job-oriented courses
Covering the distance
Usha Albuquerque

A computer and internet connection is the only essential to get yourself a degree nowadays. Distance learning courses have brought the world’s teachers into your home. The freedom to learn at will, choosing the subjects of one’s choice and taking examinations without the stress of severe competition make distance education programmes very attractive.

It is particularly suitable for students who are working and have missed the opportunities of attaining higher education due to social or economic constraints, or those who wish to supplement their educational qualifications later in life.

Today practically every university offers courses through correspondence. Open universities offer flexible course options that allow those who may not have a formal qualification but have reached a minimum age requirement, admission to any course, after a written entrance test. Distance learning programmes now cover a wide variety of subjects and careers from business management, economics and all the sciences to professional courses in teaching, law, library science, journalism, computers, biotechnology, agriculture and linguistics, hotel management and so on. There are even distance learning courses in poultry farming and bee-keeping! Online courses, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) in particular, are quickly moving from a novelty to the mainstream. So today you can as easily pick up a course in commerce and history as you can on Chinese architecture, War in the Middle East, Exo planets, Genomic medicine, a beginner’s guide to Irrational Behaviour etc.

Many women, retired persons or first-time learners have also found distance education very valuable.

Here are five randomly selected job-oriented courses through distance learning:

1 Post-Graduate Diploma in Book Publishing (PGDBP) IGNOU www.ignou.ac.in

For those who love books and reading and are strong with language skills, here is an opportunity to turn your interest into a worthwhile career. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in books and reading. Book clubs have sprung up in several cities, the circulation of books has increased and with it has the growth of the publishing industry.

The PG Diploma in Book Publishing is meant to provide an opportunity to aspiring or practicing publishing professionals, to train or upgrade their skills in various aspects of publishing, including specialised editing, copyediting and online proof reading, marketing, distribution, sales etc.

The unique aspect of the programme is the month-long training/apprenticeship at a publishing house which carries a small stipend and the possibility of employment thereafter. The training is under the auspices of Federation of Indian Publishers (FIB) with whom IGNOU has a tie-up and trainees get a Joint Certificate both from IGNOU and FIB on successful completion of the training.

Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree + knowledge of English & Word Processing.

Minimum Duration: 1 Year

Course Fee: Rs 7,500

2 Diploma in Advance Cost Accounting (DACA) Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) www.baou.edu.in

Cost accountants render valuable assistance to the management by collecting, collating, interpreting and condensing data relating to the business activities and converting it into money terms to enable non-financial executives to arrive at the right decisions or to select the right course of action at the right time.

All major industrial units take the assistance of a Cost Accountant at each phase of manufacturing of a unit and providing of services as cost estimation based on the selling price of each and every product and service has become essential. As the work often deals with making future projections and forecasts regarding the transactions, costs, pricing etc, cost accountants must have a broad knowledge of the commercial world and conditions in the global environment.

Many students study commerce without any idea of the career they wish to pursue further. With the current demand for specialist cost accountants in large and small towns, government bodies, industrial units, and other commercial organisations, this is one course that can lead to a worthwhile career for any commerce graduate with good numerical skills.

The course which covers fundamentals of basic accounting and management accounting is a good alternative to those unable to do the ICWA programme. They can also work in the absence of specialist Cost Accountant or work as assistant to a specialised Cost Accountant. Moreover such a course is helpful in expanding one’s knowledge in the area of costing and can be helpful to get promotion in job, or in the future, with practical experience to start one’s own consultancy.

Eligibility: Graduation, or Plus II

Fees: Rs 2200 (men), Rs 1600

3 MBA – Tourism Pondicherry University www.pondiuni.edu.in/ www.col.thomascook.in

If you have a genuine interest in travel, some organising ability, good interpersonal skills, and a friendly and amicable temperament here is a programme that can certainly take you places. Travel and Tourism is probably the world’s largest industry and growing at a phenomenal pace, covering not just pleasure but much more of business travel and programmed tours. Moreover, the travel industry covers a wide range of facilities, from planning and selling trips to individuals or group travelers to transport, stay, food, adventure, gifts and souvenirs and much more. At every level, the work involves dealing directly with people. You also need to stay in touch with airline, railway, road, shipping and transport company staff, passport and visa officials, suppliers, hotel personnel and various other agents.

A postgraduate course in travel management after graduation in any subject will provide you with managerial and administrative training for work in the industry. Most jobs in this industry are with travel agencies, tour operators, or travel departments of organisations, airlines, cruise ships and hotels in metros and large cities. Once you have gained experience and recognition in this field you can also look forward to establishing your own travel agency. As this is a highly competitive field, it is an advantage to have access to a wide range of information and data on transportation and destinations, be good at planning and time management, as well as resourceful and adaptable. Proficiency with the computer, and a willingness to work hard and on weekends and holidays is also required

The MBA Tourism is a Pondicherry University Distance Learning Twinning Programme offered by The Thomas Cook Centre of Learning and its other travel partners. It offers a unique combination of functional, managerial and theoretical study and equips students with a wide range of skills required in the travel industry. The learning partners which include veterans in the field of travel and tourism, rental services and training, such as Amadeus India, leaders in travel automation technology, IRCTC, Indian Railways catering and Tourism Corporation, IATA, the International Air Transport Association, Royal Caribbean International, the cruise holiday providers, Mariott hotels, Avis car Rentals and others also enable students get a wide industry perspective and future employment possibilities too.

