Hotel management progrmmes
Options that pay
Usha Albuquerque

More and more people are travelling for work and pleasure than ever before with hotels and resorts pampering them with not only comfortable rooms, and fabulous meals but also a host of luxuries and services. So if you are looking for a job that seems like a permanent vacation, then it has to be hotel management. Of course, it is not you who is on vacation, but the guest to whom you provide these services. But nevertheless you do get to work in rather luxurious surroundings, handle exciting and delectable foods, and get to meet interesting people — even celebrities.

Hotel management is one of the most interesting and challenging industries to work in. It offers a wide range of job and career opportunities and an endless variety of places to work in.

If you enjoy working with people and are interested in a career that offers challenge, variety and advancement, hotel management could offer you a high degree of professional success and personal fulfillment. The diversity of experience in hotel management is greater than that in any other profession, involving a combination of various skills like management, food and beverage service, housekeeping, front office operation, sales and marketing, accounting.

Scope

Today with globalisation and the opening of the economy to an international market, the Indian hospitality industry has grown exponentially, with almost every international hotel chain operating in India requiring an increasing number of trained hotel managers.

So great is the demand that hotel chains are not only willing to pay the right people for the training, but training institutes are providing a stipend to those selected for the specialised training.

Among the top programmes that offer such focussed training is the STEP programme offered by the Oberoi hotel group, and the Welcomlegionnaire developed for Welcomgroup hotels managers.

In addition to the two above management programmes, several diploma and apprenticeship programmes have been launched by the Ministry of Tourism for skill development in the hospitality sector. This includes the Hunar Se Rozgar Training Scheme for conducting training programmes in trades of F&B Service and Food Production. The programmes being conducted at the IHMs and ITDC hotels include six to eight-week short-term courses in Food and Beverage service and food production.

Eligibility: Candidates with minimum Class X pass and in the age group of 18 to 25 are eligible to apply for the training and are paid a stipend of Rs 2,000 and Rs  1,500 on attaining 90 per cent class attendance.

There are also three-year Apprenticeship Training courses as per the Regional Directorate of Apprenticeship Training (RDAT), Ministry of Labour offered by the ITDC Ashok Group of hotels, the Ashok Institute of hospitality and Tourism management, for training in Food Production, Bakery & Confectionary, Housekeeping, Front Office for Class X students. A stipend of Rs 1480 and Rs 1780 and Rs  1900 is given in first, second and third year, respectively.

Most job placements take place during the training period only, as all hotel chains — both large and small — require trained professionals.

There are also jobs in restaurants and fast-food outlets and catering establishments of airlines, railways, the defence services, shipping companies, hospitals, and industrial canteens. Airlines also prefer to take candidates with hotel management degree as cabin crew (air hostesses and flight pursers).

VITAL STATS

India is ranked 12th among 184 countries in terms of travel and tourism’s total contribution to GDP in 2012. This contribution is expected to grow at 7.8 per cent per annum during 2013-2023. The sector in India is expected to create 78 jobs per $18,366 of investment. These statistics surely make the country an ideal place to pursue a career in hospitality.

The Oberoi — STEP Programme The Systematic Training and Education Programme of The Oberoi Group is for students between 18 and 20 years of age, who have completed Class XII. This is a three-year programme that offers practical training in four core operational departments of a hotel — Front Office, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage Service and Kitchen. Eligibility: To be eligible you should have 61per cent marks or above, a B2 Grade or a 7 Grade Point, in English in Class X. Students can choose from two programmes under STEP: The Hotel Operations Programme trains students in three operations departments — Food and Beverage, Front Office and Housekeeping. The Kitchen Operations Programme involves training in Western and Indian kitchens and specialist sections such as bakery, pastry and cold kitchen. This on-the-job training programme focuses on rigorous discipline and developing strong service orientation directly relevant to a career in the hospitality industry. This includes five days of full-time work in the hotel, and one day of study. This will lead to a Certificate of Proficiency from the Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Studies (BTS) from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). How to apply: The application process for both of these programmes begins in February each year, with selection being made on the basis of detailed interviews with prospective candidates. This is a highly selective admission and the interviewers look for certain qualities in the candidates such as a positive attitude with a desire for excellence, good communication skills in English, strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, initiative, drive and an eye for detail. The training programme starts in August each year. Those admitted to the programme are given a monthly allowance, accommodation, meals on duty, uniform, medical insurance and a three-week annual leave. The programme also covers the IGNOU fees, reference books and an additional three-week leave to enable students to take the IGNOU exams. The programme is currently being hosted at certain Oberoi hotels which include the Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, The Oberoi Bangalore, The Oberoi Cecil, Shimla, The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur, The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, Trident Agra, Trident Chennai, Trident Gurgaon, Trident Jaipur, and Trident Udaipur. The hotel that is assigned to a student for practical training is at the sole discretion of The Oberoi Group. Subject to your performance during the programme and availability of a suitable vacancy, students may even be offered a job with The Oberoi Group, starting as an Operations Assistant at any of the Oberoi hotels. Alternatively, students can get into the two-year post graduate management training programme at The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development in Delhi. Check out: www.theoberoigroup.com/careers/join_us/step

WelcomLegionnaire Programme

The Welcomlegionnaire is a unique programme that trains managers for its own Welcomgroup hotels around the world. This is a four-and-a-half year programme, for boys after Class XII. This training programme ensures knowledge and skill enhancement in hotel disciplines such as Front Office, Food & Beverage, Food Production, Housekeeping, Materials Management, Quality Management, etc. The training is divided into two parts:

nFormative Phase: The three-year-long formative phase focuses on building up practical as well as academic skills required for the hospitality industry. Student trainees also pursue the Bachelor in Tourism Studies programme from IGNOU during this phase.

nManagement Training: This phase is spread over the last one-and-a-half years and focuses on hospitality management. Senior Managers from ITC Hotels and experts from top business schools and universities are regularly invited to deliver lectures and train the Management Trainees. The subjects covered include — Economics, Organisational Behaviour, Tourism Studies, Marketing, HRD, Foreign language, Indian and World History, Applied Science, Communication and Multicultural Organisation.

