Mantra for mentoring

Internships are the stepping stones to a successful career. An in depth look at how institutes, students and companies are walking an extra mile to help beginners

In a fiercely competitive job market it’s just not enough to have a fancy degree anymore as it is the employability factor that adds a cutting edge to any academic component. And it is in this scenario that student internships have assumed a much bigger and important role in almost all courses in different fields be it engineering, IT, MBA, law or media.

Having an edge in the job market, gaining valuable work experience or deciding the right career path for oneself are the most pertinent questions in the minds of students today. The answer to the above dilemma lies in a good internship opportunity as it allows the students to bridge the gap in their formal education. On one hand the students get a platform to apply their classroom knowledge and increase their chances of a better job, while on the other it gives corporates a chance to mould fresh talent according to their needs if they see potential and skill. “Internships offer an important opportunity to work closely with professionals in their field, and to develop knowledge, competencies, and experience related directly to their career goals. If managed correctly, internships will lead to new contacts, mentors, and references”, says Jayaram. K. Iyer, faculty member at Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai.

Maximise output

Don’t go for internship with pre-conceived ideas regarding the work you will be doing. Be prepared for the tasks but speak up if it becomes a routine to steer you towards your larger goal of learning. Give it your best shot. Come up with ideas even if you feel you are not being noticed for your efforts ; mostly, people sit back and look at their interns attitude towards work when there are open positions in the organisation. Network extensively. Get to know the people and process in the organisation better. Professionalism: coming office on time, finishing the tasks assigned to you within the agreed time frames are extremely important when it comes to working with a team towards delivering common end objective. Don’t get disheartened when you feel that you are not being treated as equals. Breaking the ice in an organisation takes time.

Iyer classifies internships into two types. “They are either on-job-training or special projects. On-job-training will include setting the intern in a usual process such as sales, marketing, operations, recruitment, training, accounts, etc. and help the firm as an added resource. Of course, popular perception in the industry is that such interns may not add much value to the firm since the window to demonstrate performance is quite low. Therefore, the students may end up doing ancillary or support work; for e.g. in sales it may be client list generation and initial calls; in HR it may be drawing up the initial resumes for recruitment; or end up just helping in documentation (read PPT and photocopy work), etc. It is interesting to see why firms take up on-the-job-trainees. Often, it is to establish a relationship with the institutes for recruitment, build some employer brand, etc”.

“On the other hand, summer projects are usually more interesting. They have a definitive problem, a time-frame for completion, a clear expected solution, and perhaps clear benefit. Projects also provide a foretaste into the complex business world besides the dekko into the day-to-day operations of business. Summer projects (when compared to on-the-job-training) also play a crucial role during placements because of the manner in which real value can be demonstrated. Many employers use internships as a means of evaluating potential full-time employees and also the institutes”.

No wonder then that more and more major companies like the Infosys, TCS, Wipro, HCL etc are now having well-researched and developed internship programmes that give interns a holistic experience of the work environment besides making them ready for a global career. Some of the components of vibrant internship programmes in vogue in these companies broadly include:

Getting hands on

The most important aspect of any internship programme is the first hand experience of actual work. The projects designed specially for interns are carried on under the guidance of project mentors. The students have to make presentations, engage with stakeholders and carry out research in their respective fields during the internship. At TCS intern analysts get an opportunity to create a robust and efficient code. “In addition to writing code, they work closely with the entire team to prioritise the features. It is an opportunity to explore new technologies and tools”, informs a company spokesperson. “At Althea Systems we run a programme called ‘Skunk Works’ — an innovation lab where both developers and interns work together with a high degree of autonomy from the rest of the teams, in developing new apps and solutions.

Interns get a chance to learn new concepts and technologies, and learn the ropes in developing Facebook apps, iPad/Android apps, etc. Althea takes in interns during summer," says Kishore A K, CEO and Co-Founder of Althea Systems.

Talk to the brass

Providing exposure to young talent to engage with senior managers as well as members of the board through formal conferences or informal high teas is also a part of the internship schedule in reputed companies like the Infosys which has a well-developed “Instep” programme for students from all over the world. This sort of interaction builds the confidence of interns immensely and they also get a chance to convey their ideas to the top brass directly.