Duration: 2 years (4 semesters)

Eligibility: Any degree from recognised university.

Admission procedure: The application form and information brochure with fee structure can be downloaded from www.pondiuni.edu.in

4 Post Graduate Diploma in IT Management (PGDITM) Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning www.scdl.net

The growing demand for computer technology and its high usage in almost every field has seen the need for technically qualified professionals who can interact effectively with the management and develop business competitiveness. Successful new technology products and information systems always combine technical quality and smart business strategy. Developing these systems requires extensive communication between technical developers, business managers and users.

MBA in Information Technology is a specialisation in management which focuses on information technology and the use of management techniques to enhance the usage and applicability of information technology. While attempting to combine business areas with computer knowledge the MBA in IT helps to create well rounded IT managers who can conceptualise and execute organisational planning in terms of IT infrastructure and effectively integrate people, information and communication technologies, and business processes in support of organisational strategic goals.

The MBA IT is ideal for those who have a background in computer science and information technology, but is also open to graduates from all disciplines with an orientation towards IT. Such a programme will enable you to work in a management capacity in the IT sector, or with organisations requiring an understanding of the operational and strategic aspects of managing with Information Technology.

The duration of the Post Graduate Diploma in IT Management is two years.

Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline from a recognised university.

Note: Students appearing for the final year of the graduation examination can also apply (subject to graduation within the time-line specified by SCDL).

Registration fee: For Indian Residents (General or Civil/Defence Personnel / Paramilitary / Police / Symbiosis employee): Rs 1000 Programme fee: Rs 35,000

5 Master of Science in Dietetics and Food Service Management (M Sc (DFSM)) – IGNOU www.ignou.ac.in

Awareness about health, nutrition, and the food industry is increasing at a tremendous rate. A number of multinational companies have entered the food services sector, there is a growing interest in health foods, diets and nutrition and an overall focus on the social and development sectors of the economy has led to the emergence of a number of health/nutrition and fitness clinics and programmes all over the country.

MSc in Dietetics and Food Service Management is an ideal programme for those interested in becoming dieticians /diet counselors and those involved in institution food administration and health/dietetic care in hospitals, clinics and community settings.

Those who qualify can work in schools, colleges and industrial or institutional canteens, with various government departments, or as programme consultants to non-governmental organisations like UNICEF, WHO, and NGOs. Other employment avenues include the home economics divisions of food, equipment and utility companies. This work usually involves promoting a product, developing recipes, providing nutrition related information regarding the company’s product, and maintaining experimental kitchens. Self-employment also offers some scope to professionals as freelance consultants, fast food entrepreneurs and large scale catering services.

MSc (DFSM) is a multidisciplinary programme which draws knowledge from disciplines such as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, sociology, biostatistics, food science, management, etc. and is open to all graduates from nutrition, science and health background, even if they have not studied nutrition at the graduate level.

Eligibility: B Sc Home Science with specialisation in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition

Or

PG Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition or its equivalent

Or

Graduate (B Sc) or equivalent (MBBS, BHS etc.) from any of the following backgrounds: Home Science/ Food Science and Technology, Science, Health Care, Medical, Pharmaceutical Catering along with the DNHE or CNCC or CFN offered by IGNOU

Duration: 2 Years

Fee: Rs 27,000

There are these and thousands of other distance learning programmes and those looking at such an education need to be selective and focused. Check the credibility and recognition of the courses and institutes and choose courses that match your own career goals. It is comforting to know that the validity of the degree acquired through distance learning is the same as that of a regular degree, as long as the basic eligibility requirements are satisfied. Moreover, if the distance education is undertaken along with some practical work experience, you fill in the gap for the prospective employer.

Today distance education is a widely acceptable alternative to formal education. The demand for such courses is rapidly increasing, especially with the development and growth of information technology and the demand for quality education to greater number of people.

So, don’t lose heart if you are unable to get into the college or institute of your choice, look for and find a similar course available through distance education.

— The writer is Director, Careers Smart Pvt Ltd., New Delhi

Upgrade for career excellence
Gauri Chhabra

There was a time when learning led to earning. Learning and earning were in linear progression. However, today with tectonic shifts in education, they have entered into a spiral relationship. Learning does not end at any point of time, it takes place even after one gets a job.

Continuing Education is synonymous with career training, formal personal enrichment courses both on-campus and online self-directed learning such as through Internet interest groups, clubs or personal research activities and experiential learning as applied to problem solving. It can take the form of formal lectures, seminars, webinars, or any other similar type of educational programme designed to educate you and hone your skills bringing about a cohesiveness between your knowledge, skills and attitude. These programmes would put your career on fast track and escalate its progression. These may take a bi-pronged pathway i.e an optional course or the mandatory ones that are essential for the maintenance of licensure.

