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Words is all I have
Laugh, make others laugh and get paid for it. Who says a career has to be all work and no play?
Life at work can definitely be interesting & fun. JITIN CHAWLA culls out some humorous options
At a time when entertainment is big business, a number of options have cropped up for the creative -- mimicry, comedy, scriptwriting, stage shows, poetry sessions, RJing, VJing, anchoring, telly serials, theatre, films... Training institutes have mushroomed across the length and breadth of the country. The thumb rule here is that no institute can “teach” these skills – either you have it or you don’t -- but there are many institutes to polish you inherent ability to succeed in this profession. Comedy is now a part and parcel of our stressful lives and TV and radio have done more than their bit to popularise it with the masses. Shows like The Great Laughter Challenge, Comedy Circus, Sajid Superstar, Poll Khol, Movers and Shakers and Goldie Gill English Speaking School have only contributed to the popularity of the emerging genre. The trend has caught on at both ends – professionals wanting to make you laugh and an audience more than game for a few harmless laughs.
Radio jockey
AS a backstage performer, a RJ has to visualise the words comes out of his throat. They have to make the audience feel as if events are going on in front of them. A good RJ should have enthusiasm, rationality, creativity of mind, a good sense of humor, excellent communication skills and a vibrant, appealing voice. Institutes like EMDI Encompass Institute of Radio Management, Xavier's Institute of Communication and Film and Television Institute (FTII), Pune, The British Council, National School of Drama and the Young Men's Christian Association offer training. Eligibility: Way with words, a rich & vivacious voice, wit
Anchor
FOR being an anchor there are many other qualities, besides being able to hold fort confidently in front of hundreds of people. Since anchoring a live show is essentially a public event, the anchor must be presentable and should have a quality to entertain and hold the audience. Nowadays, an anchor need to be humorous to make the show a interesting like Sajid Khan hosting his talk show or Saif Ali Khan or Shah Rukh Khan anchoring the Filmfare Awards. Eligibility: Gift of the gab, smooth talking, humour, good diction
Stand-up comedian
HAVE you ever joked around with your friends or co-workers and thought, "Wow, I am pretty funny, maybe I can take this show on the road?" It is the business of generating laughter and mind you, the louder the laughs, the better the chance of success. Doing stand-up comedy for a living can also be fun. If you have good entertaining skills then you can take home anything between Rs 10,000 and 70,000 a month. Shows like Comedy Circus and Great Indian Laughter Challenge encourage these career options. Stand-up comedy courses exists abroad, but are virtually non-existent in India. Doing a media course or some creative writing is the next option, or B.A. or arts course that gives you a lot of free time to learn and figure it out on your own, say experts. Abroad, Pepperstock is well-known institute in the UK that offers comedy courses, besides Salford University and University of Kent. Eligibility: Spontaneity, good sense of humour, voice clarity, pleasant personality
Comedy scriptwriter
OWING to the boom in the media industry, the demand for scriptwriters has spiralled. As laughter becomes serious business, there are opportunities by the dozen for those with a funny bone. To begin with, join a good mass communication course to understand the intricacies of scriptwriting. Eligibility: Ability to find humor in every aspect of life, creativity The writer is a career counsellor
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Recipe for success
The Indian hospitality sector is expected to grow to Rs 15 trillion in the next ten years. TEAM JOBS & CAREERS opens the door to hospitality
Hospitality can be defined as the relationship process between a guest and a host, one that includes offering the best comfort and ca0re to the guest. Today, hospitality has taken the form of a large industry contributing hugely to the state exchequer. It is a 3.5 trillion dollar service industry in the global economy. A World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report says that India’s travel and tourism industry is expected to generate approximately US$ 100 billion in 2008 and rising to US$ 275.5 billion by 2018. It is growing at 7.3 per cent annually. This has resulted in higher foreign exchange earnings amounting to 11.96 billion in 2007. It is expected to contribute around 6.1 per cent to the national GDP, providing employment to over 41 million people! “Hospitality includes several service industries within its purview. Hotels, food service, beverages, casino, tourism, spas etc, come under the umbrella of hospitality,” says Preeti Malik, head of Avalon Aviation Academy. “The Indian tourism and hospitality industry is a booming sector now. This can be attributed to a liberalised economy encouraging free trade practices between world economies. Large number of MNCs have started operations in India, giving rise to greater number of business travelers,” she adds. Pimo Mazurczak, regional admission director for Les Roches International School of Hotel Management and Glion Institute of Higher Education, Switzerland, says, “The traditional Indian view of the hospitality sector has undergone a huge change and graduates from our schools are in high demand in the travel, hotel, restaurant, cruise-ship sectors and even large corporate houses. We have found that Indian students educated at Les Roches and Glion find excellent career opportunities in India, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.” Both schools have been rated among the top three hospitality management schools in the world for an international career.