Get to the shop floor

Depending on their respective fields special workshops are arranged for the interns. Industry-oriented discussions provide a platform to showcase and brush up one’s knowledge about the actual scenario of an industry.

The fun quotient

Cultural workshops are not only great tools to sensitise the trainees about the language, culture, and cuisine of a region or a country but also increase the “fun quotient” of the whole experience.

Getting sharp

These are perfect fora to test the knowledge and the effectiveness of an internship programme. The competitions can include business plan, coding, project work and presentation competitions with attractive rewards for budding professionals serving as the icing on the cake. Anveshan fellowship at Analog Devices is one such unique student design project fellowship that is aimed at enhancing system-level engineering expertise of engineering students. “The hallmark of the Anveshan fellowship is the opportunity afforded to students to work closely with senior engineers from Analog Devices, who mentor them over a four-month period to complete prototypes for new devices and products,” says Dr S. Karthik, Engineering Director, India Product Development Centre (IPDC).

Thus internships are no longer being viewed as a useless appendage but have become an important part of companies’ work culture and are seen as a first step to a bright career for a student and as an effective mentoring tool for talent for an employer.

Intern take

I had to interact with a lot of senior executives right from the top management to the Board members. That gave a lot of confidence to me and created a comfort level with seniors. Since I worked directly under them, I was mentored by them personally, and that in itself gave me immense confidence.~

Anthony Vishal, II Yr PGDM, Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Chennai

Internships allow students to differentiate themselves from the crowd. Through value addition, we gain by applying the classroom knowledge in a practical environment. This helps in bridging the gap in formal education and the valuable work experience gained acts as a platform to a better career through added relevant skills.

Abhijit Karan, A.M.C. Engineering College, Bangalore

Though many bigger companies offer structured internship modules, one can also gain positively in relatively smaller groups. Working in the intense atmosphere of a startup is challenging as well as great fun. I got addicted to my job during my internship and was later absorbed in the same company.

Sharad D, Developer, Althea Systems, Bangalore

Career Hotline
Choosing the right MBA course

Pervin Malhotra email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com...

Thousands of aspirants prepare diligently for the Civil Services examinations each year

Q. I am considering an MBA from abroad. When I look at the US B-schools their programmes are for two years, while those offered in the UK and Europe are one-year programmes. Are both these programmes similar? How should I go about choosing the right country? Please guide me. — Aman Wadhwa

A. An MBA from a foreign B-school will undoubtedly provide you unparalleled exposure, networking opportunities with an international student body and an excellent springboard to launch your career from.

Choosing between a one-year and two-year programme will however, depend on several factors.

Regardless of which country you opt for, the admission procedures and requirements are quite similar. Both will base their admission decision on a combination of your application package (essays, statement of purpose, career objectives and recommendations), GMAT scores, academic merit, and work experience.

Both programmes will essentially cover similar topics in the classroom, and placements too would be similar. The costs too are fairly similar.

So, how does one decide?

The choice between the two formats will actually depend on the profile of the individual applying.

A one-year MBA course is better suited for mid-career professionals, preferably with five or more years of experience. The shorter duration also means a lesser time away from your job, and thus a lesser opportunity cost, an important consideration for a 28 or 30 year old mid-career professional. A one-year programme is aimed at making you a better “general” manager rather than greatly enhancing your skills in a specific area.

A one-year MBA course is designed keeping in mind the assumption that someone who has worked for 5+ years already has sufficient experience and has chosen their area of specialisation. The one-year MBA, therefore, is to fine-tune their managerial skills so as to give them a career jump i.e. boost their career prospects in the same industry and / or specialisation.

A two-year programme is better suited for freshers and those with less than four years of work experience. The structure of the two-year programme will provide a better grounding of the fundamentals of management, and then depending on your personal interests and preferences you will choose a specialisation in the second year. Most two-year courses also have a training or internship period included in the structure.

A two-year programme may still make sense for someone with 5+ years of work experience if they are considering a career shift — changing your line of work.

Do also keep in mind that a one-year programme is usually more intensive than a two-year programme as the course content is compressed to a shorter period of time (but still not as in-depth as a two-year course).

Is IAS still a good option?