Methodology

The method of delivery of continuing education can include traditional types of classroom lectures and laboratories. However, many continuing education programmes make heavy use of distance learning, which not only includes independent study, but can also include videos or online education which has more recently dominated the distance learning community. Many institutions such as the IITs have started offering hybrid courses. These courses offer adult learners the option of having in-classroom and online learning. A combination of traditional, distance, and conference-type study, or two of these three methods, may be used for a particular continuing education course or programme.

Here we take a look at the two domains where continuing education has a significant role to play:

executive education programmes

For those who are already in managerial jobs, there are many Executive Education programmes on HRM, Finance and Control, Strategic Management, Marketing, Operations and Business Analytics. These programmes are for working professionals and are designed to provide timely learning interventions that help them upskill and progress in their careers, while impacting the organisations that they operate in. These are available across multiple business areas for different seniority levels in various national and international locations.

For instance IIM, Bangalore, provides programmes that are either short-duration programmes or long-duration programmes. The former are of 3-5 days duration and address some of the issues facing the industry practitioners and are based on the research interests of the current corporate scenario. The latter are part-time programmes offered over 2-12 months. They address the needs of managers for general management skills or impart specialised skills in a niche area such as Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship or Finance. The participants' diversity in open programmes contributes significantly to cross-learning and provides continuing networking opportunities beyond the classroom.

Institutions offering Continuing Education Programmes

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore CCE Proficiency is a joint venture between IISC and several professional institutions in Bangalore with the objective of providing sustained continuing education to scientists, engineers and other professionals.
• Department of Adult, Continuing Education and Extension, University of Pune.
• IITs conduct about 60 to 70 short-term training programmes in continuing education every year in various disciplines of management, engineering, science and technology in which the professionals are trained from all parts of the country as well as from the neighbouring countries.
• IIM, Bangalore offers both open and customised executive education programmes.
• International Institute of Adult and Life Long Education, Delhi.

The ground is shifting in fundamental ways in higher education and the repositioning of continuing education (CE) units within an institution will play a strategic role for the career escalation and growth trajectory of many professionals. The investment of time and money made in continuing education would act as a multiplier of further innovation, investment and growth — both in your current career and a lateral entry into a dream career of your choice.

continuing medical education

Life is a process of continuous learning. In this fast and fluid world, knowledge gained during undergraduate medical curriculum almost becomes outdated by the time the student graduates. Undergraduate medical qualification is no longer regarded as a lifelong certificate of competence. You need to continuously upgrade and update your skills. Continuing Medical Education, defined as “any and all the ways by which doctors learn after formal completion of their training" provides a platform for this endeavor.

Genesis

It was in 1985 that the Government of India in consultation with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare decided to utilise the services of Indian physicians settled in USA in Continuing Medical Education and patient care in India. Two schemes were planned i.e Continuing Medical Education and Equipment Donation Scheme. The Medical Council of India was named the nodal agency for collaborating these schemes and a CME Cell was set up in the Council office in December, 1985 for this purpose. These schemes were extended by the Central Government, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1993 to involve Indian doctors from UK and Canada also. All these programmes have all been very successful and there is a growing demand for them on a continuous basis every year. Furthermore, in 1999, the CME came out of the limitation of being in the NRI faculty to the domestic faculty within India.

Today, CME courses have come a full circle. These are being developed and delivered by a variety of public and private organisations; including professional associations, medical education agencies, hospitals, and academic institutions, including universities, medical, and nursing schools. Themes and programmes are based on the published literature, good clinical practice guidelines and a local needs-analysis. The needs-analysis is normally done through a questionnaire being given to the target audience, a survey of their needs, analysis of changing trends, feedback on previous events, clinical audit that identify gaps in the knowledge and skills of the local professionals. The organising party brings stalwarts in the given area who are capable of addressing the chosen subjects rather than modifying the programme to suit available potential faculty.

— The writer is a Punjab-based career consultant

Expert Speak

Dr Deepak Kumar, MSPT, FIAP, MSPT, PhD, Director& Sr. Consultant Physiotherapist, Capri Institute of Manual Therapy, New Delhi, who is the first Asian accredited to be a certified Mulligan’s Concept Teacher, talks about the relevance of CME. Excerpts:

What is the significance of CME in the current scenario?

CME holds great significance in the present times. The clinicians need to keep updating themselves in the medical field so that best services are provided to the patients. CME is one of the best ways by which they can reach professional peak and contribute to the uplift of medical profession.

Does everyone need to go through a CME programme, if yes why?

Yes, everyone needs to go through the CME programme in order to upgrade professionally and get an opportunity to widen the perspective of treating the patients in the most precise and scientific manner.

Though we learn everything in the medical college, yet as all of it is not practiced on a regular basis in clinical practice, we tend to forget many important things. The clinicians through CMEs get a chance to revise and update themselves with the latest research and technology. For faster restoration of comfort and capabilities of the patients, it is important to learn new things by attending CMEs.

Are there any government-run programmes or any institutes providing such programmes?

