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The pleasure of working
Career Hotline
Make the right impact
5Cs formula for mid-career managers
smart strategy: leadership tips for women managers
E-commerce sector attracts fresh talent
Companies everyone wants to work for
Transparency pangs
Career sweetener
bookshelf
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The pleasure of working
Multiplex theatre, bowling alleys, swimming pools, gym, international standard cricket pitch, runningtracks and basketball courts — and one is not talking of a bustling city centre or a recreational zone. This comprises the list of some of the facilities that new-age companies are providing in offices in order to reduce the stress levels of employees.
‘Happy workplaces’ is the new mantra that not only major MNCs have adopted in India, but several new start ups and mid-level corporate houses, too, are switching over to this in order to increase the motivation and satisfaction level of their employees. A decade ago, getting a window cubicle was as far as office comfort in companies could possibly go, whereas today the office cubicles have been replaced with bean bags. With the workforce getting younger by the day and work habits changing, organisations are making work more fun and relaxing, to gain maximum productivity. A calm mind and relaxed body drives creativity and ensures that skills are utilised to the fullest. The new-age modern offices are all fitted with creative spaces, purposed to enlighten the recreational value and tap the creative side of employees without getting them jarred with loads of work. This leap towards high design by companies, MNCs and start-ups did not occur without a helpful push by technology. With the innovation that has been brought in the office spaces, a new wow factor.. a new standard has been set for workplaces. These offices are sleek, celebrates open space and the free flow of people and ideas. The new-age modern office redefines the relationship between work and play. Now corporate offices — a company’s greatest asset — are colourful, fun-filled, ubiquitously bold and are instrumental in creating global trends over notably short time spans. “An office should be such where people enjoy working. A place they look forward coming to, even on a Monday morning,” says Nilanjan Bhowal, Founder & Principal Architect at Design Consortium. Impressive facilities at workplace have many tangible as well intangible benefits for both employees and the employer in terms of productivity, innovation and performance.
More and more corporate houses are using innovative ideas in their office set-up. Like employees at India’s IT giant Infosys not only have in-house gyms and swimming pools, but employees are also encouraged to form various hobby clubs in each location around common interests like photography, movie-making etc. Cisco India has a campus environment that offers facilities such as fully equipped gymnasium, music/band room, wide range of indoor games, outdoor sports, amphitheatre, day care facilities, concierge services, cafeteria, and more to provide employees with a world class work environment. And the impact on the workforce is there for all to see. Maria Shruthi Rao, 26, who is working with Infosys, describes her journey with the tech giant as dream run in her career. She describes her office experience as “Oh technolo-joy”. “For me, a stroll through the vast, lush, green campus is an excellent way to relax and think clearly. The numerous hobby club activities and cultural events on campus keep me looking forward to another exciting week and I totally love my Infosys experience!”
For Rasick Gowda, Communications Manager at Cisco India, workplace facilities certainly enhance productivity levels. “We have an open and collaborative environment that fosters creativity and teamwork. The physical space itself is inspiring. We often gather at break-out zones to brainstorm innovative ideas and strategies rather than hold ing meetings in
conference rooms.
For organisations to make the right changes in making happy workplaces that will affect profitability, productivity and maximize resources, there is a need to understand the nature of work that their employees do. Due to rapid changes in technology and business processes, the way people are working and the way employers are getting work out of the employees has changed significantly globally. Work has become much more collaborative as well as knowledge-intensive. If we look at companies that have made high-performance workplace strategies,it becomes clear that the focus is on 3 Ps — people, process and place of work. Work is becoming more collaborative happy workplace is about holistic integration of people, process, place, and technology to enable work anywhere and anytime. Human capital development department of any organisation needs to play a very important role to create a happy workplace. Employee engagement programmes coupled with a comfortable physical environment can be instrumental in combating attrition and talent retention also.