Q. I am thinking of preparing for the Civil Services entrance examinations in 2013. Is the IAS still a good option — particularly when the intake is limited and despite the many attractive options in the private sector? — Vineet Mahajan

A. Why not! And you don’t merely have to take my word for it. Despite murmurs of falling standards and relatively lower salary, the Indian Administrative Services continue to be the preferred option for a vast majority of Indian youth as they provide visible as well as invisible perks, social status and benefits with 100 per cent job security, something lacking in the private sector. According to a study conducted not long back by the ASSOCHAM, 80 per cent of 300 young corporate executives interviewed, agreed that the IAS, IFS, IPS continue to draw the best available talent. This is quite contrary to popular impressions that the preferred choice of talent has shifted towards private sector. Over 70 per cent agreed that the private sector does offer handsome packages to bright young executives but minus job security whereas there is no element of uncertainty befalling a civil servant.

Sure there are a plenty of other options, too. And there have always been, but many bright and idealistic young people across the country would give anything to get into the coveted bureaucratic enclaves often described as the ‘permanent government’.

Moreover, there is reason for Civil Services Aspirants to rejoice: Over the past few years, the Civil Services intake has increased. From 580 in 2009 to 965 in 2010 and 1037 in just released intake figures for 2012.

Are foreign law degrees recognised?

Q. I have completed my law degree from the UK. I will be relocating to India shortly due to family reasons. Am I eligible to practice law in India? — Simran Kaur

A. As far as Law degrees go, there is certain reciprocity between India and some foreign countries. This means that similar academic qualifications are considered to be equivalent and are, therefore, acceptable on par for purposes of undertaking further study or professional practice.

Since you have not specified from which country/university you have completed your degree, it’s difficult to give you a precise answer.

I suggest you review the details of foreign universities whose law degrees are recognised by The Bar Council of India. This information is available on their website – www.barcouncilofindia.org.

If your law degree is from a college whose name is included in BCI’s list of approved courses, you can certainly practise law in India. Depending on when you completed your law degree you may be additionally required to sit for and clear a qualifying exam.

Students who complete their LLB degrees from non-recognised universities must apply directly to the Bar Council of India for registration.

These applications are considered on a case-to case basis, and, upon approval, the students may be allowed to practice in India.

With global law firms waiting in the wings to enter India, the market for corporate lawyers is on the verge of an exciting spin. You can also explore the option of working in the legal department of large corporate houses.

Scholarship watch
Get yourself a Chevening

The HSBC Chevening Scholarship offers three full scholarships for Indian citizens for one-year masters and post graduate master’s programme at any accredited university in the UK.

Subjects: The scholarships are for subjects relating to the foreign and Commonwealth office foreign policy of building prosperity by increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources and promoting sustainable global growth.

The subjects covered include finance, economics and environmental studies.

Scholarship covers: Full programme fees, accommodation and living expenses for a period of one year, return airfare and student visa.

For details: Check out www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships-chevening-eligibility-jointlyfunded.htm

Last date of application: February 28, 2012

Leadership for school teachers

The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) has announced the 2012 International Leaders in Education Programme (ILEP) for secondary-level school teachers teaching English, social studies, mathematics, and science in Bihar, NCT of Delhi, Haryana,, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and all Union Teritories in the Northern India.

Detail: This US-government sponsored programme provides international teachers with opportunities to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills and increase their knowledge about the United States. This programme includes seminars on new teaching methodologies, curriculum development, lesson planning and teaching strategies.

Duration: ILEP consists of a semester-long non-degree, non-credit academic programme at a US university.

What it covers: Selected Indian teacher will receive round trip transportation, room and board and applicable allowances and will travel on J1 visas.

Check Out: The application materials are available on www.usif.org.in.

Application deadline: March 1, 2012.

A bouquet for arts students

The Faculty of Humanities at University of Southampton (UK) has offered a number of postgraduate scholarships and studentships funded by: the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through their Block Grant Partnership (BGP) scheme; the University of Southampton; the Faculty of Humanities; and their partners.

Subjects: The Faculty has AHRC awards for prospective postgraduate students at masters and doctoral level within the following subject areas:

Archaeology, European Language and Culture, English, Film studies, History, Linguistics, Music.