No. Unfortunately there ain't any government run programmes providing these CMEs (in my knowledge). Instead, there are many professional groups, associations and organisations at the national and international levels conducting such CMEs.

cat '14
testing times: quant and di section
Smart calculations
Saikumar Swamy

Quantitative ability is that portion in CAT which worries more than 50 per cent of the CAT aspirants. The main reason appears to be that a large number of aspirants have not studied maths for the past five years or more after Class X and are out of touch.

Additionally, chances are that quite a large number of them also did not do very well in maths in Class X and chose commerce or humanities stream in Class XI because they were told that they are not good in maths.

First of all, you need to believe that you can crack this section irrespective of the fact that you had studied maths beyond Class X. Winning this psychological battle is possibly the most important one for those who have not had a “brush with maths” for a few years.

Identification of questions that are ‘easy’ is the next step. A number of students lose patience and hope when they are unable to crack the first two or three questions and race is lost in the initial laps. They just give up and are not able to find some of the ‘sitters’ that may be hidden on the subsequent pages. Second step is about developing and building strong fundamentals of the basics. Chapters like Numbers, Percentage Profit, & Loss, Time & Work, Time & Distance, Ratios, Proportions & Variations, Averages, Mixtures & Alligation etc are crucial. In fact, it would have been possible to clear sectional cut-off in any of the CATs in the past five years if you had strong fundamentals of these chapters. Of course, this means you should have found these questions and should have had strong fundamentals to crack the same.

The key to building strong fundamentals is practice, practice and practice. The questions need a logical approach and practicing variety of questions under time pressure is essential. Questions may have twists, useless information, tricky variations and quite a few questions which appear long and difficult could turn out to be reasonably simple ones.

Apart from the chapters mentioned above Geometry, Logarithms, Surds and Indices and some higher maths topics like Permutation and Combination, Probability and Functions also form at least 25-30 per cent of the paper and are also important for other exams like IIFT, XLRI as well. Finally, remember that CAT is one of the most unpredictable exams and never commit the mistake of guessing and leaving the chapters that you consider ‘difficult’.

While preparing take time-bound tests once you have fairly mastered the basics. If you are writing a 40-question exercise give yourself a maximum time of 1.5 minutes per question. This will help build both quick-solving skills and adapting to time pressure. Even on the CAT day, subdivide the section into clusters of 8-10 questions and then fix an upper cutoff time limit for the cluster. This will help you to choose the easier questions and attempt them all from every cluster.

In data interpretation questions, the first thing that you should do is to read the title of the table and understand the specific information given. For example if it is a line chart showing sales of a company for a given period of time, please make sure whether it is given in terms of units of products sold, turnover in rupees or just percentage change. Be extra careful about units. Units given in the graph and those asked in the question may be different. If the choices are far apart, try to do as much approximation as possible. It is not advisable to take the risk if the choices are close and the calculations involve big figures.

In fact, depending on your attempts in the rest of the section, you can possibly afford to leave such questions rather than marking the wrong answer after doing lengthy calculations. Don’t panic if you face some new or completely unheard of terms. Sometimes the questions may introduce some arbitrary terms or indices. In such cases these will be defined and you just need to understand how to calculate it. However, there may be some common abbreviations like CAGR and GDP whose full form may or may not be given. Sometimes there can be two scales given for two graphs (one in the left hand and the other in the right hand side of the graph) in the same figure which is a common source of error. Generally questions containing tables, line and bar graphs are easily comprehensible whereas network diagrams, pie charts, triangular graphs and mixed graphs consume a little more time. But again it depends entirely on the question and the data itself.

The last word. Since CAT is not predictable, always approach with an open mind to face any change in pattern or type of the paper.

— The writer is Director, T.I.M.E, Delhi

office mantra
Be a good follower to be great leader
Rajiv Burman

Management books and articles are full of analysis, perspectives and guidelines on how to be a good leader. This is really unfortunate as the world generally consists of very few leaders and mostly followers, and the focus of management education and books on being a good leader makes these followers feel that they are somehow second raters.

Over my 40 years of management life I have come to the conclusion that if you are a good follower, then automatically you have almost all the competencies required to become a good leader ! If most followers stay where they are, it is because they are not really very effective followers ; they have risen to their level of incompetence and will stay there until....they become better followers.

Now being a good follower is not rocket science. I really cannot do better than briefly repeat what one of my first bosses in HUL , R Gopalakrishnan ( now Director Tata Sons) has written in his book "What the CEO really wants from you: The 4 As for managerial success " . He basically says that you need 4 As to get ahead in corporate life , to climb the ladder to the top leadership roles.

The first A which applies at entry levels is ACCOUNTABILITY. The important aspect here in order to get ahead is : Are you competent and can be relied upon to get the job which you have been assigned , done satisfactorily. Hence if you are a salesman, do you carry out your market visits regularly, keep the channel motivated, submit regular accurate MIS and of course achieve your sales targets? If you do all of these then only will you be considered for a role in Junior Management which is the first supervisory team lead role.

The critical second A is AFFABILITY. Given that you score well on the first A the next question is: Are you able to work well with people? Only then will you be able to lead the team of salesmen that you have been assigned as a Sales Supervisor. Many of us fail at this level itself; we assume that just because we are high achievers individually, as demonstrated in the earlier role, we automatically will be able to lead people. The reality, however, is that you cannot lead until people like you first . Only then will they do their best for you and help you move to the next level of management.