Eligibility: Boys who have appeared for Class XII, and passed with a minimum 70 per cent marks in Class X and XII are eligible to apply. The candidates should be under 20 years as on August 1, of the year of commencement of the programme, and selection is on the basis of interviews and tests.

Here too, candidates should have a pleasing personality, good communication skills with fluency in English, high level of general awareness and basic knowledge of computers. The candidate should be a team person, possess leadership qualities and be emotionally stable with good health.

The programme, wholly financed by ITC Ltd. Hotels Division, includes a handsome stipend, on campus stay, and live training at ITC Luxury Collection and other ITC Hotels, and can lead to a management position in frontline operations in the company’s hotels across the country. For more details check www.itchotels.in/itchmi/legionnaire-programme

Multi-campus degree programmes

Glion Institute of Higher Education, one of the world's top three hospitality schools, has launched multicampus degree programmes for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies available to Indian students and hospitality enthusiasts.

The programmes allow students to study in Glion, Switzerland, and spend up to two semesters in London if they enroll in undergraduate studies or one semester if they pursue postgraduate diplomas.

Glion follows the exceptional Swiss approach to hospitality education, combining theoretical and practical learning with professional development. The curriculum is divided into four sections — professional development, entrepreneurial competencies, general education and applied learning. Each section is focused on developing specific aptitudes to fully prepare graduates to lead and manage teams.

Students are also required to complete internships, which will allow them to gain first-hand experience from leading employers in the industry and make valuable connections. Some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Rolex, Four Seasons, JP Morgan, and Marriott, recruit from Glion Institute of Higher Education.

For details check out www.glion.edu

The Indian hospitality and tourism industry is booming and now is the perfect time to pursue a career in the industry. Pursuing a multi-campus degree allows students to graduate with an international and professional network experience. Graduates will be industry-ready for a hospitality career anywhere in the world. — Judy Hou, CEO of Glion Institute of Higher Education

Field in focus: material science
Material minds
Gaurav Bagaria

Can you think of a world without raw materials or for that matter processed materials? The roads, the bridges, the optical fibers used in telecommunications and silicon microchips that have made the information revolution possible, your TV set, your golf club. In short, there is no aspect of modern life that has not been touched by materials moulded by able hands, or machines. Materials are so important that time down the ages has been marked by raw materials that were used prominently during the ages —Stone Age, Iron Age, Bronze Age, etc. So it is befitting that courses dedicated to studying materials gain ground. Globally, the demand for graduates who have studied material science is increasing, and keeping pace with the industrial development, the academia in our country is also waking up to the need for newer, industry-oriented courses such as Material Sciences.

Continuous innovation and advances in engineered materials are important for the vitality and longevity of numerous industries. Apart from doing an engineering course in Material Science, one can also opt for a B.Sc/M.Sc in this field.

Subject matter

Material sciences is an inter-disciplinary subject having its foundations in physics and chemistry and then branches out to study mechanical, electrical and other important properties of the naturally available raw materials. Material engineers are involved right from a material’s extraction to its development, processing, and final testing before it hits the market for public use.

Apart from raw materials, material scientists work with metals, ceramics, plastics, polymers and composite materials (a combination of materials) in order to create new materials that meet various mechanical, electrical and chemical requirements in developed and developing economies across the world.

Then they also do research as to how the same material can be used in different ways so that the pressure on natural resources is less ended and a more energy-efficient technology is in place. Most cutting-edge systems from your Delhi metro to the drone attacking terror hideouts to the systems in place searching for the missing MH 370 Malaysian airliner, all have material scientists behind them. Many materials scientists are also involved in mining, and the extraction of substances from natural ores.

Getting in

For admission to a bachelor’s degree —B.Sc (PCM) with specialisation in material sciences, the candidate must have passed the higher secondary school certificate (Plus II) examination in the science stream, irrespective of mathematics or biology combination. The duration of this course is three years.

The eligibility criterion for pursuing a master’s degree is a bachelor’s degree (BE/B.Tech/BSc) or any other equivalent branches of engineering. The duration of this course is two years. For admission to post-graduate courses, students with GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering will get the priority.

Career opportunities

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational requirement, and many research jobs in materials science require a master’s or Ph.D. Graduates from this field can apply for positions in the manufacturing industry, be it in research and development or in management.

One can find job opportunities as a materials consultant, packaging engineer, mining engineer, project engineer, design engineer, quality control officer, operations engineer in the petroleum sector, consumer goods sector, mining, pharmaceuticals, marketing, aerospace, sports and entertainment industry, biomedical sector and biomimetic (applying designs from nature to solve problems in engineering, materials science, medicine, and other fields) etc.