Courses: For masters and doctoral study in any of the seven disciplines and across a range of interdisciplinary centres including:

Archaeology, Eighteenth Century Studies, English, Film, History, Jewish History and Culture, Linguistics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Transnational Studies.

Details and eligibility: AHRC awards are available for the duration of a postgraduate masters’ course and for up to three years full-time or five years part-time for doctoral students.

What it covers: UK students who satisfy certain residency criteria are eligible to apply for full awards covering fees and maintenance. (Full-time maintenance was £13,590 per year for doctoral awards in 2011). Students from EU countries other than the UK are eligible to apply for fees-only awards unless they satisfy certain residency criteria.

Other awards range from £1,000 to full tuition fee and maintenance scholarships; awards are available to UK, EU and international applicants.

How to apply: Interested candidates need to submit both an application to study at the University of Southampton and a funding application form. For details on how to apply to study at the University of Southampton please visit-www.southampton.ac.uk/postgraduate. The funding application form is available at www.soton.ac.uk/humanities/postgraduate/money_matters.page?

Check out: http://www.soton.ac.uk/humanities/news/2012/ 01/12_humanities_postgraduate_funding_now_available.page

Application Deadline: The closing date for all applications is February 24, 2012.

Fellowships for MBA aspirants

JRE School of Management

JRE School of Management has offered admission scholarships to MBA aspirants for the PGDM course. The scholarship will be based on the student’s performance in recently held CAT and MAT exams. The scholarship will be active throughout the two-year PDGM programme.

Accurate Institute

Accurate Institute of Management & Technology, Greater Noida will offer merit scholarships for management course.

Total value: Students with 60 percentile or above 500 score in MAT exams will be eligible for scholarship of Rs 20,000 and with score 70 percentile or above 600 score in MAT exams will be eligible for scholarship of Rs 30,000. — TNS

Career compass: footwear technology
Getting high on heels
Usha Albuquerque

In today’s world of high fashion and beauty awareness, a person’s character is defined by the kind of clothes and shoes worn. Of course, much of this fashion hype has been created by manufacturers eager to cash in on sales. But with the increasing fashion consciousness and disposable income, the demand for specially designed and manufactured clothing and accessories is a direct fallout of this phenomenon. Footwear is one area of activity that has seen a boom. Many Indian consumers now spend as much on footwear as they do on apparel and change their shoes for different occasions. At one time footwear was only made from leather, but today there is a huge spurt in the use of different materials for the manufacture of footwear – from plastic and canvas to jute, rubber and even cloth. There is a proliferation in the range of footwear worn today which extends from formals, casuals and home wear to weddings, monsoons, clubwear, sportswear, adventure, beachwear and lounge wear, whether for men, women or children and in all colours, shapes and sizes.

Skills required Footwear design and technology requires a flair for visual conceptualizing and sketching, and creative and innovative skills. Some technical skills and computer knowledge (CAD / CAM) is also useful. Institute watch Avi School of Fashion and Shoe Technology Chandigarh Department of Industrial Training and Vocational Education Ambala (Haryana) Prannath Parnami Institute of Footwear Technology (PPIFT) Hisar Footwear Design and Development Institute Noida National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) New Delhi National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Gandhi Nagar Central Footwear Training Centre Agra

New vistas

The increase in demand and choice for footwear has led to a spurt in the number of companies dealing with footwear production and export. Currently India produces nearly 300 crore pairs of footwear annually, exports over 10 per cent and accounts for about 15 per cent of annual global footwear production which is over 2,000 crore, according to a study conducted by the Indian Footwear Industry.

That’s where the new areas of work are in this fascinating career. While the traditional Indian "chappals" and other such footwear are still made by hand in the unorganised rural sector, the manufacturing of shoes is now a highly mechanised process, involving the use of sophisticated machinery, and technically skilled manpower. And seeing the huge opportunity several private sector companies, and big international names have come into the country for the design, production and export of footwear.

Workscape

Most of the work in the footwear industry is highly mechanised and very technical covering the Design, Manufacturing and Marketing of shoes.

Design: This involves creating new styles of footwear, and sometimes new uses for particular designs, keeping in mind, the demands of clients, and the popular demand in the markets. Designers work on patterns of footwear, the development of patterns and grading of patterns, according to which samples are made. While technical designers handle pattern making, cutting, designing etc, stylist designers keep a tab on changing styles in fashion and conceptualise a marketable product.