To move to the next level, which is a Mid-Management level, you will be primarily assessed on the third A - Advocacy. As you move into mid-management roles, cross functional team working becomes critical. The sales manager has to work with the marketing manager, finance manager, factory manager etc , without having any direct authority over them. To succeed in his role he will need their support which he can only generate by his power of Advocacy.

Finally to move to Senior and Top Management Roles, say the sales director's job, leading to the CEO position, you will be assessed on the fourth A - AUTHENCITY. Are you regarded as a person who is ethical, who walks the talk, says what he means, does what he says, sets an example to others around him for his sound character.

With Gopal's assumed permission, I would put a final caveat on the 4 As, which is the extremely important "I" meaning Innovativeness. I believe that at leadership levels , in addition to the 4As, which have worked very well in times of stable technology and markets, in the VUCA ( volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world of today, in order to be given the charge to lead any organisation , it is critical that you have also demonstrated that you understand the dynamic changes happening around you at lightning speed, and can guide and rally the organisation to come up with innovative strategies to exploit the uncertain and as yet unimagined market opportunities.

So "4As" and an "I", are required to take you to the top; but have you noticed, the 4As are all so focused on being a good follower, because at each stage you have to meet the expectations of your supervisors regarding meeting the relevant A before being considered for the next level.

So go on, be an " Innovative" follower, and you will be assured of Leadership roles in your career.

— The writer is Managing Partner, Lighthouse Partners

smart strategy: managing demanding bosses
Subtle control
Preetinder Kaur

Whether you like it or not, all jobs are demanding — that’s the nature of the modern world and it’s often the boss’ responsibility to get his staff to rise to the occasion. But some bosses go too far by putting excessive pressure on their employees.

An overly demanding boss is someone who sets extremely high standards and expectations on work deliverables or goals, which may be unrealistic or unsustainable. If you find your project list growing and changing rapidly and performance targets increasing, you just may have an overly demanding boss.

He/she might expect you to work beyond the regular schedule even when the volume of work does not require it; he might insist on extra reporting that never even gets read; order lots of ‘special projects’ or want to approve every decision you make. An overly demanding boss can be extremely difficult to work with, and his behaviour might cause a spike in stress levels, and a decline in morale and productivity.

While a little bit of pressure can inspire workers to rise to the challenge, people who work for overly demanding bosses usually feel frustrated as their efforts are not rewarded, and as a result, they are unlikely to continue to pump out high quality work. A bad boss can also cause co-workers to turn against each other as they try to appease management, and there’s a big difference between healthy competition and infighting in the workplace.

Here are some tips for dealing with an overly demanding boss:

Don’t take it personally: Before you jump to the conclusion that your boss is singling you out, just relax and ponder. Eight out of ten times the fact is that a demanding boss is focused on delivering results to his or her boss, and not on your performance. Study how other team members react and you are likely to see that your boss is consistently an over-achiever or expects others to be.

Consider why your boss is being so demanding: Is it just a personality issue, or is there pressure from even higher up to meet certain objectives? This can make a difference in how you approach the situation.

Don’t be a punching bag: Don’t keep taking lumps with a smile on your face, be a martyr, or take responsibility for things that are out of your control. Your boss has invested time in you, so you have leverage in letting him know the ramifications of his work style.

Listen and repeat: Make sure you are always listening carefully, as ideas and directions may come quickly. If you’re unsure about anything, ask questions. At the end of your meetings, repeat the deliverables that you are responsible for in order to make sure that you are on the same page

Set mutual expectations and priorities: When your boss gives you an assignment, review where it sits on the priority list; give an estimate of how long it will take. Come to an agreement before you run off and find yourself in a hodgepodge of unreasonable tasks.

Be a problem-solver, not a problem-maker. If you’re going to miss deadlines, raise your hand early on. Come prepared to present your boss with potential solutions to show that you have the same sense of urgency as him about projects. If you have some ideas on ways to improve workflow or encourage the team to ramp up performance, approach your boss with sympathy, and offer your suggestions in the spirit of cooperation. The goal is probably less about getting credit for your ideas than getting a better working environment out of it.

Celebrate successes: Be sure to flag your successes for your boss. Since they are so focused on reaching goals, they may inadvertently miss some of your achievements. They will appreciate you flagging these since, at the end of the day, your success is also their success.

Some bosses have been taught that being very demanding is the only way to get results, from prior jobs or the current one. It might be a management culture. That doesn’t mean you should mimic the style with your own team. Instead, role model the person you want your demanding manager to be by clearly describing workflow and priorities.

in conversation
A lucrative option for fresh graduates
Hiring trends in medical devices and pharmaceutical industry

The growing medical devices and pharmaceutical industry in India has seen an upsurge in demand for managerial as well as technical talent. While the hiring strategy for each company differs and depends largely on its individual requirements at a particular time, this industry basically seeks professionals who are more proficient in promoting concepts, the value proposition of products and therapies and also offer solutions in the context of consumer needs. There are several new education programs developed by The Department of Science and Technology and The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,considering the needs of the Healthcare sector. M. Tech in Clinical Engineering and B. Tech Biomedical programsare examples of such coursesin private institutes and few IIT's. Students from these special programmes are largely preferred by companies. “Companies essentially recruit people who have a strong learning ability and are quick in understanding what customers need and provide most impactful solutions”, says Titus Arnold, Director, Human Resources, South Asia, India Medtronic, while talking about the hiring trends in this niche industry. Excerpts from an interaction:

What are the hiring strategies and patterns followed by companies in the medical device and pharmaceutical industry?