According to Seema Nair, Head, HR, Cisco India, “With evolving working styles, the concept of work and workplace is rapidly and continually evolving and our company has recognised this change which is reflected in the various facilities provided to the employees”. At Cisco, which was recently ranked 9th in the ‘World’s 25 Best Multinational Workplaces in 2014’ survey, flexible work opportunities, ambitious environmental initiatives and myriad employee engagement programmes form the foundation of employee engagement approach. The group enables flexibility to its global workforce and uses technology to help employees balance work, family, and personal responsibilities. Workspace is designed in a way that allows enhanced collaboration among employees, help them with a more productive, friendly and a healthy environment. “Work for us involves fun and camaraderie. Employees can enter an April Fools´ Day Patent Contest, dance to the all-manager Burnt Factory Band at a company event, or throw a team party with ‘fun fund’ money. Sometimes the fun comes in the form of volunteering in a team-building activity, attending a major awards celebration, or participating in a major company launch party. We invest in a strong culture of innovation, inclusion, wellness and flexibility through programmes and resources that will result in productive and efficient employees and create a happy workplace,” says Nair. Cisco Globalisation Child Care Centre (CGCCC), a customised, state-of-the-art facility designed to provide a stimulating and secure environment for employees’ children aged between 3 months and 5 years. CGCCC helps employees balance work and family responsibilities, encourage professional growth and eliminate employees’ concern for the safety and standard of care that their children receive, while they are at work. Talking about the company’s policy, Richard Lobo, Head, Employee Relations- Infosys says, “Having recognised the need to help employees deal with stress, we have introduced several initiatives and interventions. The Health Assessment & Lifestyle Enrichment plan (HALE) at Infosys has been a focused response to rising concerns on employee health and the impact of work stress on our employees and their families. The initiative strives to improve productivity through healthy employees and has done pioneering work in the area of employee health (physical & mental), employee safety, encouraging leisure and creating a healthy work environment. To encourage work-life balance and promote leisure, each of Infosys campuses in India has a health club with world class facilities. Across its India campuses, Infosys has multiplex theaters, bowling alleys, 11 swimming pools, 23 gyms, 8 international standard cricket pitches, athletic tracks and basketball courts. InfyRadio, internal radio channel of Infosys, serves a twin purpose of keeping employees informed about activities within the organisation and also ensures that they are motivated to work. InfyBubble, Infosys’ enterprise networking platform provides social and professional networking among employees across different time zones. Jackson Hospitality too has a day-care facility at workplace. This is designed to accommodate children between the age group of 6 months to 14 years. The children at the day care are taught various subjects right from grooming, soft skills, science, mathematics, yoga, physical education, literature & cooking by executives working with the company. The happy workplace is not just about cubcles or offices. A happy workplace should keep employees less stressed, productive, satisfied, innovative and loyal which can be achieved through a holistic approach of integrating work-space, technology and processes. The architectural and interior designs of the modern office spaces have set up an impressive platform for the responsible use of human resources. The sleek, cutting-edge office environments have become instrumental in elevating a company's public image and hiring top talent. Perhaps, behind those endeavors, lies the rational understanding that a happy and playful person The instant culture of work ‘n play has been brought forward.
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Venturing into special education
Pervin Malhotra
A. That’s really commendable! Sadly, 10 per cent of the world’s population i.e. over 650 million people live with disabilities. And sadder still, nearly a quarter of the world’s disabled live in India. Unfortunately, lack of education and awareness has become the biggest obstacle in enabling the disabled to lead a normal life. While there are millions of children with disabilities between 6-14 years, there’s a massive shortfall of special educators. Special educators mainly work with children with disabilities like speech or language impairment, mental retardation, learning difficulties (autism, dyslexia, ADS, slow learners, Asperger’s Syndrome), visual or hearing impairment. They help these students develop emotionally, train them to be comfortable in social situations, and be aware of socially acceptable behaviour. Empathy, communication and co-operation are essential traits. After understanding their special needs, a special educator needs to be highly innovative to devise appropriate learning strategies and motivate the child to be as optimally functional and well adjusted as possible. A course in Special Education equips you to work with such children studying either in special schools or in general schools in an integrated setting. But be prepared, while it is immensely satisfying and gives you the opportunity to make a difference, it calls for a great deal of patience, commitment and hard work. In one word, you need to be indefatigable. A variety of options ranging from one-year Diploma and BEd (spl) courses to 3-4 year bachelor’s degree courses are available. Since you’re already a graduate, you could opt for any of the 1-year BEd (Special Ed) programmes offered by a number of universities. The Rehabilitation Council of India is a statutory body under the M/o Social Justice & Empowerment. It’s mandatory for every special educator to be registered with RCI. Do log onto their website for details of courses etc: www.rehabcouncil.org.
Are programming skills required for financial analyst’s work?
A. As a financial analyst your role may require you to perform “fundamental” and / or “technical” analysis. Fundamental analysis is used to arrive at the basic value of a security/asset based on actual data that is intrinsic or fundamental to it — sales, earnings, dividend, etc. This entails reviewing and uncovering information about the basic operations of the company by poring over past financial statements and records with a fine-tooth comb. Fundamental Analysis does not take into consideration the overall state of the market or even competitor performance in arriving at a recommendation to either buy or sell a particular security (share, bond, etc). Technical Analysis is used to analyse past (financial) market data (basically price movement and volume) to predict the future price of a security. It heavily uses statistical tools and sophisticated charting techniques. Regardless of the analytical method, Financial analysts extensively use computers and special software programmes to perform complex calculations and analysis. While you don’t need to specifically know a programming language, but comfort with using a computer and spreadsheet software is essential.
