviced by their abilities.

The good news is that through all these trends, business schools are looking more at their graduates' abilities to impact and change the world. 

smart strategy: how to make work from home work for you
Inflexible rules of flexi timings 
Gauri Chhabra

One trend that MNC culture has brought with it is flexi timings and ‘work from home’. Today, in this flat and fluid world, many companies are giving their employees the flexibility to work from home.

As a result, more and more employees are working from home. But whether it is a ‘workable’ arrangement or not dpends on the employee. If you are getting into this ‘flexi zone’then here are some pitfalls that you should avoid to stay a productive and trusted employee at your organisation:

Not being available on call

Most of the MNCs have employees working in diverse geographical settings and time zones. The employees are required to have meetings on Lync/skype during overlap timings. You need to make sure you are present on such calls at least 5 minutes before the scheduled time. That would establish your commitment for work. The most important fact that one needs to keep in mind is when an employer sees you in the office, there’s a certain level of trust, whether it’s earned or not. If you’re late for an in-office meeting, people assume you were finishing up an email. Well, if you are late for a meeting while working from home, it is assumed that you were dozing or watching TV. It would cast a serious blot on your seriousness.

So, make sure you are available over all conference calls and meetings.

Distractions and noise

At times it so happens that during a call, there would be the sound of a doorbell ringing, or the clatter of utensils in the kitchen or the sound of the telephone ringing, or the interrupting shriek of a toddler. Definitely don’t let people hear the familiar sound of clattering dishes on a call — it’s distracting and unprofessional. These interruptions, though unavoidable at times, can make your employer lose faith in you. During my conversations with my onsite counterpart, I learnt that nothing can be more damaging to someone’s image as a professional than the sound of the doorbell.

Stay away from chaos and distractions — your home could be incomplete without them — but your work would be in serious jeopardy with them.

Procrastination

One tragic flaw or hamartia for people indulge while working from home is that they tend to procrastinate their work thinking that a lot of time is available to them as if the day is of 48 hours instead of 24. When you do so, the impression you give is that you have completed everything in a rush and it affects productivity and quality. Yes, you can take care of your baby on your lunch break, or throw the laundry in the dryer between calls, but be careful not to let distractions eat into time you have planned for work. Don't fool yourself into thinking that you can keep postponing your work and try to work it back during the weekends.

Those who hired you have more wisdom than you do…

Not having a routine

You chose to work from home not only because you do not wish to commute through the serpentine traffic but also because your kids might need you, you need to take care of an ailing spouse and so on and so forth. In this case, set a routine and make sure your employers know your tentative schedule. They will not jump to all kinds of wrong conclusions when you do not take their calls. Besides, it will help to have a room, a workstation or at the very least a desk in a quiet area in your home. Here is where you keep your laptop, fax machine or phone, work documents like reports and invoices. Remember, it is your call to set a space and routine for yourself. There is nothing more frustrating than the internet dongle going haywire during a call or the earphone wires dangling and staring at you, carrying everything sans the voice you had to hear…

Out of sight, out of mind

A common problem that most managers have with their employees working from home is that they can't keep an eye on them. Depending on what has been ironed out in the contract you will be expected to deliver certain working hours for your work-from-home job. The good news with working from home is that nobody is keeping track; the bad news is nobody is keeping track. Most of the employers are expecting a daily status from you whether in the form of a mail, a phone call or an update on a shared space. When you are at home, make sure you send an accurate and timely status of what was expected from you and how much of the work have you done. Out of sight should not be out of mind. If you do the work and frequently forget to send a status update, the message that you are sending is that you virtually did nothing.

The organisation can do without you, which it would eventually…

Thinning boundaries

Work from home is not the same as time off. You are still expected to do a day's work. Make sure your friends, family, and neighbors understand that. They should know that just because you're at home doesn't mean you've got time on your hands. It's definitely easier to understand that you are not to be disturbed when you are at the office than when you are in the back room. You can't be held responsible for all household maintenance just because you're in the house. When you work from home, treat it like how you would treat your old office.