How & why
INNOVATION and promotion of India at all levels of art, culture, history, medicine, etc. has brought about a boom in associated sectors like aviation and hotel industry. The hospitality, tourism and leisure industry offers exciting, challenging and varied career opportunities. In fact, this has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing, job-creating profession. “To handle the large gamut of foreign visitors and promote India at an international level, trained manpower is required. Hospitality management professionals today occupy a significant position in the industry owing to their great demand,” says
Malik.
Starting right
TRAINING in this sector is extremely important, as it requires knowledge of proper etiquettes, food habits, language and understanding of various cultures and traditions in order to handle international guests. “Satisfaction of guests is of utmost importance in this sector. So, proper care has to be taken in serving them. Avalon Academy offers high-end training in hospitality management of international standards. We offer specialised training in food production, food and beverages, front office operations and housekeeping,” tells Malik. Avalon has also tied-up with the Scotland’s Colleges International (a consortium of Colleges in the UK) for Higher National Diploma in Hospitality Management. “Well-educated management personnel will always be a pre-requisite for offering the highest international standards of service by the hospitality industry. In addition, the new Indian has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and we have seen several of our Indian students embark on numerous successful ventures,” Mazurczak adds. Over the last four years, more than 150 Indian students have studied at Les Roches and
Glion.
The curriculum
AVALON’S 24-month programme is delivered partly at Avalon centres in India and partly on campus at Scotland. Students who proceed to the UK will have a minimum of three months on the job Internship in any part of Europe in the hospitality industry. All students completing this course will be eligible to apply for two years work visa in UK under the Post Study Work Scheme. Les Roches and Glion have a rich international faculty and student body with over 80 nationalities represented on each campus. Glion offers a broad range of hospitality management programmes in such fields as hotel management, event, sport, and entertainment management, and also offers specialisations in marketing, finance and human resources. Les Roches specialises in all aspects of hotel management, offering programs in international hotel management and food and beverage management, as well as program specialisations in marketing and finance. Les Roches is affiliated with the Swiss Hotel Association and offers study abroad opportunities in Marbella, Spain and in Chicago, USA. If meeting new people from across the globe, interacting with them and learning about their culture and traditions and at the same time promoting your own country excites you, hospitality is the right profession.
Opportunities galore
ACCORDING to the World Travel and Tourism Council, by 2013, India will be the third-largest tourism market in the world. The domestic hospitality sector is likely to see investments of over USD$11 billion in the next two years with 40 international hotel brands making their presence in the country in the next few years. Besides business travelling, India has been successful in experimenting with various kinds of hospitality & tourism concepts. These include medical tourism, wellness tourism & hospitality, adventure, heritage & pilgrimage tourism and eco & wildlife tourism.
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Career Hotline
Q. Are people with work experience preferred by B-schools? How many years of work experience would suffice?
— Harpreet Walia Students with work experience do have a psychological edge in the interview as their interviews tend to focus predominantly on their work (which they should know) whereas fresher interview focus more on academics (not everyone’s strength!). Usually 2-3 years of work experience is sufficient. B-schools have started a trend of lateral placements where students with 2-3 years of work experience get placed even before their regular placements. Q. What is the minimum / maximum age limit for taking the CAT? —Naval Kishore A.
No minimum or maximum age limit is specified either for the CAT or the
IIMs.
Master of Many
Q. I have done my masters in French and would like to work with the United Nations as an interpreter. How do I go about it? — Simran Bhan However, you can apply for the post only upon successful completion of the Simultaneous Interpretation Course from either of the schools at Geneva or France. At the UNO, interpreters are recruited after qualifying in a test which is administered individually. They usually work for six months in a year and get paid around $600 per day plus overtime. Besides a university degree, you must possess extensive general knowledge to make the grade. An interpreter’s job is one of the most highly paid yet the most difficult to qualify and train for. Your job is to put across the real sense of what is being said in one language to those listening in another language while making it as alive and spontaneous as the original. You may use one of the two methods: In simultaneous interpretation, the speech is translated as it is delivered, while in consecutive interpretation you take notes while the speaker is speaking and then, after each statement, translate the message in full in the other language. Conference interpreting is generally limited to a small number of languages — English, French, Spanish Russian, Chinese, Arabic at the international level, and the languages of member countries of the EU. Conference interpreters usually have a degree in a language as well as a special degree in translation or interpretation. Proficiency in at least two languages is essential. For international conference interpreters, membership of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) is required. This is difficult to obtain and apart from a degree, requires 200 days of work as a freelance interpreter that may take years. AIIC takes in only 50-60 members each year and is the only global association of conference interpreters with 2,667 members spread across 87 countries specialising in 45 different languages (for more details, log on to www.aiic.net) Besides promoting conference interpretation, and protecting the interest of its members, AIIC sets the standards for interpretation schools so that their trainees meet the stringent requirements of the profession. For general information on AIIC or conference interpreting, please contact the International Association of Conference Interpreters, Geneva, Switzerland. Q. Is PGDCA equivalent to MCA? I am a commerce graduate and want to pursue a career in computers. Please advise. — Kamal Bisht A PGDCA, on the other hand, is of shorter duration (1-2 years), has less stringent entry requirements
and is usually not as comprehensive as a full-time MCA. Universities like IGNOU and Sikkim Manipal University allow direct entry into the second year of their MCA programmes to those who have a PGDCA/IT. Alternatively, you could supplement your qualifications with a course in advanced computing or a certification in Oracle9 i/SQL server and C++. MCA is offered at over 1,000 institutions and university departments. Admission is on the basis of an entrance exam (either conducted by the university or the state) which requires a fair amount of preparation. If, on the other hand, you opt for a PGDCA, you may boost your qualifications by doing a relevant vendor certification such as MCSE, CCNA etc or a language in demand like C++, .NET, etc.