Courses to enter gaming industry
A. Hardcore game engine and programme design relies heavily on maths and physics. Being a commerce student, you’re at a disadvantage here. But don’t lose hope, all is not lost. If you at least have maths, then you can pursue a BCA or BSC-IT for starters. If not, go down the DOEACC route and start with the foundation programme working your way up. Several private institutes offer short-term courses/diplomas in gaming related areas — game design, gaming and programming, etc. I would suggest you to take up these courses alongside your graduation. This will give you a “feel” of the area and also test your suitability and interest. Some of the full-time programmes can even be taken up after completing your graduation. Increasingly , games are being developed as ‘apps’ and for casual playing on our mobile phones and tablet screens, and even online. A lot of these games rely more on an interesting or topical ‘idea’ and good execution (visuals). Incidentally this is also the fastest growing segment. You can enter the gaming industry from an animation and design perspective as well.
PhD in home science
A. Here are some of the universities that offer a PhD in Home Science in North India that you could look at:
email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com
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Make the right impact
A good CV is like an advertisement for you. If the ad prompts a prospective buyer to check out more about the product —that is you — it has done its job. So a good CV should reveal information about you to open doors. It should also capture and reflect some hints about your personality. It should stimulate enough interest in the person reading it to decide to call you for an interview. During the filtering process you literally have 10 seconds to make an impact before you get put into Writing a good CV is tricky: the message must be right but so must its appearance. There is no right or wrong way to write a CV but there are some common sections you should cover. A few points to keep in mind:
Provide appropriate information
Your first task is to work out what you need to include in your CV. A CV is a record of your qualifications (education and on-the-job training), work experience and skills, so it must include three key areas of information: Contact information: Who you are and where you can be contacted. It's important to include the basics, as you are informing the recruiter of your contact details, where you're based to ensure that you are within easily commuting distance for the role you have applied for. Work History: This can contain a list of credentials, organisations you have worked with, clients you have served, projects you have worked on and so on, listed in reverse chronological order - the latest, first. If you are just out of college, this is where you record any internships, summer jobs, or work experience that you have. Education and Training: Until you have a few years' work experience under your belt, your education section will be of utmost importance. Write your education in reverse chronological order (so start with college/university). Focus on your university grades, majors/specialisations and extra-curricular activities to start with. The education section should contain:
Presentation is key
A successful CV is always carefully and clearly presented, and printed on clean, crisp white paper. It should be written in report style (i.e. bullet points, short sentences and small paragraphs) NOT in essay style with long sections of prose. Use bullet points, numbering and dashes to format content. Be creative and show how you can be different to the hundreds of other CVs that are received by a prospective employer. However, flashy design can be off putting to employers. Information needs to be laid out simply, in a clear and easy to read manner. Your CV will be looked at for only a few seconds, so it is vital that all the essential information is instantly visible. If you are just out of school or college you can use the chronological format beginning with your most recent educational qualification, and then detailing any experience you have gained in extra-curricular or work activities, and the skills you have developed. CVs should never be crumpled or folded, so use an A4 envelope to post your applications
Your skills, interests, abilities and accomplishments
Be sure to demonstrate any experiences where you have gained 'transferable skills' — this is your chance to throw light on those skills which might include leadership, project management, team working, communication and presentation skills. Don't forget to mention key skills that can help you to stand out from the crowd. These could include: communication skills; computer skills; team working; problem solving or even speaking a foreign language. If you are fresh out of university, college, or school describe what skills you have learnt and put into practice during your studies, for example working in-groups, presentation skills, perhaps you have carried out some unpaid work experience. Describe any examples of positions of responsibility or anything that shows you can use your own initiative. For example, if you edited your school magazine, started an environment awareness campaign, or some social work, it can show ability, commitment and teamwork. If you are already working describe accomplishments, not responsibilities. What you have done in the past gives employers clues and expectations about what you can do for them now. Give number of projects handled, savings of cost or time, skills developed, and other information on expertise and credentials, which can enhance your stature or position in the workplace. If you have attended any courses, seminars, workshops or training programmes, be sure to include them, along with what you have learned from them.
Tailor the CV to the role
Make sure you understand clearly the description of the job you are applying for, so you can match each requirement, and create a CV specifically for that role. Tailor your CV to each separate position when possible by carrying out some research into the company. The easiest way to do this is to look at their website. You don't have to re-write the whole thing, just adapt the details so they're relevant. There are many different kinds of CVs and you can check out different samples, from books and the internet, and come up with one that reflects the kind of job, level and area of work that you are interested in. In today's competitive job market, there can be scores and even hundreds of applicants for the choicest jobs. This means that the average or poor CV will be speed-read or skimmed over at best. So what can be done to increase your chances of standing out in a welter of applications? Before you begin writing your resume, you need to think about and articulate your abilities, skills, and goals. Take a pencil and paper and do this simple exercise.