Some of the companies that recruit MS graduates include Accenture, Boeing, Ingersoll-Rand, Intel, Reynolds, Michelin, GE, Tata Steel, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Reliance etc.

Moreover, government departments also employ material scientists in various capacities in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Indian Railways, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) etc.

Pay package

The starting salary of a material science engineer is in the range of Rs 20,000 per month. Those who find employment in the aerospace sector and in government agencies are paid more than their counterparts — something in the range of around Rs 25,000 per month. Those who have done a post-graduate degree course or a Ph. D in material science are offered a starting salary in the range of Rs 35,000 - Rs45,000. International Companies of course pay more than their Indian counterparts.

A word of caution However, there are a few things that one must keep in mind before entering this field. Like any other industry, utmost dedication to the job is expected from graduates. But unlike most-fields this is a research-heavy field and thus be prepared to experiment a 1,000 times (like Thomas Alva Edison) before developing just the right material to help make the world a better place. This is a very interactive field and one must be open to working in close collaboration with employees in every department.

— The writer is Director General, Vivekananda Group of Institutions, Jaipur

Drop to pick up pace
Gauri Chhabra

Board results are out and college admissions are in full swing. A bad or a little “off” result in the boards or in the entrance exams can lead to a lot of concern for the students as well as the parents. Several students on the threshold of college after Class XII results face the dilemma of joining a college or course that was not in their original plan or drop a year and prepare again and compete the next year. There was a time when taking a gap year in order to prepare for an entrance exam or improvement of score was uncommon and was frowned upon. But things have changed now. There is so much of competition in the modern world that each year more and more students appear for the competitive exams. This brings about an academic churning where those who lie on the fringes get through and a large mass that lies under the normal probability curve finds itself at the crossroads. This mass needs a second attempt — in order to again enter the churning wheel, therefore the trend of a gap year.

Making the most of it

Once you have decided to take a gap year, make the most of it. Reassure your parents that a gap year doesn’t mean you’re giving up on studies. Outline your plan for the gap year and highlight all the benefits it will have on your character and academic career. Here are a few tips on how to make the best of it:

Revisit the concepts

Consider your gap year as an opportunity to revisit the concepts that you have learnt at school and recharge your academic batteries. At times, while going through the treadmill of school activity, you are so involved in rote learning that you miss out on clarity of concepts. All entrance tests focus on your ‘Higher Order Thinking’ skills and concept clarity. Taking a year off will afford you an opportunity to approach the next phase of your education with a fresh start and renewed vigor while staving off burnout of the school academics.

Organise time

The gap year suddenly pours a lot of time on your plate. The school had forced you to get up early and follow a set time pattern. Now, with you not going to school, the biggest challenge is to make yourself follow a routine. You need to control your mind and set a time table for yourself. Once you exercise this control, life is going to be easy, This lesson in self discipline will give you an edge over your counterparts when it comes to your corporate life. In case you plan to take up a competitive exam, make sure you develop speed by taking mock tests. Practice long sittings that you would normally have taken while attending the college.

Zero in on your college

A gap year can prove to be the best time to select the college and the course and make a decision. Maybe you weren’t accepted into your top schools. Or you didn’t find the college of your dreams during your search for college. You can use your gap year to continue your search for the right school, while taking classes or engaging in other activities to strengthen your college application. You can reapply to colleges and universities after the gap year.

A gap year can allow you to find your academic focus before you start your degree programme. Perhaps you can take up online courses to learn more about a particular field of study. Preparation now may help in earning degrees later.

Building additional skills

If you feel that taking a gap year might decelerate you in the race of life, you can gain additional mileage by building up new skills that would add weight to your resume when you step out in search of a job. It is also advisable to start learning a foreign language like Spanish and French.

If you still don’t do well

Dhruv, who was passionate about Law, dropped a year to improve his CLAT score. However, he could not improve his score as he got overconfident. “I was confident of most of the answers and in this confidence I attempted some questions which I was not confident about. The negative marking pulled down my score and today, I stand in the admissions market with a lower score”, he shares.

If that be the case, then, too, there is no reason to fret and fume as you would now enter the college of your choice with a higher mental and chronological age than your counterparts. If you are wise and receptive, you would have gained a lot of experience from the University of Life.

A gap year may mean the gearing up for a new journey — the journey of Life. It prepares you both for a life of test and also for the TEST OF LIFE.

Are gap years useless on resume? A few years ago maybe. Today, absolutely not. More and more schools and employers are seeing students who have dropped a year having an edge over the others. Having the experience will differentiate your CV. What stands out in a resume is the action a person has taken and the results that they have got as it relates to what an employer is seeking. You’ll be adding a valuable notch to your résumé, which will help you when you enter the work force after earning your college degree. According to Smriti Shah, HR professional at a leading IT firm, a constructive gap year makes a job application stand out. Well known hall marks of learning like Harvard encourage admitted students to defer enrolment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way. The results have been uniformly positive. At the graduate level, schools look for experience, especially in the applicant’s desired field of study, to fortify an application and indicate commitment to the field. If you want to apply to medical school or law school, you can benefit greatly, for example, by volunteering at NGOs or taking courses abroad.

Scholarship roundup

Nursing studies

Swansea University, UK is funding nursing scholarship for international students to pursue BSc (Hons) Professional Nursing Studies programme.