Take breaks as you would in the office. Do not make it a solitary confinement. Move out of the house, you can sit in a coffee shop and go out for walks. Rejuvenate yourself. It would help you to increase your productivity.

Hampering productivity

One thing that should always be at the back of your mind is that your productivity should not diminish when you work from home. If it is counterproductive for you to be working from home, what's to stop your employers from making you brave the traffic and parking wardens to turn up at the office again? They will never want to compromise on productivity and quality.

Sweating it out

Some of you might like to sweat it out and choose the other extreme by working too hard. If you do so, you might find yourself sleeping over your laptop every evening. This would also prove detrimental in the long run as the employer might feel that he can always hire you as a consultant. After all, he does not need to pay for the employee morale boosting activities that organisations keep having. The result - you miss out the fun and become a sweat shop.

Therefore, the next time you land yourself in a work from home assignment, take it very seriously and make it work for you.

After all, it is all about work that works… and work that matters…

— The writer is a Ludhiana-based career consultant

Master the handshake syntax
Preetinder Kaur

Handshake has been a social custom practiced for centuries by men and women from all strata of society. It signifies a mutual respect for one another in both business and social arenas. Throughout history, handshakes have been instrumental in sealing business deals of all kinds. Peace was declared, nations were formed, marriages arranged... all by the blessing of a handshake — a handshake that was as solid and binding as any of today’s contracts. Although today’s business dealings require more than a handshake to honor the intentions of men, a handshake still represents mutual agreement and promise between two people.

Though a handshake is a nonverbal form of communication, don’t be fooled by thinking it doesn’t speak volumes about the person. Understanding the psychology behind a handshake, and knowing how to implement an appropriate one can be the difference between getting that coveted job or contract or not. It says a lot about one’s personality and character and that is why it is imperative that men of all ages and walks of life master the art of handshaking. According to experts like Frank J. Bernieri and Kristen N. Petty the handshake plays an important role in forming first impressions. A handshake can reveal a dominant personality or a sunmissive one it can convey a host of other meanings. Here are some of the kinds of handshakes that can best judge a personality in 4 to 5 seconds.

1. Sweaty palms

When a person is nervous his/her sympathetic nervous system often becomes overactive, sometimes resulting in sweaty palms. Do what you can to put this individual at ease.

2. Dead fish

Indifferent handshakes that feel like the person has no bones in their hand often indicate a passive or reserved personality. This handshake ranks as the number two least favoured. Individuals with this type of clasp are generally not people-focused.

3. Brush off

This handshake type is a quick grasp and then a release that feels like your hand being shoved aside. This handshake is a statement of “it’s my turf and my agenda that matters, yours doesn’t.” Listen first to what the person wants before talking about your ideas for them.

4. Controller

You feel your hand being pulled toward the person or strongly guided in a different direction, perhaps towards a chair. People who do this are controllers. This means they want to dominate any inanimate or animate object in the room (and that would include you). If your goals are different than theirs there may be challenges ahead. Do more listening than talking and see if you can find common ground so these individuals can control the situation toward your desired objective.

5. Politician

Your hand is firmly grasped as in a normal handshake. However, their other hand may cover yours or be placed on your forearm or shoulder. Unless the two of you are good friends, this is a form of false sincerity.

6. Finger vice

When someone grabs your fingers and not your entire hand it is meant to keep you at a distance. These people are often insecure. If they also crush your fingers they are adding a show of personal power, which is also designed to keep you at a distance or at least create some fear of challenging them.

7. Bone crusher

The message of squeezing your hand until you cringe is clearly designed to intimidate you. Even when the person may not know how strong they are, there is still a message of intimidation and power behind the grip. You don’t have to pretend to be a wimp with them, and, in fact, they may respond positively to you if you present yourself with strength. Just don’t get into a hand-squeezing contest when you shake because then it becomes a competition and even if you win, you’ll lose.