The answers to these questions could be a starting point for thinking about the talents or experiences you should focus on when writing your resume. Finally, look at your CV and the information in it, and honestly ask yourself - would you hire yourself? Try putting yourself in the prospective employer's place and frame an impressive resume that will hook the reader immediately. There is no perfect CV, but if you give it some careful thought, your profile can make you sound organised, self-aware and most imminently suitable for the job you are applying for. Good luck with the job hunting!
Some Do's and Don'ts
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5Cs formula for mid-career managers
The slowing growth rate in the Indian IT industry has had its impact on the capability of the current middle management layer in the industry. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw heady 100 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth for IT companies leading them to hire fresh engineers at the bottom of the pyramid in large numbers and putting them to short technical training programmes and early deployment in production roles. Now, 10-15 years later that generation of the workforce is vying for middle management roles with very little opportunities owing to the slowing growth rate of the IT industry. Competition to get into that level in organisations is very intense with many aspirants chasing very few opportunities.
There is a need to skill this generation of Indian IT workforce with management fundamentals while they still have an opportunity to apply those skills at work and deserve to move into the next level in management. However, most in-house corporate training programmes have failed to get this exercise to scale to cover most of their employees. The onus, thus, shifts to the employee to invest into himself/herself to ensure the growth that they expect. There are several professional training schools that are dedicated to this opportunity and provide a range of programmes. Selecting the right course is very important. A business education programme that aims to help mid-career professionals progress further must focus on the 5Cs in the way they impart education:
Coverage
For the business education programme to be meaningful there has to be sufficient coverage of different functional areas that a professional needs to work through during an average day not only today but tomorrow as well. While finance seems to be a fairly common inclusion in most curriculum, the less glamorous but perhaps more important areas like Operations and People Skills are often deprioritised. A good programme must cater to the functional knowledge needs of not only the next role but a few levels ahead as well. Some programmes tend to be overambitious and be everything to everybody and probably end up not satisfying any of the populations.
Contextualise
Adults learn best when the concept is illustrated through a real life experience that they can correlate with. A gold standard in business education for working professionals must present real life problems from the technology industry and allow for the students to try and solve them without the benefit of theoretical concepts. Once the concepts are clarified, the students must be allowed to solve the same problem again using the concept to realise the elegance in the new solution. This method allows for the concept to be internalised much better than completing a full subject starting at Chapter 1 and going all the way to chapter 11…
No one really works alone in any professional field, be it super specialty doctors or space scientists. Most professionals either succeed as a team or fail as a team. Consider a programme that allows in you to work in small groups of folks with similar backgrounds and similar future aspirations that you can work together, learn from and also make friends for life beyond the context of the course you are doing.
Complement
In order to complement the functional skills professionals must always be in the pursuit of professional skills that enable them to be successful. Basic interpersonal skills like communication of business value through storytelling, negotiations skills, ability to network and the likes. Any business education programme must focus on these professional skills in addition to core functional skills around the different business functions like sales, marketing, finance, HR etc.
Coach
In deference to the age and experience of the mid-career professional the need is more for ‘coaches’ rather than ‘teachers’. The coaching ability of senior management professionals with hands on management experience in the corporate world must be preferred over the research/theory orientation of ‘professors’ in a typical management school. The hands on experience of the ‘player coach’ helps them communicate in a language that is well understood by both parties and leads to the ‘coach’ empathise with the student community way better to facilitate real learning. —
The writer is Executive Director, Sunstone Business School
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smart strategy: leadership tips for women managers
It is an acknowledged fact that women have to face unique challenges and struggles while developing a style of leadership at the workplace. For women who aspire to don leadership roles, being too assertive and masculine or excessively feminine are seen as disadvantageous to their images. Lack or female role models to emulate and gender bias are other problems that women have to contend with. Leaving aside the hot debates and dissection of the intensely personal issues of women in the workplace, here are a few leadership tips for those women who want to hold the most powerful reins in their organisations.
Learn new leadership styles Lack of female role models in corporate settings leave aspiring women leaders with few leaders to observe and learn from during their careers. Women can watch male leaders perform; however, they cannot ably illustrate how to manage or navigate female stereotypes. In such a case, women who want to don the leadership mantle can join communities or other professional organisations to identify more role models. They also get a chance to learn and develop new leadership styles at these settings.
Make things happen “Done is better than perfect,” is Sheryl Sandberg’s crucial bit of advice to the female leader-to-be. She has to clearly understand the role that she is playing, know what she is good at, and identify what she enjoys doing in order to successfully complete the job at hand. No outcome is possible until a job is successfully completed. It is possible that young women sometimes have to do jobs that are not connected to their innate strengths. However, it is important that the woman leader is aware of these shifts to ensure success in whatever role she is currently playing.