Eligibility: Students applying for BSc (Hons) Professional Nursing Studies programme will be eligible.

Details: International Nursing Scholarship of £1,500 will be offset against the total tuition fees. Applicants eligible for the Clinical Placement Module will be exempt from a £600 practical fee (this cost will be covered by the College of Human and Health Sciences).

How to apply: There is no separate application. Applicants must hold offer of a place for BSc (Hons) Professional Nursing Studies programme.

Deadline: June 30, 2014.

Check out: www.swansea.ac.uk

Merit scholarships

The Management Development Institute, Singapore is offering merit scholarships to recognise outstanding academic achievements and provide high-calibre international students an opportunity to develop their full potential. The scholarship applications are invited for master’s degrees valued at S$4,000 each; bachelor’s degrees valued at S$3,200 each; and for the pre-degree programmes valued at S$500 each.

Eligibility: These scholarships will be awarded to qualified students on the basis of academic merit, leadership potential, special talents.

The eligibility criteria to apply are as follows:

• The candidates must apply for admission to MDIS before MDIS Merit Scholarship (International) application can be reviewed.
• The candidates must have demonstrated a consistent record of academic achievement.
• The candidates should have strong leadership qualities and excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Check out: www.mdis.edu.sg/

Bond College Scholarships

Bond University is inviting application for a number of college scholarships available for international students of the Foundation Programme at Bond College. Selection will be based on high academic achievement.

Eligibility:

• Strong academic performance with outstanding grades in Class X-XII school reports (or equivalent)
• Strong leadership skills
• Extensive involvement in extra-curricular activities

Check out: www. bond.edu.au

Paytm scholarships

Mobile commerce platform Paytm has announced Paytm Scholarship in association with EduKart.com. Paytm will be helping students to build their future with daily scholarships worth Rs 50 crore. Paytm users who wish to pursue a degree, diploma or a certificate course available on EduKart.com are eligible for scholarships worth Rs 25,000. Additionally, Paytm will give Paytm Cash upto Rs 5000 to students on enroling for any course.

In order to access the scholarship, Paytm users simply need to recharge their phones and pay their bills for Mobile, DTH, 3G data and utility services for any amount and enter the code “SCHOLARSHIP” in the promo code box. On doing this, they will receive an e-mail from the company on how to avail of the Scholarship on the over 1,000 courses on EduKart.com. Each user will be eligible for only one scholarship and will have to enroll for the desired course before July 15, 2014. The amount of Scholarship given will be calculated on the basis of the value of the course chosen. In order to provide customers with maximum benefit, Paytm will provide the entire Scholarship sum at the time of payment of the first instalment of the course.

Career Hotline
Job scope after BCA
Pervin Malhotra

Pervin Malhotra

Q. I am a student of BCA third year. I am pursuing this course from an open university. What jobs can I get after completing this course? I want to become a computer software or hardware engineer. Please tell me the type of related job oriented courses I should do.

— Kriti Thorat

A. By itself, a BCA will easily fetch you some entry-level work like page making, data entry or at best technical support jobs in BPOs. To get into hardcore programming, I suggest you to go for MCA from a good university or a course in Advanced Computing or Database Management or specialise in certain computer languages such as Java, .Net etc.

Although some companies do hire BSc (IT) graduates from good colleges for starting level jobs in programming (because they come cheaper than engineering graduates and anyways require to be trained by the company) an MCA will help you in the long run. More so, since you are pursuing a distance learning programme.

While pursuing your MCA, please work on strengthening your fundamentals and enhancing your skills. Simultaneously, focus on acquiring depth in a particular area like web development or app development to gain more confidence and improve your job prospects. If you wish to get into networking, then you will need to do a basic course in hardware technology and acquire relevant certifications such as MCSE, MCSD, CCNA etc. Game design and technology, information security and testing are some other options that you could look at.

Working for children’s cause

Q. I will be completing BA LLB this year but I am not interested in joining a law firm. I would like to join an NGO preferably dealing with children’s issues. Is there any way I can supplement my degree? — Neerav Bansal

A. Luckily for you, the Department of Social Work, Jamia Millia Islamia offers a one-year PG Diploma course in Child Rights in collaboration with a Sweden-based NGO, Save the Children.

Although children constitute more than 40 per cent of the Indian population, they have been completely marginalised while the female child faces dual discrimination first on the basis of gender and secondly on account of belonging to a societal group that has not been recognised as citizens. Even after 20 years of adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the urgent need for rights based intervention, children in India lack a forum to address their grievances. Most academic institutions still shy away from incorporating Child Rights as a part of their curriculum. With your background in law you will be able to easily grasp the language and techniques of the rights based approach that forms an integral part of this course. Graduates in the fields of social welfare or social development and fresh graduates with at least 45 per cent marks can apply for this course. Admissions are based on a screening test and an interview. For details log onto http://jmi.nic.in

I also came across this interesting website of terre des homes, an international body that raises funds to support action and advocacy on behalf of children who have no means of defending themselves against poverty, oppression, abandonment or discrimination. http://childrensrightsindia.org

Email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

PG must for better prospects in dentistry

In response to a query I answered in these columns earlier this month regarding a student who was considering opting for dentistry, but was not quite sure of the outcome, I’ve received a detailed letter from Dr. Hardik Makkar a PG student of Dentistry: MDS (resident), the gist of which I’m reproducing here to constructively help the student who sent in her query as well as scores of others like her. Being from the same field and having experienced the same situation, he wanted to share his thoughts:

