Career Hotline
Some taxing work, this
Pervin Malhotra

Q I am a final year B.Com student. Income tax is one of the key subjects in our syllabus. Can you give me the details regarding courses related to income tax, sales tax, wealth tax etc and those institutions where they are offered.

A As in B. Com, taxation constitutes an important subject even in the M.Com syllabus. However, you could look at the following universities, which offer regular 1-year diploma-level courses in the subject:

Aligarh Muslim University, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, and Panjab University, Chandigarh etc.

Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak; The Indian Law Institute, (Deemed University) Bhagwan Das Road, New Delhi. (www.ilidelhi.org)

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Indraprastha Marg, New Delhi-110002; Course: Tax Management Course (TMC Part-I). Eligibility: Only members of the Institute. Selection: Entrance Exam (www.icai.nic.in)

You could apply for membership of institutions like the International Fiscal Association (India) or your local Chamber of Commerce so that you can attend their seminars on taxation from time to time.

You could also subscribe to journals like The Income-Tax Reporter, Income-Tax Tribunal Decision, Taxman Journal and Excise Law.

Comic act

Q I am really good at cracking jokes and mimicking people and want to become a comedian. Is it a good career choice?

— P Khuller

A Making people laugh is no joking matter. Comedians have to sweat it out to come up with original gags and punch lines to earn public acclaim. And for those who make their living out of comedy, life is no laughing matter. Unlike the West, we don’t take our humourists seriously. A lot of the stuff in Bollywood films borders on buffoonery and slapstick, a la David Dhawan. And there is hardly any original humour in our literature. The odd hasya kavi sammelans on Independence Day (televised by DD) and the abominable stand-up comedy acts on New Year’s eve on the channels, being sporadic occasions for jiggling the funny bone.

As a successful comedian you must be quick-witted, able to think on your feet and if you end up making people laugh, then you could be headed for stardom. But you need a great deal of self-confidence if you want to survive in this profession since failure, disillusionment and rejection are standard. Although no academic qualification is required to become a stand up comedian it would be advisable to get a college degree as you may need a back up career in case you don’t make it in this profession and believe me, over half don’t.

However, TV has breathed some life into this art. SAB TV is already a full-fledged comedy channel, while the others have a daily slot for funny sitcoms. Following the success of the Great Indian Comedy Show, Star One has come up with the Great Indian Laughter Challenge with Shekhar Suman and Navjot Sidhu as judges. Both have distinguished themselves as brilliant comics using intelligent wit and repartee. Jaspal Bhatti and Johnny Lever also merit honourable mention.

Make the most of IT

Q After completing my MSc IT I plan to join the IT industry. Is this a wise decision? What are the job prospects?

— Preeti Khanna

A The IT services industry is set to add at least 100,000 new employees in 2006. This will be in addition to the 65,000-70,000 new recruits that the industry hired in 2005. But while there is no dearth of people to hire, some skills are in short supply. The industry is finding it difficult to get technical architects, functional ERP professionals, semiconductor design engineers as well as gaming, animation and programme-management engineers.

Information Communication Technology (ICT) players in India are rapidly moving up the value chain and actively addressing higher-end segments such as project management, systems integration, consultancy, analysis, design, R&D, solutions architectures and product development. In the ever-changing global economy, ICT technologies are the most important drivers in boosting efficiency and productivity.

There is a clear gap between the demand and supply of IT professionals which needs to be bridged if we wish to sustain the so far excellent growth rate.

This leaves the industry with no alternative but to put recruits through long training programmes all of which come at a cost. Companies are typically spending Rs 30,000 - Rs 40,000 for training an engineer. Last quarter, Infosys spent 1.1 per cent of its total revenues on training.

However, having said that, I must add a word of caution. Technical careers are taking a heavy toll on their executives in terms on travel. Nearly 41 per cent Indian executives say that business travel especially over weekends is the most stressful factor at work.

This is especially ironic as freshers often join the industry with the belief that foreign jaunts are part of the perks of joining the industry. Many executives agree that it isn’t travel per se that is an obstacle. It is the unpredictable nature of the travel that is a major cause of stress.

So, don’t be surprised if your plans for the weekend go down the drain as you zip across the continent to deal with an assignment on fire or to woo a new client.

Q My colleague and I will be retiring from the Army shortly. We are keen to do a course in management before we do something on our own. Can you please suggest a good management course – preferably one for mature candidates our age?

— Col P N Luthra

A Army officers like you can now be truly business savvy. The Vinod Gupta School of Management, IIT, Kharagpur (ww.iitkgp.ernet.in), offers a 2-year, residential MBA programme with a six-month internship for army personnel.

The country’s top B-school, IIM-Ahmedabad, is launching a Certificate Programme in Business Administration for officers of all the three Armed Forces who have just retired or are on the verge of retirement. The course begins in October, 2006.