Today, companies are creating visibility in social media, working on campus programmes, strengthening referral programmes, mapping the talent in the industry and even outside the industry in a bid to draw in the best talent. With flat organisation structures, companies do exploratory discussions with prospective employees even when job openings do not exist. This just helps the company be ready at all times.

To attract top talent, companies are offering internships for technical and MBA students, facilitating Leadership Development Programmes and considering employee referrals as useful steps which also help in maintaining talent inflow.

What are the skills that HR looks for while hiring for this sector?

To excel in this industry one requires a fair knowledge of the human anatomy and good knowledge of the medical therapies and products. However, understanding the basics would be easier for a person who has a background in life sciences/engineering/bio-medical engineering.

For a position in Product Management/Market Development/Marketing an MBA degree would be vital. Since there is a strong interface with customers, honing communication skills would provide an edge and add the important element of compassion when it comes to delivering therapy and product messages to the ailing. They should also have excellent project planning skills. Project planning in the industry usually involves task identification and resource allocation, cost estimation and an in-depth understanding of customer issues.

In addition to functional expertise, skills in business management are essential for success in areas such as Finance, Supply Chain, HR and Legal.

What are the salary structures in this industry?

The salary structure in this industry in different roles is comparable with that in the other sectors. I can give you a detailed example of the salary structure in my company as an example. At Medtronic, benefits go beyond the standard financial and medical compensation.

• Competitive financial compensation, often with incentive pay.
• Reward and recognition programmes.
• Stock ownership opportunities.
• Flexible work schedules.

Career compass: Fashion Stylist
Style your career
Swati Rai

A rising star in the fashion firmament is the career of wardrobe styling. A career that can lend itself to Bollywood, wedding and casual styling with the increasing demand for looking good and feeling better. So, this trend is only going to see a rise!

So you want to be a stylist? It is one of the upcoming career choices of the youth for the glamour and glitz. But due to a lack of many structured accredited courses in the stream, don’t let it remain just that — a choice. There have been some acclaimed stylists who could translate this dream into reality such as Aki Narula, we caught up with him at the DLF Emporio Treasury of Trousseau do where he remarked, “A good stylist should have a great sense of humour,” jokes apart he added, “I started as an untrained designer who then ventured into styling, so there really is no rule so far as a degree in styling is concerned. However, having an essential aesthetic sense is certainly a requisite.”

Wondering what stylists do, well, they are style consultants who advise the client on the colours, cuts, shades and style would suit them according to their body types and other considerations. There are various ways you can choose to mould your career path. There’s Bollywood movies styling and celebrity styling such as what Niharika Khan does, “Somebody might like the colour red to death but if the skin tone of the person might not carrying that particular shade of red so my job is to suggest a better shade of that hue and make the client look perfect!”

So if styling has caught your fancy make it more than just that follow these tips to make it a career worth aspiring for.

Passion for fashion

Having a fashion sense tops the list for making a success of the career choice. Playing with the idea of fashion, having a keen eye for discovering fashion in the unlikeliest of places also ensures a steady flow of ideas to work on. Constantly researching new trends and following the upcoming ones closely is also another must have. It will help if you can keep up to date with the fashion trends globally on social media. Looking out for announcements and trends will help one be‘with it’ so far as trends go.

Professional talk

For those who wish to pursue it academically here are a few private college-run courses which are largely clubbed under the umbrella term, Image consultancy sometimes. Niharica Khan adds, “Personally speaking, I do think that if I had done a course in styling people would have taken me more seriously initially, but it would have had little to do with making me a good stylist. There’s something called inherent talent and without that a parchment is not going to be of any use.”

To enhance your credibility as a stylist would probably be the reason why one would want to do a course; interning with a designer and a stylist and getting to know the inner workings of the fashion industry with hands-on experience to back your practical learning will go a long way in securing your future as a stylist.

Trends watching, business aspect of being a stylist, marketing and public relations , sourcing information, fashion history and future trends are some other aspects that you can look at closely if doing a course.

Get on with it

Interning with a magazine or fashion house with or without a stipend is a good idea and also not hard to get if you have faith in your talent and most importantly have a penchant for colours, cuts, visualising skills and a drive to stick out in the harsh and competitive world of fashion. Do it the old fashioned way of either dropping in at the office after obviously fixing an appointment or calling over the telephone and asking if you can come in with your CV. Also, be ready to do the spadework; work hard and work long hours, procure samples, organise photo shoots, select wardrobe options and take copious notes, depending on the nature of assignment at hand.