8. Lobster claw

Like the claw of a lobster, the other person’s thumb and fingers touch the palm of your hand. The person doing this fears connecting at a deep level and may have challenges building relationships. Take your time. Allow them to open up at their own pace. As they become more comfortable with you their handshake may actually change. Once they fully accept you, they can become a client for life.

9. Hand wrestler

Your hand is taken normally and then twisted under the other person’s. This is usually done aggressively. Be very careful in your own presentation as this person is absolutely committed to being on top, regardless of what they say they want.

10. Teacup

This handshake feels normal except that there is no palm-to-palm contact. The other person’s palm is cupped, like a teacup. This indicates that the person is hiding something from you. It might just be a serious case of shyness so always check for missing information when working with this individual.

Effective technique

According to experts a proper handshake should last from 3 to 6 seconds, be equally balanced meaning each person’s hand should be vertically side by side, thumbs must be locked around each others upper hand and fingers have a firm grip. Always reciprocate the same amount of pressure you are receiving.

So next time you extend your hand send out the right signal.

— The writer is a personality development trainer, Baddi University

A Tool for rapport and power play

It is an important tool in establishing rapport with strangers and colleagues. Rapport in simple terms is putting people at ease so that mutual trust can be established immediately. The easiest way to establish rapport is through mirroring. Mirroring can be done through a handshake by matching the strength of the other person’s handshake.

If everyone liked the idea of equality among men, power plays would not occur at all. Unfortunately, power plays do happen and sometimes, it is hard to ignore when a person is consciously (or unconsciously) trying to put down other people even through handshakes.

The double handshake also defuses a power player. One can also defuse a power player’s palm-down handshake is by using both hands to shake the other person’s hand. 

cubicle trends
Diverse talent sources are key for growth

Companies should look at tapping diverse talent sources to respond faster to ever-changing market demands, according to global HR major ManpowerGroup.

Emphasising that “one-size-fits-all” is no longer the right approach, Manpower Group chief Jeffrey A Joerres has said business leaders “must consider which skill sets they need to execute their business strategy, and how best to close the existing gaps”. Joerres, who is the group’s Chairman and CEO, made these comments while participating at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet at Davos in Switzerland. According to a statement from Manpower Group, ever-changing technology and shifting demographics, among others, have contributed to a marked imbalance. In a world where talent has become the major agent of economic growth, this imbalance is adding pressure on the labour market, it said. “Employers who tap into a wider range of skills across the entire talent ecosystem — full-time, part-time, contract and virtual — will maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” Joerres was quoted as saying in the statement. 

Older workers good for firms

A new study has revealed that hiring older workers might actually be good for a company. According to the study, older staff not only serve as mentors to younger staff, but they also don’t call in sick as much and have a great track record for showing up for work on time, the Huffington Post reported.

The study, which was conducted by the Nationwide Building Society, found that older workers are just as technologically savvy as their younger counterparts.

The research has revealed that younger workers like having older staff around, and around 16 per cent of Nationwide’s 17,000 employees are over 50, and two per cent are 60 or older.

The study found that almost half of their workers over the age of 55 hadn’t taken a sick day in the past year, and most of them usually arrived early to work. — ANI

Course cruising

Agri management diploma

Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Co-operative Management, Pune, is inviting applications for admission to Post Graduate Diploma in Management-Agri Business Management . VAMNICOM is an intellectual nerve centre for the co-operative movement and has been functioning as the apex management training institute for over 50 years, catering to the management development, training, research and consultancy needs of various cooperative organisations, government departments and other national bodies.

Eligibility: Any graduate with the minimum of 15 years (10+2+3) of education with minimum 5-% marks in graduation for General\OBC ( Non creamy) and 45 per cent for SC\ST candidates.

The candidates should get the required score in Entrance Examination.

Duration: Two years.

How to apply: 
Online and by post.

Deadline: March 15, 2014.

Check out: www.vamnicom.gov.in.