Work hard and prepare well Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Hardwork helps a leader gain resilience, become self-reliant, and accept new opportunities together with the risks that accompany them. In this context, it is important to identify specific situations and conditions that affect energy levels and space them appropriately throughout the workday to achieve maximum efficiency. Adequate preparation is the foundation of success.
Build your network Listening to many people and their ideas provides a better perspective and helps to put things in context. Talking to trusted colleagues, senior citizens, professors and officers all help to add to your value. This approach opens up new ways of doing things and encourages thoughtful and compassionate leadership. It is crucial for the women leaders to assess their comfort levels with colleagues and professionals so that they can easily blend into their corporate roles without affecting their personal lives. Forming strong networks increases one’s sense of belonging, makes life more meaningful and helps one achieve greater satisfaction besides ensuring career success.
Manage your energy
not time Organisations are demanding and one of the coping mechanisms is to put in extra hours, this is one of the biggest challenges for aspiring women leaders. The work starts coming at the cost of family. Tony Schwartz, author of The Power of Full Engagement, recommends that we manage our energy not our time by reducing frequent interruptions, taking frequent breaks, avoiding negative emotions that drain energy and living a healthy life style. Actively practicing these leadership tips that can help ambitious women leaders reach the top
echelons of organisations more often. — The writer is an HR & Strategy consultant and authors www.humanresourcesblog.in
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E-commerce sector attracts fresh talent
“The number of intakes by the e-commerce sector from the various B-schools and engineering colleges has gone up by 65 per cent this season over last year (35 per cent),” Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said. The survey sample included over 500 students from various B-schools, including IIMs, BITS, ICFAI Business School and Symbiosis Institute of International Business (Pune). The survey was conducted between September and October 2014. Over 71 per cent respondents preferred e-commerce sector and even aspire to become first-generation successful entrepreneurs by investing in the sector, the survey said. The e-commerce industry has experienced unprecedented growth with its total revenue increasing over 60 times between 2010 and 2014. “More and more pass-outs from B-Tech and MBA graduates are flocking to e-commerce industry over highly leveraged sectors like FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), consulting, financial services, services jobs, telecom, real estate, power and other infrastructure,” Assocham said. Nearly 3 million Indians work in the e-commerce sector, whereas 18 million jobs are created in other sectors as a result of e-commerce operations like marketing, IT, logistics and payment services. “India is successful in becoming the largest e-commerce market in the world. The rapid transformation in logistics, innovation, consumerism and productivity prove to be an interesting case study for other emerging economies,” Rawat said. “The hiring activities are expected to grow by over 60-65 per cent in this sector and may help create between 5-8 lakh employment opportunities in three to five years,” he added. E-commerce companies are offering nearly around ~10-25 lakh annual package, higher than the average starting salary of ~4-7 lakh in the private sector for fresh engineering graduates and others, the poll showed. The survey also revealed that fresher packages are around ~2-3.5 lakh per annum for roles like customer service representatives but for other management and technical roles, the starting package would be anywhere between ~8 lakh and ~14 lakh per annum. Estimated to be a $ 3 billion segment, the Indian e-commerce sector has been growing at a massive pace with players like Snapdeal and Flipkart raising funds from a range of investors. Also, world’s largest online retailer Amazon has committed investment of $2 billion in the country over the next few years. A report by consulting firm Technopak pegs the $2.3 billion e-tailing market to reach $32 billion size by 2020. — PTI
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Companies everyone wants to work for
The ‘World's 100 Most InDemand Employers: 2014’ was based on billions of interactions from LinkedIn's over 300 million members. No Indian company made it to the coveted list, however, a significant number of them do have their presence in the country. The list was dominated by American companies with as many as 63 ‘in-demand’ companies were headquartered in the US. Moreover, eight of the top 10 most sought after employers in the world are US based. Besides Google, Apple and Unilever, other companies in the top 10 list include Microsoft (fourth), Facebook (fifth), Amazon (sixth), Procter & Gamble (seventh), GE (eighth), Nestle (ninth) and PepsiCo (10th). A sector-wise analysis showed that the top three sectors that dominated the list include technology, telecom and media; followed by retail and consumer products and oil and energy. As per the LinkedIn survey, around 15 per cent of in demand companies have fewer than 5,000 employees. The employee count for each company was based on the number of member profiles on LinkedIn associated with the company. As per the report the top three smallest companies by number of employees are Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with 1,622 employees, Airbnb (1,836) and Netflix (1,906). In order to calculate the winners LinkedIn analysed over 10 billion data points between members and companies and compared the data with surveys of thousands of members to determine a company’s “familiarity and engagement score”. “The analysis also weighted member actions like viewing employee profiles, visiting Company Pages and following companies,” LinkedIn said. — PTI
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Transparency pangs
In the era of transparency, publicly disclosing personal information — such as government officials’ income — may result in unintended consequences. According to a new research, the highest-paid city employees in California saw an eight per cent reduction in pay after their salaries were disclosed to the public. These cuts also triggered a 75 per cent increase in the quit rate among city managers. The findings suggest that top salaries are cut because they appear excessive, regardless of whether the reductions in pay are