• Admission in dental colleges is through AIPMT and other state entrance tests. One should write those exams that have a good number of seats so that selection becomes realistic e.g. COMEDK in Karnataka etc
• Look out for private dental colleges in south India as these are established and have full-time faculty, good OPD facilities and up-to-date infrastructure.
• Hardik graduated from JSS Dental College, Mysore , which is a well recognised college in the state. Other good dental colleges are SDM, Dharwad, Bapuji Dental College, Davangere, MS Ramiah Dental College, Bangalore etc.
• Please enter the field of dentistry (or medicine for that matter) with the knowledge that you have to do your PG (MD/MS/MDS) which have become essential in this age of specialisation.
• Don’t view dentistry as an alternative or default option. It’s all about the art and science of diagnosis and treatment that can be highly lucrative but demanding nonetheless. Dentistry has nine branches in which you can go specialise at the PG level.
• Dentistry does not only deal with teeth but the entire head and neck minus the neurological and surgical branches. It also deals with oncology, trauma as well as facial reconstruction. Hence, it’s altogether a vast area to learn and practice.

Course chat
Five-year integrated MBA in Financial markets

The National Stock Exchange and Gurgaon-based Apeejay Stya University have entered into an agreement recently to launch a five-year Integrated MBA course in financial markets. ASU is the first private university to tie-up with NSE for this course. Students enrolling for the five-year integrated MBA will have an exit option after three years, to get a BBA (FM) degree.

The programme is being launched from the first week of August, 2014. It is a blend of academic and employable skills. Students will get a degree plus 10/22 industry NSE certificates. Students will save up to two years by passing up to 22 NCFM Modules simultaneously with the MBA/BBA degrees.

The university will transfer the marks of NSE/NCFM papers while grading students for the BBA or MBA degree in Financial Markets.

NCFM modules are online testing and certification programmes run by NSE.

The agreement was signed by Ms Rana Usman, Head Northern region, NSE and Professor H L Verma, pro Vice Chancellor (academic administration), Apeejay Stya University. The agreement also envisages launching other courses jointly in the future, including a BCom course in financial markets and a one-year PG diploma in financial markets.

NSE will train the faculty of the university and will depute experts in financial markets as guest lecturers. Apart from training the faculty, NSE will also provide a simulation software, NSE Learn to Trade (NLT), which will help students to learn about trading in a real life or simulated environment.

As a part of the Integrated MBA , students will study the NCFM modules. NCFM is an online testing and certification programme, which is very popular all over India.

Currently NSE runs more than 50 NCFM modules, for instance on the cash market, derivatives, options trading strategies ,mutual funds, insurance, currency segment, risk management, surveillance and the most relevant and contemporary topics. Students or professionals are provided with written material, on the basis of which they appear for the tests. More than 16 lakh NCFM tests have been conducted since 1998 and the certification is considered a necessary criterion to get attractive jobs in the Financial sector. NSE runs MBA, BBA and post graduate courses in Financial markets in many Universities or Institutions in India.

Software Developer Certification

India’s largest testing and assessment company MeritTrac will partner with Proxor (a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff) to launch India’s first standardised certification of software development ability. Developed after years of research at Carnegie Mellon University, this certification would be the benchmark for all aspiring software developers. This will provide a reliable means of benchmarking software development capability within the company as well as setting the bar for aspirants wanting to join them.

With this partnership MeritTrac will offer companies and colleges, Proxor’sAuthentic ExaminationsTM — starting with the flagship product, the Software Developer Examination. This is an authentic examination of software development capability, requiring examinees to demonstrate, in a proctored environment, the skills that are needed on the job. Proxor test-takers are tested and graded based on their ability to actually write software to an internationally acceptable standard. Speaking on the occasion, VasuSaksena, Chief Executive Officer, MeritTrac said “Technology companies have been consistently challenged by the quality of software developers — particularly at the entry levels. Candidates also want to differentiate their candidature with credible certifications. A scientifically designed assessment that accurately measures the test-takers’ ability to program realistic problems in a professional software development environment is the need of the hour. We are glad to be associated with Proxor in offering Authentic ExaminationsTM. The assessment designed by Proxor in association with Carnegie Mellon University and delivered by MeritTrac will help the industry to hire work-ready high quality software developers.”

The Authentic ExaminationsTMwill be available for individuals from the month of July 2014. The certification is expected to enhance likelihood of candidates in getting jobs in IT industry as they will prove to be readily deployable in billable projects.

Check out www.merittrac.com for details

Smart strategy: Managing difficult employees
Smoothen the rough edges
Preetinder Kaur

Being a manager does have its perks, you may get the corner office with the view, a marked parking space, probably even an attractive pay package, but we all know the managerial role is no walk in the park. So what’s the toughest part of the job?

Cultural diversity aside, an average workplace is usually also hugely diverse in terms of job skills, personalities, attitudes towards work and life and individual quirks and preferences. While this can contribute to an interesting and stimulating work environment, it does mean that occasionally we encounter a truly "difficult" employee i.e. someone whose personality, attitude, or approach to work and life is so skewed, it causes problems for a manager and the rest of the team.