Manufacturing: Manufacturing of shoes, whether manufactured by leading shoe companies or by small-scale factories for sale in the domestic market, is a highly sophisticated process, handled by skilled technicians.

Marketing essentially involves the selling of the different styles of footwear to an expanding and ever-demanding domestic market and for the export sector. This requires a basic eye for design as well as an instinct for what will sell.

Getting In

Footwear technology is a specialised field requiring trained professionals. While a background in science is required for most training courses in footwear technology, you need creative talent to get into footwear design.

There are several institutes offering a range of degree, diploma and short term certificate courses in footwear technology and design. Some institutes such as the The Footwear Design and Development Institute(F.D.D.I.), with centres in Noida, and in Chennai; Avi School of Fashion and Shoe Technology, Chandigarh; and the Prannath Parnami Institute of Footwear Technology (PPIFT), Hisar, provide courses in footwear production as well as design, while the National Institute of Fashion technology, in Hyderabad, Chennai, Gandhinagar and Kolkata offer only footwear design courses, as a specialised course as well as a part of the accessory design programme at some centres.

FDDI offers an undergraduate diploma course in footwear technology for those with Plus II qualification (3 years), as well as PG diploma programme in footwear technology for science and engineering graduates.

The Diploma in Footwear Designing (DFD) is a one year’s course for graduates in fine arts, or graduates in any other discipline, having a flair for sketching.

The institute also offers a Footwear Management programme for which you need an engineering degree in mechanical or production engineering or leather technology, and several short courses too.

The Central Leather Research Institute (C.L.R.I) in Chennai also has provisions for training and research in the specific area of leather footwear. The institute offers long and short-term training courses to students who have cleared the Class XII exam. It also offers B Tech and M Tech, as well as PG diploma courses in leather and footwear science and engineering. The Government Leather Institute, Agra and the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur are some of the other institutes offering courses in footwear technology.

Opportunities

There is a huge demand for trained professionals with the top four international brands Reebok, Adidas, Nike and Puma having carved their niche in India. With a surge in the number of sporting events, more and more foreign players are also looking at this growing market which is enticing smaller global players like Lotto Sports Italia, Vans, Skechers, Crocs who are looking to increase their footprint. Moreover, many international brands are shifting their sourcing and manufacturing base to India, as the country allows a 100 per cent FDI investment in this sector opening excellent career opportunities in the designing and technical areas.

The Indian leather industry is also slowly transforming itself from just a raw materials provider to a manufacturer of high grade leather goods, and currently offer the maximum number of job opportunities, particularly in areas related to tanning and finishing.

Boutiques and fashion houses also take on footwear designers to create special collections for their haute couture range of clothes. Footwear designers and leather technicians also have the option of starting their own business: setting up their own production and design units. This is because the initial investment is quite reasonable for small scale industries. Moreover, the F.D.D.I. provides loans to students securing more than 70 % marks, (depending on their financial conditions).

Pay package

Depending on the training undertaken and the kind of work you get, trained footwear technologists can expect to start on salaries of between Rs 15,000 – 20,000 per month, which is known to grow rapidly for the hard-working and talented.

This is an industry that has not suffered a recession, rather a tremendous surge in growth, and is therefore witnessing a demand for trained manpower. Helped by a booming middle-class and rising demand from rural markets, the Indian footwear industry is growing rapidly and estimated by ASSOCHAM to reach about Rs 38,700 crore by 2015 from the current level of about Rs 22,000 crore. The low cost of production, abundant availability of raw material, and a huge consumption market are certain basic features that have contributed to this growth, making India the second-largest global producer of footwear after China.

The writer is a career expert

Course cruising

Certificate course in hospitality training for persons with developmental disabilities

Manovikas-IGNOU

Community College (MCC), the first college in the world for the persons with developmental disabilities for sustainable employment, has announced admission for Certificate in Hospitality Training Programme for the academic year 2012-2013.

This innovative programme from Manovikas Community College and IGNOU is a first of its kind and is the most comprehensive where students can acquire specific competencies, college credit with resources to achieve desired goals.