Sleep in peace
Q. I am a graduate working with a BPO and also preparing for my MBA exams. The night shifts are proving to be an inconvenience as I am too sleepy during the day to concentrate on my studies. Are there any BPO jobs available during the day? Are there non-voice BPOs? — Alka Saini All you need to do is scan the job openings section of newspapers and the career section on websites of major BPOs and you are sure to find something that will match your requirements. To answer your second question, there are several companies like ICICI Onesource, EcomEnable, MsourcE, Tricom India Ltd that hire graduates and undergrads who have a good command on English and are conversant with computers for their non-voice operations (your typing speed should be at least 30 wpm). These include litigation coding, electronic data discovery, indexing, remittance processing, drafting mortgage documents, claims processing, e-publishing etc. Banking, finance, legal, insurance, pharmaceutical and logistics are some of the companies that need offline services. The new Knowledge based or KPO non-voice segment does not require you to flaunt a fake foreign accent, which is a deterrent for many BPO aspirants. The best part is that you get to work day shifts, as there is no direct interaction with irate, overseas clients. Non-voice BPOs account for 35 per cent of the BPO-ITeS industry and not surprisingly the attrition rates are also much lower. Most of the companies offer in house training so you don’t need to enrol for expensive courses. This column appears weekly. The writer is a career counsellor. Please send in your queries along with your full name, address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs & Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com
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1. Which country recently gained unique status as the only nuclear weapons power to be allowed nuclear commerce without signing either the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty or Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty? 2. How many countries constitute the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)? 3. Which river in Bihar recently broke its banks and changed course to wreak havoc in many districts of the state? 4. Which island in the Brahamputra is the world’s largest inhabited river island? 5. Who recently won the Pakistan’s presidential poll? 6. Name the new Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. 7. In which year did the Bata company begin shoe-making operations in the erstwhile Czekoslovakia? 8. Which woman tennis player got the number one ranking for the first time in five years after winning this year’s US Open title? 9. What is India’s latest FIFA ranking? 10. What was the Test batting average of legendary Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman? Winners of quiz 317: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Harkanwal Kaur, class 8th-A, Guru Tegh Bahadur Public School, Bardwal (Dhuri), Sangrur, Pincode-148024. Second: Shobhit Kansal, class IX, GAV Public School, Kangra, Pincode, 176001, Himachal Pradesh. Third: Timcy, class V, Millennium Public School, Rajgarh Road, Hisar, Pincode -125001 Answers to quiz 317: USA; Eight; Abhinav Bindra, Vijender Kumar and Sushil Kumar; Akhil Kumar; K.D. Jadhav in 1952 Helsinki Olympics; Usain Bolt of Jamaica; Dayron Robles; Yelena Isinbayeva; Germany; London 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 to facilitate the delivery of the prize money. Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com — Tarun Sharma
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YOU have people in splits in seconds and guffaws and squeals of laughter are the only sounds heard in your vicinity. You have the gift of the gab and attract people with your words or actions like a bunch of nails to a magnet and, you want to do something different. Then this one is just for you. 
LORD Rama was once welcomed by a poor old lady Shabari, who had collected berries from forest shrubs to offer her guest. It is said Shabari actually tasted each berry to make sure they were sweet before offering to the Lord. This is Indian hospitality, where the guest is like God. Simply put, Atithi Devo Bhava. 
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Most B-schools prefer taking MBA aspirants with work experience. This is because a large number of them apply to these B-schools! There is no defined ‘quota’ for experienced personnel, nor are they given any ‘preference’ at any stage of the process. 
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Working in the United Nations Organisation (UNO) as an interpreter calls for proficiency in more than one foreign language. Fortunately, French happens to be one of the official languages of the UNO (the others being English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin and Arabic).
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Master of computer applications (MCA) is different from a postgraduate diploma in computer applications, as the former is typically a full-fledged three-year postgraduate degree offered by universities and affiliated colleges. Considered to be at par with a BE or BTech, MCA from a reputed university has greater market acceptability, especially for professional jobs in software.
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You are in luck. Working with BPOs no longer means keeping erratic hours. There are several BPOs that offer day shift jobs. For example, domestic BPOs essentially operate during the day and recruit graduates and (even undergraduates). Similarly, the advert of a company carries the tagline: “Don’t lose your sleep to earn a living”. Genpact is yet another BPO major, which does not compel its employees to work night shifts. 