Know that the salary may vary from a pittance initially to a fortune as you go ahead in your career. People skills, a pleasant demeanour and knowledge of the art and craft of styling will ensure that your career is made to order.

Career sweetener
Dream and persevere
The genie of Alibaba

Every day you hear about what cannot be done, but remember that your resolve to make it happen will turn the tide in your favour, and the depth of your ambition will determine the potential of your future. Here’s the inspiring life story of Jack Ma who rose from rags to $21 billion in wealth in 15 years. Recently Jack Ma’s company, Alibaba got listed on the NYSE with a market cap of $ 230 billion, beating giants like Facebook, eBay and Amazon on day one in valuation. Jack is personally worth $21 billion and is the richest Chinese in the world. Jack Ma was born in 1964 and grew up in Hangzhou, a city in eastern China. Jack was one of the three children born to a pair of performers of Pingtan — a traditional musical storytelling art practiced in China. So what can you learn from Jack Ma’s life?

If you want to do it, you can do it

When Ma was 12 years old, he got interested in learning English. He knew his parents could not afford an English teacher for him and he wanted to be better than his peers at the local school. So he woke up at 5 a.m. daily for nine years to walk or bicycle to Hangzhou’s main hotel so he could practice his English with foreign tourists, who came out for morning walk. This novel way of learning English earned him several friends and later he even visited one of them in Australia.

Tough times can make your resolve tougher

Jack Ma was not a champion at mathematics and flunked twice in the college entrance exam because of it. Eventually, after rigorous prep for his third try at the entrance test, he got through and graduated from Hangzhou Teacher’s Institute in 1988. After graduation, hoping to better his lot, he applied for a lot of jobs — all of them rejected him for one reason or another. But true to his ‘never say die spirit’, he picked up the job of a teacher in his college, earning a paltry sum of $14 a month.

Keep dreaming and work towards it

In spite of his previously failed stint in running an internet business called China Pages, Jack kept dreaming. He wanted to set up an e-commerce company. In 1999, he gathered 18 people in his tiny apartment and spoke to them for two hours about his vision. Everyone put their money on the table, and that got him $60,000 to start Alibaba.

Technology is not the only differentiation

Despite running the largest e-commerce platform in the world, Ma once claimed that he had little knowledge about technology. Many of us have a great ideas but because we don’t know coding or are not deep in tech jargon, we assume that we will never be able to build a technology- based business. Technology is an enabler now and not the biggest differentiators.

Success is a journey and not a destination

In an interview Ma once said, “ When I first started Alibaba, I was immediately met with strong opposition from family. Looking back, I realised that the biggest driving force for me then was not my confidence in the Internet and the potential it held, but my belief that no matter what one does, regardless of failure or success, the experience is a form of success in itself”.

The why and what of your life needs to be clear

Ma says the first question is “ what do you want to do? It’s not what your parents want you to do, or what your colleagues tell you to do. It’s not what others are doing but what you really want to do yourself. Second question is, what do you need to do? You must understand that this is not about what you can do. Instead, it’s what you should do.”

Career Tips from www.careersweetener.com. Follow on twitter @CareerSweetener

CAREER HOTLINE
Pervin Malhotra

Scope in nephrology

Q. I will be taking Plus II board exams in 2015 and am also preparing to study medicine. Ever since my aunt died of kidney failure, I’ve been very keen to study nephrology. Can you please give me some information about this branch of medicine? — Gauhar Khan

A. Surprisingly, 90 per cent of the 2.2 lakh people who develop end-stage renal disorders or chronic kidney disease in India every year don’t consult nephrologists either due to lack of healthcare resources or affordability. For a population of over 1.1 billion, India has only 1,100 nephrologists, the majority of whom are based in urban areas. While there are relatively more of these specialists in the South, there are very few in the North and North East.

Early diagnosis can significantly delay or even prevent kidney failure and the subsequent need for dialysis. But surprisingly, only a few of our medical colleges offer this specialisation.

In several teaching hospitals, students pursuing the postgraduate (MD) course in Internal Medicine undertake rotations in the nephrology unit during which they learn basic principles of nephrology, assist nephrology residents in managing and diagnosing patients with kidney disease and participate in the teaching activities of the department.

Two types of nephrology training courses are available: a DM in Nephrology, a 3-year Postdoctoral course at University-affiliated medical colleges. Diplomate in National Boards (DNB), a 3-year programme at other centers not affiliated to universities (mostly private hospitals) that are recognized by the National Board of Exams.

To be eligible for super-specialty training, you should have completed your MBBS course and a year of internship, followed by a three-year postgraduate (MD) course in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics.

Nephrology trainees are taught procedural skills, including kidney biopsies, central venous catheterisation to establish temporary access for dialysis, construct AV fistula and peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement. The content varies from hospital-to-hospital.

Upon the successful completion of the course, you're eligible for appointment as Lecturer or Assistant Professor in a medical college or join a private hospital.

Quite a few go abroad to provide skilled nephrology services in North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

The Indian Society of Nephrology (www.isn-india.com) offers a programme that enables trainee nephrologists to spend up to three months in an Institution of their choice to learn new techniques or participate in teaching activities.