What it offers: The programme provides learners with specific courses on social communication, understanding customer behavior, and food and beverage management.

Duration: Six months to 1 year. Completion of this programme will benefit the successful candidates to apply jobs in different tourism industries like hotels, restaurants etc.

Eligibility: Candidates should be 17 years or older with borderline to mid-level developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning disabilities, hearing impairment etc. Above average results on the Multiple Intelligence Disabilities test in the areas of Linguistic, Interpersonal, and Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence.

Application form: The forms for admission are available on the website manovikas.co.in

Or you can write to:

Manovikas-IGNOU Community College

A-267 Surajmal Vihar

Delhi 110092

For details call:

011-65422367 011-22377771 +919911107772

mcc@manovikas.co.in

www.manovikas.co.in/mcc

Last date of submission is 15th June, 2012.

Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition

Training company IndiaCan has launched a course in Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition in partnership with Medvarsity Online, a part of the Apollo Hospitals Group.

Scope: “The programme designed by experts from Apollo aims to address the requirement of quality candidates with necessary practical experience while entering the industry,” said IndiaCan CEO Sharad Talwar.

“A career as a dietitian and nutritionist can today prove to be extremely fulfilling and promising since more and more people are developing awareness about better health”, he added.

Under the partnership, the curriculum would be designed by Medvarsity, while the infrastructure will be provided by IndiaCan. The two companies are looking to open 12 centres in the first year.

Certification: The students will receive a joint certification both by Medvarsity (Apollo) and IndiaCan.

Australian advantage for MAAC students

Brisbane-based Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has entered into an agreement up with the Nathmal Ojha Memorial Educational Society (NOMES) in India which will facilitate students of Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) in Kamla Nagar (New Delhi), Lucknow, Gurgaon and Kanpur centres to complete their degree in Australia with credits.

This tie-up will facilitate students with semester credits who have completed the certification from NOMES-MAAC centres listed above. Students would be able to complete their Bachelor Degrees in two years and Masters Degree in just one year in Creative Industries Faculty at QUT. — TNS

Field in focus: instructional design
Riding the learning curve
Nandini Bajaj

The education and training sector has recognised the power of the Internet and this has helped in breaking the traditional barriers of time and place associated with the delivery channels of learning. Software development companies which have noted the trend have developed advanced learning environments that combine powerful Internet collaboration tools like e-mail, synchronous and asynchronous discussion, shared work spaces and video conferencing.

Instructional design is the practice of arranging media to help learners and teachers to transfer knowledge most effectively. Ideally, the process is fired by pedagogically tested theories of learning and may take place in student-only, teacher-led or community-based settings. Instructional design can start at any point. Often a glimmer of an idea is developed into the core of an instruction situation. By the time the entire process is completed, the designer looks back and checks to see that all parts of the “science” have been taken into account. Then the entire process is written in a systematic process of developing instructional systems. Instructional development is the process of implementing the system or plan.

At a glance

Instructional design is the practice of arranging media to help learners and teachers to transfer knowledge most effectively. The process broadly consists of determining the current state of learner understanding, defining the end goal of instruction and creating some media-based intervention to assist the process.

What do you have to do

Instructional designers prepare a series of self-instructional tutorials and provide interactive modules that guide students through some topics. Tests and assessments are tracked and reports are generated online. In a complete module of "distance education", along with the presentation of the course through media graphics and animation, collaborative tools like e-mail, discussion lists, live chats and shared work spaces are used for better learning. Instructional theories play an important role in the design of instructional materials. Theories such as behaviorism, constructivism etc help shape and define the outcome of instructional materials.

Academic and soft skills

You should be a graduate in any field. Being multi-disciplinary in nature, instructional design calls for the acquisition of knowledge in several domains, particularly education, technology, project management, written communication and business sensitivity. You should have good communication and writing skills and be concise and engaging. Creativity and a basic understanding of technology are other must-haves.

Job profiles

Instructional designers work in the educational sector, in computer companies specialising in education software, in the private sector, with the armed forces or with health services organisations. Some work for consulting companies or as freelancers also.