Here is the classification of employees according to their behavior patterns and how to manage them to ensure that your team works smoothly and efficiently as a well-oiled machine.

The perennial pessimist

How to spot a Perennial Pessimist? This person is the one who will put a damper on every endeavour through his perpetual negativity. While it is good to have a devil's advocate when brainstorming and bouncing ideas, a perennial pessimist will take a negative approach not for the benefit of idea development but just because he is generally uncooperative. Dig deep and you may find that the reason for their inertia is that they are lazy or burnt out or very risk and change-averse or simply severely lacking the self-confidence needed to embark on new ventures. Still, they pose a roadblock to the company's growth and productivity and their negativity can be contagious if not addressed.

The know-it-all

With a large influx of Gen-Y workforce, non-traditional ways of thinking and problem solving are the norm of the day. The know-it-all is the person who is difficult to convince because he holds rigid views that are resistant to change possibly because they have been doing the job for a while or maybe because they have the inflated confidence and self-assurance of a freshly graduated youth. This brand of difficult employee is characterised by arrogance and a perpetually superior attitude. Their belief that they can do no wrong makes them very stubborn and poorly receptive to constructive criticism. Managing an employee with such qualities is difficult because it's hard to get a Know-it-all employee to commit to a new idea or project or change their ways.

The passive aggressive

The passive-aggressive employee may not seem as overtly difficult as the other 'types' but they are no less toxic for a workplace. The passive aggressive employee is meek, submissive and avoids confrontation. They have a problem saying 'no' which makes them take up more projects/tasks than they can handle, ultimately jeopardising the deliverables and project timelines.

The hostile aggressive

The hostile aggressive type is the most overtly difficult type of employee. It’s easy to spot them; they are openly violent, pushy, abusive and generally get the team moral down.

Below are a few steps you can take to confront this problem.

Don't ignore: Don’t ignore the problem. While an employee may be of value to the organisation, this should not be an excuse for you to condone his/her behaviour when it is counterproductive and adverse to the company's wellbeing and morale. Also do not wait for the problem to resolve itself, this will probably only reinforce the negative behaviour cycle and perpetuate the problem further.

Intervene: Timely professional intervention is necessary; if possible take action immediately after such behavior is displayed. Sometimes it is necessary to make the difficult employee realise that their behaviour is having a negative effect on the rest of the team. Timely feedback given very constructively and professionally and without confrontation can help the employee view his actions form others' point of view and realise there are other ways to see and approach a situation.

Help: Once the difficult employee starts to see things from the others' perspective, he can be coached to display healthier behavioural patterns. The HR department can assist in this regard by suggesting coaching and trainings and effective communication techniques.

The perennial pessimist can learn to give constructive criticism rather than complain, the Know-it-all can learn to be more open to other's opinions, the Passive-aggressive can undergo assertiveness training and the hostile-aggressive can start addressing their anger and stress in a healthier manner.

Ignoring this issue will not help, addressing difficult employees in a timely manner will ensure that the rest of your team does not suffer and dealing with this will definitely reflect well on your reputation as a manager.

office mantra: How to negotiate with colleagues
Amiable negotiation
Jappreet Sethi

Workplace negotiations are very different from the other kinds of negotiations, as the parties involved share the same roof and workspace and you deal with your colleagues. Authority used to be the power tool in negotiations, nowadays more and more organisations are moving to matrix reporting structures, forcing managers to coordinate the activities of individual contributors and business units over whom they seldom have formal authority.

On top of these changes, accountability, and decision making are being pushed downwards to make companies more flexible and agile. As a result now colleagues have to amicably settle differences and work together smoothly, often without running to a common superior for playing the role of an eternal mediator.

It is often seen that in organisations, one party wins at the other one’s expense, leading to strained work relationships. The organisation gets divided into silos and opposing factions try to score over each other in subsequent rounds of fire.

Negotiation can be used very effectively to reach an agreement in most of these cases, especially if there are conflicting interests at work and when neither party has an upper hand or authority over the other.

Effective workplace negotiation is about getting the best possible deal while leaving the other party’s stake, interests and dignity intact. In the best-case scenario, both the sides go away with exactly what they wanted. So what can you do to hone your negotiation capabilities at work?

Build rapport and confidence first

Jumping straight into the negotiation arena sets up a two-way contest; it is best to start by warming up and building rapport before getting down to brass tacks.

If you are the host, start with an unrelated topic and make an attempt to break the ice to put everybody at ease. Remember, you are dealing with colleagues — not opponents. During actual negotiations, mix the two teams — you do not want the two parties sitting on opposite sides of the table. Opposite side seating is preferred for serious diplomatic negotiations.

Build confidence early on by sharing your interest and information. Chances are the other party will share their interests too, and trust will build up. Take time to understand where the other party is coming from.

Avoid a premature stand

In workplace negotiation; taking a stand early on can elicit strong reactions from the other party. Allegations, blaming and strong statements will result in an equally strong, if not harsher response. The best way is to avoid taking a stand early on. If you do not have a choice, explain to the other party rationally and calmly why you are taking that position, and what the underlying drivers are.

Don’t blow your lid

More often than not; there is a lot of heat generated during a workplace negotiation. Keep your cool, as the objective of the other party may well be to get off from the negotiation table and keep the impasse going.