good policy. Additionally, the research suggests that media exposure restrained high wages in cities where the top salaries were already disclosed. “This paper shows that there may be unintended effects from these policies. If the public has an averse response to large salaries, regardless of whether these salaries are justified, there might be adverse consequences,” explained Alexandre Mas, professor of economics and public affairs from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. — IANS
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Motivating without money Moves that pay Getting ahead in career and drawing satisfaction from work not always depend on the fat pay cheque or monetary incentives. A majority of employees don’t want costly benefits or gimmicks; they simply want good management practices.While paying someone peanuts and expecting them to be highly motivated is a Utopian dream, there are many low cost levers of motivation that team leaders can use to boost their team’s morale. Some of these are: Develop your staff
Employees like to constantly learn and sharpen their skills on the job; they want to constantly up the game. Offering constructive feedback and providing opportunities to your direct reports enables them to take a lead on the projects. This approach makes them more productive and makes them feel proud once the task is accomplished.
Praise good work
Appreciation can dramatically increase employee motivation. Most of the employees enjoy being recognised publicly, this also makes other aspire to do more and score a goal. Recognise your direct reports for a job well done and they are more likely to produce good work consistently without expecting more money.
Create the right culture
A good work culture respects employees’strengths rather than making them feel stupid for their inherent weakness, this approach of strengths first goes a long way in motivating employees. Employees feel motivated and connected if they can express their angst without the fear of being hounded. Employees want to feel that they belong to one community at work and that everyone is aligned towards a common goal
Encourage ownership of tasks
The best way to kill ownership is to micro-manage your direct reports; however abandoning the task also does not do any wonders. Follow the middle path of giving guidance and resolving queries as and when needed. Increasing accountability of tasks can lead to employees taking more pride in the work at hand. Your direct reports will be highly motivated and take complete ownership of the activity
Celebrate small victories
Even if the team crosses a small hurdle, it is best to give everyone a shout out and celebrate. Don’t wait to hit the magic number and ring the bell, chances are that your team may not reach the destination because they would get exhausted midway. Team managers who celebrate small achievements have a more engaged team; the resultant positivity generates momentum to accomplish the most arduous tasks with ease. Career Tips from www.careersweetener.com .
Follow on twitter @CareerSweetener
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Handy tips for managers
The Chartered Management Institute is the UK-based professional body that promotes highest standards of management and leadership excellence. The checklist series published by the CMI provides forward-thinking advice and support to managers and organisations through practical tools to improve performance. Managing Finance and Managing Strategy are the two latest additions to the checklist series dedicated to fostering leadership excellence through development of management skills. Checklists have been developed over many years by the CMI and address the main issues that mangers encounter in day-to-day worklife. Each checklist distills good practice from industry to provide a clear and straightforward overview of a specific topic. It is designed both for managers who need an introduction to unfamiliar topics and for those who want to refresh their understanding of the salient points. Logical and structured framework simplifies the complex issues by breaking down information in short practical points. Managing Finance is for those who have to manage a budget. It focuses on the financial side of running a business. Covering the important financial disciplines like reading a balance sheet, drawing a budget, managing working capital, costing, spotting fraud, the checklists help simplify a daunting subject like finance. Inclusion of sample account formats and layouts, ratios and data sheets are useful practical points to help one master the crucial skills required to move ahead in one’s career. Managing Strategy is an introduction to organisational strategy that is designed to help managers get a grip over analysis of their organisations and development and implementation of of strategic plans and options. Using a combination of action-oriented checklists and pen-portraits of thinkers like Charles Handy, Henry Mintzberg and Michael Porter, this book explains what to do and what to avoid. The checklists take one logically through a journey, starting with helping one to understand one’s organisation and carry out strategic analysis, through to guidance on evaluating strategic options, implementing the strategy and measuring and evaluating its success. This concise handbook finally lays out the dos and don’ts of various strategic options such as mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnering and decisions regarding outsourcing and development od new products. — TNS
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Nursing course
Dr. Moopen's Education and Research Foundation (DMERF) announced the launch of DM WIMS Nursing College starting with a four-year bachelor's degree course in nursing at DM WIMS Medical College Campus in Wayanad. Admissions to the course are now open for the batch 2014 to 2018. The course: The four-year, full time programme imparts 4120 plus hours of classroom interaction and 2600 hours of on-ground training. The Departments at DM WIMS Nursing College include: Fundamentals of nursing, medical and surgical nursing, child health nursing, mental health nursing, obstetrics and gynecological nursing and community health nursing. Eligibility: A a pass with minimum 50 per cent aggregate marks in physics, chemistry, biology and English for Higher Secondary School course from a recognised board or university. The candidates must complete 17 years of age on or before December 31, 2014. Deadline: Interested candidates are requested to contact the college before October 31, 2014. Check out: www.dmwims.com.