The opportunities for professionals in this field are booming, but there are very few people who are formally trained in instructional design. You could begin by assuming the main responsibility of implementing design specifications. You could later take up the role of an instructional designer. After a few years of experience in this field, you can attain the position of senior instructional designer, in which you would be involved in developing the overall course design strategy and managing projects from the content perspective. This calls for leadership skills in co-coordinating with the team members and the client.

Higher leadership positions could be: content manager in an e-learning firm, e-learning project manager in the training department of a company, the head of education services or director of course development in distance education institutions, the chief learning officer or vice-president of education or the director of training and development in a company.

The above mentioned positions depend on the type of organisation you are working for — corporate training departments, distance education institutions, corporate universities, e-learning firms or consulting firms specialising in training and development.

The salary may start at Rs 2 lakh per annum (the minimum for a trainee instructional designer) and with experience and expertise, may touch Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh per annum.

— The writer is Professor at Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi

Smart strategy
How to get a pay hike
D. C. Sharma

Almost every employee desires to get a pay raise at some time or the other. But how many of them get it as they desire? Research has revealed that the way, the situation, and the time of making the demand for a raise often prove to be the deciding factors in an employee’s demand getting accepted or rejected. Unaware of these facts employees can do nothing but simply go on grumbling and complaining, often nurturing a sense of jealousy against those who actually intend to help them, even cursing their fate and the stars. Cartoonist Kin Hubbard has clarified, “Lots of folks confuse bad management (decision making) with destiny.”

Studies have established that once such employees learn to place greater value upon what they do, the greater the value of the return they get. They grow to the extent which they give out. Studies have further established that 88.14 per cent of those who applied this principle have got a raise. Only 11.86 per cent where the boss is basically uncooperative or the company is going downward, the demand for a raise has failed to fructify.

Speak through your work

Highly productive employees always deserve a pay raise. They are rarely pride ridden. They are rather those who bring productivity, pride and prestige to the company concerned. They may take pride in their good work but are never haughty. Mostly humble by nature they stand tall by their work and productivity. Even when others praise their work, such employees never pose their undue pride lest someone else’s image gets hit. Such polite and sweet spoken employees get a pay raise as their boss already knows that they deserve what they demand. But such employees never bow low while making a demand as they know that what they ask for they richly deserve that.

It does not mean that a boss would grant a raise only to the humble employees. Pay raise can’t be demanded when an employee is empty handed without making any substantial productive contribution to the company concerned. No boss is ever ignorant of the work done by his subordinates, otherwise how could he remain a boss. But it is also important that a productive employee must look tall in the eyes of his boss so as to come into the limelight, projecting each and every good activity on his part. And his boss at once recognises his worth when he approaches for a pay raise.

Research even proved that the employee may be productive and yet may miss the raise if he approaches his boss at the wrong time. Experience alone teaches that one does not learn until regrets take the place of dreams. After all, every officer has his own time schedule, and any interference in his convenience can bother him, causing annoyance, thus compelling him to refuse a raise even when deserved. It is thus very important to seek an appointment with your boss, so that he is in a proper mood to listen to your tale.

Know what you seek

Research reveals that so many times the employee who approaches his boss for a pay raise is not crystal clear about what and how much raise he wants to claim. In such a situation, the boss senses something else while the employee has presented his case in some other sense. Hence it is always worthwhile that the employee concerned must be sure and certain about the claim for a raise. He must have everything handy in black and white, and a copy of the same can be handed over to the boss if the latter asks for it, so that nothing lies in the dark. Better still if the employee presents a copy of the raise granted by some other similar companies to their employees of your kind. That will not only substantiate your claim, but would also show how sharp, intelligent, and particular you are.

Impression counts

You can’t get your pay raise granted unless you impress your boss favourably. You may be constructive and productive to the core, yet may be lacking in making a certain kind of impression. When you approach him for a raise you must greet your boss with a broad smile on your face. You know that a smile is an asset while a frown is a liability. Also impress him with your language which you must learn to speak wonderfully well. If you fume and fumble while talking to your boss, you lose a lot of your impression which your boss may be guessing otherwise. You know, you can speak with a lot of good impression when you talk to him making a frequent eye contact with a gap 3-4 seconds. Don’t hesitate, you will find it easy as you try to practise it. Just make it a habit for future too!