MBA for working professionals

Xavier School of Management (XLRI) is inviting applications for admission to the ‘Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDM-BM) Programme for Working Executives and Business Owners’ for the batch 2014 to 2017. The three-year, part-time, evening programme, approved by AICTE, imparts the rigor of a full-time programme through 900 plus hours of classroom interaction.

Eligibility: Candidates having three years bachelor’s degree or equivalent in any discipline recognised by a university or a deemed university and a minimum work experience of two years in supervisory/executive role in organisations or a business owner as on April 30, 2014, are eligible to apply for this programme.

How to apply: Online

Deadline: February 28, 2014.

Check out: www.xlri.ac.in/evening

Executive MBA

Manav Rachna International University is inviting applications for its Executive MBA (EMBA) programme with specialisations in marketing, international business, finance, HR and information technology.

The course: The 15-month programme comprising two semesters followed by a three- month practical module is designed to enhance skills, in-depth knowledge and relationships needed to confront business challenges that prepares to re-shape the corporate landscape. The weekend classes-based module has more time devoted to practical discussions and activities where the parameters undertaken for evaluation are research projects, case preparation and presentations and term papers.

Eligibility: Graduation with minimum 2 years of working experience

Number of seats: 30

Deadline: February 15, 2014

Check out: fms.mriu.edu.in

Campus notes

Workshop on harassment at workplace

The Women’s Studies Centre (WSC) at MDU organised a workshop on sexual harassment of women at workplace recently. WSC deputy director Dr Neerja Ahlawat said strategies to combat violence against women at workplace were discussed and installation of effective and efficient mechanisms for receiving and taking up specific complaints of women staffers in this regard were stressed during 
the workshop.

Prof Reicha Tanwar, director, WSC, Kurukshetra University, delivered the keynote address, while Prof Rohini Agrawal, Head, Department of Hindi, and Dean, Faculty of Humanities at MDU, gave a special lecture. Representatives of women cells of affiliated colleges as well as university faculty members, research scholars and students participated in the seminar.

Seminar on Haryanavi ethos

Underlining the adage of ‘Think global, Act local’, the Department of English and Foreign Languages at MDU organised a national seminar focusing on Haryanavi literature, music and allied arts on the university campus here recently.

The two-day event titled “Unheard Regional Creative Voices and Indian Literature” was inaugurated by MDU Vice-Chancellor H.S.Chahal. Talking about the theme of the seminar, veteran educationist Prof Surender Singh Sangwan termed literature as a great river which encompasses myriad literary tributaries. Well-known author B.L. Gautam observed that a writer creates an illusion of reality, and added that literature can provide answers to many socio-cultural problems. Noted writer Bhagwan Das Morwal asserted that the creative writers should highlight the rich pluralistic traditions of our country. He read out a passage from his acclaimed novel Ret, and shared his creative experiences vis-à-vis his native land Mewat.

Award for Dr Deepti

Dr Deepti Hooda, Assistant Professor at Department of Psychology of MDU has been honoured with the Best Paper award at an international conference on 'Recent Advances in Cognition and Health' organized at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) recently. Dr Deepti presented her research paper in the area of intelligence and cognition.

— Contributed by Sunit Dhawan

Scholarship roundup

Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship

London Metropolitan University is accepting applications for Mahatma Gandhi scholarship for the September 2014 intake.

The scholarship is available for pursuing master’s degree level courses at the university.

Eligibility: Applicants must have an unconditional offer to study at London Met on one of London Met’s Masters courses.

They should have scored 80 per cent or above in Class X and XII.

They should have an overall IELTS score of 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component or SELT equivalent.

Details: The scholarship supports one student from India and covers the tuition fees for a master’s programme at the university.

How to apply: Scholarship applicants can complete and email the Word Scholarship application form or apply online.