Sheffield Hallam University January intake
During this intake, Sheffield Hallam will offer admissions to about 60 masters’ degree courses in the areas of tourism, hospitality and events, biosciences and chemistry, computing, business and management, education studies and engineering among others. How to apply: The application form for the January 2015 intake can be downloaded from Sheffield Hallam's website www.shu.ac.uk or collected in person from the regional office in New Delhi. Deadline: November 30, 2014. Check out: www.shu.ac.uk
BSc in Clinical Microbiology
The Institute of Professional Studies & Research (IPSR), New Delhi, invites application for three-year BSC in clinical Microbiology course. Eligibility: Minimum qualification for securing admission to the course is Plus II pass with physics, chemistry and biology from a recognised board. How to apply: The application forms are available till October31, 2014. The candidates can visit corporate center at Delhi or can register at the website peasssgroup.in Deadline: October 31, 2014 Check out:
peasssgroup.in
Diploma in make-up artistry
The course: Make-up education programme is a professionally designed intensive course that will provide students with a platform to build skills and confidence. It is a six -month programme that covers topics like introduction to the subject, history of makeup, health and hygiene, corrective makeup, contouring highlighting, beauty makeup, glamour eye makeup, bridal, makeup for men, photographic makeup, fashion makeup, industry knowledge. Eligibility: The applicant should have a sense of fashion and a flair for communication to convey different looks and styles and the passion and creativity to use colours to create. How to apply: Application forms are available at JD Institute, Hauz Khas Village. Deadline:
November 10, 2014.
Filmmaking and acting courses
The course: Diploma in Filmmaking involves students in each filmmaking craft. Through guidance from industry experts and interactions with global filmmakers, students both practice and study screenwriting, producing, directing, acting, cinematography, editing, sound design, film appreciation, production design, the aesthetic use of music in productions, literature, art history and cinema studies. Students are encouraged to create their own unique story development and filmmaking perspectives and vision. MBA in Media & Entertainment+PG Programme in Media & Communication gives students an understanding of the key industries within the Media and Entertainment industry, including Film, Television, Radio, Advertising, Journalism and Public Relations. The programmes explain the key pipelines for this industry as well as the growth areas and opportunities within them. In addition to this, key business disciplines are introduced with a keen focus on the media industry including Management, Accounting and Organizational Behavior. Diploma in Acting is an intensive and practical programme that teaches the art and craft of acting for cinema ensuring that students are carefully nurtured and their individual abilities and talents are honed and trained. Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognised university. Selection criteria: Entrance test How to apply: Online Deadline: November 28, 2014 Check out: www.whistlingwoods.net
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TAFE scholarships
Eligibility: To be eligible for the scholarship applicants must:
Details: Each scholarship contributes $2,000 towards the tuition fees for a TAFE NSW course. Duration: Students must be studying for a minimum 1.5 years. How to apply: Applicants should apply by post, in person or by email. Deadline: December 12, 2014 for study in Semester 1, 2015 and May 29, 2015. Check out: www.decinternational.nsw.edu.au
Offer for master’s course
University of Sussex is inviting application for scholarships for Indian students. Scholarships are available for pursuing master’s degree level at University of Sussex. Scholarships are provided to learn any of the courses offered by the University of Sussex Eligibility: In order to be eligible for a scholarship you must be a self-financing student from India and have accepted an offer of a full-time place on a master’s course at the University of Sussex commencing in September 2015. If your offer of a place is conditional you will need to meet the conditions of your offer before you are admitted to the university and awarded the scholarship.