Strong emotional outbursts may make the other party sense weakness in you, which equals an inability to keep pace with tough situations. Avoid emotional reactions such as interrupting, denial, name-calling or even non-verbal clues like fidgeting or drumming your fingers.

If the other side is venting frustration, let them blow off the steam — you don’t need to respond in the same fashion. Renowned negotiation expert Max Bazerman, Professor at Harvard Business School, advises that you should separate people from problems. Stick to the facts and don’t get into personal clashes or name calling

Manage logjams

Seldom do people agree on all points in a negotiation. Believing that you will be able to achieve such a comfortable situation is often a Utopian ambition. Impasses in a negotiation are real, and the way forward can be to document the points both parties cannot agree on and move over to the other items on the agenda.

With this approach, you can discover common ground. The pending items can be referred to a third-party arbitrator who has equal power and is acceptable to both the sides. This third party can write up each party’s interests and positions and keep suggesting options until both sides agree. This will avoid a full face-off, which is important because both the parties have to continue working together in the same place.

Remember, successful negotiations are the ones where you are able to increase the size of the pie rather than claiming a slice of the pie. The hallmark of a good negotiation is the ability to arrive at a stable agreement and simultaneously improve your long-term work relationships.

Know your ‘best alternative to no alternative’

Before entering into any negotiation; it is advisable to calculate your ‘Best Alternative To No Agreement, commonly called BATNA. Think about your BATNA in advance; this will portray confidence and clarity in your mind when you negotiate. It is not enough for you alone to know your BATNA. You should try to evaluate other party’s BATNA as well, and thereby see scope for common ground.

— The writer is an HR and Strategy consultant for start-up ventures and owner of career site: www.humanresourcesblog.in

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
From fire comes gold

The road to success is long — like a marathon. And the ones likely to make it to the finish line are the ones who stay the course, especially in bad weather.

In the 1920s, writer Mulk Raj Anand participated in a student strike against the transfer of the nationalist principal of his college after Annie Besant had been invited to give a talk. He was jailed for a month. This led to tensions with his loyalist father, eventually forcing him to leave home.

As his father wanted him to become a doctor or an engineer, vocalist Bhimsen Joshi, who was passionate about music, left home in search of a guru at the age of 11. His search took him to Savai Gandharva, a disciple of the founder of the Kirana Gharana Abdul Karim Khan, in Kundgol.

But the guru rejected him saying his voice was not good enough. Only on seeing Bhimsen’s determination and upon the recommendation of another student did the guru admit him.

Despite financial constraints, music conductor Zubin Mehta’s parents sent him to the Akademie Für Musik in Vienna. When he needed a full dress suit to conduct the orchestra for his final examination, he bought a passable substitute for $25 from a place where waiters purchased their uniforms. Often, he wore two mismatched shoes as the others had holes in them.

In April 1952, sirdar Tenzing Norgay, official headman of all the Sherpas, accompanied the Swiss on their expedition to Mount Everest. But the elements won. Then, the Swiss team — for the first time — prepared for an autumn assault, but the result was no different. Tenzing fell ill with malaria and the strain of two expeditions in a year. He spent three weeks in a Swiss hospital recuperating.

When in 1953 a British team engaged him as sirdar, Tenzing was hesitant. According to his wife, he was “still weak” but determined. Tenzing said to himself, “This is your seventh trip to Everest. You must do it as you are now 30 years old. You must do it or die.” And he made history, with Edmund Hillary, on May 29, 1953.

Salim Ali went to Burma to partner his brother Jabir in his tungsten mining business. But on the death of his guardian, uncle Amiruddin Tyabji, he returned to Bombay. On his brother’s suggestion to study accountancy — as it would help in the business — Salim Ali joined a course in commercial law and accountancy at Davar’s College. As he was interested in birds, he joined a zoology class at St Xavier’s College. After attending the accountancy class from 8 to 10 am, he would race on his motorcycle to reach the zoology class just on time.

Hold on to strike gold.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Coffee entrepreneurship programme

Coffee Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be organising an intensive programme to train potential and nascent coffee entrepreneurs in starting and establishing high-growth businesses. The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Indian Institute of Plantation Management Bangalore (IIPMB) is a pioneering initiative of IIPMB to promote entrepreneurship in the Indian Coffee sector.

The Coffee Board has sponsored CIE-IIPMB to promote Coffee entrepreneurship through a set of focused activities by the centre. IIPMB and the Coffee Board have recently launched the Reachout Programme in Coffee Entrepreneurship to build capacities of potential entrepreneurs for the establishment of new businesses in the Coffee Sector and. thereby, contribute to wealth creation and employment generation in the Country.

Dates: 06- 08 July 2014

Venue: Regional Institute of Co-operative Management Sector 32C, Chandigarh

For whom:

• Persons who are interested to start coffee retailing businesses. Roasting and grinding units or any other business in the coffee sector.
• Persons who have recently started a coffee business and are desirous of consolidating the venture.

News board
All-India mock CAT

Triumphant Institute of Management Education Pvt. Ltd (T.I.M.E.), will be conducting a free All India Mock CAT on June 29, 2014. This online computer-based invigilated test will be conducted at numerous locations across the country. “The All India mock CATs called AIMCATs are tools devised by T.I.M.E. for the serious CAT aspirants. Every one of these tests is specially designed, with question combinations that cover all the test areas and various question types that have appeared in the CAT over the years”, said Ramnath S. Kanakadandi, Course Director, T.I.M.E.