Don’t sound desperate

While claiming a raise, never feel helpless and desperate. What you deserve by virtue of your educational degrees and profuse good work you must claim it. Never ever feel like a weak lamb. But it does not mean that you thunder like a fierce lion since you are well-qualified and are an employee of profound productivity. Be balanced, using the favourable body language just standing (or sitting if the boss offers you a chair) tall and erect, claiming humbly yet firmly, convincing your boss of your value and worth, and making him feel you really deserve what you are requesting for.

Research indicates that bosses are never a polite stuff. They are basically ‘hard nuts to crack’ (pun unintended). But once they are sure the employee really deserves a raise, they do their best to provide the same to the deserving ones. But before granting the raise they dig the employee deep lest the decision they take turn out to be a wrong one.

All these tips will simply remain tips till you put them into practice. You won’t get back empty handed when you apply these provided you prove true to this acid test.

The writer is a psychologist and a career expert

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
Avoid riding in two boats

One reason for missing the target time and again could be the pursuance of too many goals simultaneously.

At the age of 12, Zahir-ud-din Babur became the Lord of Farghana after his father Omar Shaik’s death. In order to expand his empire, he left Farghana and attacked Samarkand. To his misfortune, his younger brother Jehangir took control of Farghana in Babur’s absence. When Babur left Samarkand to regain Farghana, his uncle Sultan Ali occupied Samarkand.

Due to his son Salim’s bad habits, Mughal Emperor Akbar, along with the courtiers, was confused about his successor. When Akbar was on his deathbed, courtiers Man Singh and Aziz Koka proposed that Salim’s first son Khusrau be made the next emperor. But courtier Sayyad Khan Barha nipped the revolt in the bud.

When Salim ascended the throne as Jahangir, he confined Khusrau to his quarters with his wife. When he escaped during a visit to Akbar’s tomb on April 15, 1606, he was chased, captured, blinded and put in a dungeon.

In contrast, when Rani Abbakka of Ullal (on the west coast of Karnataka) was crowned, she cut off relations with her husband Veera Narasimha, the King of Bangadi, as he didn’t want to fight the Portuguese invaders. She not only drove the foreigners out of Ullal, but helped Venkatappa Nayak, King of Keladi, take over the fort of Mangalore.

The country was free, but a lot still remained to be done. So Jayaprakash Narayan formed the Socialist Party, independent of the Congress, in 1948. But in the 1952 general elections, the party lost badly. Choosing the ‘way of service’ to that of ‘power’, he joined Vinoba Bhave’s Sarvodaya and Bhoodan Movement.

When Prince Siddhartha returned to Kapilavastu after attaining Buddhahood, his father Suddhodana told him to ascend the throne. “You have ascended from kings. Naturally, you should be crowned,” the king said. Buddha refused saying, “I have ascended from the Buddhas of old.”

Even while he came from a poor family, Lal Bahadur Shastri boycotted college and examinations. Neither his landlord nor his mentor Mishraji approved of Lal’s actions. But his mother Ramdulari reposed her faith in him. “Do what is right,” she said.

In 1939, when Subhas Chandra Bose decided that armed struggle, with foreign help, was the only way ahead, he resigned from the presidentship of the Congress. He went to Berlin via Peshawar, Kabul and Moscow. There he organized the Indian National Army and formed the Indian Independence League. Then he went to Japan and took over the reins of the India Independence League and Indian National Army there from patriot Rash Behari Bose.

A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Motherhood puts research careers on backburner

Motherhood is taking a toll on women’s scientific careers, researchers say. A new study at Cornell University has revealed that women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children – not because their performance is devalued or they are shortchanged during interviewing and hiring.

“Motherhood and the policies that make it incompatible with a tenure-track research career take a toll on women that is detrimental to their professional lives. Even just the plan to have children in the future is associated with women exiting the research fast-track at a rate twice that of men,” said Cornell human development professors Wendy Williams and Stephen Ceci.

“It is time for universities to move past thinking about under representation of women in science solely as a consequence of biased hiring and evaluation, and instead think about it as resulting from outdated policies created at a time when men with stay-at-home wives ruled the academy,” said Williams.

Williams founded the Cornell Institute for Women in Science, a research and outreach center that studies and promotes the careers of women scientists. — ANI