Deadline: April 30, 2014

Check out:

www.londonmet.ac.uk

Internshala scholarship for Indian girls

The Internshala is offering scholarship for Indian girls in any field (academics, sports and arts etc). The scholarship is meant to recognise a girl who has fought against odds to pursue a career of her dreams in any field and is meant to advance the girl’s career in some way — be it through travel assistance for a foreign internship or competition, payment towards a specialised training programme, a major project, special equipment etc.

Eligibility: Any girl (an Indian national) between the ages of 17 to 23 years (as of December 31, 2013), i.e born between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1996 with a career objective is eligible to apply.

Details: The scholarship is an annual award of ~25,000 meant to help advance one girl’s career in her chosen field.

How to apply: The mode of applying is online.

Check out: http://blog.internshala.com

GREAT Scholarships for Indian students in UK

The British Council is offering ~100 million Great Scholarship Programme for young talented Indians to study in the UK. Scholarships will be tenable for Sept 2014 and January 2015 intakes. 36 UK institutions (list of institutions shared at the end of the document) across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are participating in this programme. Around 370 scholarships will be offered. Scholarships will be offered for 260 undergraduate and postgraduate courses ranging from Engineering, Law and Business to Art & Design, Biosciences and IT.

Eligibility: Undergraduate and postgraduate courses ranging from engineering, law and business to art & design, biosciences and IT.

Details: Scholarships for Indian Students will provide 1 million pounds. The division of amount differs according to each university and offered course).

How to apply: By post.

Deadline: Contact Employer (For more details about the above scholarships contact the concerned person of the particular university).

Check out:

www.britishcouncil.in

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
Don’t depend on others

Even while friends’ support is important for success in life and a team can achieve more than an individual, don’t rely too heavily on others to solve your problems.

In the Mahabharata, princess Amba of Kashi, on finding that her hand in marriage had been rejected by her lover King Shalva of Saubha, Kuru King Vichitravirya and her abductor Bhishma — for different reasons, held Bhishma responsible for her predicament and sought his death. But as the Kuru elder was invincible, no warrior in the land dared to challenge him at the request of Amba.

So she invoked Lord Kartikeya who gave her a magical garland “the wearer of which would become the Bhishma’s foe”. But all Kshtriyas refused to touch the garland. So she left it hanging at King Drupada’s doorstep.

Then, she approached Bhishma’s guru, Parashurama, who challenged him but the battle ended in a draw.

So she meditated on Lord Shiva who gave her a boon that she would kill her foe in her next birth. When she — reborn as Drupada’s daughter — wore the garland, Drupada banished her for the fear of Bhishma. In the forest, she practiced austerities and transformed into a male warrior named Sikhandin. On the 10th day of the Mahabharata war, Sikhandin became the cause of the grandsire’s downfall. Alam Khan wanted the throne of Delhi which his nephew Sultan Ibrahim Lodi occupied. So he approached the ruler of Kabul Zahir-ud-din Babur. “You take Punjab and I Delhi,” offered Alam Khan. Babur’s son Humayun defeated the Sheik of Hissar without shooting an arrow. On April 20, 1526, the First Battle of Panipat was fought in which Babur’s men beat Lodi’s army by mid-day. Immediately, he sent Humayun to capture Agra. By next week, the Mughal rule in India had well and truly begun.

One day, as they were on their way to their village, a tiger attacked freedom fighter Jatin Mukherji and his cousin. Jatin took on the beast as his cousin went to get help. By the time people arrived with sickles and sticks, the tiger was dead. The brave lad was taken to hospital where the doctors advised amputation of his injured right leg. He refused saying that he “needed both legs to fight the British lion”. He recovered and was rechristened Bagha (tiger) Jatin.

Authorities at Presidency College, Calcutta, objected to biophysicist Jagadis Chandra Bose wasting his time on experiments than taking the physics class. So he and his wife Abala decided to save every penny to build a research institute. After retiring from service in November 1915, his efforts bore fruit on his 59th birthday — November 30, 1917 — with the opening of the Bose Research Institute.

Friends can help in your battle, but can’t fight it.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com