GNIOT signs MoU with Delnet

Greater Noida Institute of Technology (GNIOT) recently signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Delnet. Developing Library Network (Delnet) works as a resource sharing centre and aims to collect, store and disseminate information. This will help students get access to books and materials from as many as 4800 member libraries. As part of this resource sharing initiative books will be free for students and faculty members of member colleges and institutes. For ordering books/materials a student has to just send a mail to Delnet. If the college in which the student studies is located nearby, he/she will receive the books in 2-3 days. For a college located far away, the delivery period can vary between 7-10 days. Books can be kept by the students for one week only.

Course cruising

Certificate in Financial Engineering & Risk Management

Asia–Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi invites application for its second batch of Certificate in Financial Engineering & Risk Management (CFERM) programme. This course is approved by the National Institute of Securities Markets (NiSM), an education initiative by SEBI.

Eligibility: To enter in this programme applicant should be graduate and has a good exposure of basic mathematics and statistics.

Duration: 11 months

How to apply: The information brochure and application form may be obtained from admission office of the institute or downloaded from www.asiapacific.edu .

Deadline: Classes commence from July 2014

Check out: www.asiapacific.edu

BBA in Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure

RICS School of Built Environment, Amity University, Noida, invites applications for admission to three-year BBA in Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure (REUI) for 2014 session. This is a full-time course.

Eligibility: Applicant s should have cleared Plus II for this undergraduate program.

How to apply: The application form is available through the following modes:

• Online at www.ricssbe.org
• Forms can be purchased from over 400 AXIS Bank branches, along with Amity University prospectus.

Check out: http://www.ricssbe.org

IGNOU courses

Interested candidates can apply for Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU) bachelor’s, master’s, PG diploma and advanced certificate Distance Education Academic Programmes for the academic cycle commencing from July 2014.

How to apply: Candidates can buy prospectus from Regional Centre in person paying Rs 200, or ask by post from the address given below by sending a DD of Rs 250/- in favour of IGNOU, New Delhi.

REGISTRAR, Student Registration Division, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi.

It can also be downloaded from the website www.ignou.ac.in

Deadline: June 20, 2014 and with late fee of Rs 300 till July 31, 2014.

Check out: http://ignou.ac.in/ignou/bulletinboard/news/ latest/detail/Admission_Open_for_July_2014_cycle_in_IGNOU-593 

Hiring trends
Outsourcing in hiring catches on

With businesses expected to ramp up hiring activities, a large number of companies are expected to outsource their recruitment process work, especially by IT & ITeS industry, in the near term, say HR experts.

India's Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), a fast growing industry, is projected to see an annual growth of 25-35 per cent, according to estimates.

The expectations also come against the backdrop of high hopes that efforts to revive the domestic economy would generate lakhs of new employment opportunities.

In signs of improving market sentiment, leading HR services firm Randstad India said that RPO industry “has been evolving rapidly in India in last 12 months”.

Going by its market study, more than 70 per cent of Indian employers are likely to outsource all or part of their hiring process in the next five years.

“Though this trend (of doing RPOs) has been prevalent majorly with MNCs, we are seeing many Indian firms opting for this model of recruitment,” Randstad India CEO Moorthy K Uppaluri told PTI.

Experts said IT & ITeS sector does more of RPO in the country. Among others, BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, Insurance) segment and e-commerce industry also resort to outsource their recruitment process activities.

“Services companies that hail from sectors like IT, BFSI, etc would use more RPO services as these businesses are people driven and as such the largest cost centre at any such organisation would be their employees,” Spectrum Talent Management Director Vidur Gupta said.

RPO services are majorly used for recruitment needs for junior-level and mid-level employees mainly when there are “high volumes of hiring”.

“The number and variety of roles recruited are greater and hence is a challenge for organisations to manage it in house,” talent assessment firm MeritTrac Head-Innovation and Product Management Rajeev Menon said.

RPO service providers have access to reach out to a larger talent pool and make these specialised recruitments happen more effectively, he added.

Fortnightly quiz 466

1. Which Indian metropolis recently became the fourth one after Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore to have the metro rail service?

2. Name the Speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha.

3. Name the new CEO of Infosys.

4. Who recently replaced Shimon Peres to become Israel’s 10th President?

5. Name the lone Indian sportsman to figure in the Forbes’ list of the world's 100 highest paid athletes.

6. Which country has won the Football World Cup for the maximum number of times?

7. Name the mascot of the FIFA World Cup team.

8. Name the defending football World Cup team.

9. Which New Zealand cricketer recorded the bowling figures of 8 for 188, the best by a Kiwi on debut in Test cricket recently?

10. Who won the men’s French Open tennis title for a record ninth time recently?

— Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 465: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Akhil Kumar

Class X-A; Malwa Public School, Tej Enclave, Nabha, district Patiala; Pin Code - 147201

Second: Dhananjay Kaushal; Class X-C: Manav Mangal High School School, Chandigarh; Pin Code - 160021

Third: Yamini Sharma; Class VIII-B; Dayanand Public School; The Mall; Shimla; Himachal Pradesh; Pin Code - 171003

Answers to quiz 465: K Chandrashekar Rao; Article 370; Narendra Modi; Ambassador; Malavath Purna; Gariphema; 100; The Scripps National Spelling Bee; 1975; Kolkata Knight Riders

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 ..................................................