The scholarship is available only to self-financing students. If your tuition fees are funded by an external funding body you will not be eligible to receive the scholarship. Details: £3,000 for all overseas fee paying students from India admitted to start an eligible master’s course in September 2015. How to apply: Applicants must apply for admission to an eligible master’s course via the University’s PG Apply online application system between 1 October 2014 and 1 August 2015. If you are made an offer, you will be asked to indicate your interest in the Sussex India Scholarship when you accept your offer online. Deadline: August 1, 2015. Check out: www.sussex.ac.uk
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1. Name the Pakistan batsman who recently equalled Sir Vivian Richards’ record of scoring a Test century off 56 balls and also scored the fastest 50 off 21 balls? 2. Name the first BJP Chief Minister of Maharashtra. 3. When is Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observed? 4. What is the official name of Bangalore from November 1, 2014? 5. How many years ago was the Berlin Wall brought down? 6. In which year did US President Richard Nixon resign following the Watergate scandal? 7. Name the only state of India where saffron is grown. 8. Who has been re-elected the President of Brazil? 9. Who is the captain of the Brazil’s football team? 10. Which cricketer’s autobiography is titled “Playing it My Way”? —Tarun Sharma Winners of quiz 475: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Deepika Dhemla; Class XI (commerce); RB DAV School; Bibiwala Road; Bathinda; Pin Code — 151001 Second: Manvi Sekhri; Class X; BBMB DAV Public School, Nangal T/Ship; district Ropar (Punjab); Pin Code — 140124 Third: Pooja; class XI E (Non-med); PKR Jain Girls Senior Secondary School; Ambala city; Pin Code — 133003 Answers to quiz 475: Kailash Satyarthi; Malala Yousafzai; Bharatiya Janta Party; Pritam Munde; Hudhud; Hudhud; 1997; ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’; Bill Gates; Mahendra Singh Dhoni 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……………….………….............................................
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Multiplex theatre, bowling alleys, swimming pools, gym, international standard cricket pitch, runningtracks and basketball courts — and one is not talking of a bustling city centre or a recreational zone. This comprises the list of some of the facilities that new-age companies are providing in offices in order to reduce the stress levels of employees.
The slowing growth rate in the Indian IT industry has had its impact on the capability of the current middle management layer in the industry. The late 1990s and early 2000s saw heady 100 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth for IT companies leading them to hire fresh engineers at the bottom of the pyramid in large numbers and putting them to short technical training programmes and early deployment in production roles.
“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder,” writes Sheryl Sandberg in her book, Lean In which prompts women to take up leadership roles in corporate organisations.
It is an acknowledged fact that women have to face unique challenges and struggles while developing a style of leadership at the workplace. For women who aspire to don leadership roles, being too assertive and masculine or excessively feminine are seen as disadvantageous to their images.
Motivating without money
The creative designs, give ample space for employees to think, shrug off work pressure, and prioritise innovation more than anything else. With a majority of workforce being young and under the age of 30, on an average, these creative spaces boost their talent and give them an enjoyable work atmosphere, eventually increasing the company’s profit.
Q. I am a graduate keen on working in the field of Special Education. Could you please tell me about the institutions offering courses in this field? —
Vamini Kaul
Q. I am in BCom second year and am thinking of becoming a financial analyst by pursuing a master’s in finance. Will I also require special knowledge of computers or a programming language? —
Umesh Handa
Q. I am going to complete my Class XII (commerce + maths) in 2015. I am very much interested in gaming and game programming. Which courses should I opt for in college?
— Manav Bhalla
Q. I want to do PhD in Home Science. Could you please suggest some universities and institutions that I should be looking at? —
Jaspreet Virdi
Finding a job is hard work. It demands lots of time, energy and patience. Your CV (Curriculum Vitae or resume) is an important part of this job search campaign, it is how you present yourself in print, and the first important aspect of the job search.
“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder,” writes Sheryl Sandberg in her book, Lean In which prompts women to take up leadership roles in corporate organisations.
Engineering and B-school graduates are opting for jobs in the e-commerce industry over sectors like FMCG, consulting, financial services and infrastructure, according to a poll by Assocham.
Google is the world’s most sought after employer , followed by Apple and Unilever in the second and third places, respectively, according to a report by professional networking site LinkedIn.
Sheffield Hallam University, UK, invites applications for its January 2015 intake. The university is also offering Indian students a discount of £1,000 for all full time courses while an exclusive bursary of £2250 will be offered for the MBA course during its January’15 intake.
JD Institute of Fashion Technology, is inviting applications for admission to Diploma in Makeup Artistry course.
Interested candidates can check out the courses offered by Whistling Woods International (WWI), Mumbai, for the January, 2015 batch. The institute offers post-graduation programmes like Diploma in Filmmaking, MBA in Media & Entertainment+PG Programme in Media and Communication and Diploma in Acting. 
TAFE NSW Institutes are offering 100 scholarships for international students on merit basis. These scholarships are awarded for pursuing diploma, advanced diploma, associate degree or bachelor’s degree courses. TAFE NSW offers 300 courses within the Hunter Institute, Illawarra Institute, Northern Sydney Institute, Riverina Institute, South Western Sydney Institute, Sydney Institute, Western Institute and Western Sydney Institute.