Also check IIM-Lucknow’s Noida campus (50 seats) for its Certificate Programme in Management for Defence Officers. This will not only help in business operations of the army (like logistics, supply chain management and project management) but will also open up a host of career opportunities in management for officers after they retire.

Voice vistas

Q I have been an English teacher for the last five years. Am I eligible to become a voice and accent trainer in the BPO sector?

— Shanti Dewan

A Yes, you are. Voice and Accent Trainers teach you how to roll your r’s and soften your d’s, fix your accent, spruce up your grammar to enable you to breeze through a 5-minute conversation with an American or European. Their services range from hiring the suitable candidates to training them in the requisite voice and accent. This is a new breed of professionals who have come up as a result of the ever-increasing call centres in the country.

Whereas earlier, call centre executives needed to be trained to use a specific American or British accent, now a neutral Global English is the acceptable norm.

A single call centre can hire between 20 to 60 voice and accent trainers who take training sessions with the executives, monitor calls and identify agents who need a refresher course.

Accent trainers are handpicked for the job because of their clarity of speech and fluency. Starting at Rs.20, 000 pm or thereabouts, your renumeration could go up to Rs 50,000 or more. Needless to say, the timings may be erratic and you may need to work night shifts.

To become a voice and accent trainer you need to have an excellent command over English which you must have since you are a teacher of English. Besides, you must have a passion for training, good people skills and oodles of patience and enthusiasm. A graduate/ postgraduate degree in any discipline is a mandatory requirement. A Certification in Teaching English to Adults would be a good add-on. It would go a long way if you have traveled abroad and are familiar with western cultural nuances.

Many companies prefer to hire candidates with experience. But anyone — be it a housewife, fresh graduate or even retired personnel — can join the industry if they have the requisite skill set.

Some V & A trainers grow from the ranks after having worked for a few years in the BPO sector.

Besides call centres you can seek employment with 'Call Centre finishing/ training schools’, which have sprung up all over.

Pharma in foreign land

Q I am doing M. Pharm and I would like to settle in US. How do I go about it?

— Kiran Kumar

A To practice pharmacy in the US, you need to clear the FPGEC (Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee) Certification.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy conducts the FPGEC Certification programme to evaluate the educational equivalency of a candidate’s foreign pharmacy education and license and/or registration.

To get the FPGEC Certification, you have to provide documentary proof of your educational background and licensure and/or registration. You must also clear the FPGEE, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and the Test of Spoken English (TSE).

While the FPGEC Certificate allows foreign graduates, like you, to partially fulfill the eligibility for licensure in the states that consider the Certification, it is not a license to practice pharmacy. Once you receive the FPGEC Certificate, you may be qualified by the state boards to take the pharmacy licensing examination in those jurisdictions that accept this certification. Because the licensure requirements vary from state to state, you need to directly contact the board(s) of pharmacy of the state(s) in which you desire licensure.

For further details, log on to the NABP website at: www.nabp.net

Their office is at 700 Busse Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068.

Chemistry courses

Q I have completed M.Sc Chemistry and B. Ed. I am working as lecturer in a college in Ludhiana. Now I want to do M. Phil in Chemistry through distance learning. Can you please suggest some universities that offer this course?

A Although a handful of universities offer M. Phil through part time/ correspondence/evening programmes, there are none in or around Ludhiana that I am aware of.

However, you could look at the following:

Kakatiya University, School of Distance Learning & Continuing Education, Warangal 506009 (AP) (www.kuwarangal.ac.in) Course: M.Phil Chemistry (18 mths) Eligibility: Relevant Master’s Degree and entrance test.

Annamalai University, Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalainagar (www.annamalaiuniversity.ac.in)

Bharathidasan University, Centre of Distance Education, Tiruchirapalli (www.bdu.ac.in)

If you can’t move out of Ludhiana, these courses will let you have your cake and eat it too! Caveat: you may have to visit the university department to attend the contact programme, if necessary.

To be doubly sure, I suggest you also check with the Distance Education Council (www.dec.ac.in) for recognition of these courses.

Clearing confusion

Q I have 3 years of experience in Data Warehousing (ETL + BO). I have now got an option to move to a Siebel EIM data loading project. I’m a little confused whether to take up this or not. Please advise.

— Ritesh Pant

A Siebel EIM involves loading data from external systems into Siebel Base tables. This is a two steps process that involves:

Step 1: Loading external data into Siebel EIM tables using any programming language supported by your database e.g. Pro* C etc.

Step 2: Running the EIM task to load base tables using EIM mappings defined for EIM to base tables. This task moves data within Siebel database from interface tables to base tables.

Siebel EIM requires knowledge of PL/SQL, running EIM, and troubleshooting.

Step 1 involves extracting, cleansing and loading the data where your current knowledge may be of some help.

However, if you wish to continue pursuing Data Warehousing, then the best option for you may be to go for Siebel Analytics because knowledge of ETL is a must in DW.

The writer is a noted career consultant

Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com