What is the work profile of a social media manager?

Q. I am currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in mass communication. Could you please tell me what is the work profile of a social media manager in a commercial organisation? — Gauri Upreti

A. Social media has given organisations an unprecedented opportunity to reach thousands (or even lakhs) of people among their targeted audience every day, and a social media manager is the one tasked to make that happen.

Generally, a social media manager works to increase brand awareness, writes blog posts, tweets and develops and manages a social media strategy and campaigns, manages and updates his or her organisation’s page on social networks with relevant and engaging content, and uses analytics tools to gauge click-throughs and traffic.

A good social media manager should be creative (to conjure up the next campaign, for instance), responsive (to reply to tweets, messages and Facebook posts), have good communication skills, and be knowledgeable about social media trends and mobile technology.

Can I do PhD after CA?

Q. I am a practicing CA. I am also an associate member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India. I also take part-time classes for CA-IPCC students. I have a keen interest in teaching and research. I want to do my Ph.D. in any commerce- related subject. Could you please tell me whether I am eligible to enroll for Ph.D. straight after CA? —Y.K. Handa

A. I presume you don’t possess a master’s degree. Be that as it may, you’ll be glad to know that CAs can directly pursue Ph.D. Actually, ICAI got this permission in 1984 from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). This simply means that as a qualified CA, you don't need to do any post graduation (or even graduation) to pursue Ph.D.

ICAI’s Official List of Universities/Institutions recognising the CA qualification for pursuing Ph.D includes over a hundred universities including the IIMs that are members of the AIU.

Am I eligible for NET?

Q. I am pursuing PG in history from IGNOU, so am I eligible to appear for NET? — Lekha Suman

A. As long as you have scored a minimum 55 per cent in your master’s degree (50 per cent for SC/ST) without rounding off, from a university whose distance learning programmes are recognised by the Distance Education Council, you can take a shot at this exam.

Originally developed as an admission requirement to test the English proficiency of non-native English speakers seeking admission to US universities, the TOEFL today is accepted and used at universities, academic institutions, scholarship awarding bodies and even immigration departments the world over.

Email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

scholarship roundup
INSA Young Scientists’ Medal

Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, is inviting applications for Young Scientists Medal for 2015. The award is to honour talented young Indian scientists in recognition of their outstanding contributions in any branch of science or technology coming within the purview of the Academy.

Eligibility: The applicants should be less than 35 years (only those born on or after January1, 1980 are eligible for consideration in the year 2015).

Candidates may be nominated by Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy, previous recipients of INSA Medal for Young Scientists, national scientific societies, university faculties, post-graduate departments or research institutions.

A nomination will remain valid for consideration for three years or the eligibility age, whichever expires earlier. However, a fresh nomination (only once) can be made, if the nominee has not yet crossed the age bar.

Details: Each awardee will be presented a medal, a certificate, and cash prize of Rs 25,000. In addition, the recipient may be considered for research support with seed money. The awardee within five years of the receipt of award will be considered for a visit abroad with full support for presenting research work at conferences, and/or participating in collaborative/ training research projects wherever possible.

As part of their career development, those young scientists who have been unable to obtain suitable placement, may be considered for an interim Fellowship (amount depending on the qualification and research experience) and contingency of Rs 25,000 per year. To avail this Fellowship, the awardee should be attached to some research / academic institution. The tenure of the Fellowship will be for a maximum period of three years.

How to apply: A nomination shall be made in the prescribed format along with all supporting documents. Nominations, one hard copy and a soft copy in MS-Word only (in a CD/through e-mail at ytinsa@gmail.com ), should bbe sent to the Executive Director, Indian National Science Academy, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110002

Deadline: October 31, 2014.

Check out:www.insaindia.org

Fulbright-Nehru-CII Fellowships

The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is inviting applications for the Fulbright-Nehru-CII Fellowships for Leadership in Management for the academic year 2015-2016.

Eligibility: The applicant should:

• Be an Indian citizen
• Have a graduate degree
• Have at least five years of managerial experience in an industry
• Not be applying for or holding permanent residence (green card) in the United States
• Preference will be given to candidates who have not had extensive recent US experience;
• Give an undertaking to return to India on the completion of the fellowship; and
• produce an undertaking from the employer that it would be willing to bear 50 per cent of the total cost.

newsboard
TOEFL scholarship

Educational Testing Service (ETS) will award $70,000 in TOEFL scholarships to exceptional students in India who have proven their academic excellence. The scholarship programme recognises TOEFL test takers in India who are in pursuit of undergraduate or graduate study in India or abroad.

ETS will award 10 $7,000 scholarships to students to help further their education at any of the 9,000+ institutions around the world that accept the TOEFL test.

Eligibility: The applicant must:

• be a resident of India
• begin undergraduate or graduate study between August 2014 and December 2015 at a university or college listed in the TOEFL Destinations Directory (www.toeflgoanywhere.org)
• hold a grade-point average of 80 or higher on a 100-point scale, or a 3.0 grade-point average or higher on a 4-point scale
• demonstrate English proficiency with a valid TOEFL score